Favorite Historical British Regiments

[Colin Williams]

In modern times there have been three generations of the British Army - the old Army of numbered regiments dating back into the 18th century and before, the Caldwell-Childers reformed army of named regiments, and the post-WW2 force of ever-shrinking and amalgamating regiments. Now that the British Army has just about lost its ties to the past, with such monstrosities as the Mercian Regiment (King Offa's Own no doubt), the Royal Anglian Regiment (the Vikings for goodness sake - King Alfred is rolling in his grave right now), and the England South of the M3 Regiment (okay, I made that one up), let's take a few moments to note those regiments of the past which, for both serious and frivolous reasons, are favorites of Forumites.

 

My list in only a rough order (and including a couple of territorials) -

 

Infantry -

Kings Royal Rifle Corps

Highland Light Infantry

Cameronians

Rifle Brigade

Buffs

Green Howards

Border Regiment

Coldstream Guards

Scots Guards

Irish Guards

Black Watch

 

Cavalry -

North Irish Horse

8th Kings Royal Irish Hussars

 

Artillery -

Royal Horse Artillery

[Zipperhead]

The Royal Greenjackets?

[sunday]

No mention of The Royal Tank Regiment?

[zaevor2000]

95th Rifles

Coldstream Guards

and lets not forget the Highlanders

 

They covered themselves with glory during the Napoleonic wars.

 

Frank

[hojutsuka]

The Gordon Highlanders, the original one raised by the Duke of Gordon in 1794 (100th of Foot, later re-numbered 92nd of Foot, by which number it is generally known), not the one formed by amalgamation with the 75th of Foot in 1881. It is said that when the regiment was raised, the Duchess of Gordon, who was a beautiful woman, encouraged enlistment by offering a kiss to any man who joined. Now that's my kind of a regiment!

 

"Pontius Pilate's Bodyguard", aka Hepburn's Regiment. Yes, my Scottish bias is showing...

 

The Royal Americans (62nd of Foot, later 60th of Foot), which became the KRRC in 1830.

 

Hojutsuka

[Argus]

11th Hussars

88th Foot

24th Foot

KOYLI

[swerve]

The Royal Greenjackets?

 

Modern. A result of 1960s amalgamation of the Oxford & Bucks Light infantry, the Rifle Brigade, the Kings Royal Rifle Corps, etc, etc, etc. The old rifle regiments. Now amalgamated with the assorted light infantry regiments into The Rifles.

[Assessor]

According to my first Tiff, there were "a couple of gits in this workshop who are so f**kin' old they were overhauling chariots for Boudicca!", but I don't think that gives the REME any true historical precedence ;-)

[Tomas Hoting]

The Gurkha regiments, now the Royal Gurkha Rifles (RGR)?

[BillB]

In modern times there have been three generations of the British Army - the old Army of numbered regiments dating back into the 18th century and before, the Caldwell-Childers reformed army of named regiments, and the post-WW2 force of ever-shrinking and amalgamating regiments. Now that the British Army has just about lost its ties to the past, with such monstrosities as the Mercian Regiment (King Offa's Own no doubt), the Royal Anglian Regiment (the Vikings for goodness sake - King Alfred is rolling in his grave right now), and the England South of the M3 Regiment (okay, I made that one up), let's take a few moments to note those regiments of the past which, for both serious and frivolous reasons, are favorites of Forumites.

 

SNIP

 

Hoi, less of the calling Mecians a monstrosity - I was a proud member of 1 Mercian (V) back when men were men and the sheep were afraid, and as you prolly well know the regimental insult is a sure ticket for a trip to A&E....

 

As for the rest, never really thought about it but I have a soft spot for the KRRC as my grandfather was a Kitchener man and served in the 13th (Service) Battalion.

 

BillB

[Colin Williams]

Hoi, less of the calling Mecians a monstrosity - I was a proud member of 1 Mercian (V) back when men were men and the sheep were afraid, and as you prolly well know the regimental insult is a sure ticket for a trip to A&E....

 

As for the rest, never really thought about it but I have a soft spot for the KRRC as my grandfather was a Kitchener man and served in the 13th (Service) Battalion.

 

BillB

 

Unfortunately for you Mercians, the Wessex boys wrote all the histories!

[Rubberneck]

One of the great tragedies of our time is the eradication of so many British regiments and their histories. Sad to see all the lineage melt away like ice cream in Brighton...

[Old Tanker]

I went to an event with the Black Watch and the Welsh Guards two years ago and I was most impressed.

 

Of course part of the Welsh Guard's choir were loaners from the Irish Guards.

 

I've always been impressed by the Ghurka Reg'ts and have read a few books on them.

The U.S. ought to actively recruit in Nepal .

