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The British Army
British Army

The British Army is the Army branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707....
's Infantry
Infantry

Infantry are soldiers who are primarily trained for the role of fighting on foot. A soldier in the infantry is known as an infantryman. Infantry units have more physically demanding training than other branches of armies, and place a greater emphasis on fitness, physical strength and aggression....
, part of the Structure of the British Army
Structure of the British Army

The structure of the British Army is broadly similar to that of the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, being divided into two Commands as top-level budget holders: Land Command and the Adjutant-General to the Forces....
, comprises 51 battalion
Battalion

A battalion is a military unit of around 500-1500 men usually consisting of between two and seven company and typically commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel....
s of Infantry
Infantry

Infantry are soldiers who are primarily trained for the role of fighting on foot. A soldier in the infantry is known as an infantryman. Infantry units have more physically demanding training than other branches of armies, and place a greater emphasis on fitness, physical strength and aggression....
, from 19 Regiment
Regiment

A regiment is a military unit, composed of variable numbers of battalions, commanded by a Colonel. Depending on the nation, military branch, mission, and organization, a modern regiment resembles a brigade, in that both range in size from a few hundred to 5,000 soldiers ....
s. Of these 37 battalions are part of the 'Regular' army and the remaining 14 a part of the 'Territorial
Territorial Army

The Territorial Army is the volunteer Military reserve force of the British Army, the army of the United Kingdom, and composed mostly of part-time soldiers paid at a similar rate, while engaged on military activities, as their Regular equivalents....
' (reserve) force. The British Infantry forms a highly flexible organisation, taking on a variety of roles including armoured, mechanised, air assault and light.

itionally, regiments that form the combat arms of the British Army (cavalry and infantry) recruit from specific areas of the country.






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Encyclopedia


The British Army
British Army

The British Army is the Army branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707....
's Infantry
Infantry

Infantry are soldiers who are primarily trained for the role of fighting on foot. A soldier in the infantry is known as an infantryman. Infantry units have more physically demanding training than other branches of armies, and place a greater emphasis on fitness, physical strength and aggression....
, part of the Structure of the British Army
Structure of the British Army

The structure of the British Army is broadly similar to that of the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, being divided into two Commands as top-level budget holders: Land Command and the Adjutant-General to the Forces....
, comprises 51 battalion
Battalion

A battalion is a military unit of around 500-1500 men usually consisting of between two and seven company and typically commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel....
s of Infantry
Infantry

Infantry are soldiers who are primarily trained for the role of fighting on foot. A soldier in the infantry is known as an infantryman. Infantry units have more physically demanding training than other branches of armies, and place a greater emphasis on fitness, physical strength and aggression....
, from 19 Regiment
Regiment

A regiment is a military unit, composed of variable numbers of battalions, commanded by a Colonel. Depending on the nation, military branch, mission, and organization, a modern regiment resembles a brigade, in that both range in size from a few hundred to 5,000 soldiers ....
s. Of these 37 battalions are part of the 'Regular' army and the remaining 14 a part of the 'Territorial
Territorial Army

The Territorial Army is the volunteer Military reserve force of the British Army, the army of the United Kingdom, and composed mostly of part-time soldiers paid at a similar rate, while engaged on military activities, as their Regular equivalents....
' (reserve) force. The British Infantry forms a highly flexible organisation, taking on a variety of roles including armoured, mechanised, air assault and light.

Recruitment and training


Recruitment

Traditionally, regiments that form the combat arms of the British Army (cavalry and infantry) recruit from specific areas of the country. Infantry regiments had been assigned specific areas from which they would recruit from by the mid eighteenth century. These were formalised under the Cardwell Reforms
Cardwell Reforms

The Cardwell Reforms refer to a series of reforms of the British Army undertaken by Secretary of State for War Edward Cardwell, 1st Viscount Cardwell between 1868 and 1874....
 that began in the 1860s. Under this scheme, single battalion infantry regiments were amalgamated into two battalion regiments, then assigned to a depot and associated recruiting area (which would usually correspond all or part of a county). The recruiting area (usually) would then become part of the regiment's title. It was this that gave rise to the concept of the "county regiment", with the local infantry regiment becoming part of the fabric of its local area.

Over time, regiments have been amalgamated further, which has led to recruiting areas of individual regiments increasing in size. Often, these amalgamations will be between regiments whose recruiting areas border each other. However, there have been occasions where regiments of a similar type, but from widely different areas, have been amalgamated. Two modern examples have been the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (amalgamated from the county regiments of Northumberland, Warwickshire, City of London
City of London

The City of London is a geographically small city status in the United Kingdom within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which, along with Westminster, the modern conurbation grew....
 and Lancashire, all of which were regiments of fusiliers) and The Light Infantry (amalgamated from the county regiments of Cornwall, Somerset, Shropshire, South Yorkshire and Durham, all of which were regiments of light infantry
Light infantry

Traditionally light infantry were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, Harassment and delaying the enemy advance....
).

After September 2007, when the current reforms have been completed, the infantry will consist of a total of 17 separate regiments. The five regiments of foot guards recruit from their respective home nations
Home Nations

Home Nations is a collective term often used in sports to refer to England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, which together form the United Kingdom....
 (with the exception of the Coldstream Guards, which recruits from the counties through which the regiment marched between Coldstream and London). Scotland, Ireland and Wales each have a single regiment of line infantry
Line infantry

In the United Kingdom, Infantry of the Line or Line Infantry refers to the soldiers forming the bulk of any dismounted force, as distinct from Foot Guards, light infantry and more recently, special operations forces....
 from which they recruit (though the battalions of the Royal Regiment of Scotland recruit from the areas they recruited from when they were separate regiments), while England has seven line infantry and rifles regiments. The Parachute Regiment recruits nationally, while the Royal Gurkha Rifles recruits most of its serving personnel from Nepal
Nepal

Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia and is the world's youngest republic. It is bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by India....
.

Before the Second World War, infantry recruits were required to be at least 5 feet 2 inches tall. They initially enlisted for seven years with the colours and a further five years with the reserve. They trained at their own regimental depot.

Training

Unlike the other trades in the army, which have separate units for basic training and specialised training, new recruits into the infantry undergo a single course at the Infantry Training Centre Catterick
Infantry Training Centre

The Infantry Training Centre is a unit of the British Army administered by HQ School of Infantry responsible for both basic and advanced training of Soldiers and Officers joining the British Army Infantry....
. This course, called the "Combat Infantryman's Course" (CIC), lasts 26 weeks as standard and teaches recruits both the basics of soldiering (Phase 1 training) and the specifics of soldiering in the infantry (Phase 2 training). Upon completion of the CIC, the newly qualified infantry soldier will then be posted to his battalion.

For some infantry units, the CIC is longer, due to specific additional requirements for individual regiments:
  • The Foot Guards CIC has an additional two week enhanced drill course
  • The Parachute Regiment CIC has an additional two week Pre-Parachute Selection (PPS) course
  • The Brigade of Gurkhas CIC combines the Common Military Syllabus taught at ATR
    Army Training Regiment

    An Army Training Regiment is a unit of the British Army which conducts basic training for all new recruits, less adult Infantry recruits who are trained at the ITC at Catterick North Yorkshire, and some non-infantry TA units ....
     with the CIC, together with courses on British culture and the English Language
    English language

    English is a West Germanic language that originated in Anglo-Saxon England and has lingua franca status in many parts of the world as a result of the military, economic, scientific, political and cultural influence of the British Empire in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries and that of the United States from the mid 20th century onwa...
    . The Gurkha CIC lasts 37 weeks.


