|
55th (Wessex) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
55th (Wessex) Field Regiment was a unit of the Royal Artillery in Britain's part-time Territorial Army (TA). Its origin was a brigade organised in 1927 from the former West Somerset Yeomanry and field batteries from Wiltshire. Just before the outbreak of World War II the Wiltshire elements were separated to form a second regiment, after which the 55th (Wessex) was often referred to simply as the West Somerset Yeomanry (WSY). It served in Home Forces for the first part of the war, but in 1942 it was assigned to the Guards Armoured Division and served with that formation throughout the campaign in North West Europe, from Normandy to the German surrender in 1945. It continued as an artillery regiment in the postwar TA until 1967. Origin The Yeomanry were the mounted arm of the British Army's Auxiliary forces and by World War I these part-time soldiers had become part of the Territorial Force. The West Somerset Yeomanry (WSY), first formed in Somersetshire in1794,Frederick, p. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Flag Of The British Army
A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design employed, and flags have evolved into a general tool for rudimentary signalling and identification, especially in environments where communication is challenging (such as the maritime environment, where semaphore is used). Many flags fall into groups of similar designs called flag families. The study of flags is known as "vexillology" from the Latin , meaning "flag" or "banner". National flags are patriotic symbols with widely varied interpretations that often include strong military associations because of their original and ongoing use for that purpose. Flags are also used in messaging, advertising, or for decorative purposes. Some military units are called "flags" after their use of flags. A ''flag'' (Arabic: ) is equivalent to a brigade ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wiltshire
Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire to the north, Oxfordshire to the northeast and Berkshire to the east. The county town was originally Wilton, after which the county is named, but Wiltshire Council is now based in the county town of Trowbridge. Within the county's boundary are two unitary authority areas, Wiltshire and Swindon, governed respectively by Wiltshire Council and Swindon Borough Council. Wiltshire is characterised by its high downland and wide valleys. Salisbury Plain is noted for being the location of the Stonehenge and Avebury stone circles (which together are a UNESCO Cultural and World Heritage site) and other ancient landmarks, and as a training area for the British Army. The city of Salisbury is notable for its medieval cathedral. Swindon is the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Swindon
Swindon () is a town and unitary authority with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Wiltshire, England. As of the 2021 Census, the population of Swindon was 201,669, making it the largest town in the county. The Swindon unitary authority area had a population of 233,410 as of 2021. Located in South West England, the town lies between Bristol, 35 miles (56 kilometres) to its west, and Reading, Berkshire, Reading, equidistant to its east. Recorded in the 1086 Domesday Book as ''Suindune'', it was a small market town until the mid-19th century, when it was selected as the principal site for the Great Western Railway's repair and maintenance Swindon Works, works, leading to a marked increase in its population. The new town constructed for the railway workers produced forward-looking amenities such as the UK’s first lending library and a ‘cradle-to-grave' health care centre that was later used as a blueprint for the National Health Service, NHS. After the W ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1st Wiltshire Battery, Royal Field Artillery
The 1st Wiltshire Battery, Royal Field Artillery, and its successors were part-time Territorial Force units of the British Army from 1908 to 1950. It carried out garrison duties in India during World War I and saw active service in the Third Afghan War. It served in various units in the interwar years, finally becoming a full regiment (as 112th (Wessex) Field Regiment) in time for World War II. It saw action with 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division in the campaign in North West Europe, including Operations Epsom, Jupiter and Bluecoat in Normandy, the crossing of the Seine, the battle for Arnhem (Operation Market Garden) in the Low Countries, and then Operations Clipper, Blackcock, Veritable and Plunder across Germany. Its short-lived postwar successor unit had little or no Wiltshire connection. Territorial Force When the Territorial Force was created in 1908 under the Haldane Reforms, it included the Wessex Division covering the south-western counties of England. Most of its compon ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
94th (Dorset And Somerset Yeomanry) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery
The West Somerset Yeomanry was a Yeomanry regiment of the British Army. First raised in 1794, it participated in the Second Boer War and World War I before being converted to an artillery regiment. It served in World War II (as two field artillery regiments). Post-war it was gradually reduced in strength until the yeomanry lineage of the successor unit was discontinued on 9 November 1988. French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars Under threat of invasion by the French Revolutionary government from 1793, and with insufficient military forces to repulse such an attack, the British government under William Pitt the Younger decided in 1794 to increase the Militia and to form corps of volunteers for the defence of the country. The mounted arm of the volunteers became known as the "Gentlemen and Yeomanry Cavalry", who could be called on by the King to defend the country against invasion or by the Lord Lieutenant to subdue any civil disorder within the county.Frederick, pp. vii–viii ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
