Light Infantry and Mercian Volunteers
| Light Infantry and Mercian Volunteers | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1971–1975 |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Role | Line Infantry |
| Size | One Battalion |
| Garrison/HQ | Wolverhampton |
The Light Infantry and Mercian Volunteers was a short-lived infantry regiment of the British Army, in existence from 1971 to 1975.
History
The battalion was formed on the 1 April 1971, from the cadres of former Midland infantry battalions that had been reduced as a result of the 1966 Defence White Paper and formation of the much smaller TAVR.[1] Its initial structure was:[2][3]
- Headquarters, at Wolseley House, Wolverhampton[4]
- A (Worcestershire Regiment) Company, at Worcester
(from 7th Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment) - B (5th/6th Battalion Staffordshire Regiment) Company, at Stoke-on-Trent
(from 5th/6th Battalion, Staffordshire Regiment) - C (King's Shropshire Light Infantry) Company, at Wellington
(from 4th Battalion, King's Shropshire Light Infantry) - D (Herefordshire Light Infantry) Company, at Ross-on-Wye
(from 1st Battalion, Herefordshire Light Infantry) - E Company, at Whittimere Street drill hall, Walsall
(newly raised)
Only four years later, however, the regiment was broken up and the companies were distributed amongst other battalions. Namely: A, B, and E Companies to the 2nd Battalion, Mercian Volunteers as A, B, and D Companies respectively; C Company to 5th Battalion, The Light Infantry, as E Company;[5] and D Company to 6th Battalion, The Light Infantry,[5] with the same lettering.[2][3]
Deputy Honorary Colonels
The regiment didn't have an Honorary Colonel as a whole, however from 1971–1972 each company maintained their own Deputy Honorary Colonel, in succession to the previous unit. These were:
- A Company: Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander W.R.H. Pettigrew, OBE, TD[6]
- B Company: Colonel Charles J. Baines, CBE, MC, TD, DL[7]
- C & D Companies: Lieutenant-Colonel Guy M. Thorneycroft, DL[8]
References
- ^ "badge, collar, British, Light Infantry & The Mercian Volunteers". Imperial War Museum. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ a b "The Light Infantry and Mercian Volunteers". Archived from the original on 1 March 2007. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ a b "Light Infantry and Mercian Volunteers - British Army units from 1945 on". Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ "Mercian Volunteers - British Army units from 1945 on". Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ a b "Formation of the New Regiment". Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ "7th Battalion, The Worcestershire Regiment (and all Worcestershire successors)". Archived from the original on 3 March 2007. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ "3rd Battalion, The Staffordshire Regiment (The Prince of Wales's)". Archived from the original on 1 March 2007. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ "The King's Shropshire and Herefordshire Light Infantry, The Light Infantry". Archived from the original on 3 March 2007. Retrieved 3 April 2021.