New officers conduct their Phase 1 training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst

The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is the British Army Commissioned officer initial training centre....
. Phase 2 training for officers, which is encompassed by the Platoon Commander's Battle Course, is run at the Infantry Battle School at ITC Brecon in Wales. It is here that leadership and tactics are taught to new platoon commanders. New NCOs and Warrant Officers are also sent on courses at Brecon when they come up for promotion. This encompasses Phase 3 training. Phase 3 training is also undertaken at the Support Weapons School at ITC Warminster, where new officers, NCOs and soldiers are trained in the use of support weapons (mortars, anti-tank weapons) and in communications.

Terriotorial Infantrymen undertake preliminary training at Regional Training Centres
Regional Training Centre

Regional Training Centres were created from the previously existing Specialist Training Teams to provide training for the United Kingdom Territorial Army ....
 prior to attening a two week CIC(TA) at Catterick

Divisions of infantry

The majority of the infantry in the British Army is divided for administrative purposes into five divisions. These are not the same as the ready and regenerative divisions (see below), but are based on either the geographical recruiting areas of regiments, or the type of regiments:
  • The Guards Division
    Guards Division

    The Guards Division is an administrative unit of the British Army responsible for the administration of the regiments of Foot Guards.The Headquarters of the Guards Division is in London, along with the RHQs of each regiment....
     has the five regiments of Foot Guards
    Foot Guards

    Foot guards is a term used to describe elite infantry regiments....
    .
  • The Scottish Division
    Scottish Division

    The Scottish Division is a British Army Infantry command, training and administrative apparatus designated for all Scottish line infantry units....
     has the remaining infantry regiment from Scotland
    Scotland

    conventional_long_name = ScotlandAlba|common_name= Scotland|image_flag = Flag of Scotland.svg|flag_width = 130px...
    .
  • The King's Division
    King's Division

    The King's Division is a British Army command, training and administrative apparatus designated for infantry regiments in the North of England. The King's Division was formed in 1968 with the union of the Lancastrian Brigade, Yorkshire Brigade and North Irish Brigade....
     has the regiments from the north of England
    England

    native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
    .
  • The Prince of Wales' Division
    Prince of Wales' Division

    The Prince of Wales's Division is a British Army command, training and administrative apparatus designated for all land force units in the West of England and Wales....
     has the regiments from the west of England and Wales
    Wales

    native_name = Cymru|conventional_long_name = Wales|common_name = Wales|image_flag = Flag of Wales 2.svg|national_motto = ...
    .
  • The Queen's Division
    Queen's Division

    The Queen's Division is a British Army command, training and administrative apparatus designated for has the regiments from the east of England and the remaining regiment of Fusiliers....
     has the regiments from the east of England and the remaining regiment of Fusilier
    Fusilier

    Fusilier was originally the name of a soldier armed with a light flintlock musket called the fusil. The word was first used around 1680, and has later developed into a regimental designation....
    s.


A further division, the Light Division
Light Division

The Light Division was a light infantry Division of the British Army formed in the early 19th Century. It can trace its origins to the Light Companies which had been formed to move at speed over inhospitable terrain and protect the main forces by skirmishing tactics....
, grouped together the regiments of light infantry
Light infantry

Traditionally light infantry were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, Harassment and delaying the enemy advance....
 and rifles, until they were amalgamated into a single regiment in 2007.

Regular army


There are further infantry units in the army that are not grouped in the various divisions:
  • 1st Bn, The Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskillings), 83rd, 87th & The Ulster Defence Regiment)
  • 2nd & 3rd Bn, The Parachute Regiment
  • 1st & 2nd Bn, The Royal Gurkha Rifles
    Royal Gurkha Rifles

    The Royal Gurkha Rifles is a regiment of the British Army, forming part of the Brigade of Gurkhas. The Royal Gurkha Rifles are now the sole infantry regiment of the British Army Gurkhas....
  • 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th Bn, The Rifles
    The Rifles

    The Rifles is a regiment of the British Army. It consists of five regular and two territorial battalions, plus a number of companies in other TA battalions, making the regiment the largest in the infantry....


Territorial Army

  • 52nd Lowland
    52nd Lowland Regiment

    The 52nd Lowland Regiment now forms the 6th Battalion of The Royal Regiment of Scotland, also known as 6 SCOTS. Due to its erstwhile association with the 1st Regiment of Foot, it is the British Army Order of Precedence Territorial Army British Army Infantry battalion in the British Army....
    , 6th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
    The Royal Regiment of Scotland

    The Royal Regiment of Scotland is the British Army Order of Precedence and only Scottish regiment line infantry regiment of the British Army Infantry....
  • 51st Highland, 7th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
    The Royal Regiment of Scotland

    The Royal Regiment of Scotland is the British Army Order of Precedence and only Scottish regiment line infantry regiment of the British Army Infantry....
  • 3rd Battalion, The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment
  • The London Regiment
  • 4th Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border)
  • 5th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
    The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers

    The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division.The regiment was formed on April 23, 1968, as part of the reforms of the army that saw the creation of the first 'large regiment', by the amalgamation of the four English fusilier regiments....
  • 3rd Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment
  • 4th Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th & 33rd/76th Foot)
    Yorkshire Regiment

    The Yorkshire Regiment is one of the large infantry regiments of the British Army. The regiment is the only line infantry or rifles unit to represent a single geographical county in the new infantry structure, serving as the county regiment of Yorkshire covering the historical areas of: the East Riding of Yorkshire, North Riding of Yorkshir...
  • 4th Battalion, The Mercian Regiment
    Mercian Regiment

    The Mercian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed by the amalgamation of four existing regiments in 2007.The Mercian Regiment serves as the county regiment of the following counties:...
  • 3rd Battalion, The Royal Welsh
    Royal Welsh

    The Royal Welsh was formed on St David's Day, 1 March 2006. It is one of the new large infantry regiments of the British Army, and the regiment's formation was announced on 16 December 2004 by Geoff Hoon and Michael Jackson as part of the restructuring of the British Army Infantry....
  • 2nd Battalion, The Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling), 83rd, 87th & Ulster Defence Regiment)
  • 4th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment
  • 6th Battalion, The Rifles
    The Rifles

    The Rifles is a regiment of the British Army. It consists of five regular and two territorial battalions, plus a number of companies in other TA battalions, making the regiment the largest in the infantry....
  • 7th Battalion, The Rifles
    The Rifles

    The Rifles is a regiment of the British Army. It consists of five regular and two territorial battalions, plus a number of companies in other TA battalions, making the regiment the largest in the infantry....


Types of infantry

Within the British Army, there are four main types of infantry:
  • Armoured Infantry - armoured infantry are equipped with the Warrior
    Warrior Tracked Armoured Vehicle

    The FV510 Warrior tracked vehicle family, are a series of United Kingdom armoured vehicles originally developed to replace the older FV430 series of armoured vehicles....
     armoured personnel carrier, a tracked vehicle that can deploy over all terrain.
  • Mechanised Infantry - mechanised infantry are equipped with the Saxon
    Saxon (vehicle)

    The Saxon is an armoured personnel carrier used by the British Army and supplied in small numbers to various overseas organisations. It was developed by GKN, from earlier projects, AT 100 IS and AT104, and is due to be replaced by the Future Rapid Effect System....
     armoured personnel carrier, a wheeled vehicle that can be deployed over rough terrain, but is primarily a road vehicle. Saxon is in the process of being replaced by the Bulldog
    FV432

    The FV432 is the armoured personnel carrier variant of the British Army's FV430 series of armoured fighting vehicles. Since its introduction in the 1960s it has been the most common variant, being used for transporting infantry on the battlefield....
     tracked vehicle.
  • Light Infantry - light infantry are not equipped with armoured vehicles, and are trained to hold an area. Included as light infantry are units that specialise in jungle warfare and Arctic warfare
  • Air Assault Infantry - air assault infantry are trained to be deployed using helicopter
    Helicopter

    A helicopter is an aircraft that is Lift and propelled by one or more horizontal plane Helicopter rotors, each rotor consisting of two or more rotor blades....
    s, parachute or aircraft.


