Equipment Support, Theatre Troops

Last updated
Equipment Support, Theatre Troops
Active2001 (or 2003) – 2010 (or 2012)
CountryFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
BranchFlag of the British Army.svg  British Army
Role Maintenance and Equipment Support
Size Colonel's Command
Part of Theatre Troops
Group HQ Airfield Camp, Netheravon
Abbreviated Title'ES, TH TPS'
Commanders
CommanderCommander Equipment Support, Theatre Troops

Equipment Support, Theatre Troops (ESTT/ES, TT/ES, TH TPS) was an ad-hoc group of maintenance and equipment support units of the British Army's Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.

Contents

History

Background

Following the Options for Change in 1991, the former regional districts were disbanded in 1995 and subsequently subsumed into the new 'regenerative divisions'. Unlike their predecessors, the new divisions did not take control of the regional Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) support units. In addition, those forces within the United Kingdom were reorganised into Land Command, which needed equipment support but had no centralised structure to deal with its needs. Following the 'Options' all REME needs were overseen by a two-star Director General Equipment Support (Army) (DGES(A)), based in Andover. However, in practice this two-star director needed to split his duties between supporting the Army's field forces, and in 1995 the directorate was split. DGES(A) split its responsibilities between the new 'forward commanders', known as 'Commanders, Equipment Support', which were subordinate to each division and command. This was soon reversed and equipment support was centred under the Equipment Support Directorate, HQ Land Command and DGES(A). [1]

Formation

As a result of the Strategic Defence Review of 1998-1999, a new two-star general's command was created, designated as Headquarters Theatre Troops. The new command was placed under control of Land Command and oversaw all support and manoeuvre troops tasked with supporting the army via specialist roles. [2]

In 2000, the equipment support functions at HQ Land Command was headed by a one-star REME officer (Brigadier Mike Huntly). However, with the planned formation of the Defence Logistics Organisation, the role of this position and indeed the Equipment Support Directorate was slowly diminishing. [2]

Following the 'Landmark' reorganisation, two separate equipment support headquarters were placed under Commander Theatre Troops. Headquarters Royal Logistic Corps, Territorial Army (TA) headquartered at Prince William of Gloucester Barracks in Grantham, Lincolnshire and Equipment Support, Theatre Troops, headquartered at HQ Theatre Troops at Airfield Camp, Netheravon in Wiltshire. The former oversaw the specialist TA units of the Royal Logistic Corps and the latter oversaw the specialist separate units of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME). [2] [3] [4] [5]

The new organisation was commanded by the former Commander, Headquarters Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Territorial Army (Commander HQ REME TA), who had also been double-hatted as the Deputy Commander, Combat Service Support Group United Kingdom (soon to become 101st Logistic Brigade), and as such the TA responsivities seized. At the same time as the creation of ES, TS, the Commander ES, Land Command post was disestablished. [6]

Organisation

By 2007, and group was more-or-less an administrative ad-hoc group which provided support to HQ Theatre Troops for equipment and maintenance units. The following units were under the administrative control of the group: [2] [6]

It is unknown when the group was disbanded, however it is known that the group had disappeared by 2012 and the consequential Army 2020 programme.

Footnotes

Notes

    Citations

    1. Peregrine & Croucher, pp. 362–365
    2. 1 2 3 4 Peregrine & Croucher, pp. 365–367
    3. Mackinlay, p. 61
    4. Heyman, p. 40
    5. "HQ Theatre Troops Organisation". British Army. Archived from the original on 8 January 2007. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
    6. 1 2 Peregrine & Croucher, p. 367
    7. "HQ Theatre Troops". British Army. Archived from the original on 24 January 2010. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
    8. "British Army units from 1945 on - REME Companies". british-army-units1945on.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-12-13.
    9. "British Army units from 1945 on - Regiments 21 on". british-army-units1945on.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-12-13.

    Related Research Articles

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Battalion</span> Military unit size designation

    A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into a number of companies, each typically commanded by a major or a captain. The typical battalion is built from three operational companies, one weapons company and one headquarters company. In some countries, battalions are exclusively infantry, while in others battalions are unit-level organisations.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers</span> Maintenance arm of the British Army

    The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers is the maintenance arm of the British Army that maintains the equipment that the Army uses. The corps is described as the "British Army's professional engineers".

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">11th Security Force Assistance Brigade</span> British Army unit

    The 11th Security Force Assistance Brigade is a brigade of the British Army which is intended to train and assist foreign forces. In 2021, under the Future Army changes, the brigade was redesignated, formerly being the 11th Infantry Brigade & HQ South East. Prior to the Army 2020 changes in 2013, the brigade was temporarily activated for deployment to Afghanistan. Originally formed in the Second Boer War, the brigade was engaged during both World Wars.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">51st Infantry Brigade and Headquarters Scotland</span> Military unit

    HQ 51st Infantry Brigade and Headquarters Scotland is a Regional Point of Command, Brigade of the British Army.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">562 Parachute Squadron Royal Corps of Transport (Volunteers)</span> Military unit

    562 Parachute Squadron Royal Corps of Transport (Volunteers) was a minor unit that supported 44th Parachute Brigade (V).

    This is the Operation Herrick ground order of battle, which lists any British ground forces that have taken part in the duration of Operation Herrick between 2002 and 2014.

