Light Infantry Volunteers

The Light Infantry Volunteers was a short lived Territorial Army infantry regiment of the British Army, that existed from 1967 to 1972, composed of companies from the Light Infantry regiments. In 1972, it was re-designated as 5th Battalion, The Light Infantry, serving as such until amalgamation in 1999.

For the earlier unit, see York Light Infantry Volunteers.
Light Infantry Volunteers
5th Battalion, The Light Infantry
Active1967–1999
Country United Kingdom
Branch British Army
TypeInfantry
RoleLine Infantry
SizeRegiment
Garrison/HQShrewsbury

History

Upon the creation of the TAVR, and the reduction of territorial units, the regiment was formed through the amalgamation of the Light Infantry Brigade Territorial 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), at Shrewsbury
    (reduction of 4th Battalion, King's Own Shropshire Light Infantry)
  • A Company (Cornwall), at Truro and Bodmin
    (reduction of Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry (TA))
  • B Company (Yorkshire), at Wakefield
    (reduction of 4th Battalion, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry)
  • C Company (Herefordshire), at Hereford
    (reduction of 1st Battalion, Herefordshire Light Infantry)
  • D Company (Durham), at Durham
    (reduction of 6th/8th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry)

In 1969, a fifth rifle company (E Company (Durham)) was raised at Spennymoor and Bishop 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 at Wellington and Whitchurch, from C Company, Light Infantry and Mercian Volunteers.[5]

5th Battalion, The Light Infantry

1972, saw the regiment cease to exist, and be re-designated as the 5th Battalion, The Light Infantry with 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 to 5th (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, at Ross-on-Wye

In line with the reduction of the armed forces after the end of the Cold War, the battalion was reduced to a three rifle company establishment, with A and D Companies being disbanded, with A Company being replaced by B 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 the West 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
  1. "Light Infantry Volunteers - British Army units from 1945 on". Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  2. "Formation of the New Regiment - The Light Infantry". Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  3. "5th Battalion, The Light Infantry". Archived from the original on 1 March 2007. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  4. "Light Infantry - British Army units from 1945 on". Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  5. "Light Infantry and Mercian Volunteers - British Army units from 1945 on". Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  6. "BAOR Order of Battle July 1989" (PDF). p. 53. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  7. "Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment - British Army units from 1945 on". Retrieved 12 December 2020.
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