The British Army currently employs a process known as arms plot, which involves an infantry battalion performing one role for a period of time (between two and six years), before being posted elsewhere to re-train and take up another role. As part of the re-organisation (see below), this process will be ended, with battalions being given a fixed role.

Deployments

The majority of infantry battalions are based in the UK, but there are a significant number that are based overseas:

UK battalions
  • England
    • Shorncliffe: Light Infantry Battalion (Gurkha
      Gurkha

      Gurkha, also spelled as Gorkha, are people from Nepal and northern India who take their name from the eighth century Hindu warrior-saint Guru Gorakhnath....
      ) (2nd Infantry Brigade)
    • Canterbury
      Canterbury

      Canterbury lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a local government district of Kent, in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
      : Air Assault Battalion (16th Air Assault Brigade)
    • London
      London

      London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
      : 2 x Light Infantry Battalions (London District
      London District (British Army)

      London District is the name given by the British Army to the area of operations encompassing the Greater London area. It was formed in 1905 as an independent district within the larger command structure of the army, and has remained so ever since....
      )
    • Windsor
      Windsor, Berkshire

      Windsor is a suburban town and tourist destination in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is best known as the site of Windsor Castle....
      : Light Infantry Battalion (London District
      London District (British Army)

      London District is the name given by the British Army to the area of operations encompassing the Greater London area. It was formed in 1905 as an independent district within the larger command structure of the army, and has remained so ever since....
      )
    • Colchester
      Colchester

      Colchester is a town, and the largest settlement within the Colchester , in Essex, England.It has a population of List of English cities by population....
      : 2 x Air Assault Infantry Battalions (16th Air Assault Brigade)
    • North Luffenham
      North Luffenham

      North Luffenham is a village in Rutland, in the East Midlands of England.Located to the north of the village is the former Royal Air Force station of RAF North Luffenham which is now St George's Barracks....
      : Light Infantry Battalion (2nd Infantry Brigade)
    • Aldershot
      Aldershot

      Aldershot is a town in the England county of Hampshire, located on heathland about 60 km southwest of London. The town is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council....
      : 2 x Mechanised Infantry Battalions (12th Mechanised Brigade)
    • Tidworth
      Tidworth

      Tidworth is a town in south-east Wiltshire, England with a growing civilian population. Situated at the eastern edge of Salisbury Plain, it is approximately 10 miles west of Andover, Hampshire, 12 miles south of Marlborough, Wiltshire, 24 miles south of Swindon, 15 miles north by north-east of Salisbury, England and 6 miles east of Amesbury....
      : 2 x Armoured Infantry Battalion (1st Mechanised Brigade, 12th Mechanised Brigade)
    • Bulford
      Bulford

      Bulford is a village and civil parish in the Salisbury district of Wiltshire, England, close to Salisbury Plain. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 4,698....
      : Mechanised Infantry Battalion (1st Mechanised Brigade)
    • Pirbright
      Pirbright

      Pirbright is a village in Surrey, England. Neighbouring villages include Worplesdon, Deepcut, Brookwood, Surrey and Normandy, Surrey. Pirbright parish has an area of some falling into two distinct communities with the military area to the north of the railway and the village to the south....
      : Mechanised Infantry Battalion (12th Mechanised Brigade)
    • Warminster
      Warminster

      Warminster is a town in western Wiltshire, England, by-passed by the A36 road, and near Frome, Somerset and Westbury, Wiltshire. It has a population of about 17,000 and is part of the West Wiltshire district....
      : Demonstration Infantry Battalion (Land Warfare Centre)
    • Tern Hill: Light Infantry Battalion (2nd Infantry Brigade)
    • Chester
      Chester

      Chester is the county town of Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, Wales, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider local government district of the Chester , which had a population of 118,210 according to the United Kingdom Census 2001....
      : Light Infantry Battalion (52nd Infantry Brigade)
    • Weeton
      Weeton, Lancashire

      Weeton is a village on the Fylde in Lancashire, England, beside the Blackpool Branch Lines and the M55 motorway, just east of Blackpool and 3.5 miles northwest of Kirkham, Lancashire....
      : Light Infantry Battalion (19th Light Brigade)
    • Catterick
      Catterick

      Catterick could be*Catterick, North Yorkshire, England, commonly known as Catterick Village**Catterick Bridge, a hamlet near Catterick Village...
      : Armoured Infantry Battalion, Mechanised Infantry Battalion, Light Infantry Battalion (19th Light Brigade)
  • Scotland
    • Edinburgh
      Edinburgh

      Edinburgh ; is the Capital city of Scotland, a position it has held since 1437. It is the seventh largest city in the United Kingdom and the second largest Scottish City status in the United Kingdom after Glasgow....
      : 3 x Light Infantry Battalions (52nd Infantry Brigade)
    • Ardersier
      Ardersier

      Ardersier is a small former fishing village in the Scottish Highlands, on the Moray Firth, east of Inverness, near Fort George, Highland, and Nairn ....
      : Light Infantry Battalion (52nd Infantry Brigade)
  • Wales
    • Chepstow
      Chepstow

      Chepstow is a town in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining Wales-England border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the River Wye, close to its confluence with the River Severn, and close to the western end of the Severn Bridge on the M48 motorway....
      : Light Infantry Battalion (160th Brigade)
  • Northern Ireland
    • Ballykelly: Light Infantry Battalion (8th Infantry Brigade)
    • Omagh
      Omagh

      Omagh is the county town of County Tyrone in Northern Ireland, situated where the rivers River Drumragh and Rive Camowen meet to form the River Strule....
      : Light Infantry Battalion (8th Infantry Brigade)
    • South Armagh
      Armagh

      The city of Armagh is an ancient religious site of worship of both Celtic paganism and Christianity, the oldest of the five City status in the United Kingdom in Northern Ireland, and the county town of County Armagh....
      : Light Infantry Battalion (39th Infantry Brigade)
    • Holywood
      Holywood

      Holywood is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland, on the shores of Belfast Lough, between Belfast and Bangor, County Down. Holywood Exchange and Belfast City Airport are nearby....
      : Light Infantry Battalion (39th Infantry Brigade)


Overseas battalions
There are three locations that have a permanent British infantry presence; Germany, Cyprus and Brunei. Gibraltar has its own permanently based home defence battalion. Other postings are usually roulement postings from either the UK, Germany or Cyprus.
  • Germany
    • Münster
      Münster

      M?nster is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region and it is also capital of the government region M?nster ....
      : Armoured Infantry Battalion (4th Armoured Brigade)
    • Osnabruck: Armoured Infantry Battalion (4th Armoured Brigade)
    • Celle
      Celle

      Celle is a town and capital of the district of Celle , in Lower Saxony, Germany. The town is situated in the southernmost part of the L?neburg Heath on the banks of the river Aller, a tributary of the Weser....
      : Armoured Infantry Battalion (7th Armoured Brigade)
    • Fallingbostel
      Soltau-Fallingbostel

      Soltau-Fallingbostel is a districts of Germany in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Harburg, L?neburg , Uelzen , Celle , Hanover , Nienburg , Verden and Rotenburg ....
      : Armoured Infantry Battalion (7th Armoured Brigade)
    • Paderborn
      Paderborn

