Mercian Regiment?

[polar]

Does anyone have any news on this? Like confirmation of its title or badge etc..

 

[Tartan_Smudger]

Was told in May, from contact "on high" in Worcs&SFs that the new badge would be the "old" Mercian Bde badge, i.e. the double eagle and Saxon Crown.

 

[napier]

http://www.mercianregiment.org.uk/

Link goes to the website of the old Mercian TA Regt

 

[polar]

Just a quick google answered most questions

Mercians merger news

Name. The new regiment is to be called The Mercian Regiment.

a. The battalions will be called:

1st Battalion, The Mercian Regiment (Cheshire)

2nd Battalion, The Mercian Regiment (Worcesters and Foresters)

3rd Battalion, The Mercian Regiment (Staffords)

4th Battalion, The Mercian Regiment (Volunteers)

b. The names are now fixed, save for an Army Board decision on whether or not there should be an ‘air gap’ between regular and TA units, thereby calling the volunteer battalion, the 5th. The decision on names has been made despite protestation over the precedent created for the Scottish battalions retaining their antecedent names first. The Cheshire Regiment was also in a minority, raising this protest.

Formation. We have asked that the Mercian Regiment be formed on 24 August 2007, the last of the Future Infantry Structure changes to take place. It is anticipated that there will be a formation event followed by KAPE marches through the county capitals.



Locations. The locations will settle following the next round of Arms Plot moves:



1 CHESHIRE to form as 1 MERCIAN on arrival in Catterick (light role but within 4 Bde) in August 2007.

1WFR to form as 2 MERCIAN whilst in Public Duties from Hounslow, then to move to Holywood in Northern Ireland in the light role as part of 19 Bde in 2008.

1 STAFFORDS to form as 3 MERCIAN in Tidworth in 12 Bde with a planned move to Fallingbostel in 2009.

4 MERCIAN to form from WMR and elements of KCR and EER with Battalion Headquarters in Wolverhampton. The TA organisation is still requiring endorsement. However, we anticipate a large establishment with rifle company locations based upon:

Warrington (& Stockport)

Crewe (& Stoke)

Mansfied (& Burton)

Wolverhampton (Kidderminster)

Shrewsbury (LI Coy)

Birmingham (RRF Coy)

Glad to see the new regiment retaining its TA footprint in my home county (Derbys)

 

[Jango_Fett]

Does the plan involve the companies in Birmingham/Coventry and Shrewsbury/Hereford re-badging to become Mercians?

 

[polar]

Not that I've heard, they will remain LI and RRF - at the expense of mercian coys, i.e. TA WFR platoon in Derby disbanding.

Suppose more recruits for the local TA Signals Regiment.

 

[Sapukay]

Does the plan involve the companies in Birmingham/Coventry and Shrewsbury/Hereford re-badging to become Mercians?

Staying RRF/ LI within 4 Mercian. Looks like their Coventry and Hereford outposts are going too. Bearing in mind what seems to be the generic establishment, one (or even 2?) of the companies may be single platoon establishments....

 

[PartTimePongo]

Staying RRF/ LI within 4 Mercian. Looks like their Coventry and Hereford outposts are going too

That's not certain either.

Coventry is currently SF , based on the old RRF HQ building.

At this moment, no one is really sure of anything , apart from the incoming CO doesn't want to see Hackles at the formation of the new Battalion.

Needless to say , we are looking at our parent Regiment to get some fire down on our behalf , as we did for them.

 

[polar]

PTP, soz I can't wish best of luck on this occasion.

The TA (Sherwood Foresters) WFRs have been the most shafted organisation in the entire TA, now we are to have no (full) Coy in the Notts/Derby area. How many Regiments managed to form two large TA Bns in the midlands area ..... ok it was only the WFRs... currently left with a few plns .... next reorg will it be a fire team

 

[Proximo]

I thought the LI were re-grouping to create THE RIFLES in league with the D&D, RGBW and RGJ - 5 regular and 2 TA Bns all up?

Remains to be seen whether it will be THE ROYAL RIFLES of course...

...bit off topic - I'll get my coat now!

 

[Sapukay]

I thought the LI were re-grouping to create THE RIFLES in league with the D&D, RGBW and RGJ - 5 regular and 2 TA Bns all up?

Remains to be seen whether it will be THE ROYAL RIFLES of course...

