TheLight Infantry Volunteerswas a short livedTerritorial Armyinfantry regiment of theBritish Army,that existed from 1967 to 1972, composed of companies from the Light Infantry regiments. In 1972, it was re-designated as5th Battalion, The Light Infantry,serving as such until amalgamation in 1999.
| Light Infantry Volunteers 5th Battalion, The Light Infantry | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1967–1999 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Role | Line Infantry |
| Size | Regiment |
| Garrison/HQ | Shrewsbury |
History
editUpon the creation of theTAVR,and the reduction of territorial units, the regiment was formed through the amalgamation of theLight Infantry BrigadeTerritorial battalions, namely: 4th Battalion,King's Shropshire Light Infantry;Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry (TA);4th Battalion,King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry;1st Battalion,Herefordshire Light Infantry;and 6th/8th Battalion,Durham Light Infantry.[1][2]Upon formation, the regiment's structure was as follows:[1][3]
- HQ Company (Shropshire), atShrewsbury
(reduction of 4th Battalion, King's Own Shropshire Light Infantry) - A Company (Cornwall), atTruroandBodmin
(reduction of Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry (TA)) - B Company (Yorkshire), atWakefield
(reduction of 4th Battalion, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry) - C Company (Herefordshire), atHereford
(reduction of 1st Battalion, Herefordshire Light Infantry) - D Company (Durham), atDurham
(reduction of 6th/8th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry)
In 1969, a fifth rifle company (E Company (Durham)) was raised atSpennymoorandBishop Auckland,from a cadre of 6th/8th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry.[4]In 1975, however, this was transferred to 7th Battalion, Light Infantry, as D Company; and a new E Company was formed atWellingtonandWhitchurch,from C Company,Light Infantry and Mercian Volunteers.[5]
5th Battalion, The Light Infantry
edit1972, saw the regiment cease to exist, and be re-designated as the5th Battalion, The Light Infantrywith the same structure it held previously.[1][3]
In 1981, A and D Companies were swapped with D Company, 6th Battalion and the C Company, 7th Battalion respectively. And in 1987, upon the raising of the 8th Battalion, A and B Companies both transferred to the new battalion as B Company and A Company respectively; however they were replaced not long after- A Company, being newly raised at Shrewsbury; and B Company, from the re designation of E Company. After all these changed, and a title change to5th (Shropshire and Herefordshire) Battalion, The Light Infantry,in 1988, the battalion now possessed the following structure:[3][6]
- HQ Company, at Shrewsbury
- A Company, at Copthorne Barracks, Shrewsbury
- B Company, at Wellington
- C Company, at Hereford
- D Company, atRoss-on-Wye
In line with the reduction of the armed forces after the end of theCold War,the battalion was reduced to a three rifle company establishment, with A and D Companies being disbanded, with A Company being replaced byB Company,4th (V) Battalion, Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment,retaining its regimental identity.[3][7]
The Battalion was amalgamated with 5th Battalion,Royal Regiment of Fusiliers;and 3rd Battalion,Staffordshire Regiment,in 1999, to form theWest Midlands Regiment.A Company became B Company of the new regiment, HQ and C Company amalgamated to form E Company, and B Company disbanded.[3]
References
edit- ^abc"Light Infantry Volunteers - British Army units from 1945 on".Retrieved12 December2020.
- ^"Formation of the New Regiment - The Light Infantry".Retrieved12 December2020.
- ^abcde"5th Battalion, The Light Infantry".Archived fromthe originalon 1 March 2007.Retrieved12 December2020.
- ^"Light Infantry - British Army units from 1945 on".Retrieved12 December2020.
- ^"Light Infantry and Mercian Volunteers - British Army units from 1945 on".Retrieved12 December2020.
- ^"BAOR Order of Battle July 1989"(PDF).p. 53.Retrieved12 December2020.
- ^"Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment - British Army units from 1945 on".Retrieved12 December2020.