British reserve forces during world war 3

[Rainbow Six]

Originally Posted by dude_uk

Well you asked!

LOL, I certainly did.

OK, firstly here's my global British Army (and Royal Marines) orbat as of 01 December 1996 (i.e. after the shooting war starts in Norway but before the UK is involved in Germany). This includes Regular and TA units. I'm still working on a 01 June 2000 version.

A few notes / comments

1. Firstly, it is absolutely not canonical.

2. It is still a work in progress and still has a few gaps in it, most noticeably the Royal Signals, both Regular and TA. HSF and UDR are also not listed.

3. The framework is the Tanknet NATO orbat, with a few tweaks of my own. Whilst I've attempted to come up with something based on the Real World British Army orbat of the late 1980's. there are a few fictional formations / units. I have added two TA operational Brigades (44th Parachute and 51st Infantry - IRL 51st Infantry did exist but it was an administrative rather than operational command).

4. I haven't added any additional TA Bns to the real life late 1980's orbat, although am considering it after looking at LouieD's listing of TA Bns that he posted a little while ago.

5. Comments / feedback are most welcome.

British Army Worldwide Order of Battle, 01 December 1996

UK Special Forces
21 Special Air Service Regiment (TA)
22 Special Air Service Regiment
23 Special Air Service Regiment (TA)
Honourable Artillery Company (TA)
Special Boat Service, Royal Marines
Commachio Group, Royal Marines


SACEUR Reserve
5th Airborne Brigade
B Sqn, The Life Guards (Recce)
1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment
2nd Battalion, Parachute Regiment
2nd Battalion, 2nd King Edward VII’s Own Gurkha Rifles
7 Parachute Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery
36 Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers


1. British Army of the Rhine

I British Corps

Corps Troops
4th Battalion, Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters (TA)

44th Parachute Brigade (TA)
4th Battalion, Parachute Regiment (TA)
10th Battalion, Parachute Regiment (TA)
15th Battalion, Parachute Regiment (TA)

Artillery Brigade
5 Heavy Regiment, Royal Artillery
32 Heavy Regiment, Royal Artillery
39 Heavy Regiment, Royal Artillery
50 Missile Regiment, Royal Artillery
8th Battalion, Queen’s Fusiliers (TA)

7 Air Defence Brigade, Royal Artillery
12 Air Defence Regiment, Royal Artillery
22 Air Defence Regiment, Royal Artillery
102 (Ulster) Air Defence Regiment, Royal Artillery (TA)
103 (Lancashire) Air Defence Regiment, Royal Artillery (TA)
105 (Scottish) Air Defence Regiment, Royal Artillery (TA)

29 Engineer Brigade
23 Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers
25 Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers
28 Amphibious Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers
32 Armoured Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers

31 Engineer Brigade
The Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (TA)
71 (Scottish) Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers (TA)
72 (Tyne Electrical Engineers) Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers (TA)
73 Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers (TA)
74 (Antrim Artillery) Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers (TA)
75 Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers (TA)

1st Mechanised Brigade
13th / 18th Royal Hussars (Recce; A and D Sqns only)
17th / 21st Lancers (B and D Sqns only)
1st Battalion, Devonshire and Dorset Regiment
1st Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment
1st Battalion, Wessex Regiment (TA)
26 Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
22 Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers

1st Armoured Division
Queen’s Dragoon Guards (Recce)
7th Armoured Brigade
Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
2nd Royal Tank Regiment
3rd Battalion, Royal Green Jackets
4th Battalion, Royal Green Jackets (TA)
12th Armoured Brigade
5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards
1st Battalion, Royal Irish Rangers
1st Battalion, Royal Green Jackets
22nd Armoured Brigade
Queen’s Own Hussars
4th Royal Tank Regiment
1st Battalion, Scots Guards
2nd Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment
Divisional Artillery / Engineers
1 Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery
4 Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
40 Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
21 Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers


