The Sharpshooters
The Kent and Sharpshooters Yeomanry

THE KENT & SHARPSHOOTERS YEOMANRY AND FORCE REVIEW 2020

We are very pleased that both squadrons have survived the biggest shake-up of the TA (now the Army Reserve) since the Cold War.

• C Squadron continues as a sabre squadron of the Royal Yeomanry.
• 265 Support Squadron remains as 265 (Kent & County of London Yeomanry) (Sharpshooters) Support Squadron of 71 (City of London) Yeomanry Signal Regiment.

The survival of both squadrons is a tribute to the hard work by the serving members whose efforts to maintain well-recruited and effective units has paid off.  We are also grateful to the wider regimental family, including our Honorary Colonel, Nicholas Soames, for his work behind the scenes.  We owe them all a tremendous debt of gratitude for their eloquent and tenacious approach.

The good news of both squadrons’ survival is tinged with sadness at the loss of so many friends from the wider Army Reserve.

The Royal Yeomanry is to undergo a major reorganisation.

• RHQ will move to Fulham.
• A Squadron (Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry, Swindon) will reduce to a troop by October 2014 and transfer to the Royal Wessex Yeomanry.
• S Squadron (Sherwood Rangers, Nottingham) will merge with other elements to form A (Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, Leicestershire & Derbyshire Yeomanry, South Notts Hussars) Squadron by 2016.
• The Telford squadron of the Royal Mercian & Lancastrian Yeomanry (together with a troop in Dudley) will become the regiment’s new B Squadron.

Looking forward the regiment is busy re-equipping with RWMIK-Landrovers whose agility and firepower will be essential to our light recce role.  In OPCOM terms, the Royal Yeomanry will move (before 2016) from London District to the command of 7 Brigade, part of 1 (UK) Division and will be partnered with 1st Queen's Dragoon Guards, in the Adaptive Brigade to be set up.

71 (City of London) Yeomanry Signal Regiment will see the following changes

• RHQ and 265 Support Squadron will remain at Bexleyheath but our Light Aid Detachment (REME) will leave the regiment to form part of 133 Workshop Company, 103 Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
• 47 Signal Squadron (Uxbridge) and 41 Signal Squadron (Coulsdon) from 38 Signal Regiment will merge to 31 (Middlesex Yeomanry and Princess Louise’s Kensington) Signal Squadron.
• 68 (Inns of Court & City Yeomanry) Signal Squadron (Lincolns Inn and Whipps Cross) will restructure, losing the Chelmsford troop.
• 36 Signal Squadron (Colchester) will join the regiment from 37 Signal Regiment and merge with the Chelmsford troop to form 36 (Essex Yeomanry) Signal Squadron.
• We also note, with sadness, the closure of the Brighton signal troop (884 Troop) which was part of 265 Support Squadron for so many years.

So, for the moment, we can breathe a sigh of relief and continue the hard (and time consuming) task of re-rolling. However, as ever the devil is in the detail.  Prior to the full implementation of this plan we face another general election, and more pertinently another defence review (now quintennial events).  The statement made by the Secretary of State included a thinly veiled threat to 'under recruited units'. Therefore we must ensure that, having survived this round of change, we do not rest on our laurels and fall prey to round two in 2015.  As ever, your support in assisting to spread the name of the squadrons, and in turn the regiment, will undoubtedly help us as we continue to forge the path ahead.