Part 6

[Pages:42]Part 6

Unit affiliations with Livery Companies

Cutlers Sword Presentation 2013, B Company The London Regiment

A tribute to the Military Reserves of Greater London 1908 - 2014

Introduction

The Livery Companies of the City of London have long held linkages with the Armed Services. Alderman David Lewis The Rt Hon The Lord Mayor of London (2007-08) provided this Foreword in 2008.

Foreword

For centuries, the City of London has had to defend itself. Legend has it (probably accurately) that in 1066 William arrived at the bottom of Ludgate Hill only to find high walls surmounted by trained archers; men whose day to day activities were helping to make London the world's leading international finance, maritime and trading centre. Faced with this show of force, the new King decided to negotiate, but was careful at the same time to build the Tower of London in their midst.

Throughout succeeding ages, the defence of the City was allocated to the Court of Aldermen, each `owning' a section of the wall. The troops to man each section came largely from the liverymen, freemen and apprentices of the emerging livery companies who practised their archery on a regular basis on fields north of the City. Not only did the Livery produce trained troops, those guilds or misteries which had a particular interest in military affairs such as Bowyers, Archers, Armourers & Brasiers, Saddlemakers and Farriers also had special responsibility to provide their know-how and their product.

Like the Reserve Forces of today, foreign deployment was often on the cards, as was procurement. On the eve of Agincourt, more than 3 million arrows were made in London and shipped to France along with men from London.

In spite of the City of London's lack of enthusiasm for King Henry V's expeditions and subsequent adventures, the City militia has always been well represented in warring abroad and peace-keeping at home. As military science and organisation evolved, so, too did the numerous volunteer forces. Indeed, the oldest Regiment, as such, in the British Army (1537) is a London-based volunteer unit: the Honourable Artillery Company.

Spurred by the threat of French invasion (a mood which lasted throughout the Georgian and Victorian eras) and caught up with the scientific advances of the age, a wide range of combat arms and combat arms support units flourished, each adapting readily to the sensible Panmure and Cardwell reforms. Again, overseas service called, not just in Egypt in 1882, but in South Africa in 1900 when the phenomenal creation of the City Imperial Volunteers, a thousand man Battalion made up of existing volunteers were deployed to good effect, within five weeks of their creation in December 1899.

By 1907 there were 221 Battalions of volunteer infantry alone and with the coming of the Haldane Reforms in 1908, one unit, The London Regiment, had 26 Battalions! Then as now, security of the homeland, international trade and prosperity of the nation largely relied upon reserve and territorial forces.

Reserve naval, marine and air units came to be formed after the Great War and by the end of the Second World War thousands of London men and women reservists had given service and many had lost their lives in the service of the Crown and their city. Many continue to do so. Those who live in freedom owe those who have fallen in battle a debt which can never be repaid.

Supporting London's reservists and Territorials, the 108 (2008) Livery Companies and Guilds of the City collectively represent the largest philanthropic organisation in Europe. All are proud of their active links with regular, reserve and cadet units of all three services. In 2008, some 178 units of the armed forces and an increasing number of Naval, Army and Air Cadet units are supported by the Livery of London.

This support is not just about money, but includes a variety of imaginative involvements going well beyond awards, visits, prizes and invitations to livery functions. Many a Master of a Livery Company has found himself in a trench or at the controls of a multi-million pound aircraft (not in the air!). Others have maintained

272

A tribute to the Military Reserves of Greater London 1908 - 2014

personal contact with units in the front line, using the opportunities provided by electronic communications. The Livery were the founders of corporate social responsibility and today more and more freemen and liverymen are acting as mentors, coaches and role models for cadets and younger reservists beginning their civilian careers. The listings which follow give an indication of the scope of the livery affiliations. These lists continue to expand as new livery companies emerge and new units are formed. The recent mayoral initiative of sponsoring cadet units is an exciting one and is rapidly expanding. Alderman David Lewis The Rt Hon The Lord Mayor of London

