Rifle Volunteers

This article is about the regiment formed in 1999. For the rifle volunteers of 1859-1908, see Volunteer Force (Great Britain).

The Rifle Volunteers 6th Battalion, The Rifles
Active	1999 – present
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Type	Line Infantry
Role	Light Role Infantry — Army Reserve
Size	335 personnel (2024)[1]

The Rifle Volunteers was a regiment of the British Territorial Army. In 2007, it was re-designated as 6th Battalion, The Rifles.

History

The Rifle Volunteers were formed in 1999 by the amalgamation of the 6th (Volunteer) Battalion, The Light Infantry, 4th (Volunteer) Battalion, Devonshire and Dorset Regiment and elements of the 2nd (Volunteer) Battalion, Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment in consequence of the reforms implemented due to the Strategic Defence Review. The HQ was in Exeter, and the battalion comprised five rifle companies and a headquarters company, as follows:[2][3]

• HQ Company, at Wyvern Barracks, Exeter
• A (The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment) Company, at Gloucester, Bristol, and Cinderford
  (from A and B Companies, 2nd Battalion, Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment)
• B (Somerset Light Infantry) Company, at Taunton, Yeovil, and Bath
  (from HQ and B Companies, 6th Battalion, The Light Infantry)
• C (Devonshire and Dorset Regiment) Company, at Dorchester and Poole
  (from C and D Companies, 4th Battalion, Devonshire and Dorset Regiment)
• D (Cornwall Light Infantry) Company, at Truro, Bodmin, and Camborne
  (from C and D Companies, 6th Battalion, The Light Infantry)
• E (Devonshire and Dorset Regiment) Company, at Plymouth and Exeter
  (from HQ and A Companies, 4th Battalion, Devonshire and Dorset Regiment)

The Volunteer Band of the 4th Battalion, The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment formed the band of the Rifle Volunteers.[4] The battalion regularly entered the Nordic & Biathlon Championships known as "Exercise Spartan Hike",[5] held in Serre Chevalier, France each year. They were Territorial Army and 5th Division Champions for three years running between 2003 and 2005.[6]

A soldier from the Rifle Volunteers in Iraq, 2004.

In 1999 a number of individuals were mobilised from The Rifle Volunteers to join 2nd Battalion The Royal Green Jackets on their Kosovo tour returning in early 2000.[7]

The first major deployment from The Rifle Volunteers was in November 2003 when 55 soldiers were deployed to the Kabul, Afghanistan.[8] Attached to C 'Tavolato' Company of 2nd Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles. On 28 January 2004 Private Jonathan Kitulagoda was killed by a suicide bomber whilst on a routine patrol.[9]

In April 2004 a composite company of the regiment (Salamanca Company) was dispatched to Basra, Iraq. The company was attached to the 1st Battalion Cheshire Regiment, as part of 1 Mechanised Brigade, within the Multi-National Division (South East). Salamanca Company distinguished itself; Sergeant Peter 'Stooley' Poole-Reeves was awarded a Mention in Dispatches for his actions during a contact in which he was shot in the chest plate of his body armour. Additionally Sergeant Kevin Pinnell and Private Matthew Gavin were awarded Joint Commander's Commendations.[10] The company returned home at the end of October. The battalion was part of 43 (Wessex) Brigade.[11]

Structure before re-designation

Shortly before re-designation as a battalion of the Rifles, the regiment's structure underwent a reform in order to reflect its post amalgamation structure, and ease the process:[3]

• HQ (Devonshire and Dorset) Company, at Wyvern Barracks, Exeter
  (from E (Devonshire and Dorset Regiment) Company)
• A (Gloucestershire) Company, at Gloucester and Bristol
• B Company, at Taunton and Exeter
• C (Devonshire and Dorset) Company, at Dorchester and Poole
• D Company, at Bodmin and Plymouth
  (from Plymouth Platoon of E (Devonshire and Dorset Regiment) Company)

6th Battalion, The Rifles

On 24 November 2005, it was announced by the Ministry of Defence that the battalion would be re-designated as a territorial battalion of a new large regiment to be called The Rifles. To that effect on 1 February 2007, the regiment became 6th Battalion, The Rifles. The battalion now serves as the reserve infantry battalion for Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Gloucestershire, and Hereford, with sub-units spread right across its recruiting area.[12]

Current Structure

The battalion's current structure is as follows:[13]

• HQ Company, at Wyvern Barracks, Exeter
  • Detachment, at Paignton
  • Detachment, at Barnstaple
• A Company, at Gloucester
  • 2 Platoon, at Suvla Barracks, Hereford
  • 3 Platoon, at HMS Flying Fox, Bristol
• C Company, at Dorchester
  • 6 Platoon, at Poole
• D Company, at Truro
  • 8 Platoon, at Plymouth

References

1. "Historical size of The Rifles Reserve" (PDF). Retrieved 16 October 2024.
2. "The 1st Rifle Volunteers". Devon Heritage. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
3. "The Rifle Volunteers and 6th Battalion, The Rifles". Archived from the original on 17 February 2007. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
4. "The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment", Pen & Sword Books Ltd. Published 2007
5. "Spatan Hike". Army Winter Sports Association. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
6. "The Regimental Journal". The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment and The Devonshire and Dorset Light Infantry. Vol 1 No 7. 2005
7. "The Regimental Journal" The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment. Vol 1 No 2. 2000
8. "The Regimental Journal" The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment. Vol 1 No 6. 2004
9. "UK forces: operations in Afghanistan: Death of Private Jonathan Kitulagoda". Ministry of Defence. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
10. "The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment. Pen & Sword Books Ltd. Published 2007
11. Ripley, Tim. "Operation Telic 4 (May to Nov 2004) (8,900 troops)" (PDF). Operation Telic. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
12. "History of the Light Infantry". Archived from the original on 11 November 2020. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
13. "6 RIFLES". Retrieved 11 December 2020.

External links

• Regimental website (Ministry of Defence)