[Guest aevans]

Newcastle's "Whitecoats"

Cromwell's Regiment of Horse ("Ironsides")

[Briganza]

Queen's

[67th Tigers]

Now also merged with the Gloucestershire Regiment (latterly RGBWs) so I guess they still are pretty much an elite.

 

I'm very down on the RGBW, since the Colonel of the Regiment stillbirthed the Royal Wessex Regiment before it was born.

 

Mine is obviously the 67th/ 2nd Bn, (Royal) Hampshires...

[WRW]

I am a great fan of the Regimental system - it is flexible and adaptable and unless messed up by politician a thing of pride

 

The MOD website currently has good family trees of some of the regiments

Edited June 14, 2008 by WRW

[67th Tigers]

Yes, that was a particularly stupid move wasnt it? It had a really nice ring to it. The only positive I can see is that we now good as get the Rifle Brigade back....

 

Hampshires were a good Regiment too. So many county Regiments gone now.

 

The only way to get county regiments back would be a Corps of Infantry.

 

I thought the initially proposed plan for the new regiments was quite good, but R Wessex really annoyed me. The original plan was for the D&D and the Gloucesters elm of RGBW to form the new 1 R Wessex, while Berkshire and Wiltshire elms of RGBW and the Hampshire elements of PWRR to form 2 R Wessex.

[Richard Lindquist]

Maybe they could have one platoon of each battalion represent one of the original regiments??

[Hans Engstrom]

Royal Regiment of Foot

[WRW]

I think they have tried something like that, but unfortunately the Army has been understrength for some time, and you would probably end up having arguments with Regiment Colonels, about which Platoon gets the chop.

 

I the ideal solution would have been to reflag some of the TA units (even the logistical ones) as famous regiments. It would keep the local link, the only problem being the TA has been ravaged as much as the regular army by cutbacks in recent years. Perhaps even more so.

 

Have the R Anglian Rgt not done this with the companies

[BillB]

Queen's

As in Regiment or as in mincing?

 

BillB

[BillB]

I think some of the Cavalry Regiments have done it as well. Certainly 2RTR has some of the Squadrons carrying the linage of some of the other RTRs. On the other hand, its a simpler thing to maintain a squadron or a company than a platoon. Not that long ago one of the platoons of British armoured and Mech infantry Regiments was dropped in order to provide a Sapper platoon. There have also been historical problems (hopefully to soon end) of companies being platoons down. When it gets up to being a company, the solution was usually to draft in some surplus Gurkhas.....

 

There was some nasty alternatives provided to the Queens Own Hussars, but I think its best to let them lie. Others are;-

 

3RTR (Armoured Farmers)

Royal Corp of Transport (Rickshaws Cabs and Taxis)

Royal GreenJackets (Black Mafia, supposedly due to the black buttons)

Royal Corp of Signals (Scalys and Bleeps)

Special Boat Squadron (Shaky boats)

Special Air Service (who cares who wins, which allegedly WAS adopted by some in the Regiment)

Royal Gloucestershire Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment (M4 Rifles, after the motorway which runs vaguely in the vicinity)

Devonshire and Dorsetshire Regiment (Daft and Dozy, which Im sure is not the case)

Ref the RGJ & buttons, I'm told my grandfather (ex-13th (Service) Battalion KRRC) referred to serving with the "Black Buttoned Bastards" during WW1, altho I've not yet come across it anywhere else as yet.

 

Oh, and you missed the Royal Army Medical Corps (Rob All My Comrades) and Worcester Foresters (Woofers and Poofers) from your list.

 

BillB

[67th Tigers]

Ref the RGJ & buttons, I'm told my grandfather (ex-13th (Service) Battalion KRRC) referred to serving with the "Black Buttoned Bastards" during WW1, altho I've not yet come across it anywhere else as yet.

 

It's a 2 (KRRC) RGJ thing, 1 and 3 RGJ had normal buttons, capbadges etc.

[KingSargent]

I am a great fan of the Regimental system - it is flexible and adaptable and unless messed up by politician a thing of pride

 

The MOD website currently has good family trees of some of the regiments

The British Regimental System was great at fostering and maintaining unit morale, but IMHO bad for the Army as a whole. The Regiment system led to great battalions and lousy divisions. When the Army was playing Imperial Policemen the parochialism was not a great problem, but the Regiments were VERY parochial in outlook. Uits were very well-trained at bn level, then sent to war in a hodge-podge of uncoordinated bns that had little idea of how to work togther.

 

AIUI, most soldiers and officers spent their entire service in one unit. There was little opportunity to see how other troops did something and abysmal cooperation. I have read of instances where officers who tried to be non-parochial were forced out.

 

That dig having been said, I always have especially admired the RTR, the Rifle Brigade, the RWF, and the Gordons. No really special reason to pick those, there were many terrific regiments.