      Paderborn is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn . The name of the city derives from the river Pader River, which originates in more than 200 springs near Paderborn Cathedral, where St....
      : 2 x Armoured Infantry Battalions (20th Armoured Brigade)
  • Cyprus
    • Dhekelia: Light Infantry Battalion (British Forces Cyprus
      British Forces Cyprus

      British Forces Cyprus is the name given to the British Armed Forces stationed in the UK sovereign base areas of Dhekelia and Akrotiri on the island of Cyprus....
      )
    • Episkopi
      Episkopi

      Episkopi may refer to:*Episkopi Cantonment, a British military base in Cyprus*Episkopi, Heraklion, a town in the Heraklion prefecture, Greece...
      : Light Infantry Battalion (British Forces Cyprus
      British Forces Cyprus

      British Forces Cyprus is the name given to the British Armed Forces stationed in the UK sovereign base areas of Dhekelia and Akrotiri on the island of Cyprus....
      )
  • Brunei
    • Seria
      Seria

      Seria is a town in the Belait District of Brunei Darussalam. Its full name is Pekan Seria in full . Seria was originally known as Padang Berawa which is Wild Pigeon's Field in Malay Language....
      : Light Infantry Battalion (Gurkha
      Gurkha

      Gurkha, also spelled as Gorkha, are people from Nepal and northern India who take their name from the eighth century Hindu warrior-saint Guru Gorakhnath....
      )
  • Gibraltar
    • Gibraltar
      Gibraltar

      Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located near the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar. The territory shares a border with Spain to the north....
      : Light Infantry Battalion
  • Bosnia
    • Light Infantry Battalion (roulement)
  • Iraq
    • 2 x Mechanised Infantry Battalions, 2 x Light Infantry Battalions (roulement)
  • Afghanistan
    • Light Infantry Battalion (roulement)


Divisions and brigades

The British Army is administered through HQ Land Command, which has responsibility for the majority of army units. Most of these are organised into a total of five divisions, each of which has a number of brigades under its command.

1. 16 (Air Assault) Brigade is based at Colchester, which falls under the direction of 4 Division. However, when deployed, 16 Brigade forms part of the Joint Rapid Reaction Force.
2. London District is operationally separate from any higher formation, but for budgetary and administrative purposes comes under the remit of 4 Division.

3 Commando Brigade
3 Commando Brigade

3 Commando Brigade is a commando formation of the British Armed Forces and the main manoeuvre formation of the Royal Marines. Its personnel are predominantly Royal Marines, supported by units of Royal Engineers, Royal Artillery, The Rifles, and the Fleet Air Arm, together with other All Arms Commando Course Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen....
 is a Royal Navy
Royal Navy

The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British Armed Forces . From the mid-18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early 1940s....
 maritime light infantry formation which falls under the full command of Commander in Chief Fleet. Formed around a core of 3 battalions of Royal Marines
Royal Marines

The Royal Marines are the marine and amphibious warfare infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service....
: (45
45 Commando

45 Commando Royal Marines is a battalion sized unit of the British Royal Marines and subordinate unit within 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines, the principal Commando formation, under the Operational Command of Commander in Chief Fleet....
, 42
42 Commando

42 Commando RM is a battalion sized formation of the British Royal Marines and subordinate unit within 3 Commando Brigade, the principal Commando formation, under the Operational Command of Commander in Chief Fleet....
 and 40
40 Commando

40 Commando RM is a battalion sized formation of the British Royal Marines and subordinate unit within 3 Commando Brigade, the principal Commando formation, under the Operational Command of Commander in Chief Fleet....
 Commandos) it also has one infantry battalion, 1 RIFLES, and two combat support regiments, Artillery and Engineers, attached from the Army. 3 Cdo forms part of the Joint Rapid Reaction Force.

Reorganisation

HM Treasury
HM Treasury

HM Treasury, in full Her Majesty's Treasury, informally The Treasury, is the United Kingdom government department responsible for developing and executing the British government's public finance policy and economic policy....
 asked for major cuts in the strength of the infantry in 2003, with at least ten battalions to be disbanded. This proved so unacceptable that in November 2003 there was consideration to instead reducing each battalion to two rifle companies (with the third to come from the TA). By March 2004 ECAB had shown maximum number of battalions it was possible to cut was four. This was finally official announced as part of the army re-organisation
Delivering Security in a Changing World

The 2003 Defence white paper, entitled Delivering Security in a Changing World set out the future structure of the Military of the United Kingdom, and was preceded by the 1998 Strategic Defence Review and the 2002 SDR New Chapter, which responded to the immediate challenges to security in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks....
. The arms plot system would be abolished, with instead individual battalions being given fixed roles. In order to ensure that officers and men could continue to gain the variety of skills the arms plot provided, the restructuring would also see a series of amalgamations of the remaining single battalion infantry regiments into large regiments. In addition, the regular army will lose a total of four battalions. The roles will be divided up as follows:
  • Armoured Infantry - 8 battalions (including Land Warfare Training Battalion)
  • Mechanised Infantry - 3 battalions
  • Light Role Infantry (including public duties and Gurkhas) - 20 battalions
  • Air Assault Infantry - 4 battalions
  • Commando Infantry - 1 battalion
  • Territorial Army Infantry - 14 battalions


The reorganisation is a hybrid of the systems used to organise the regular infantry in Australia
Australian Army

The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force....
 and Canada. Australia's regular infantry encompasses eight battalions in a single large regiment, the Royal Australian Regiment
Royal Australian Regiment

The Royal Australian Regiment is the parent regiment for regular infantry battalions of the Australian Army, making up the majority of the Royal Australian Infantry Corps....
 - this system is the one undertaken by the Scottish Division
Scottish Division

The Scottish Division is a British Army Infantry command, training and administrative apparatus designated for all Scottish line infantry units....
 and the Light Division
Light Division

The Light Division was a light infantry Division of the British Army formed in the early 19th Century. It can trace its origins to the Light Companies which had been formed to move at speed over inhospitable terrain and protect the main forces by skirmishing tactics....
. Canada's regular infantry has three regiments each of three battalions, which is how the King's Division
King's Division

The King's Division is a British Army command, training and administrative apparatus designated for infantry regiments in the North of England. The King's Division was formed in 1968 with the union of the Lancastrian Brigade, Yorkshire Brigade and North Irish Brigade....
 and the Prince of Wales' Division
Prince of Wales' Division

The Prince of Wales's Division is a British Army command, training and administrative apparatus designated for all land force units in the West of England and Wales....
 will be restructured (albeit with one regiment of three battalions and one of two battalions each).

In addition to the army's infantry battalions, there are three further battalion sized commando infantry units which are part of the Royal Marines
Royal Marines

The Royal Marines are the marine and amphibious warfare infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service....
, as well as eight field squadrons (each larger than an infantry company) of the RAF Regiment
RAF Regiment

The Royal Air Force Regiment is a specialist airfield defence Corps founded by Royal Warrant in 1942. After a 29 week training course, its members are responsible for defending airfields, and training Royal Air Force personnel in military skills....
, who have responsibility for the ground defence of air assets and are under the control of the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts....
.