3rd Armoured Division
9th / 12th Royal Lancers (Recce)
4th Armoured Brigade
14th / 20th King’s Hussars (Less C Sqn)
15th / 19th King’s Royal Hussars
1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards
6th Armoured Brigade
1st Royal Tank Regiment
1st Battalion, Royal Highland Fusiliers
1st Battalion, Gordon Highlanders
33rd Armoured Brigade
Royal Hussars
1st Battalion, Prince of Wales’ Own Regiment of Yorkshire
1st Battalion, Queen’s Lancashire Regiment
Divisional Artillery / Engineers
2 Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
19 Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
47 Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
26 Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers


4th Armoured Division
16th / 5th Queen’s Royal Lancers (Recce)
11th Armoured Brigade
3rd Royal Tank Regiment
2nd Battalion, Queen’s Regiment
1st Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
5th Battalion, Queen’s Regiment (TA)
20th Armoured Brigade
Blues and Royals
4th / 7th Royal Dragoon Guards
2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Rangers
5th / 8th Battalion, King’s Regiment (TA)
19th Infantry Brigade
1st Battalion, King’s Own Royal Border Regiment
3rd Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment
2nd Battalion, Light Infantry
51st (Highland) Infantry Brigade (TA)
1st Battalion, 52nd Lowland Volunteers (TA)
1st Battalion, 51st Highland Volunteers (TA)
2nd Battalion, 51st Highland Volunteers (TA)
Divisional Artillery / Engineers
3 Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery
45 Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
49 Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
35 Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers


2nd Infantry Division
4th Battalion, Royal Irish Rangers (TA)
5th Battalion, Royal Irish Rangers (TA)
4th Battalion, Queen’s Lancashire Regiment (TA)
24th Airmobile Brigade
1st Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
1st Battalion, Black Watch [Note 1]
1st Battalion, Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters
15th Infantry Brigade (TA)
Queen’s Own Yeomanry (Recce)
6th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
7th Battalion, Light Infantry
8th Battalion, Light Infantry
1st Battalion, Yorkshire Volunteers
2nd Battalion, Yorkshire Volunteers
49th Infantry Brigade (TA)
Royal Yeomanry (Recce)
5th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
5th Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment
7th Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment
5th Battalion, Light Infantry
3rd Battalion, Staffordshire Regiment
Divisional Artillery / Engineers
27 Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
100 Regiment, Royal Artillery (TA)
101 Regiment, Royal Artillery (TA)
38 Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers


Berlin Brigade [2]
C Squadron, 14th / 20th King’s Hussars
1st Battalion, King’s Regiment
3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
1st Battalion, Duke of Edinburgh’s Royal Regiment


2. United Kingdom Land Forces

London District
Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment [3]
A Sqn, Life Guards [3]
2nd Battalion, Grenadier Guards [3]
1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards [3]
2nd Battalion, Scots Guards [3]
1st Battalion, Welsh Guards [3]
16 Air Defence Regiment, Royal Artillery
104 Air Defence Regiment, Royal Artillery (TA)
101 (London) Engineer Regiment (EOD) (TA)

2nd (South East) Infantry Brigade
Duke of Lancaster’s Yeomanry (TA) (Recce)
6th / 7th Battalion, Queen’s Regiment (TA)
5th Battalion, Royal Green Jackets (TA)

42nd (Northwest) Infantry Brigade
3rd Battalion, Light Infantry [4]
4th Battalion, King’s Own Royal Border Regiment (TA)
3rd Battalion, Cheshire Regiment (TA)

43rd (Wessex) Infantry Brigade
Royal Wessex Yeomanry (TA) (Recce)
4th Battalion, Devonshire and Dorset Regiment (TA)
2nd Battalion, Wessex Regiment (TA)
6th Battalion, Light Infantry (TA)

52nd (Lowland) Infantry Brigade
1st Battalion, Queen’s Own Highlanders [4]
2nd Battalion, 52nd Lowland Volunteers (TA)
3rd Battalion, 51st Highland Volunteers (TA)

54th (East Anglian) Infantry Brigade
Queen’s Own Mercian Yeomanry (TA) (Recce) [4]
6th Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment (TA)
3rd Battalion, Yorkshire Volunteers (TA)
4th Battalion, Yorkshire Volunteers (TA)
3rd Battalion, Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters (TA)

143rd (West Midlands) Infantry Brigade
2nd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers [4]