273

A tribute to the Military Reserves of Greater London 1908 - 2014

Livery Company Affiliations with the Armed Forces (Regular and Reserve)

London Reserve affiliations are in Bold

The Honourable Company of Air Pilots

HMS ILLUSTRIOUS 847 Naval Air Squadron (RM) Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team (RAFAT) ? Red Arrows 4624 (County of Oxford) Movement Squadron RAuxAF University of London Air Squadron

Central Flying School Battle of Britain Memorial Flight

101 Squadron RAF IV (R) Squadron RAF Fly Navy Heritage Trust 750 Naval Air Squadron

The Worshipful Society of Apothecaries

HMS SOMERSET A Detachment, 256 (City of London) Field Hospital, Royal Army Medical Corps 4626 County of Wiltshire Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force

274

A tribute to the Military Reserves of Greater London 1908 - 2014

The Worshipful Company of Armourers and Brasiers

HMS COLLINGWOOD Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth

HM Royal Marines, Armourers Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

Royal Armoured Corps, Bovington RAF Cranwell AF Cosford

68 (Inns of Court & City Yeomanry) Signal Squadron First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (Princess Royal's Volunteer Corps)

The Worshipful Company of Art Scholars

University of London Officers' Training Corps

The Worshipful Company of Bakers

Food Services Wing, Defence College of Logistics 815 Naval Air Squadron

University of London Royal Naval Unit University of London Officers' Training Corps

The Worshipful Company of Barbers

Institute of Naval Medicine HMS DIAMOND

144 Parachute Medical Squadron B Detachment, 256 (City of London) Field Hospital

Number 1 (Fighter) Squadron RAF

275

A tribute to the Military Reserves of Greater London 1908 - 2014

The Worshipful Company of Basketmakers

HMS RICHMOND 100 Yeomanry Regiment, Royal Artillery

5 Squadron Royal Air Force

The Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths

HMS SULTAN Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

The Worshipful Company of Bowyers

HMS NORTHUMBERLAND The Mercian Regiment

The Worshipful Company of Brewers

HMS ALBION

The Worshipful Company of Builders Merchants

3 Military Intelligence Battalion

276

A tribute to the Military Reserves of Greater London 1908 - 2014

The Worshipful Company of Butchers

HMS TYNE Royal Logistic Corps 600 (City of London) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force

The Worshipful Company of Carmen

Royal Fleet Auxiliary Fort Victoria Headquarters Royal Logistic Corps

19 Tank Transporter Sqn RLC 24 Squadron, Royal Air Force Brize Norton Defence Movements School, Royal Air Force Brize Norton 2 Mechanical Transport Squadron, Royal Air Force Wittering

The Worshipful Company of Carpenters

HMS DARING Royal School of Military Engineering, Royal Engineers

The Rifles (Expressed through 4 Rifles) No. IV(R) Squadron RAF

The Worshipful Company of Chartered Accountants

Honourable Artillery Company SBS Asociation, 47 Squadron, Brize Norton

277

A tribute to the Military Reserves of Greater London 1908 - 2014

The Worshipful Company of Chartered Secretaries

Royal Navy Logistics Branch Royal Air Force Personnel (Support) Branch Royal Air Force Odiham ? Base Support Wing

HMS Ambush Adjutant General Corps (Staff and Personnel Branch)

Royal Navy Defence Maritime Logistics School

The Worshipful Company of Chartered Surveyors

HMS ECHO 135 Geographic Squadron Royal Engineers 7010 (Volunteer Reserve) Photographic Interpretation Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force

The Worshipful Company of Clockmakers

HMS ENDURANCE

The Worshipful Company of Clothworkers

HMS DAUNTLESS First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (Princess Royal's Volunteer Corps)

Scots Guards (1st Battalion and F Company) 47 Squadron Royal Air Force

278

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download