Permanent deployments

With battalions being assigned fixed roles, they will be attached permanently (semi-permanently for light role battalions) to operational formations:
  • 1st Mechanised Brigade
    • 1st Battalion, Irish Guards
    • 1st Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment
    • 3rd Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot) (Duke of Wellington's)
  • 3rd Commando Brigade
    3 Commando Brigade

    3 Commando Brigade is a commando formation of the British Armed Forces and the main manoeuvre formation of the Royal Marines. Its personnel are predominantly Royal Marines, supported by units of Royal Engineers, Royal Artillery, The Rifles, and the Fleet Air Arm, together with other All Arms Commando Course Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen....
    • (40 Commando
      40 Commando

      40 Commando RM is a battalion sized formation of the British Royal Marines and subordinate unit within 3 Commando Brigade, the principal Commando formation, under the Operational Command of Commander in Chief Fleet....
      , Royal Marines)
    • (42 Commando, Royal Marines)
    • (45 Commando
      45 Commando

      45 Commando Royal Marines is a battalion sized unit of the British Royal Marines and subordinate unit within 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines, the principal Commando formation, under the Operational Command of Commander in Chief Fleet....
      , Royal Marines)
    • 1st Battalion, The Rifles
  • 4th Mechanised Brigade
    • 1st Battalion, Scots Guards
    • 1st Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border)
    • 1st Battalion, The Mercian Regiment (Cheshires)
  • 7th Armoured Brigade
    • The Highlanders, 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
    • 2nd Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment
    • 3rd Battalion, The Mercian Regiment (Staffords)
  • 12th Mechanised Brigade
    • 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards
    • 1st Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
    • 4th Battalion, The Rifles
  • 16th Air Assault Brigade
    • The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
    • 1st Battalion, The Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling), 83rd, 87th and Ulster Defence Regiment)
    • 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment
    • 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment
  • 19th Light Brigade
    • The Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
    • The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
    • 2nd Battalion, The Mercian Regiment (Worcesters and Foresters)
    • 2nd Battalion, The Rifles
  • 20th Armoured Brigade
    • 1st Battalion, The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires)
    • 1st Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot) (Prince of Wales's Own)
    • 5th Battalion, The Rifles
  • 52 Infantry Brigade
    • The Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
    • 2nd Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot) (Green Howards)
    • 1st Battalion, The Royal Welsh (Royal Welch Fusiliers)
    • 2nd Battalion, The Royal Gurkha Rifles
    • 3rd Battalion, The Rifles
  • Land Warfare Centre
    • 2nd Battalion, The Royal Welsh (Royal Regiment of Wales)
  • British Forces Cyprus
    • 2nd Battalion, The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires)
    • 2nd Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border)
  • London District
    • 1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards
    • 1st Battalion, Welsh Guards
    • 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
  • Brunei
    • 1st Battalion, The Royal Gurkha Rifles


3 Commando Brigade is the main element of the United Kingdom Amphibious Force under the command of CINCFLEET
Commander-in-Chief Fleet

Commander-in-Chief Fleet is the admiral responsible for the operation, resourcing and training of the ships, submarines and aircraft, and personnel, of the United Kingdom Royal Navy....
. Command and logistics elements and three of the four infantry units assigned to this formation are provided by the Royal Marines
Royal Marines

The Royal Marines are the marine and amphibious warfare infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service....
, part of the Naval Service
Naval Service

The Naval Service is the naval branch of the British Armed Forces, which includes civilian agencies under the control of the Navy Board. According to the Queen's Regulations for the Royal Navy, it consists of:...
. Artillery and engineering support comes from attached Army units, together with the remaining infantry battalion.

The majority of infantry battalions will be attached to one of the deployable brigades. However, there are a number of formations which exist to administer infantry battalions that are not assigned to deployable brigades, but are instead available for independent deployment on roulement
Roulement

Roulement is a term used by the British Army to signify major combat units that are deployed on short Tour of duty, normally for 6-months duration....
 tours.

Guards Division

For various reasons, the five single battalion regiments of the Guards Division will not be amalgamated - however, each battalion will be given a fixed role:
  • Armoured Infantry (1 SG
    Scots Guards

    The Scots Guards is a regiment of the Guards Division of the British Army, whose origins lie in the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland....
    ) - 1
  • Light Role (1 GREN GDS
    Grenadier Guards

    The Grenadier Guards is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division of the British Army, and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry....
    , 1 IG
    Irish Guards

    The Irish Guards , part of the Guards Division, is a Foot Guards regiment of the British Army.Along with the The Royal Irish Regiment , it is one of only two purely Irish regiments remaining in the British Army....
    ) - 2
  • Public Duties (1 COLDM GDS
    Coldstream Guards

    Her Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
    , 1 WG
    Welsh Guards

    The Welsh Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division....
    ) - 2


The two battalions assigned to public duties will periodically rotate with the two light role battalions.

Scottish Division

The six battalions of the Scottish Division have amalgamated into a single five battalion regiment to be called the Royal Regiment of Scotland.
  • Armoured Infantry (4 SCOTS
    The Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons)

    The Highlanders was an infantry regiment, part of the Scottish Division. The regiment was the only one in the British Army with a Gaelic language motto - Cuidich 'n Righ which means "Aid the King"....
    ) - 1
  • Light Role (1 SCOTS
    Royal Scots Borderers

    The Royal Scots Borderers is the name given to the 1st Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland . The battalion was formed in August 2006 by the amalgamation of the Royal Scots and King's Own Scottish Borderers....
    , 2 SCOTS
    Royal Highland Fusiliers

    The Royal Highland Fusiliers was a regular Scottish line infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Scottish Division, and abbreviated as 'The RHF'....
    , 3 SCOTS
    Black Watch

    The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.Prior to 28 March 2006, the Black Watch was an infantry regiment in its own right; The Black Watch from 1931 to 2006, and The Royal Highland Regiment from 1881 to 1931....
    ) - 3
  • Air Assault/Light Role (5 SCOTS
    Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders

    The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Scottish Division. In 2004, as part of the Delivering Security in a Changing World, it was announced that the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders would be amalgamated with the other Scottish infantry regiments into the single Royal Regiment of Scotla...
    ) - 1


King's Division

The six battalions of the King's Division have amalgamated into two regiments;
  • Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's Lancashire and Border)
    Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's Lancashire and Border)

    The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment is one of the new large infantry regiments of the British Army. The regiment's formation was announced on 16 December 2004 by Geoff Hoon and Michael Jackson as part of the restructuring of the British Army Infantry, when it was initially to be known as the King's, Lancashire and Border Regiment....
     - this is a two battalion regiment formed from the amalgamation of the King's Own Royal Border Regiment, King's Regiment and Queen's Lancashire Regiment
    Queen's Lancashire Regiment

    The Queen's Lancashire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the King's Division. It was formed on the 25 March 1970 at Connaught Barracks in Dover through the amalgamation of the two remaining Lancashire infantry regiments, the Lancashire Regiment and the Loyal Regiment ....
    .
    • Mechanised Infantry (1 LANCS) - 1
    • Light Role (2 LANCS) - 1
  • Yorkshire Regiment
    Yorkshire Regiment

    The Yorkshire Regiment is one of the large infantry regiments of the British Army. The regiment is the only line infantry or rifles unit to represent a single geographical county in the new infantry structure, serving as the county regiment of Yorkshire covering the historical areas of: the East Riding of Yorkshire, North Riding of Yorkshir...
     - this is a three battalion regiment formed from the amalgamation of the Green Howards
    The Green Howards

    The Green Howards was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the King's Division. The Green Howards were amalgamated with The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire and The Duke of Wellington's Regiment, all Yorkshire-based regiments in the King's Division, to form The Yorkshire Regiment on the ....
    , Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire
    Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire

    The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the King's Division. It was created in 1958 by the amalgamation of The West Yorkshire Regiment and The East Yorkshire Regiment ....
     and Duke of Wellington's Regiment.
    • Armoured Infantry (3 YORKS) - 1
    • Light Role (1 YORKS
      Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire

      The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the King's Division. It was created in 1958 by the amalgamation of The West Yorkshire Regiment and The East Yorkshire Regiment ....
      , 2 YORKS)- 2


Prince of Wales's Division

The original seven battalions of the Prince of Wales's Division have been reduced to five with the transfer of the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment
Devonshire and Dorset Regiment

