London District (British Army)
| London District | |
|---|---|
 Insignia of the London District | |
| Active | 1905-present |
| Country |
 United Kingdom |
| Branch |
 British Army |
| Type | Regular/Territorial Army |
| Part of | Support Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Horse Guards |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Major-General Edward Smyth-Osbourne |
London District (LONDIST) is the name given by the British Army to the area of operations encompassing the Greater London area. It was established in 1870 as Home District.[1] 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. 3rd Corps was to be formed within London District, based in Croydon. This scheme disappeared in 1881, when the districts were retitled ‘District Commands.[2]
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) Andrew 'Vern' Stokes, COLDM GDS.
London District included the 56th (London) Brigade from January 1987 to 1993.[3] 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.[4]
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 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
- 20 Transport Squadron, Royal Logistics Corps based at Regents Park Barracks, (provides all the transport needs for London District and the Royal Household)
- 238 Signal Squadron, Royal Corps of Signals (provides all communications for London District)
- Army Reserve Units
- Royal Yeomanry, Fulham House, London
- London Regiment, Battersea, London
References
- ↑ From Restoration to the 21st Century Archived January 7, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Army List 1876–1881.
- ↑ 56 (London) Brigade at regiments.org Archived July 18, 2006, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ 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