London District (British Army)
| London District | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1905-present |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | British Army |
| Type | Regular/Territorial Army |
| Part of | Commander Regional Forces |
| Garrison/HQ | Horse Guards |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Major-General Edward Smyth-Osbourne |
| Insignia | |
| Brigade Flash |
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London District (LONDIST) is the name given by the British Army to the area of operations encompassing the Greater London area. Established in 1870 as Home District,[1] it was re-formed in 1905 as London District to be an independent district within the larger command structure of the army, and has remained so ever since.
HQ London District is based at Horse Guards in Central London, and is under the command of the General Officer Commanding (GOC), currently Major-General Edward Smyth-Osbourne CBE. The incumbent is concurrently the Major-General Commanding the Household Division. The Garrison Sergeant Major is currently Warrant Officer Class 1 (WO1) Billy Mott, OBE Welsh Guards.
London District included the 56th (London) Brigade from January 1987 to 1993.[2] In September 1939, the district included the 1st and 2nd London Divisions, the 22nd Armoured Brigade, the Life Guards and Royal Horse Guards and five Guards infantry battalions.[3]
Forces
London District, in addition to its traditional roles, serves as an administrative apparatus for operational infantry battalions that are not attached to a deployable brigade, but instead are available for independent deployment as needed.
HQ London District is responsible for the administration of all Regular Army and Territorial Army units within Greater London that are not part of another formation, including those based at Windsor:
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- Regular Army Units
- Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, Hyde Park Barracks, Knightsbridge, London
- King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, Woolwich, London
- 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards, Lille Barracks, Aldershot
- 1st Battalion, Irish Guards, Mons Barracks, Aldershot
- 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, Cavalry Barracks, Hounslow, London
- 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, Victoria Barracks, Windsor
- 2nd Battalion, The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires), Royal Artillery Barracks, Woolwich, London
- Nijmegen Company, Grenadier Guards based at Woolwich Barracks
- No 7 Company, Coldstream Guards based at Woolwich Barracks
- F Company, Scots Guards based at Wellington Barracks
- 238 Signal Squadron, Royal Corps of Signals (provides all communications for London District)
- Territorial Army Units
- Royal Yeomanry, Fulham House, London
- London Regiment, Battersea, London
- 100 Regiment Royal Artillery, Romford, London
- 106 (Yeomanry) Regiment Royal Artillery, Grove Park, London
- 151 (London) Transport Regiment, Croydon, Surrey
- 135 Independent Geographic Squadron Royal Engineers, Ewell, Surrey
- 71 Signal Regiment, Phoenix House, Bexleyheath, Kent
- 4th Battalion Royal Military Police, Brixton, London
- 7th Battalion The Rifles, West Ham, London
References
- ↑ From Restoration to the 21st Century
- ↑ 56 (London) Brigade at regiments.org
- ↑ Niehorster, London District
External links
- HQ London District - on British Army official website
- London District (1939)
Coordinates: 51°30′17″N 0°07′38″W / 51.5046°N 0.1272°W