The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment, usually just known as the Devon and Dorsets, was an infantry regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1958 by the amalgamation of two county regiments:...
 and the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment
Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment

The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army.It was formed in 1994 by the amalgamation of two English regiments....
 to the Light Division. The five remaining battalions will amalgamate into two regiments;
  • Royal Welsh
    Royal Welsh

    The Royal Welsh was formed on St David's Day, 1 March 2006. It is one of the new large infantry regiments of the British Army, and the regiment's formation was announced on 16 December 2004 by Geoff Hoon and Michael Jackson as part of the restructuring of the British Army Infantry....
     - this is a two battalion regiment formed from the amalgamation of the Royal Welch Fusiliers
    Royal Welch Fusiliers

    The Royal Welch Fusiliers were a regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. It was founded in 1689 to oppose James II of England and the imminent war with France....
     and the Royal Regiment of Wales
    Royal Regiment of Wales

    The Royal Regiment of Wales was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. It was formed in 1969 by the amalgamation of two other regiments:...
    .
    • Armoured Infantry (2 R WELSH
      Royal Regiment of Wales

      The Royal Regiment of Wales was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. It was formed in 1969 by the amalgamation of two other regiments:...
      ) - 1
    • Light Role (1 R WELSH
      Royal Welch Fusiliers

      The Royal Welch Fusiliers were a regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. It was founded in 1689 to oppose James II of England and the imminent war with France....
      ) - 1
  • Mercian Regiment
    Mercian Regiment

    The Mercian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed by the amalgamation of four existing regiments in 2007.The Mercian Regiment serves as the county regiment of the following counties:...
     - this is a three battalion regiment formed from the amalgamation of the 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment
    Cheshire Regiment

    The Cheshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division.The regiment was created in 1881 as part of the Childers reforms by the linking of the 22nd Regiment of Foot and the militia and Volunteer Force of Cheshire....
    , Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment
    Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters

    The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. It was formed in 1970 through the amalgamation of two other regiments:...
     and Staffordshire Regiment.
    • Armoured Infantry (3 MERCIAN) - 1
    • Light Role (1 MERCIAN
      Cheshire Regiment

      The Cheshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division.The regiment was created in 1881 as part of the Childers reforms by the linking of the 22nd Regiment of Foot and the militia and Volunteer Force of Cheshire....
      , 2 MERCIAN
      Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters

      The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. It was formed in 1970 through the amalgamation of two other regiments:...
      ) - 2


Queen's Division

The three existing large regiments of the Queen's Division remain unaffected by the restructuring.
  • Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment
    Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment

    "PWRR" redirects here. For the railroad with these reporting marks, see Portland and Western Railroad.The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment is the senior English line infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division....
     (PWRR)
    • Armoured Infantry (1 PWRR) - 1
    • Light Role (2 PWRR) - 1
  • Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
    • Armoured Infantry (1 RRF) - 1
    • Light Role (2 RRF) - 1
  • Royal Anglian Regiment
    Royal Anglian Regiment

    The Royal Anglian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division.The regiment was formed in 1964 as the first of the new Large regiment, through the amalgamation of the four regiments of the East Anglian Brigade....
    • Mechanised Infantry (1 R ANGLIAN) - 1
    • Light Role (2 R ANGLIAN) - 1


Light Division

The four current battalions of the Light Division in two regiments were added to by two battalions from the Prince of Wales's Division in 2005. These two were amalgamated into a single battalion and then amalgamated with Light Infantry
The Light Infantry

The Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Light Division. It was formed on 10 July 1968 as a "large regiment" by the amalgamation of the four remaining light infantry regiments of the Light Infantry Brigade:...
 and the Royal Green Jackets
Royal Green Jackets

The Royal Green Jackets was an infantry regiment of the British Army, one of two large regiment within the Light Division . It was formed in 1966 by the amalgamation of the three separate regiments of the Green Jackets Brigade:...
 to form a new five battalion regiment, called The Rifles
The Rifles

The Rifles is a regiment of the British Army. It consists of five regular and two territorial battalions, plus a number of companies in other TA battalions, making the regiment the largest in the infantry....
. Upon its formation, the Light Division was abolished .
  • Armoured Infantry (5 RIFLES) - 1
  • Light Role (2 RIFLES, 3 RIFLES) - 2
  • Mechanised Infantry (4 RIFLES) - 1
  • Commando (1 RIFLES) - 1


Other infantry regiments


Royal Irish Regiment
The single regular battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment will remain unamalgamated to "retain an infantry footprint in Northern Ireland".
  • Air Assault/Light Role (1 R IRISH) - 1


Royal Gurkha Rifles
The Royal Gurkha Rifles
Royal Gurkha Rifles

The Royal Gurkha Rifles is a regiment of the British Army, forming part of the Brigade of Gurkhas. The Royal Gurkha Rifles are now the sole infantry regiment of the British Army Gurkhas....
 will remain unaffected by the restructuring. However, the regiment will be regularised, with the UK based battalion integrating more fully with the rest of the infantry. As a consequence, the UK based RGR battalion will be trained in the air assault role.
  • Air Assault/Light Role (2 RGR) - 1
  • Light Role (1 RGR) - 1


Parachute Regiment
One battalion of the Parachute Regiment will be re-roled as a "special forces support battalion"
Special Forces Support Group

The Special Forces Support Group is a special operations unit of the British Armed Forces. It was initially composed exclusively of personnel from the British Army's Parachute Regiment , the Royal Marines and the RAF Regiment....
, and removed from the Infantry order of battle while the other two remain unaffected.
  • Air Assault/Light Role (2 PARA, 3 PARA) - 2


Territorial Army

With the exception of the Royal Gurkha Rifles, every infantry regiment will gain at least one TA battalion (the Royal Regiment of Scotland and The Rifles will have two). This will include the Guards Division, which for the first time will have an affiliated TA battalion (The London Regiment).

Future deployments

As part of the reorganisation, there will be a realignment of postings, due to be completed in 2009:
  • 52 Infantry Brigade will transfer from 2nd Division to 3rd (UK) Division.
  • 4 Mechanised Brigade will transfer to Catterick Garrison
    Catterick Garrison

    Catterick Garrison is a major Army base located in Northern England. It is the largest British Army garrison in the world with a population of around 12,000, plus a large temporary population of soldiers, and is larger than its older neighbour...
    .
  • HQ 19 Light Brigade, plus two of its infantry battalions, will transfer to Northern Ireland.
  • The Land Warfare Centre demonstration battalion role will rotate between 3 YORKS
    Yorkshire Regiment

    The Yorkshire Regiment is one of the large infantry regiments of the British Army. The regiment is the only line infantry or rifles unit to represent a single geographical county in the new infantry structure, serving as the county regiment of Yorkshire covering the historical areas of: the East Riding of Yorkshire, North Riding of Yorkshir...
     at Warminster, and 1 RRF and 2 R WELSH
    Royal Welsh

    The Royal Welsh was formed on St David's Day, 1 March 2006. It is one of the new large infantry regiments of the British Army, and the regiment's formation was announced on 16 December 2004 by Geoff Hoon and Michael Jackson as part of the restructuring of the British Army Infantry....
     at Tidworth.
  • 1 SCOTS
    Royal Scots Borderers

    The Royal Scots Borderers is the name given to the 1st Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland . The battalion was formed in August 2006 by the amalgamation of the Royal Scots and King's Own Scottish Borderers....
     and 2 SCOTS
    Royal Highland Fusiliers

