31st (Greater London) Signal Regiment | |
---|---|
Active | 1967—2010 |
Country | United Kingdom |
Branch | British Army |
Type | Signals Regiment |
Role | Military Communications |
Size | Regiment |
Part of | 2nd (National Communications) Signal Brigade |
Garrison/HQ | Hammersmith |
Nickname(s) | 31 Signal Regiment |
Last Communications Equipment | HF Communications |
Engagements | Operation Telic |
Website | 31 (Greater London) Signal Regiment (Volunteers) |
The 31st (Greater London) Signal Regiment was a territorial communications regiment of the British Army's Royal Corps of Signals. The regiment first formed following the creation of the Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve in 1967 after the 1966 Defence White Paper. After seeing limited reserve support during the Cold War, the regiment was disbanded in 2010 following the initial Army 2020 reform.
Following the announcement of the 1966 Defence White Paper, new "large" regiments and formed within the new Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve. Although more focused on the infantry corps and royal artillery, the royal corps of signals did see some changes including new TA regiments. [1] On 1 April 1967 the 31st (Greater London) Signals Regiment was formed with the following regiments being the "parent" units; [2]
After formation the regimental headquarters were located at Hammersmith where they would remain for almost 30 years. After organising the regiment was assigned to the 11th Signal Group (V) as the reserve trunk communications signal regiment for SHAPE. By 1992 the regiment was moved under control of the 2nd (National Communications) Signal Brigade and provided communications for the City of London and general County of London area. [3] [4] [5] [6]
In 1994, the regimental headquarters moved to Wandsworth Barracks in Southfields where it remained until disbandment. During this period, the regiment had links with the Worshipful Company of Innholders and the London University Officer's Training Corps. During the initial Operation Telic invasion, volunteers of the regiment served in Iraq with their regular counterparts. [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]
In 2010 the regiment was disbanded following the concurrent disbandment of the 2nd Signal Brigade and the re-organisation of the TA signals as a result of the Army 2020 reform. Although the RHQ was disbanded, all squadrons' titles, lineages, and roles were all retained, with most squadrons moving to the other London signals regiment, 71st (City of London) Yeomanry Signal Regiment (V). [5]
Organisation of the regiment during its existence; [9] [10]
The regiment, along with the other London Regiments, maintained the following battalion's/regiment's lineages and traditions; [7] [8] [12]
Yeomanry is a designation used by a number of units and sub-units in the British Army Reserve which are descended from volunteer cavalry regiments that now serve in a variety of different roles.
The Royal Yeomanry (RY) is the senior reserve cavalry regiment of the British Army. Equipped with Supacat Jackal variants, their role is to conduct mounted and dismounted formation reconnaissance. The Regimental Headquarters is located in Leicester, with squadrons in Fulham, Nottingham, Dudley, Croydon, Telford, and Leicester. The regiment is part of the Royal Armoured Corps and is only reserve cavalry regiment to resubordinate into regular brigade as part of the Future Soldier Programme, which in turn arose from the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy published in March 2021.
The Queen's Own Warwickshire and Worcestershire Yeomanry (QOWWY) was a regiment of the Royal Armoured Corps, forming part of the Territorial Army (TA). Following reductions in 1969 and 1971 respectively the regiment was reduced to two and later one company sized sub-unit in 1999. Following a reorganisation in 2021, there are now two successors to the regiment: one squadron in the Royal Yeomanry as light cavalry, and one squadron in the 37th Signal Regiment as a support squadron.
The Leicestershire Yeomanry (Prince Albert's Own) was a yeomanry regiment of the British Army, first raised in 1794 and again in 1803, which provided cavalry and mounted infantry in the Second Boer War and the First World War and provided two field artillery regiments of the Royal Artillery in the Second World War, before being amalgamated with the Derbyshire Yeomanry to form the Leicestershire and Derbyshire (Prince Albert's Own) Yeomanry in 1957. The regiment's lineage is currently perpetuated by E (Leicestershire and Derbyshire Yeomanry) Squadron of the Royal Yeomanry.
The 2nd Signal Brigade, was a military formation of the British Army composed of Royal Corps of Signals units. The brigade was first formed following the reorganisation of the old Territorial Army in 1967, and was disbanded in 2012 under the Army 2020 programme. However, later the 2nd Signal Group was formed continuing the lineage of the old brigade, before it was disbanded in 2018.
The Berkshire Yeomanry was a part time regiment of the British Army formed in 1794 to counter the threat of invasion during the French Revolutionary Wars. It was the Royal County of Berkshire's senior volunteer unit with over 200 years of voluntary military service. After taking part in the Second Boer War, it saw action as mounted troops in the First World War and as artillery in the Second World War. Its lineage is maintained by 94 Signal Squadron, part of 39 (Skinners) Signal Regiment. The Headquarters of the Squadron is based in Windsor, Berkshire. The Berkshire Yeomanry had a number of battle honours won from Europe to the Far East and Private Frederick Potts was awarded a Victoria Cross for service during the Gallipoli Campaign.
