The West Midlands Regiment was a short-lived British Territorial Army regiment from 1999 until it was re-designated as 4th Battalion, Mercian Regiment, in 2007.
| West Midlands Regiment 4th Battalion, Mercian Regiment | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1999 – present |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Role | Line Infantry |
| Size | One Battalion |
History
The regiment was formed in 1999 by the amalgamation of three territorial infantry battalions: 5th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers; 5th Battalion, The Light Infantry; and 3rd Battalion, Staffordshire Regiment.[1]
The regiment was composed of a headquarters company and five rifle companies, continuing to use the insignia of the regular regiments to which they were affiliated. Its initial structure was as follows:[2][3]
- HQ Company, at Wolverhampton
- A (Fusilier) Company, at Sheldon and Coventry
(from HQ and B Companies, 5th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers) - B (Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment) Company, at Kidderminster and Worcester
(from A Company, 5th Battalion, The Light Infantry) - C (Staffords) Company, at Burton upon Trent
(from C Company, 3rd Battalion, Staffordshire Regiment) - D (Staffords) Company, at Stoke-on-Trent
(from B Company, 3rd Battalion, Staffordshire Regiment) - E (Light Infantry) Company, at Shrewsbury and Hereford
(from HQ and C Companies, 5th Battalion, Light Infantry)
Structure prior to re-designation
Not long prior to re-designation of a battalion of the Mercian Regiment, the regiment absorbed the companies from other regiments that were within the new regiment's recruiting area, in order to ease the re-designation process. After this, its structure was as follows:[3]
- HQ Company, at Wolverhampton
- A (Cheshire) Company, at Warrington and Stockport
(from B (Cheshire) Regiment, King's and Cheshire Regiment) - B Company, at Crewe and Stoke-on-Trent
(from D (Cheshire) Company, King's and Cheshire Regiment) - C (Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment) Company, at Mansfield
(from C (Stafford) Company, West Midlands Regiment; and D (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire (Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment)) Company, East of England Regiment) - D (Staffordshire) Company, at Wolverhampton, Kidderminster, and Burton upon Trent
(from D (Stafford) Company; and Platoon of B (Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment) Company) - F (Fusilier) Company, at Birmingham
(from A (Fusilier) Company) - L Company (Light Infantry), at Shrewsbury
(from E (Light Infantry) Company, less Hereford Platoon to B (Shropshire Yeomanry) Squadron, Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry)
4th Battalion, Mercian Regiment
On 1 September 2007, the regiment was re-designated as the 4th Battalion of the Mercian Regiment.[4] It now serves as the reserve infantry battalion for Cheshire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire, West Midlands, Derbyshire, and Nottinghamshire.
Current Structure
Its current structure is as follows:
- Headquarters Company, at Wolseley House, Wolverhampton[5][6]
- Rifle Platoon, at Dancox House, Worcester[7]
- Javelin Platoon, at Kidderminster[8]
- Band of the Mercian Regiment
- B Company, at Ubique Barracks, Widnes[9]
- Rifle Platoon, in Ellesmere Port[10]
- Mortar Platoon, in Stockport[11]
- C Company, at Nottingham[12]
- Assault Pioneer Platoon, at Mansfield[13]
- D (Staffords) Company, at Stoke-on-Trent[14]
- Machine Gun Platoon, at Burton upon Trent[15]
References
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