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WHO WE ARE

The Royal Wessex Yeomanry

Live a life less ordinary

The Royal Wessex Yeomanry is the Nation’s Armoured Reserve Regiment. It operates the Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank in support of the Armoured Regiments of the Army’s Reaction Force.

FACTS & FIGURES

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ACTIVE FROM

1 April 1971

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ROLE

Armour

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SPECIALISM

Challenger 2

our skills

The Royal Wessex Yeomanry trains Challenger 2 commanders, loaders/operators, gunners and drivers. The Regiment also trains personnel in roles, such as medical technicians, administration specialists and chefs.

  • Commanding a tank crew
  • Operating tank weaponry 
  • Driving armoured vehicles
  • Refuelling tanks
  • Reloading tank weapons
  • Providing medical assitance
  • Administration

Support to the Regular Army

The Regiment provides fully trained Challenger 2 Crews to support the Armoured Regiments of the Regular Army.

Our People

The Royal Wessex Yeomanry recruits from Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. As Reservists, its soldiers are drawn from many professions and walks of life, from apprentice mechanics to nuclear researchers.

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Kim, Lance Corporal - civilian and military chef
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Matt, Trooper - food vendor and Challenger 2 tank gunner
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Kat, Trooper – National Trust Employee and Trainee Challenger 2 Crew Member.

Our Location

Allenby Barracks

The Royal Wessex Yeomanry consists of a regimental headquarters and five sabre squadrons, located across the South West of England.

The Regiment's squadrons operate from Army Reserve Centres in Bovington, Cirencester, Exeter, Salisbury and Swindon as well as a troop who maintain the Precision Gunnery Training Equipment Suite in Telford, Shropshire.

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The Royal Wessex Yeomanry

I wanted to live a life less ordinary Chris, 27

Our Role

The Royal Wessex Yeomanry supports the Regular Armoured Regiments of the British Army by providing fully trained Challenger 2 main battle tank crews on operations and exercises across the world.

The role of Armoured Regiments like the Royal Wessex Yeomanry is to defeat the enemy using shock action: the sudden and overwhelming application of controlled violence. The Royal Wessex Yeomanry also provides close support to infantry units in offensive and defensive operations.

As Reservists, soldiers in the Royal Wessex Yeomanry complete all of their training in their spare time

Past to present

The Royal Wessex Yeomanry was formed in 1971 through the amalgamation of three historical regiments; the Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry, the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars and the Royal Devon Yeomanry. They were joined in 1999 by the Dorset Yeomanry and in 2014 by A Squadron of the Royal Yeomanry.

  1. 1971

    The Wessex Yeomanry are formed

  2. 1979

    The Regiment is granted its Royal title

  3. 1999

    The Dorset Yeomanry merge with the Regiment and provide Turret Crews and Armour Replacement duties

  4. 2002 - 2014

    The Royal Wessex Yeomanry deploy Troops in support of Operations TELIC (Iraq) and Herrick (Afghanistan)

  5. 2014

    The Regiment assumes command of A Squadron, Royal Yeomanry and re-roles to provide fully trained Challenger 2 Crews

  6. 2018

    The Royal Wessex Yeomanry is presented with its first Regimental Guidon by HRH The Earl of Wessex at Lulworth Castle, Dorset.

Our Locations

  • Regimental Headquarters

    Address: Allenby Barracks, Bovington, Dorset, BH20 6JA Contact: 01929 403774 Email: [email protected]

  • A Squadron

    Address: Allenby Barracks, Bovington, Dorset, BH20 6JA Email: [email protected]

  • A Squadron (Agagia Troop)

    Army Reserve Centre Wallisdown Road Poole Dorset BH12 5AD Email: [email protected]

  • B Squadron

    Address: Army Reserve Centre, Old Sarum, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP4 6BY Email: [email protected]

  • C Squadron

    Address: Army Reserve Centre, Somerford Road, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 1TT Email: [email protected]

  • C Squadron (Cassino Troop)

    Alamein Hall, Venning Barracks, Donnington, Telford, Shropshire, TF2 8LA Email: [email protected]

  • C Squadron (El Alamein Troop)

    Army Reserve Centre, Church Place, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN1 5EH Email: [email protected]

  • D Squadron

    Address: Army Reserve Centre, Wyvern Barracks, Exeter, Devon, EX2 6AR Email: [email protected]

  • D Squadron (Barnstaple Troop)

    Army Reserve Centre, Fortescue Lines, Oakleigh Road, Barnstaple, Devon EX32 8JT Email: [email protected]

The Royal Wessex Yeomanry is the Nation's Armoured Reserve - the only Army Reserve Regiment in the British Army

List of equipment used

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Contact details

Please feel free to contact us. We are keen to hear from individuals who have the skills to work with us.

Where we are

We have locations in Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Shropshire and Wiltshire.