36 (Eastern) Signal Regiment was a Territorial Army (TA) signal unit of the British Army's Royal Corps of Signals (RCS). The regiment was formed following the formation of the TAVR in 1967, and was disbanded in 2009 following a reorganisation in the RCS. Though not disbanded, the regiment continues its lineage as a squadron, with its own former squadrons forming troops within said squadron.
39th (Skinners) Signal Regiment is an Army Reserve regiment in the Royal Corps of Signals in the British Army. The regiment forms part of 1 Signal Brigade, providing military communications for national operations. The Lynx badge is a reminder of the unit's connection with the Worshipful Company of Skinners.
The Northumberland Hussars was a Yeomanry regiment of the British Army, transferred to the Royal Artillery for the duration of the Second World War. It was disbanded as an independent Territorial Army unit in 1967, a time when the strength of the Territorial Army was greatly reduced. The regiment's name lives on in the title of the command and support squadron of the Queen's Own Yeomanry (QOY), a Formation Reconnaissance Regiment based in Newcastle upon Tyne.
The Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars (QOOH) was a Yeomanry Cavalry regiment of the British Army's auxiliary forces, formed in 1798. It saw service in the Second Boer War with 40 and 59 Companies of the Imperial Yeomanry and was the first Yeomanry regiment to serve in Belgium and France during the Great War. After almost four years of Trench warfare on the Western Front, where cavalry had been superfluous, the QOOH led the advance during the Allies' victorious Hundred Days Offensive in 1918. In 1922, the QOOHt became part of the Royal Artillery and during World War II it served as anti-tank gunners at Singapore and in North West Europe. After a series of postwar mergers and changes of role, the regiment's lineage is maintained by 142 Vehicle Squadron, Royal Logistic Corps.
The North Somerset Yeomanry was a part-time cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1798 to 1967. It maintained order in Somerset in the days before organised police forces, and supplied volunteers to fight in the Second Boer War. It served on the Western Front in the First World War. At the outbreak of the Second World War, it continued to operate in the mounted role and then as a specialist signals unit. Postwar it joined the Royal Armoured Corps and later became infantry. Its lineage today is maintained by 93 Squadron 39 (Skinners) Signal Regiment.
The South Nottinghamshire Hussars is a unit of the British Army formed as volunteer cavalry in 1794. Converted to artillery in 1922, it presently forms part of 103 Regiment, Royal Artillery.
The Denbighshire Hussars was a Welsh Yeomanry regiment of the British Army formed in 1794. It saw service in the First World War before being converted into a unit of the Royal Artillery. The lineage has been continued by 398 Squadron, Royal Logistic Corps.
The Royal Buckinghamshire Yeomanry is an Operational Hygiene Squadron of the Royal Logistic Corps, originally formed as cavalry in 1794, and has also served in artillery and signals roles. The lineage is continued by 710 Operational Hygiene Squadron, Royal Logistic Corps.
The Northamptonshire Yeomanry was a Yeomanry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1794 as volunteer cavalry. It served in the Second Boer War, the First World War and the Second World War before being reduced to squadron level in 1956. It ceased to have a separate existence in 1971.
The Middlesex Yeomanry was a volunteer cavalry regiment of the British Army originally raised in 1797. It saw mounted and dismounted action in the Second Boer War and in the First World War at Gallipoli, Salonika and in Palestine, where one of its officers won a Victoria Cross at the Battle of Buqqar Ridge and the regiment rode into Damascus with 'Lawrence of Arabia'. Between the world wars the regiment was converted to the signals role and it provided communications for armoured formations in the Second World War, including service in minor operations in Iraq, Palestine, Syria and Iran, as well as the Western Desert, Italian and North-West European campaigns. It continued in the postwar Territorial Army and its lineage is maintained today by 31 Signal Squadron, Royal Corps of Signals, which forms part of the Army Reserve.
The 12th Signal Brigade, later 12th Signal Group was a military communications formation of the British Army commanding regiments of the Royal Corps of Signals. Initially formed in 1967, the brigade would provide rear defence communications for the British Army of the Rhine until its disbandment in 1992. In 2004, the group was reformed to provide territorial army and rear support to the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps in Germany. However, in 2009 the group was disbanded following reductions to the Royal Corps of Signals and Territorial Army.
85 (Ulster) Signal Squadron was a military communications unit of the British Territorial Army, which formed part of the Royal Corps of Signals. The squadron was one of four signal squadrons which formed part of 40th (Ulster) Signal Regiment until its disbandment in 2009.
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