15 Psychological Operations Group
| 15 (UK) Psychological Operations Group | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1991–2015 |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
|
| Branch |
 British Army
|
| Role | Psychological warfare |
| Size | ~ 150 personnel |
| Garrison/HQ | Defence Intelligence and Security Centre, Chicksands |
15 (United Kingdom) Psychological Operations Group was a tri-service, or "purple", military unit formerly parented by 1 Military Intelligence Brigade but from April 2014, part of the Security Assistance Group within the British Army's Force Troops Command. Since April 2015, it has been subsumed into 77th Brigade within Force Troops Command.
Following the Gulf War of 1991, the UK formed a shadow PSYOPS unit called 15 (UK) PSYOPS Group (Shadow). A double digit prefix was selected to avoid any confusion with the U.S counterparts of the 2nd, 4th, 7th, and 8th MIS/Psych Ops Groups, and the number 15 was chosen because PSYOPS battlefield activities in support of 21 Army Group during WW2 were conducted by Amplifier Units (numbered 10-14). The Group adopted the stag's head formation sign used by the World War II Indian Field Broadcast Units (IFBU). Reputedly the deer's antlers symbolize both the combat support function of PSYOPS and the antennae associated with a major means of dissemination of psychological warfare messages.
15 (UK) Psychological Operations Group was established immediately after the 1991 Gulf War when the success of US military psychological operations convinced the Ministry of Defence that the UK required a similar capability. Initially, it was composed of just a single desk officer with the intention that it would be augmented by additional personnel when required. As such, the Group was referred to in military terminology as a 'shadow' unit. Subsequently, conspiracy theorists have suggested incorrectly that 'Shadow' was a covert code name for the Group and members of the Group have been targeted in the press.
Since 1991, the Group has grown significantly in size to meet operational requirements and has participated in every major UK military operation since that period. The Black and White Association (formerly Club) is the regimental association for the Group and for the first time, in 2013, members paraded on Remembrance Sunday at the Cenotaph. Leading members of the Black and White Association include Colonel Colin Mason (ret'd), Tony Rowlands (former Foreign Office official), Commander Steve Tatham RN, and the UK's former 2* Director of Defence Communications, Stephen Jolly, now a Fellow in Information Operations at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom and generally considered the most senior serving psyops officer in British Defence.
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