True British Army (1983: Doomsday)

The True British Army, often shortened to the TBA, is a militaristic junta based in and around the former Counties of Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire. It is assumed from prisoners taken during raids undertaken on the countries of Essex and Woodbridge that the TBA was set up by surviving former British and American army and air force officers, as well as former police officers shortly after Doomsday.

Note that, due to the nature of the True British Army, it remains poorly documented and large amounts of the following article are based on conjecture and unreliable accounts.

Organization
The prior leaders of the TBA were known as 'His Lordship', 'The Boss' or 'The Colonel'. There was one leader who ruled the TBA with several dozen 'companies' lead by Captains and fellow warlords ruling over sections of the countryside. Although the true identity of the TBA commander is unknown it is thought that he was a British Lieutenant Colonel from the former Royal Anglian Regiment, Probably the Second Battalion and either C or D company (based in Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, and Hertfordshire.) The current leader is believed to be Colonel Isaac Lewis, a leader whose troops held with fanatical regard. Following the anarchy after the 2008 War with Essex, Lewis was quick to lead his rebel army to the state's new capital (unknown) and proclaim himself ruler.

The title 'army' is misleading, at least in the conventional sense. The order displayed by the TBA in battle only comes when particularly desired. When there are no major campaigns, the army breaks down into roving platoons - little more than gangs, who patrol a patch of TBA territory and extort civilians there for the goods that keep the state running in an official capacity. These gangs maintain their numbers through bribing or blackmailing locals, or receiving recruits from the more stable and indoctrinated inner territories of the state. On the borders of the TBA's control, conflict between these gangs frequently erupted into large turf wars. In many places, after the fall of the Army in 2008, these gangs have continued to intimidate locals, or become mercenaries for clans or communities throughout the East Midlands.

However, in a war, these disorganized platoons quickly coagulate into an effective and structured fighting force. Commanders are typically those who have, in the past, demonstrated prowess as a warrior or tactician, though higher ranks hold their place as much through skill as they do through intimidation thanks to their extended connections.

The success of the TBA has led some clans to claim to be part of the organisation in order claim goods from the civilian population by way protection rackets. When "real" TBA clans meet these fake ones retribution is swift and clear and involves torture and death.

History
Unlike Woodbridge to the east the TBA became more racist and militaristic, setting up base in the town of Milton Keynes. The Army appears to have adopted its racist attitude after overcompensating in the crackdown of race riots in Luton, and applying growing xenophobia amongst surviving British to create order - many felt that the war happened "because of the foreigners", so it was a natural progression to turn their rage into a unifying ideal upon which to build a state.

At its height in 1998 the True British Army possessed something in the region of 22,000 troops. However this dropped drastically at the beginning of the Lewis Insurrection as troops rushed to join rebel forces, reducing 'loyalist' TBA troops to 15,000. By late 2007 is was estimated that the TBA had roughly 7000 remaining troops divided into seven Battalions (of roughly 1000 men), each Battalion split into four Companies (of 250 men) and each Company split into Squads of 20-25 men.

In 1997 the leaders of the TBA declared the foundation of the English Empire where only white British (or American) were citizens and all other races were inferior and were used as slave labour. At the same time the leaders tried to formalise their power structure, creating the seat of an Emperor. This was not well-liked, however, and its main opponent was the highly-regarded Colonel Isaac Lewis, a legendary commander in charge of large parts of the state's southern region. When he voiced his opposition vocally at a rally in Milton Keynes he was nearly executed, but troops loyal to him resisted and allowed him to escape. In respect of his strategic prowess and leadership skills thousands of men were already fanatically devoted to his service, and joined him as he fled the state. Some seven thousand men flocked to his side in the first months of the Lewis Insurrection, a count which would be constantly replenished despite the attrition suffered by his side in the decade-long civil war. Indeed, the war was such a great drain on the TBA's resources it was forced to try and replenish them through new means - and would be rendered catastrophically weak, highly vulnerable to a future disaster.

By 2006 the majority of the slaves had escaped or died due to the ill treatment and overworking. In 2007 the TBA began raiding into neighbouring territories and by mid 2007 they began raiding the country of Essex taking prisoners for slave labour and burning the towns and villages. In October 2007 the TBA encountered 500 Essex troops making their way to the town of Luton, after killing over 400 of them the remainder surrendered and were taken prisoner and used as slave labour.

After a brief war Essex invaded the TBA's capital, Milton Keynes, in early 2008. The nature and rapidity of the attack meant that it allowed Essex to find most of the leaders of the TBA, who were captured and then executed. The main part of the TBA collapsed without leadership. However, in less than a year the rebel army led by Colonel Isaac Lewis had assumed control over at least half the TBA's prior territory, including the portions adjacent to Essex and Woodbridge. Weakened, the TBA has now become a guerilla organisation undertaking raids into Essex and Woodbridge territories to get supplies and take prisoners.

In the power vacuum that followed Colonel Lewis was able to march his way through the anarchic borders of the TBA and occupy several key areas, including what would become his future capital (this location is unknown). However, deep-rooted hatred of him and the deteriorating state of the Army meant that he could only retain half of the TBA's former territory, mostly those bordering Essex and Woodbridge though with isolated pockets across the home counties.