Tag - British Army

04 Mar

The Blues and Royals Regiment

The Blues and Royals regiment is made up of the Royal Horse Guards (RHG) and the 1st Dragoons. They are a cavalry regiment in the British Army and, along with The Life Guards, make up the Household Cavalry Regiment. The British Household Cavalry is classed as a corps in its own right. Together the two regiments which make up the Household Cavalry, act as the Queen’s personal bodyguard. In 1969 the merger of the Royal Horse Guards, which were then known as “The Blues”, and The Royal Dragoons, which was known as “The Royals”, formed The Blues and Royals. The regiment is the only regiment in the British Army to be known by their nickname. Their Colonel-in-Chief is Queen Elizabeth II and is the second most senior regiment in the British Army. Both Prince William and Prince Harry joined the regiment as cornets in 2006. Due to their role as the monarch’s official bodyguard, this historically meant that the soldiers and officers of [...]

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04 Feb

75th Anniversary of VE Day

This year marks the 75th Anniversary of VE, or Victory in Europe Day. On 8th May 1945, Winston Churchill made an announcement on the radio at 3pm after enemy forces had surrendered the previous day. He said, “My dear friends, this is your house.” This year on the 8th May 2020 it will be 75 years since the guns fell silent and marked the end of World War II. To commemorate the event, this year’s May Day Bank Holiday has been moved. Usually the May Day Bank Holiday is the first Monday of May, however this year the date has been moved to Friday 8th May to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day. Events will take place around the country over weekend from the 8th May to the 10th May 2020 to mark the enormous sacrifice, courage and determination shown by those who served and the millions who lost their loved ones in the conflict.  If you wish to find out more [...]

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30 Oct

The Life Guards Regiment

The Life Guards (LG), along with The Blues & Royals, are the most senior regiments in the British Army. Together they form the Household Cavalry Regiment (HCav).  The regiment was formed in  1660 by King Charles II. It consisted of 80 Royalists  who accompanied the King and formed themselves into a military bodyguard to protect The Sovereign. The regiment has always remained the senior regiment of the British Army.  The regiment was nicknamed the ‘Cheesemongers’ in the 1780’s. After originally, only recruiting gentlemen-troops, the regiment allowed members of the common merchant class to join. ‘Cheesemongers’ was a pejorative term for the people who worked in a trade.  In 1815 the regiment were a part of the Household Brigade at the Battle of Waterloo. Under Major- General Lord Edward Somerset the regiment charged at the French heavy cavalry equivalents, along with the then, Royal Horse Guards. In 1922 the regiment became known as The Life Guards. In 1992 the Life Guards and The [...]

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24 Sep

Operation Market Garden

This year, the 17th of September, marked the 75th anniversary of Operation Market Garden. This World War II mission was fought in the Netherlands from 17th – 25th September 1944. Market Garden consisted of two sub operations. Market was an airborne assault to seize key bridges and Garden which was a ground  attack moving over the already seized bridges creating the salient, or inroad into enemy held territory Up until that point, this attack was the largest airborne operation, in World War II. The operation was the idea of General Bernard Montgomery. It began with heavy air raids, with para troopers landing around 13:00 hours. The initial phase of the operation was a success as the Germans were taken completely by surprise. Even though the resistance by the Germans was heavier than expected, most of the bridges were captured. The most important bridge, Arnhem, was the most strategically placed and in order for this mission to be successful the ground [...]

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22 Aug

The Royal Logistic Corps

The Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) is not only the largest Corps in the British Army, it is also an incredibly diverse organisation. Its soldiers work on both peacekeeping and on operations. The RLC’s main function is to provide constant support to help the Army maintain its optimum operational capability. The RLC was formed in 1993 by a union of five units; the Royal Corps of Transport, Royal Army Ordnance Corps, Royal Pioneer Corps, Army Catering Corps and the Postal and Courier Service which were previously part of the Royal Engineers. Currently the RLC are deployed in Cyprus, Kenya, Canada and the Caribbean. Their current deployment to Cyprus is a 6 month peacekeeping mission as part of the UN peacekeeping agreement. Previously they have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Soldiers in the Royal Logistic Corps are infantry trained. They are also professionally trained in one of 12 trades. 40% of the RLC is detached and serves with other units. The RLC flag is [...]

