Royal Wessex Yeomanry The Royal Wessex Yeomanry ( RWxY ) is an armoured regiment of the British Territorial Army consisting of four squadrons . Currently part of 43 ( Wessex ) Brigade , they will support the Reactive Brigades under the Army 2020 plan as replacements for any of the 3 Type 56 Armoured Regiments . Unlike any other regiment in the British Army , each of the squadrons wear a different cap badge - that of their antecedent yeomanry regiments : Unusually , B Sqn is the senior of the four squadrons of the regiment . This is because the RWY is the senior Yeomanry regiment in the Yeomanry Order of Precedence , having been raised in 1794 . It is not designated as A Sqn ( which would be the usual practice ) because there is an A ( Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry ) Sqn of the Royal Yeomanry with which it could be confused . Under Army 2020 , A Squadron will become a HQ squadron to reflect the same structure as the future Type 56 Challenger 2 Regiments . HRH The Earl of Wessex is the Royal Honorary Colonel of the Royal Wessex Yeomanry . History . The Wessex Yeomanry was formed on 1 April 1971 by re - raising cadres from the Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry , the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars and the Royal Devon Yeomanry to form four squadrons . The regiment was granted its royal title on 8 June 1979 . Initially roled as infantry , in the 1980s it was re - roled as a reconnaissance regiment and became one of the Military Home Defence Reconnaissance Regiments . Following the Strategic Defence Review , the regiment merged with the Dorset Yeomanry in July 1999 and was reorganised and re - roled into its current ORBAT . The regiment currently has three roles : Each squadron maintains its own traditions of their forebear regiments , maintaining a sense of pride and rivalry . In 2011 there was a Regimental Celebration of 40 years since the founding of the Royal Wessex Yeomanry , although at this time , the Dorset Yeomanry was not part of the regiment . HRH Earl of Wessex the Regimental Colonel visited , met members of the regiment and their families and also participated in a private guided tour of the neighbouring Tank Museum Uniform . The Royal Wessex Yeomanry TRF is taken from the 74th ( Yeomanry ) Division , whose insignia was a broken spur in a black diamond during World War I , used to signify that its units were once mounted but now served as infantry . The TRF takes its colour scheme from facings of the collars and cuffs of the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars ( buff ) , Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry , Dorset Yeomanry and the Royal Devon Yeomanry ( all scarlet ) . The regiment wears a brown beret , similar to that worn by the Kings Royal Hussars , with a square black patch behind the cap badge to represent the RTR affiliation . Each squadron wears the cap badge of its antecedent Yeomanry regiment , meaning that unlike any other British Army regiment , the RWxY still has 4 cap badges . The squadrons also retain their own stable belt s and mess dress . In barrack ( Number 13 ) dress the regiment wear a green fleck v - neck jumper . As the British Army reforms towards its Army 2020 and Future Reserves 2020 design , there is a keen aspiration among the serving soldiers to unite the squadrons under one , Regimental , cap badge - this may happen in 2013 . Regular Commanding Officers . 2010 - 2012 : Lt Col R Trant QRL 2012 – present : Lt Col C MacGregor KRH