    A Light Aid Detachment is an attached independent minor unit of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, or Royal New Zealand Army Logistic Regiment operating as a sub-unit of the supported unit. These units provide dedicated logistic support to every field unit of the Australian Army, British Army, Canadian Army or New Zealand Army. RAEME, REME, RCEME and the NZEME were created in October 1942 out of elements of the Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps, Royal Army Ordnance Corps, Royal Engineers, Royal Corps of Signals, Royal Army Service Corps Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps and the New Zealand Ordnance Corps who previously handled functions such as the repair of weapons, optics and vehicles.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">101st Operational Sustainment Brigade</span> Military unit

    101st Operational Sustainment Brigade is a logistic brigade within 3rd Division of the British Army, formed from the Combat Service Support Group in 1999. The brigade is held in high readiness and is described as a "vanguard support brigade".

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Wattisham Flying Station</span> Military airfield in Suffolk, England

    Wattisham Flying Station, formerly Wattisham Airfield, is a British Army airfield and barracks located near the village of Wattisham in Suffolk, England. It is home to the Army Air Corps' Apache attack helicopter force. A helicopter repair facility provided by 7 Aviation Support Battalion, REME and 132 Aviation Supply Squadron, RLC is also based at the airfield.

    Land Command was a military command and formation and part of the structure of the British Army from 1995 to 2008. Its headquarters was at Erskine Barracks, at Fugglestone St Peter, some four kilometres northwest of Salisbury in Wiltshire.

    The Northern Army Group (NORTHAG) was a NATO military formation comprising five Army Corps from five NATO member nations. During the Cold War NORTHAG was NATO's forward defence in the Northern half of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG). The Southern half of the Federal Republic of Germany was to be defended by the four Army Corps of NATO's Central Army Group (CENTAG). During wartime NORTHAG would command four frontline corps and one reserve corps. Air support was provided by Second Allied Tactical Air Force.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Force Troops Command</span> Former combat support and combat service support command of the British Army

    Force Troops Command was a combat support and combat service support command of the British Army. Its headquarters was at Upavon, Wiltshire. It was formed in 2013 as a re-designation of the previous Headquarters Theatre Troops. Force Troops Command was renamed as 6th Division in August 2019.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">1st Artillery Brigade (United Kingdom)</span> Military unit

    The 1st Artillery Brigade was a support formation of the British Army from 1961-77 and from 1997. Part of the 3rd Division, it oversaw all army close support artillery and deep fires units. Under the Future Soldier programme, the brigade merged with 1st Armoured Infantry Brigade to form 1st Deep Reconnaissance Strike Brigade Combat Team.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">1 Close Support Battalion REME</span> Military unit

    1st Close Support Battalion, REME is a Combat service support unit of the British Army's Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Structure of the British Army</span> Organisation of the British Army

    The page contains the current structure of the British Army. The British Army is currently being reorganised to the Future Soldier structure.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Barker Barracks</span> Military installation in Paderborn, Germany

    Barker Barracks was a military installation in Paderborn, Germany.

    The following is a hierarchical outline for the structure of the British Army in 1989. The most authoritative source for this type of information available is Ministry of Defence, Master Order of Battle, and United Kingdom Land Forces, HQ UKLF, UKLF ORBAT Review Action Plan, HQ UKLF, 1990.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Gurkha Allied Rapid Reaction Corps Support Battalion</span> Military unit

    The GurkhaAllied Rapid Reaction Corps Support Battalion, or simply the GurkhaARRC Support Battalion is a combat support unit of the British Army, and one of only three units permanently assigned to NATO. For administrative purposes, the Gurkha ARRC Support Battalion falls under the oversight of the Royal Logistic Corps, though employs members from many other cap badges.

    The 2nd Division Transport Regiment was a military support unit of the British Army, forming part of the Royal Corps of Transport. Initially formed in 1953, the regiment would serve the 2nd Infantry Division until its first disbandment in 1984 following a reorganisation of the British Army of the Rhine. Reformed one year later, it would finally be disbanded in 1993 following the End of the Cold War.

    Future Soldier is a reform of the British Army resulting from the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy published in March 2021. The aim of the reform is to create a more lethal, agile and expeditionary force, able to fight and win wars and to operate in the grey-zone between peace and war. Future Soldier was published on 25 November 2021 and deals with the organizational changes of the British Army, with changes to personnel and equipment were set out in the Defence in a Competitive Age paper published on 22 March 2021.

    References