The 4th (Volunteer) Battalion, The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters (4 WFR/896 Sig Tp) was a former territorial

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions a ...

that existed for a short time towards the end of the Cold War. Following reductions to the Territorial Army (TA) in 1992, the battalion was disbanded with elements helping to form RHQ & HQ Sqn of 37 Signal Regiment, and 96 (City of Coventry) Signal Squadron. This squadron was then reduced to a signal troop in 2009, but continues to exist as part of 48 (City of Birmingham) Signal Squadron.

Formation

Between 1986 and 1989 the Territorial Army (TA) was in the midst of a reformation and "generalisation", where territorial regiments were being disbanded and their companies forming new battalions attached to regular regiments. These new battalions would be given roles in support of NATO. One of the regiments that was slated to be disbanded was the Mercian Volunteers which had been formed in 1975, following the disbandment and re-rolling of many of the cadre units following the

1966 Defence White Paper The 1966 Defence White Paper (Command Papers 2592 and 2901) was a major review of the United Kingdom's defence policy initiated by the Labour government under Prime Minister Harold Wilson. The review was led by the Secretary of State for Defence, ...

.T. F. Mills & Drenth Wienand,
4th Battalion, The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment
'

on 18 November 2007 from the Original. Retrieved 26 September 2020.T. F. Mills & Wienand Drenth,

'

on 25 October 2007 from the Original. Retrieved 26 September 2020.Wienand Drenth, pp. 63, 126, 167–169. On 5 April 1988 the 4th (Volunteer) Battalion, The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters was formed as part of the

1981 Defence White Paper The 1981 Defence White Paper (titled "The UK Defence Programme: The Way Forward" Cmnd 8288) was a major review of the United Kingdom's defence policy brought about by the Conservative government under the Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The main ...

, which reduced the regular army slightly, while expanding the TA. As part of the changes, both battalions of Mercian Volunteers were dissolved and their companies paved the way for new TA battalions; 3rd Staffords, 4th WFR, and 3rd Cheshires.Alan Young,
Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment
' at British Army units from 1945 on. Retrieved 26 September 2020.T. F. Mills & Wienand Drenth,

'

on 18 November 2007 from the Original. Retrieved 26 September 2020. Because the battalion was not a direct successor to either battalions of the Mercian Volunteers, it had a mixed structure from units of the former 1st and 2nd battalions. After formation, the battalion was assigned to the 143rd (West Midlands) Brigade, which was a home defence brigade overseeing the

West Midlands region The West Midlands is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of International Territorial Level for statistical purposes. It covers the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. The region consists ...

. If mobilised, the battalion would be assigned to Commander Communications, I (BR) Corps as a communications support unit providing rear defence and security.T. F. Mills,
7th Battalion, The Worcestershire Regiment
'

on 11 November 2007 from the Original. Retrieved 26 September 2020. Below is the structure of the battalion following its formation, with predecessors;1 Mercians -> 1st Battalion, Mercian Volunteers and 2 Mercians -> 2nd Battalion, Mercian Volunteers. * Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Company at Kohima House,

Redditch Redditch is a town, and local government district, in north-east Worcestershire, England, approximately south of Birmingham. The district has a population of 85,000 as of 2019. In the 19th century, it became the international centre for the ...

* A (Worcestershire) Company in

Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Engla ...

and Stourport-on-Severn (from A Coy, 2nd Mercians) * B (Worcestershire) Company in

Kidderminster Kidderminster is a large market and historic minster town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, south-west of Birmingham and north of Worcester. Located north of the River Stour and east of the River Severn, in the 2011 census, it ha ...

and

Droitwich Spa Droitwich Spa (often abbreviated to Droitwich ) is an historic spa town in the Wychavon district in northern Worcestershire, England, on the River Salwarpe. It is located approximately south-west of Birmingham and north-east of Worcester. The ...

(from B Coy, 1st Mercians) * C (Warwickshire) Company in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1. ...

(newly formed) * D (Sherwood Foresters) Company in

Nottingham Nottingham ( , locally ) is a city and unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east of Sheffield and north-east of Birmingham. Nottingham has links to the legend of Robi ...

(from D Coy, 1st Mercians) * F (Home Service Force) Company in

(from F Coy, 2nd Mercians)

Disbandment

Following the Dissolution of the Soviet Union and subsequent end to the Cold War, a sweeping armed forces reorganisation took place known as the

Options for Change Options for Change was a restructuring of the British Armed Forces in summer 1990 after the end of the Cold War. Until this point, UK military strategy had been almost entirely focused on defending Western Europe against the Soviet Armed Forces, ...

. One of the major changes to the army was the reduction or disbandment/conversion of the many of the TA battalions which had been formed during the 1980s. As a result, it was decided 4 WFR was to be disbanded and its sub-units distributed to other TA units. After these changes, the following occurred to the battalion (by company); * BHQ and HQ Company re-roled as RHQ and HQ Squadron, 37th (Wessex and Welsh) Signal Regiment (V) * A Company in Worcester disbanded and personnel moved to B Company * B Company in Kidderminster redesignated as A (Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters) Company in the 5th (Shropshire and Herefordshire) Battalion, The Light Infantry, retaining the regimental colours, uniform, and dress of the former battalion * C Company in

Shirley Shirley may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Shirley'' (novel), an 1849 novel by Charlotte Brontë * ''Shirley'' (1922 film), a British silent film * ''Shirley'' (2020 film), an American film * ''Shirley'' (album), a 1961 album by Shirley Bas ...

redesignated as C Company in the

5th (Volunteer) Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers Fifth is the ordinal form of the number five. Fifth or The Fifth may refer to: * Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as in the expression "pleading the Fifth" * Fifth column, a political term * Fifth disease, a contagious rash th ...

* D Company in Nottingham disbanded and personnel moved to 3rd (Volunteer) Battalion, Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters * F (Home Service Force) Company disbanded

96 (City of Coventry) Signal Squadron

When the battalion was disbanded, much of the former personnel became part of the new Regimental Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron of 37 Signal Regiment. However, personnel also joined the new 96 (City of Coventry) Signal Squadron based in the Coventry, which had just formed. This squadron continued the lineage of the battalion when it joined 37 Signal Regiment in November 1992.Lord & Watson, pp. 143, 190, 287.Royal Corps of Signals Interactive Map
The squadron was later reduced to 896 (City of Coventry) Signal Troop as part of the 2009 review of reserve forces. Today, the squadron forms part of 48 (City of Birmingham) Signal Squadron in 37 Signal Regiment providing command support teams and support to HQ 11th Signal Brigade & HQ West Midlands.

Footnotes

NotesCitations

References

* * {{cite book, last=Lord, first=Cliff, title=The Royal Corps of Signals : unit histories of the Corps (1920-2001) and its antecedents, last2=Watson, first2=Graham, publisher=Helion & Company, year=2004, isbn=978-1-874622-92-5, publication-place=Solihull, West Midlands, England, oclc=184820114 Military units and formations established in 1988 Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment Battalions of the British Army Military units and formations in Worcestershire Military units and formations in Nottinghamshire Military units and formations in Nottingham Military units and formations in Derbyshire Military units and formations in Warwickshire