In 1971, the battalion underwent a re-organisation, and was re-designated as the
1st Battalion, Wessex Volunteers upon formation of the 2nd Battalion, before renaming as the
1st Battalion, Wessex Regiment (Rifle Volunteers) the next year; multiple detached platoons were formed for the rifle companies, and the company subtitles were omitted. Then in 1975, the battalion was re-organised once more, including the two battalions exchanging their respective D Companies. After these changes, the structure was as follows: • HQ Company, at
Le Marchant Barracks,
Devizes • A Company, at Gloucester Bristol and Forest of Dean • B Company, at Winchester • C Company, at Dorchester and
Weymouth • D (Queen's Own Dorset Yeomanry) Company, at Poole and
Bournemouth(from D Company, 2nd Battalion and a platoon of C Company, 1st Battalion) • E Company, at Exeter,
Plymouth and
Barnstaple In 1986 and 1987, The Wessex Regiment was affiliated with both the Gloucestershire Regiment and Devonshire and Dorset Regiment in the regular army. It was the only reserve regiment in the South West with an active role as part of 1 Brigade (UKMF) NATO. The
Devonshire and Dorset Regiment was in the process of raising their own territorial infantry battalion, and as a result, the regiment lost the previously Devon and Dorset affiliated companies to form the new battalion in 1986. Namely: E Company to the new battalion as both HQ and A Companies, and B and C Companies retaining their lettering; the former was replaced by a rifle company raised in 1985 at Swindon, around the GPMG(SF) platoon from D Coy, 2nd Battalion. Then, starting in 1992, in line with the British Army's reductions at the end of the
Cold War, the battalion was reduced to a three rifle company establishment, losing D Company to the Devon and Dorsets, and both B and C companies to the 2nd Battalion. After this the structure consisted of: • HQ Company, at Le Marchant Barracks, Devizes. Mortar Platoon at
Andover; Anti-Tank Platoon at
Stroud; Reconnaissance Platoon at
Cheltenham; and Pioneer Platoon at
Cinderford • A Company 1 Plt, at Gloucester • A Company 2 Plt & 3 Plt, at
Bristol(from the Bristol platoons of A Company, and 245 Ambulance Squadron,
155 Transport Regiment) • A Company Recce Plt, at
Forest of Dean • C Company, at Cheltenham and
Tewkesbury In 1995, the battalion amalgamated with the 2nd Battalion, to form 2nd (Volunteer) Battalion,
Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment. ==2nd Battalion==