Western District (British Army)


Western District was a command of the British Army.
, command headquarters from 1967 to 1995

History

Early formation

Great Britain was divided into military districts on the outbreak of war with France in 1793. The role of Western District Commander, which was doubled hatted with that of Lieutenant-Governor of Plymouth, was based at Government House, Mount Wise in Devonport. In January 1876 a ‘Mobilization Scheme for the forces in Great Britain and Ireland’ was published, with the ‘Active Army’ divided into eight army corps based on the District Commands. This scheme disappeared in 1881, when the districts were retitled ‘District Commands. By the 1890s the command included the counties of Cornwall, Devon and Somerset and all of South Wales.
In 1901 Western District was grouped with South East District at Dover and Southern District at Portsmouth under Second Army Corps at Salisbury. 2nd Army Corps was renamed Southern Command in 1905.

Reformation

The district was formed from 48th Division as part of the Territorial Army Volunteer Reserve in 1967. It had its headquarters at Copthorne Barracks, and was placed under the command of HQ UK Land Forces in 1972. In the early 1980s West Midlands District became "Western District". In 1991, the first of the minor districts to be amalgamated were North West District, the former West Midlands District and Wales, to form a new Wales and Western District. It was disbanded again on the formation of HQ Land Command in 1995.

General Officers Commanding

General officers Commanding included:
Western District
West Midlands District
Western District
Wales and Western District