| Unit Name: | Wiltshire Army Cadet Force |
| Dates: | before June 1954–present |
| Country: |  United Kingdom |
| Branch: | |
| Type: | Registered Volunteer Youth Organisation |
| Role: | To provide pre-training and experience of life in the British Army |
| Size: | County |
| Command Structure: | Headquarters South West |
| Garrison: | Devizes |
| Garrison Label: | County HQ |
| Website: | Wiltshire Army Cadets |
| Identification Symbol Label: | Headquarters South West Badge |
| Identification Symbol 2 Label: | Army Cadet Force Badge |
The Wiltshire Army Cadet Force (Wiltshire ACF) is the county cadet force for Wiltshire, which operates as part of the Army Cadet Force. Since 2014, the county has been part of Headquarters South West and comprises three companies along with a county corps of drums.
In 1863, along with the formation of the Volunteer Force, the first government sanctioned cadet groups were allowed to be formed. These groups would mostly be formed in connection with existing volunteer companies and battalions. Following the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 which organised the former Volunteer Force into a coherent organisation, known as the Territorial Force (TF), the cadets were expanded. Each company consisted of no less than 30 cadets, and four of these companies formed a "Cadet Battalion", the predecessors to the modern "Cadet County".[1]
Unlike their modern successors, the first cadet battalions were administered by their local County Territorial Force Associations, and rarely ever came under an "army command". However, following changes to the organisation of the Cadets, in 1923 all cadet forces were taken under complete control of the County Associations.
The first mention of the "Wiltshire Army Cadet Force" appears in a supplement to the London Gazette for 15 June 1954. The issue notes a chaplain 4th class, of the Royal Army Chaplains' Department transferring to the Dorset Army Cadet Force from the Wiltshire ACF effective 15 June 1954.
As of December 2021, the Wiltshire Army Cadet Force consists of appx. 700 cadets and 130 adult volunteers in 24 detachments. Each Army Cadet Force 'county' is in-fact a battalion, and each 'detachment' equivalent to that of a platoon.[2] [3] [4] The county's is organised as follows:[2]
| Detachment | Affiliation | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sword Company | |||
| Swindon Academy | Beech Avenue, Swindon | ||
| Abbey Park School Detachment | Abbey Park School, Redhouse Way, Redhouse | ||
| Royal Wooton Basset Detachment | Jubilee Lake, Royal Wootton Bassett | ||
| Calne Detachment | Calne Cadet Centre, Bryans Close Road, Calne | ||
| Church Place Detachment | Swindon Army Reserve Centre, Church Place, Swindon | ||
| Dorcan Detachment | St Paul's Drive, Swindon | ||
| Abbeyfield Detachment | Abbeyfield School, Stanley Lane, Chippenham | ||
| Marlborough Detachment | Marlborough Cadet Centre, London Road, Marlborough | ||
| Corps of Drums & Bugles | UTC, Bristol Street, Swindon | ||
| Juno Company | |||
| Lavington Detachment | The Spring, Market Lavington, Lavington | ||
| Corsham Detachment | Building 160, Lysander Block, Westwells Road, Corsham | ||
| Colerne Detachment | Azimghur Barracks, Colerne | ||
| Devizes Detachment | Le Marchant Barracks, Franklyn Road, Devizes | ||
| Melksham Detachment | Melksham Cadet Hut, Riskin Avenue, Melksham | ||
| Trowbridge Detachment | Trowbridge Cadet Centre, Frome Road, Trowbridge | ||
| Warminster Detachment | Warminster Cadet Centre, Woodcock Lane, Warminster | ||
| Westbury Detachment | Westbury Cadet Centre, West End, Westbury | ||
| Gold Company | |||
| Bulford Detachment | Royal Corps of Signals[5] | Ward/Wing Barracks, Bulford Camp, Bulford | |
| Downton Detachment | Rifles | Downton Cadet Centre, Children's Corner, Downton | |
| Larkhill Detachment | Royal Artillery | Larkhill Cadet Centre, Ross Road, Larkhill | |
| Old Sarum Detachment | Rifles | Old Sarum Army Reserve Centre, Old Sarum | |
| Sarum Academy Detachment | Royal Artillery | Sarum Academy, Westwood Road, Salisbury | |
| Tidworth Detachment | Rifles | Saint Andrew's Hall, Tidworth Camp, Tidworth | |
| Tisbury Detachment | Victoria Hall, High Street, Tisbury | ||
The Army Cadet Force is a national, voluntary, uniformed youth organisation. It is sponsored by the British Army but not part of it and neither the cadets nor the adult volunteer leaders are subject to military call-up. They offer a broad range of challenging adventurous and educational activities, some of them on a military theme. Their aim is to inspire young people to achieve success in life and develop in them the qualities of a good citizen.
The ACF can be compared to their counterparts in the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (USA), Hong Kong Adventure Corps, and Canadian Army Cadets, amongst others.