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Combined Arms Manouvre Demonstration 2016
16 Jul

The Kings Royal Hussars

The King’s Royal Hussars are a regiment with cavalry traditions and an interesting history. The King’s Royal Hussars were established in 1992, however the four original cavalry regiments which make up the modern King’s Royal Hussars have a long history of service with their own customs and traditions.  The origins of the regiment stretch right back to 1715 when the 10th, 11th and 14th Hussars were raised to serve in the two Jacobite Rebellions. In 1854 the 11th Hussars took part in the infamous Charge of the Light Brigade during the Crimea campaign. The various regimens went through numerous changes over the years culminating in 1992 with the merging of the Royal Hussars and the 14th/20th Hussars into the Kings Royal Hussars we see today. The regiment is located at Aliwal Barracks in Tidworth, they are experts in operating a range of armored vehicles including the Challenger 2 battle tank which is used to support troops on close combat operations and the Scimitar [...]

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Guardsman of the Irish Guards Holding Regimental Colours
01 Jul

Military Colours

Military colours, standards or guidons are carried to act as a rallying point for troops and to mark the location of the commander.  During the High Middle Ages, it became a regular practice to have their commander’s coat of arms on their standards.  It was decided that during the chaos of battle, the soldiers needed to be able to determine which their regiment was. Regimental flags were awarded by the head of state and were inscribed with the names of battles of other symbols representing achievements. They were treated with honour.  It became considered a great feat of arms if the enemy’s standard was captured. Colour Guards were enlisted to protect their colours. These were often elite soldiers. If the colours are ever in jeopardy of being captured by the enemy, they must be destroyed.  The Colour Guards are a group of soldiers assigned to protect the regimental colours. This duty is usually carried out by a young officer as it is [...]

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Household Cavalry
21 May

Household Cavalry set to move from Windsor

The Household Cavalry Regiment, who are made up of the Blues and Royals Regiment and the Life Guards Regiment, have been based in Windsor for more than 200 years. Over 250 soldiers marched through the town to mark their departure to Bulford Camp in Wiltshire on Salisbury Plain. The parade included marching troops, mounted troops and the Band of the Household Cavalry and started at Combermere Barracks and headed to Guildhall for a salute.  The Princess Royal addressed The Household Cavalry and their families. The Welsh Guards will be taking over the Combermere barracks. This is all part of a major restructuring  of the British Army.

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The Grenadier Guards
25 Apr

The Grenadier Guards

The Grenadier Guards have been active since 1656 and are one of the British Army’s most iconic and oldest regiments. The members of the Regiment are renowned for their determination, loyalty and grit.  Since its formation over 360 years ago, the Regiment, then named the Royal Regiment of Guards, has fought in all major battles in which the UK has been involved.  Specializing in Light Role Infantry, they often use light vehicles such as quad bikes. They have to be fast and mobile and ready to deploy anywhere in the world at short notice. Their dual roles; serving on the battlefield and providing precision whilst carrying out ceremonial duties in London and Windsor Castle.  The training of a Grenadier Guard is, at the beginning versatile. Once they have completed basic training, they can specialize as a Sniper, Reconnaissance Operator, Machine Gunner or other roles including logistical support and guarding royal palaces.  Past deployments include; Operation Herrick and Operation Telic. Currently they are training [...]

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Queens Royal Lancers
08 Apr

The Royal Lancers

Queen Elizabeths’ own Royal Lancers are the armored cavalry regiment of 12 Armored Infantry Brigade. Their motto is ‘Death or Glory’ and their famous skull and crossbones cap badge is one of the most recognizable. The regiment is located in North Yorkshire at Catterick Garrison. They have been active from the 2nd of May 2015 and they specialize in reconnaissance. The soldiers in the Royal Lancers are also trained to fight enemy combatants using a wide range of equipment. The equipment they use mainly include Sharpshooter rifles, machine guns, mortars and anti-task missiles. The Royal Lancers main role is to provide a continuous stream of accurate information to commanders so they can make tactical decisions.  Although they have been active since 2015, their history stretches back more than 300 years. In 1715, the 9th and 12th Regiments of Dragoons were raised and the union of several historical lancer regiments. In 1993 The Queen’s Royal Lancers was formed and in 2015 the 9th/12th [...]

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