    The Royal Highland Fusiliers was a regular Scottish line infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Scottish Division, and abbreviated as 'The RHF'....
     will rotate between 19 Light Brigade and 52 Infantry Brigade, with the battalion in 52 Bde responsible for public duties
    Public duties

    Public duties are performed by military personnel, and usually have a ceremonial or historic significance rather than an overtly operational role....
     in Edinburgh.
  • Foot Guards battalions on public duties in London/Windsor (1 COLDM GDS
    Coldstream Guards

    Her Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
    , 1 WG
    Welsh Guards

    The Welsh Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division....
    ) will rotate with light role battalions in Aldershot (1 GREN GDS
    Grenadier Guards

    The Grenadier Guards is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division of the British Army, and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry....
    , 1 IG
    Irish Guards

    The Irish Guards , part of the Guards Division, is a Foot Guards regiment of the British Army.Along with the The Royal Irish Regiment , it is one of only two purely Irish regiments remaining in the British Army....
    ) every 2-3 years.
  • 5 SCOTS
    Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders

    The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Scottish Division. In 2004, as part of the Delivering Security in a Changing World, it was announced that the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders would be amalgamated with the other Scottish infantry regiments into the single Royal Regiment of Scotla...
    , 1 R IRISH and 2 RGR
    Royal Gurkha Rifles

    The Royal Gurkha Rifles is a regiment of the British Army, forming part of the Brigade of Gurkhas. The Royal Gurkha Rifles are now the sole infantry regiment of the British Army Gurkhas....
     will rotate between 16 Air Assault Brigade and 52 Infantry Brigade.
  • Battalions in London District
    London District (British Army)

    London District is the name given by the British Army to the area of operations encompassing the Greater London area. It was formed in 1905 as an independent district within the larger command structure of the army, and has remained so ever since....
     (2 RRF), British Forces Cyprus
    British Forces Cyprus

    British Forces Cyprus is the name given to the British Armed Forces stationed in the UK sovereign base areas of Dhekelia and Akrotiri on the island of Cyprus....
     (2 LANCS, 2 PWRR
    Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment

    "PWRR" redirects here. For the railroad with these reporting marks, see Portland and Western Railroad.The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment is the senior English line infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division....
    ) and 52 Infantry Brigade
    British 52nd Infantry Brigade

    The 52nd Infantry Brigade is a Scotland formation in the British Army. It was formed and disbanded several times during the 20th Century....
     (2 YORKS, 1 R WELSH, 3 RIFLES
    The Rifles

    The Rifles is a regiment of the British Army. It consists of five regular and two territorial battalions, plus a number of companies in other TA battalions, making the regiment the largest in the infantry....
    ) will rotate between each other every 2-3 years.
  • 11 Light Brigade will be formed specifically to command the Operation Herrick
    Operation Herrick

    Operation Herrick is the codename under which all United Kingdom operations in the War in Afghanistan have been conducted since 2002. It consists of the British contribution to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force and support to the United States-led Operation Enduring Freedom ....
     deployment between October 2009 and April 2010. This will assume responsibility for all force elements assigned to it, including four infantry battalions (1 GREN GDS, 1 R WELSH, 2 YORKS, 3 RIFLES). 11 Brigade will disband in April 2010, with its constituent units returning to their parent formations.


UK battalions
  • England
    • Aldershot
      Aldershot

      Aldershot is a town in the England county of Hampshire, located on heathland about 60 km southwest of London. The town is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council....
      : 2 x Light Infantry Battalions (1 GREN GDS
      Grenadier Guards

      The Grenadier Guards is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division of the British Army, and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry....
      , 1 IG
      Irish Guards

      The Irish Guards , part of the Guards Division, is a Foot Guards regiment of the British Army.Along with the The Royal Irish Regiment , it is one of only two purely Irish regiments remaining in the British Army....
      ) (1st Mechanised Brigade
      British 1st Infantry Brigade (Guards)

      The 1st Infantry Brigade is a British Army formation with a long history including service during the First World War and Second World Wars ....
      , 12th Mechanised Brigade
      British 12th Infantry Brigade

      The 12th Mechanised Brigade is a regular British Army brigade which has been in existence since 1899....
      )
    • Bulford
      Bulford

      Bulford is a village and civil parish in the Salisbury district of Wiltshire, England, close to Salisbury Plain. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 4,698....
      : 2 x Mechanised Infantry Battalion (4 RIFLES
      The Rifles

      The Rifles is a regiment of the British Army. It consists of five regular and two territorial battalions, plus a number of companies in other TA battalions, making the regiment the largest in the infantry....
      , 1 R ANGLIAN
      Royal Anglian Regiment

      The Royal Anglian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division.The regiment was formed in 1964 as the first of the new Large regiment, through the amalgamation of the four regiments of the East Anglian Brigade....
      ) (1st Mechanised Brigade
      British 1st Infantry Brigade (Guards)

      The 1st Infantry Brigade is a British Army formation with a long history including service during the First World War and Second World Wars ....
      , 12th Mechanised Brigade
      British 12th Infantry Brigade

      The 12th Mechanised Brigade is a regular British Army brigade which has been in existence since 1899....
      )
    • Canterbury
      Canterbury

      Canterbury lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a local government district of Kent, in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
      : Air Assault Battalion (5 SCOTS
      Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders

      The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Scottish Division. In 2004, as part of the Delivering Security in a Changing World, it was announced that the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders would be amalgamated with the other Scottish infantry regiments into the single Royal Regiment of Scotla...
      ) (16th Air Assault Brigade)
    • Catterick
      Catterick Garrison

      Catterick Garrison is a major Army base located in Northern England. It is the largest British Army garrison in the world with a population of around 12,000, plus a large temporary population of soldiers, and is larger than its older neighbour...
      : Armoured Infantry Battalion (1 SG
      Scots Guards

      The Scots Guards is a regiment of the Guards Division of the British Army, whose origins lie in the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland....
      ), Mechanised Infantry Battalion (1 LANCS), Light Infantry Battalion (1 MERCIAN
      Mercian Regiment

      The Mercian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed by the amalgamation of four existing regiments in 2007.The Mercian Regiment serves as the county regiment of the following counties:...
      ) (4th Mechanised Brigade
      British 4th Armoured Brigade

      The 4th Mechanized Brigade is a British Army brigade formed during the Second World War in 1941 , it is currently based in Catterick Garrison, England, forming part of the 1st Armoured Division ....
      )
    • Chester
      Chester

      Chester is the county town of Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, Wales, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider local government district of the Chester , which had a population of 118,210 according to the United Kingdom Census 2001....
      : Light Infantry Battalion (1 R WELSH
      Royal Welsh

      The Royal Welsh was formed on St David's Day, 1 March 2006. It is one of the new large infantry regiments of the British Army, and the regiment's formation was announced on 16 December 2004 by Geoff Hoon and Michael Jackson as part of the restructuring of the British Army Infantry....
      ) (52nd Infantry Brigade
      British 52nd Infantry Brigade

      The 52nd Infantry Brigade is a Scotland formation in the British Army. It was formed and disbanded several times during the 20th Century....
      )
    • Colchester
      Colchester

      Colchester is a town, and the largest settlement within the Colchester , in Essex, England.It has a population of List of English cities by population....
      : 2 x Air Assault Battalions (2 PARA, 3 PARA) (16th Air Assault Brigade)
    • London
      London

      London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
      : 2 x Light Infantry Battalions (1 WG
      Welsh Guards

      The Welsh Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division....
      , 2 RRF) (London District
      London District (British Army)

      London District is the name given by the British Army to the area of operations encompassing the Greater London area. It was formed in 1905 as an independent district within the larger command structure of the army, and has remained so ever since....
      )
    • Shorncliffe: Light Infantry Battalion (2 RGR
      Royal Gurkha Rifles