...bit off topic - I'll get my coat now!

Yes, but the 6th and 7th Bns of the Rifles are geographically organised. This leaves 3 orphaned TA LI Coys, the Shropshire, Yorkshire and Durham Coys.

Shropshire -> 4 Mercian (apparently)
Yorkshire -> Leaving the infantry orbat
Durham -> 5 RRF (or 3 RRF if no "air gaps" are allowed)

 

[Proximo]

Hmmm...good point.

In the round, I'd rather maintain the geographic footprint of the Army via the TA than reorganise everyone just for the sake of reorganising everyone!

Mind you, since when did sense ever come into this?

 

[PartTimePongo]

Polar , I sympathise , I really do.

It was a damn close thing at SDR , still selling off 2 locations made MoD a very tidy sum.

If they keep picking away , they'll achieve their end.

 

[polar]

Polar , I sympathise , I really do.

thanks and to be honest I really do hope u achieve your aims.

I think my current unit wouldn't be what it is today without SDR, but it was at the expense of one of the top TA bn's (6RRF maybe the best?).
Many of my original Coy joined the unit I'm in, but yet again I see them being disbanded.

Mercians have shot themselves in the foot by ignoring Notts/Derbys, they'll get very little PR from one of their main recruiting areas. Handing it over to Yorkshire regiment (YTV) and Royal Anglians (East Midlands TV).

 

[Sapukay]

Hmmm...good point.

In the round, I'd rather maintain the geographic footprint of the Army via the TA than reorganise everyone just for the sake of reorganising everyone!

Mind you, since when did sense ever come into this?

It leaves the south of England looking quite tidy with:

6th Bn, The Rifles (Southwest)
7th Bn, The Rifles (South)
3rd Bn, PWRR (Southeast)
London (London)

The north is quite tidy too:

4th Bn, Lancs (Northwest)
5th Bn, RRF (Northeast)
4th Bn, Yorks (Yorkshire)

Scotland, Wales and Ireland are organised by country (excepting that Chester is chopped to Royal Welsh Regiment, but who knows about the TA Coy?)

3rd Bn, Welsh
7th Bn, Scots
8th Bn, Scots
Rangers

The mess is in the Midlands. We have the following regiments:

4th Bn, Mercian
5th Bn, R Anglian

5 (?) R Anglian can easily be formed from EER, but 4 Mercian embraces the following existing TA Inf Coys:

B (Cheshire) Coy, KCR in Chester - area redesignated Welsh
D (Cheshire) Coy, KCR in Crewe
D (WFR) Coy, EER in Mansfield and Derby
A (Fusilier) Coy, WMR in Birmingham and Coventry
B (WFR) Coy, WMR in Kidderminster and Worcester
C (Staffs) Coy, WMR in Burton upon Trent
D (Staffs) Coy, WMR in Stoke upon Trent
E (LI) Coy, WMR in Shrewsbury and Hereford
HQ Coy, WMR in Wolverhampton

This means that they're taking more companies into the new Bn than even 4 Yorks.

However, 2 new RE Regiments are being formed under rebalancing, both in the north/ midlands I believe. Some coys or pls are likely to be chopped over to them.

 

[Sapukay]

Of course, one solution would be two Bns in the Midlands.....

 

[PartTimePongo]

Or 4 reinforced Coys?

Polar, 6 had some damn fine individuals (and some maniacs) on board, exercised with them in Cyprus and Belgium, some absolutely top-notch people, who could trace their family lineage in the Regiment and it's predecessors back some considerable way. A very good group of guys.

 

[polar]

However, 2 new RE Regiments are being formed under rebalancing, both in the north/ midlands I believe. Some coys or pls are likely to be chopped over to them.

We've already had that. 73 Engineer regiment is really the remains of 2 Sherwood Forester TA Bns and now 38 Sigs Regt has now become the same (plus Hallamshire bn Yorks & Lancs and 5th Lancs).

 

[hicky]

[B (Cheshire) Coy, KCR in Chester - area redesignated Welsh

Wrong B Coy are based in Widnes(HQ in Warrington) and a Mortar Pl in Stockport.

Pedantic I know.....sorry.

 

[polar]

PTP, can never forget them in Vogelsang (around 1990) - band at the front of the bn marching along the main road, very impressive.