203 (Welsh) Multi-Role Medical Regiment is a unit of the

Royal Army Medical Service The Royal Army Medical Service (RAMS) is a specialist corps in the British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigad ...

within the

Army Reserve Army Reserve refers to a land-based military reserve force, including: *Army Reserve (Ireland) *Army Reserve (United Kingdom) *Australian Army Reserve *Canadian Army Reserve * New Zealand Army Reserve *United States Army Reserve *United States Navy ...

of the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

, based in Wales.

History

The regiment was formed upon the formation of the

TAVR Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is the implantation of the aortic valve of the heart through the blood vessels without actual removal of the native valve (as opposed to the aortic valve replacement by open heart surgery, surgical ...

in 1967, from the amalgamation of 3rd (Western) General Hospital, and 158th (Welsh) Field Ambulance, as the 203 (Welsh) General Hospital. Throughout the

Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...

, the hospital was under the command of 160th (Welsh) Infantry Brigade; and on transfer to war, would re-subordinate to Commander Medical 1 (BR) Corps, providing 800 beds. During the reforms implemented after the Cold War, the hospital was re-designated as 203 (Welsh) Field Hospital. Under

Army 2020 Army 2020 is the restructuring of the British Army in the early and mid-2010s, in light of the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010. The plan, as its name suggested, was intended to be completed by 2020, though most of its reorganisations ...

, the unit was restructured under 2nd Medical Brigade, and was paired with the now disbanded 33 Field Hospital. Under the Future Soldier programme, 203 (Welsh) Field Hospital was renamed as the 203rd (Welsh) Multi-Role Medical Regiment and now is under the command of 2nd Medical Group.

Structure

The regiment's structure is as follows: *Headquarters, at

Llandaff Llandaff (; ; from 'church' and ''River Taff, Taf'') is a district, Community (Wales), community and coterminous electoral ward in the north of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It was incorporated into the city in 1922. It is the seat of the Bisho ...

, Cardiff *A Detachment, at

Swansea Swansea ( ; ) is a coastal City status in the United Kingdom, city and the List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, second-largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of ...

*B Detachment, at Llandaff and

Cwrt y Gollen Cwrt-y-Gollen ("Hazel Court") is a British Army training base, 2 miles (3 km) south-east of Crickhowell and just north of the A40 road and the River Usk, in southeastern Powys, Wales. History Cwrt-y-Gollen became the regional centre for infa ...

*C Detachment, at

Bodelwyddan Bodelwyddan () is a village, electoral ward and community in Denbighshire, Wales, approximately 5 miles (8 km) south of Rhyl. The parish includes several smaller hamlets such as Marli and Little Pengwern. Bodelwyddan is home to over si ...

and

Wrexham Wrexham ( ; ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in the North East Wales, north-east of Wales. It lies between the Cambrian Mountains, Welsh mountains and the lower River Dee, Wales, Dee Valley, near the England–Wales border, borde ...

Freedoms

The regiment has received the

freedom Freedom is the power or right to speak, act, and change as one wants without hindrance or restraint. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving oneself one's own laws". In one definition, something is "free" i ...

of several locations throughout its history; these include: * 19 September 2009:

Llandudno Llandudno (, ) is a seaside resort, town and community (Wales), community in Conwy County Borough, Wales, located on the Creuddyn peninsula, which protrudes into the Irish Sea. In the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 UK census, the community � ...

. * 17 April 2010:

Vale of Glamorgan The Vale of Glamorgan ( ), locally referred to as ''The Vale'', is a Principal areas of Wales, county borough in the South East Wales, south-east of Wales. It borders Bridgend County Borough to the west, Cardiff to the east, Rhondda Cynon Taf t ...

References

{{Use dmy dates, date=September 2019 Military units and formations established in 1967 Units of the Royal Army Medical Corps