British Army Infantry Regiments

News and discussion threads concerning defence personnel and their units.
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The Armchair Soldier
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British Army Infantry Regiments

Post by The Armchair Soldier »

A thread on current British Army infantry regiments - post media, news and discussion here.

Starting off with a video on The Rifles:

Riflemen are known for their excellence on the battlefield. Watch this video, to see their snipers in action.

The Rifles is the largest infantry regiment in the British Army. Learn more: http://bit.ly/1Ka9fGc

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Re: British Army Infantry Regiments

Post by The Armchair Soldier »

A new documentary on the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment:

~UNiOnJaCk~
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Re: British Army Infantry Regiments

Post by ~UNiOnJaCk~ »

Good old PWRR. It is both an object of affection and a constant source of frustration for me as far as Regiments go. A lot of proud Regiments (some of the finest in the history of the Army no less) lost their place to bring PWRR in to existence (The Buffs, RWK and so on) but at least through PWRR some of their proud history and heritage lives on.

Sodding cuts. Always pains me to lose cap badges...

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Re: British Army Infantry Regiments

Post by marktigger »

thats why they created the "large" regiments so you loose bns not cap badges. Certain higher profile regiments seam to be immune from cuts and there is also political pressure to make certain regiments disappear.

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Re: British Army Infantry Regiments

Post by ~UNiOnJaCk~ »

marktigger wrote:thats why they created the "large" regiments so you loose bns not cap badges. Certain higher profile regiments seam to be immune from cuts and there is also political pressure to make certain regiments disappear.
Neither The Buffs nor RWK exist even as cap badges any more. Nor do many others. Like i said - these hybrid regiments are both a blessing and a curse from that POV. They preserve what little memory of those former regiments they can but it should never have gotten to this stage in the first place. It's a bloody shame.

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Re: British Army Infantry Regiments

Post by marktigger »

But neither do the Ox & Bucks Light infantry, The East yorkshire regiment, The Royal Ulster Rifles or the Cameronians.
Mergers and Amalgamations have been part of the history of the Army and probably will be again in the future. The Large regt system makes it easier as cap badges aren't lost and treasury can argue tradition against large regts by saying the history of the army was traditionally round 1 & 2 bn regts.

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Re: British Army Infantry Regiments

Post by ~UNiOnJaCk~ »

Unlike in previous tends however the amalgamations have now reached the point where the county regiment system is entirely dead. These are new 'hyper' regiments that have lost the greater part of the flavour, character and history that made the British Army such an exceptional organisation in the previous century. I don't subscribe to the notion that the county system is entirely redundant/unfit for purpose these days either - not in principle anyway. Too much heritage has been cut or sold off by politicians looking for quick and easy ways to make the books look a little nicer and it is much harder to restore a regiment or a battalion than it is to cut it.

Make no mistake however, cap badges are indeed lost through amalgamations - especially in instances where entirely new formations are created through the process. If it were not the case you would still hear of the Ox & Bucks, KOYLI, KOSB etc etc etc. You have to look very hard indeed to find traces lingering traces of these units any longer - mostly found in the form of inherited regimental traditions - but to all intents and purposes they otherwise cease to be and i think it is tragic.

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Re: British Army Infantry Regiments

Post by marktigger »

~UNiOnJaCk~ wrote:Unlike in previous tends however the amalgamations have now reached the point where the county regiment system is entirely dead. These are new 'hyper' regiments that have lost the greater part of the flavour, character and history that made the British Army such an exceptional organisation in the previous century. I don't subscribe to the notion that the county system is entirely redundant/unfit for purpose these days either - not in principle anyway. Too much heritage has been cut or sold off by politicians looking for quick and easy ways to make the books look a little nicer and it is much harder to restore a regiment or a battalion than it is to cut it.

Make no mistake however, cap badges are indeed lost through amalgamations - especially in instances where entirely new formations are created through the process. If it were not the case you would still hear of the Ox & Bucks, KOYLI, KOSB etc etc etc. You have to look very hard indeed to find traces lingering traces of these units any longer - mostly found in the form of inherited regimental traditions - but to all intents and purposes they otherwise cease to be and i think it is tragic.

But that process started back in the 1960's when the Buffs went from being "Roughy tought Buffies to being teany weany Queenies" in the Queens regiment. but the new system is meant to be regional but units like RRF and The Rifles have geographically diverse recruiting areas. There is a huge danger the Welsh and Irish line infantry and Guards could disappear.

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Re: British Army Infantry Regiments

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

Now that we will have a Ranger Rgmnt, the MoD has circulated a news story of the roots for the title (presumably to set out that we didn't copy it from the Americans). True to the thread header, only the British side of the story replay below:

"Ranger units were used by both sides during the American War of Independence (1775-83) with Rogers’ Rangers evolving into the Queen’s Rangers, which then became a British Army regiment. After the loss of the North American colonies, the British Army lacked a forested frontier where it could usefully employ a ranger unit and the capability ceased to exist in its pure form. Not long after, in 1800, the Experimental Rifle Corps was created at Shorncliffe Barracks to systemise into doctrine the light infantry* experience gained in North America. This was not ranging in the pure sense, rather a narrower derivative of their battlefield role. One of the first rifle units was a battalion of the Royal American Regiment and it is quite possible that amongst its recruits were men who had previously served as a Ranger.

As time moved on there were four further British Army regiments that incorporated the term ‘ranger’ into their titles: Central London Rangers; The Connaught Rangers; The Royal Irish Rangers; and The Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry. "

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*) using rifled err rifles for aimed shots from longer distances than line infantry firing in volleys (and emphasizing reloading speed over accuracy)
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)

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Re: British Army Infantry Regiments

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

Twitter space is looking for a Light Cavalry Rgmnt that has disappeared.

The notes that followed the announcement of setting a bold ambition for the future, by setting up the experimentation Battlegroup were specific about it being based on an infantry battalion but with elements from across the army, designed to fight prototype warfare at the leading edge of defence.

I would not be surprised if the core unit turns out to be the 'missing' cavalry rgmnt instead.

Another history 'dive' was included, as a bonus:
"The Battlegroup draws on the heritage of previous experimental units during earlier industrial revolutions such as the Experimental Corps of Riflemen in the Napoleonic Campaign who introduced rifles, sharpshooting and skirmishing tactics for the first time *) and the Experimental Mechanised Force formed in 1927 to investigate and develop the techniques and equipment required for armoured warfare.

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*) obviously two different writers involved as this one (in italics) directly contradicts what was said in connection of Rangers' history and coming about:
"Not long after, in 1800, the Experimental Rifle Corps was created at Shorncliffe Barracks to systemise into doctrine the light infantry experience gained in North America."
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)

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