160th (Welsh) Infantry Brigade
3rd Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers (TA)
4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Wales (TA)

Royal Armoured Corps Centre Resident Regiment
Queen’s Royal Irish Hussars

Infantry Training Centre Resident Battalion
A Squadron, 17th / 21st Lancers
1st Battalion, Green Howards (Less C Company) [4]

School of Artillery Resident Regiment
14 Regiment, Royal Artillery

30 Engineer Brigade
39 Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers (Air Field Support)


3. Northern Ireland

3rd Infantry Brigade
1st Battalion, Light Infantry [4]
1st Battalion, Staffordshire Regiment [4]

8th Infantry Brigade
3rd Battalion, Queen’s Regiment [4]
1st Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment [5]

39th Infantry Brigade
2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards [4]
1st Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers [4]
1st Battalion, Queen’s Regiment [6]


4. Overseas

Norway

UK Contingent, Allied Mobile Force (Land)
B Squadron, 13th / 18th Royal Hussars (Recce)
2nd Battalion, Royal Green Jackets
3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment [7]
5 (Gibraltar 1779 – 1783) Battery, Royal Artillery

3 Commando Brigade, Royal Marines
C Squadron, Life Guards (Recce)
Mountain and Arctic Warfare Cadre
40 Commando, Royal Marines [8]
42 Commando, Royal Marines
45 Commando, Royal Marines
1st Battalion, Royal Netherlands Marines Corps
29 Commando Regiment, Royal Artillery
59 Commando Squadron, Royal Engineers


Middle East

25th Infantry Brigade
C Squadron, 13th / 18th Royal Hussars (Recce)
1st Battalion, King’s Own Scottish Borderers [9]
1st Battalion, 6th Queen Elizabeth’s Own Gurkha Rifles
1st Battalion, 7th Duke of Edinburgh’s Own Gurkha Rifles


Cyprus

Joint Service Signal Unit (Cyprus) (Operated on behalf of GCHQ)

Sovereign Base Area West
1st Battalion, Irish Guards
62 Squadron, Royal Engineers

Sovereign Base Area East
3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Wales (TA) [10]

UN Forces [11]
Recce Troop, 17th / 21st Lancers
B Company, 1st Battalion, Royal Hampshire Regiment


Brunei
Jungle Warfare Training Centre
1st Battalion, 10th Princess Mary’s Own Gurkha Rifles


Falkland Islands
C Company, 1st Battalion, Green Howards
Falkland Islands Defence Force


Gibraltar
1st Battalion, Duke of Wellington’s Regiment
The Royal Gibraltar Regiment (Reserve)


Canada
C Squadron, 17th / 21st Lancers
1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment
1st Battalion, Royal Hampshire Regiment (Less B Company)


Hong Kong

41 Commando, Royal Marines
The Queen’s Gurkha Engineers
The Royal Hong Kong Regiment (Volunteers)

48th (Gurkha) Infantry Brigade
1st Battalion, Royal Scots
1st Battalion, 2nd King Edward VII’s Own Gurkha Rifles
2nd Battalion, 6th Queen Elizabeth’s Own Gurkha Rifles
2nd Battalion, 7th Duke of Edinburgh’s Own Gurkha Rifles


Notes

1. Withdrawn from roulement tour of Northern Ireland Nov 1996

2. Not subordinate to BAOR

3. Forms part of HMG Special Duties Force in time of War

4. Deploys to Europe as part of 5th Inf Dvn, Summer 1998; NI units withdraw from NI during 1997, to be replaced by UDR Battalions

5. On roulement from 02nd Infantry Brigade; will rejoin 02nd Bde Dec 1996

6. On roulement from 1st Infantry Brigade; transferred to BAOR January 1997

7. Transferred from roulement tour of Northern Ireland to AMF(L) Nov 1996 following withdrawal of Belgian contingent; will transit to Middle East summer 1997

8. Withdrawn from roulement tour of Northern Ireland Oct 1996

9. Transferred from Cyprus Aug 1996; replaced with 3 RRW

10. TA unit with BAOR tasking; deployed to Cyprus Aug 1996 as contingency measure to replace 1 KOSB

11. UN Forces not currently under national command.