Formed 1 April 1967 with Headquarters at Exeter as TAVR II unit being the successor to 5th Battalion The Gloucestershire Regiment (TA), 4th Battalion The Devonshire Regiment (TA) , 4th/5th Battalion The Royal Hampshire Regiment (TA), 4th Battalion The Dorset Regiment (TA) and 4th/6th Battalion The Royal Berkshire Regiment (TA).
COMPANIES:
HQ Company (Devon) at Exeter. Formed from 4th Battalion The
Devonshire Regiment (TA). 1.4.1975 Company redesignated 'E' Coy.
A Company (Gloucester) at Gloucester with Pltns at Bristol and
Cheltenham formed from 5th Battalion The Gloucestershire Regiment (TA).
B Company (Hampshire) at Winchester with Pltns at Basingstoke
and Newport, IOW formed from 4th/5th Battalion The Royal Hampshire Regiment
(TA).
C Company (Dorset) at Dorchester with Pltn at Poole formed from
4th
Battalion The Dorset Regiment (TA) and elements 294 (Dorset Yeomanry)
Field Regiment RA (TA).
D Company (Berkshire) at Reading with Pltn at Swindon formed
from 4th/6th Battalion The Royal Berkshire Regiment (TA).
1970: 'E' Company (Devon) formed at Exeter with Pltns at Plymouth and Barnstaple by reorganisation 'HQ' Company. New 'HQ' Company formed at Trowbridge from 'A' Company The Royal Wiltshire Territorials. Headquarters moved to Trowbridge.
1st Battalion Wessex Volunteers
Redesignated 1 April 1971. Headquarters at Trowbridge.
1st Battalion The Wessex Regiment (Rifle Volunteers)
Redesignated 30 March 1972. Headquarters at Devizes.
1 April 1975:'HQ' Company at Exeter redesignated 'E'
Company; 'D' Company at Reading and Swindon transferred as 'D'
Company 2nd Battalion.
New 'HQ' Company formed at Devizes from cadre 4th Battalion
The Wiltshire Regiment; new 'D' Company formed at Poole by expansion
platoon 'C' Company and 'D' Company 2nd Battalion establishing
'C'
Company at Dorchester and Weymouth and 'D' Company at Poole
and Bournemouth.
1986: 'B' Company at Winchester redesignated 'B' Company
2nd Battalion; new 'B' Company formed at Swindon from elements
'D'
Company 2nd Battalion.
12 October 1987: 'E' Company at Exeter transferred as
'E'
Company 4th (Volunteer) Battalion The Devonshire
and Dorset Regiment.
December 1990: 'C' Company at Dorchester transferred as 'C' Company 4th Battalion The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment; new 'C' Company formed at Newbury by transfer of '?' Company 2nd Battalion;
1992: Battalion reduced into three rifle companies order of battle.
June 1992: 'D' Company at Poole transferred as 'D'
Company 4th Battalion The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment.
'B' Company at Swindon and 'C' Company at Newbury transferred
to 2nd Battalion. New 'B' Company formed at Bristol from
Bristol platoons 'A' Company and 245 Ambulance Squadron 155 Transport
Regiment RCT (V); new 'C' Company formed at Cheltenham and Tewkesbury
from existing elements.
6 October 1995: Battalion disbanded and amalgamated with 2nd
Battalion to form 2nd (Volunteer)
Battalion The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment.
'A' Company and 'C' Company amalgamated as 'A' Company,
'B'
Company redesignated 'B' Company and 'HQ' Company reorganised
as 'C' Company.
2nd Battalion Wessex Volunteers
Formed 1 April 1971 with Headquarters at Brock Barracks, Reading from cadres of The Buckinghamshire Regiment RA, The Royal Berkshire Territorials, The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Territorials and The Dorset Territorials.
COMPANIES:
HQ Company at Reading.
A (Royal Buckinghamshire Yeomanry) Company at Bletchley from
cadre The Buckinghamshire Regiment RA.
B (Duke of Connaught's) Company at Portsmouth from cadre The
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Territorials.
C (Royal Berkshire) Company at Maidenhead, Slough and Basingstoke
from cadre The Royal Berkshire Territorials.
D (Queen's Own Dorset Yeomanry) Company at Poole, Bournemouth
and Weymouth. Formed from cadre The Dorset Territorials.
later: 'A' Company at Portsmouth and 'B' Company at Bletchley.
2nd Battalion The Wessex Regiment (Volunteers)
Redesignated 30 March 1972. Headquarters at Brock Barracks, Reading.
No change in companies.
1 April 1975: 'D' Company at Poole redesignated 'D' Company 1st Battalion. New 'D' Company formed at Reading and Swindon by redesignation 'D' Company 1st Battalion.
1984: 'E' (HSF) Company formed at Reading, Maidenhead, Winchester and Portsmouth.
1986: 'B' Company at Bletchley disbanded. New 'B' Company
formed at Winchester, Southampton and Newport, IOW by transfer 'B' Company
1st Battalion.
Swindon platoon 'D' Company formed nucleus 'B' Company 1st
Battalion.
1992: Battalion reduced into three rifle companies order of battle.
9 September 1992: 'A' Company and 'B' Company
reformed as 'C' Company 6th/7th
(Volunteer) Battalion The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment.
New '?' Company formed at Swindon by transfer 'B' Company
1st Battalion; new '?' Company formed at Newbury by transfer
'C'
Company 1st Battalion. 'C' Company moved to Slough.
'E' (HSF) Company disbanded.
6 October 1995: Battalion disbanded and amalgamated with 1st
Battalion to form 2nd (Volunteer)
Battalion The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment
.
'HQ'/'D' Company redesignated as 'HQ' Company and 'Swindon?'
Company reorganised as part of 'C' Company. 'C' Company
converted as 'D' (Berkshire Yeomanry) Squadron Royal
Yeomanry.