Royal Wessex Yeomanry

The Royal Wessex Yeomanry
Cap badge of The Royal Wessex Yeomanry
Active	1 April 1971–Present
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Type	Yeomanry
Role	Armoured Reinforcement
Size	One regiment
Part of	Royal Armoured Corps
Garrison/HQ	Regimental Headquarters - Bovington A Squadron – Bovington B Squadron – Salisbury C Squadron – Cirencester D Squadron – Barnstaple & Exeter Y Squadron – Swindon
March	Slow: Scimitar Hill ( Sherborne) Quick: God Bless the Prince of Wales
Mascot(s)	Ramrod Darcy III, Dorset Ram
Commanders
Current commander	Lt Col J Godfrey
Royal Honorary Colonel	HRH The Earl of Wessex KG GCVO ADC
Honorary Colonel	Lt Col The Lord de Mauley TD

Slow: Scimitar Hill ( Sherborne)

The Royal Wessex Yeomanry (RWxY) is a Reserve armoured regiment of the British Army Reserve consisting of five squadrons. Formerly part of 43 (Wessex) Brigade, the regiment joined 3rd (UK) Division in July 2014, to provide armoured (main battle tank) resilience to the three armoured regiments within the Reaction Force. In 2015 the Regiment was moved from the Operational Command of 3rd (UK) Division to 1st Armoured Infantry Brigade, but members of the Regiment still wear the 3rd (UK) Division formation badge to reflect their role in supporting the three Armoured Regiments in the Division (QRH, KRH, and RTR).

The Regiments can trace its history back to 4 June 1794, a meeting of country gentlemen at the Bear Inn in Devizes decided to raise a body of ten independent troops of Yeomanry for the county of Wiltshire, which became the Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry. The Wessex Yeomanry was formed on 1 April 1971 by re-raising cadres from the Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry, the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars and the Royal Devon Yeomanry to form four squadrons. The Wessex Yeomanry was granted its royal title, becoming the Royal Wessex Yeomanry, on 8 June 1979. Initially roled as infantry, in the 1980s it was re-roled as a reconnaissance regiment and became one of the Military Home Defence Reconnaissance Regiments. Following the Strategic Defence Review, the regiment merged with the Dorset Yeomanry in July 1999 and was reorganised and re-roled into its current ORBAT.

Before the Army 2020 plan, the regiment had three roles:

Since 2013, the Regiment has been the United Kingdom's only Armoured Reinforcement Regiment, providing armoured (Main Battle Tank) resilience to the three remaining regular Army Armoured Regiments: the Queen's Royal Hussars (QRH), the King's Royal Hussars (KRH) and the Royal Tank Regiment (RTR). All five Squadrons train Challenger 2 crewmen. The RWxY has conducted Challenger 2 (CR2) driver Training in Bovington, Sennelager Germany, Salisbury Plain Training Area and live firing at Lulworth Ranges,Dorset.