Between 1 April 1978 and 1 October 2015, the unit was an independent Commando squadron under operational command of HQ 3 Cdo Bde RM.

The regimental headquarters was in Pont Street in Knightsbridge, with 302 Airborne Field Park Squadron based in Hendon.

[5] In the early 1960s, 131 fielded over 1,000 trained parachute engineers and was believed to have the largest number of men earning their annual bounty in the whole of the Territorial Army.

Throughout this period of the regiment's existence, squadron-sized detachments served their annual camps in many overseas theatres, carrying out close support and construction engineer tasks as well as parachuting with United States, Canadian, French and Italian forces.

A major regimental event during the 1960s was Exercise Sea Splash, during which its soldiers would parachute into the harbour in St Peter Port in Guernsey, awaited by a fleet of small boats and cheering islanders.

131's first Honorary Colonel, Lieutenant General Sir Philip Neame VC, KBE, CB, DSO, had initiated the regiment's involvement with the island when he served as its governor after the war, and the parachute foray was always treated as a celebration of the liberation from German control in 1945.

[1] The second major post-war reorganisation of the TA in 1967 saw the regiment reduced to a single independent squadron of 250 personnel on 1 April 1967.

After the military funerals, which took place in various parishes around Scotland, a memorial service was held at the site of the accident, and a stone of Scottish granite bearing the names of those killed was laid in a small commemorative garden close to the lock.

[10] In 1977, reductions in the regular and TA Airborne Forces were announced and on 31 March 1978, 44 Parachute Brigade (Volunteers) was disbanded in a parade at Altcar Ranges, near Liverpool.

Exchanging Maroon Berets for Green, but retaining a significant parachute capability across its four locations, it was renamed 131 Independent Commando Squadron Royal Engineers (Volunteers).

[8] In 1982, it was decided to raise a field troop in Plymouth to capitalise on the significant number of ex-regular Commando-trained personnel living in the area and the fact that 131's new sister-Squadron, 59 Independent Commando Squadron RE, was based within the town at Crownhill Fort (later Seaton Barracks).

Recruiting at Plymouth was buoyant, and the then-Permanent Staff Instructor was awarded the British Empire Medal for his leadership in helping to establish the new Troop.

[11] 2001's annual training exercise took place in Oman (Ex Saif Sareea), setting the tone for more than a decade of operational activity by the squadron in the Middle East and Afghanistan.

Fourteen personnel mobilised for service in Afghanistan with 3 Cdo Bde RM the following year (Op Jacana).