      The Royal Gurkha Rifles is a regiment of the British Army, forming part of the Brigade of Gurkhas. The Royal Gurkha Rifles are now the sole infantry regiment of the British Army Gurkhas....
      ) (52nd Infantry Brigade
      British 52nd Infantry Brigade

      The 52nd Infantry Brigade is a Scotland formation in the British Army. It was formed and disbanded several times during the 20th Century....
      )
    • Tern Hill: Air Assault Battalion (1 R IRISH) (16th Air Assault Brigade)
    • Tidworth
      Tidworth

      Tidworth is a town in south-east Wiltshire, England with a growing civilian population. Situated at the eastern edge of Salisbury Plain, it is approximately 10 miles west of Andover, Hampshire, 12 miles south of Marlborough, Wiltshire, 24 miles south of Swindon, 15 miles north by north-east of Salisbury, England and 6 miles east of Amesbury....
      : Armoured Infantry Battalion (1 RRF), Demonstration Infantry Battalion (2 R WELSH
      Royal Welsh

      The Royal Welsh was formed on St David's Day, 1 March 2006. It is one of the new large infantry regiments of the British Army, and the regiment's formation was announced on 16 December 2004 by Geoff Hoon and Michael Jackson as part of the restructuring of the British Army Infantry....
      ) (12th Mechanised Brigade
      British 12th Infantry Brigade

      The 12th Mechanised Brigade is a regular British Army brigade which has been in existence since 1899....
      , Land Warfare Training Centre)
    • Warminster
      Warminster

      Warminster is a town in western Wiltshire, England, by-passed by the A36 road, and near Frome, Somerset and Westbury, Wiltshire. It has a population of about 17,000 and is part of the West Wiltshire district....
      : Armoured Infantry Battalion (3 YORKS
      Yorkshire Regiment

      The Yorkshire Regiment is one of the large infantry regiments of the British Army. The regiment is the only line infantry or rifles unit to represent a single geographical county in the new infantry structure, serving as the county regiment of Yorkshire covering the historical areas of: the East Riding of Yorkshire, North Riding of Yorkshir...
      ) (1st Mechanised Brigade
      British 1st Infantry Brigade (Guards)

      The 1st Infantry Brigade is a British Army formation with a long history including service during the First World War and Second World Wars ....
      )
    • Weeton
      Weeton, Lancashire

      Weeton is a village on the Fylde in Lancashire, England, beside the Blackpool Branch Lines and the M55 motorway, just east of Blackpool and 3.5 miles northwest of Kirkham, Lancashire....
      : Light Infantry Battalion (2 YORKS
      Yorkshire Regiment

      The Yorkshire Regiment is one of the large infantry regiments of the British Army. The regiment is the only line infantry or rifles unit to represent a single geographical county in the new infantry structure, serving as the county regiment of Yorkshire covering the historical areas of: the East Riding of Yorkshire, North Riding of Yorkshir...
      ) (52nd Infantry Brigade
      British 52nd Infantry Brigade

      The 52nd Infantry Brigade is a Scotland formation in the British Army. It was formed and disbanded several times during the 20th Century....
      )
    • Windsor
      Windsor, Berkshire

      Windsor is a suburban town and tourist destination in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is best known as the site of Windsor Castle....
      : Light Infantry Battalion (1 COLDM GDS
      Coldstream Guards

      Her Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
      ) (London District
      London District (British Army)

      London District is the name given by the British Army to the area of operations encompassing the Greater London area. It was formed in 1905 as an independent district within the larger command structure of the army, and has remained so ever since....
      )
  • Scotland
    • Edinburgh
      Edinburgh

      Edinburgh ; is the Capital city of Scotland, a position it has held since 1437. It is the seventh largest city in the United Kingdom and the second largest Scottish City status in the United Kingdom after Glasgow....
      : 3 x Light Infantry Battalions (1 SCOTS
      Royal Scots Borderers

      The Royal Scots Borderers is the name given to the 1st Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland . The battalion was formed in August 2006 by the amalgamation of the Royal Scots and King's Own Scottish Borderers....
      , 2 SCOTS
      Royal Highland Fusiliers

      The Royal Highland Fusiliers was a regular Scottish line infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Scottish Division, and abbreviated as 'The RHF'....
      , 3 RIFLES
      The Rifles

      The Rifles is a regiment of the British Army. It consists of five regular and two territorial battalions, plus a number of companies in other TA battalions, making the regiment the largest in the infantry....
      ) (19th Light Brigade, 52nd Infantry Brigade
      British 52nd Infantry Brigade

      The 52nd Infantry Brigade is a Scotland formation in the British Army. It was formed and disbanded several times during the 20th Century....
      )
    • Inverness
      Inverness

      Inverness is a City status in the United Kingdom in northern Scotland. The city is the administrative centre for the Highland Council areas of Scotland, and it is promoted as the capital of the Scottish Highlands....
      : Light Infantry Battalion (3 SCOTS
      Black Watch

      The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.Prior to 28 March 2006, the Black Watch was an infantry regiment in its own right; The Black Watch from 1931 to 2006, and The Royal Highland Regiment from 1881 to 1931....
      ) (19th Light Brigade)
  • Wales
    • Chepstow
      Chepstow

      Chepstow is a town in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining Wales-England border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the River Wye, close to its confluence with the River Severn, and close to the western end of the Severn Bridge on the M48 motorway....
      : Light Infantry Battalion (1 RIFLES
      The Rifles

      The Rifles is a regiment of the British Army. It consists of five regular and two territorial battalions, plus a number of companies in other TA battalions, making the regiment the largest in the infantry....
      ) (3rd Commando Brigade)
  • Northern Ireland
    • Ballykinler
      Ballykinler

      Ballykinlar is a village in County Down, Northern Ireland, 12 kilometres south west of Downpatrick, in the parish of Drumaroad. In the United Kingdom Census 2001 it had a population of 348 people....
      : Light Infantry Battalion (2 RIFLES
      The Rifles

      The Rifles is a regiment of the British Army. It consists of five regular and two territorial battalions, plus a number of companies in other TA battalions, making the regiment the largest in the infantry....
      ) (19th Light Brigade)
    • Holywood
      Holywood

      Holywood is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland, on the shores of Belfast Lough, between Belfast and Bangor, County Down. Holywood Exchange and Belfast City Airport are nearby....
      : Light Infantry Battalion (2 MERCIAN
      Mercian Regiment

      The Mercian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed by the amalgamation of four existing regiments in 2007.The Mercian Regiment serves as the county regiment of the following counties:...
      ) (19th Light Brigade)


Overseas battalions
There are four locations that have a permanent British infantry presence; Germany, Cyprus and Brunei are home to battalions from the regular army, while Gibraltar has its own permanent home defence battalion. Other postings are usually roulement postings from either the UK, Germany or Cyprus.
  • Brunei
    • Seria
      Seria

      Seria is a town in the Belait District of Brunei Darussalam. Its full name is Pekan Seria in full . Seria was originally known as Padang Berawa which is Wild Pigeon's Field in Malay Language....
      : Light Infantry Battalion (1 RGR
      Royal Gurkha Rifles

      The Royal Gurkha Rifles is a regiment of the British Army, forming part of the Brigade of Gurkhas. The Royal Gurkha Rifles are now the sole infantry regiment of the British Army Gurkhas....
      ) (British Garrison Brunei
      British Military Garrison Brunei

      The British Military Garrison Brunei is the name given to the British armed forces presence in Brunei. Since the handover ceremony of Hong Kong in 1997, the garrison in Brunei is the only remaining British military base in the Far East, and along with Diego Garcia one of only two East of Suez....
      )
  • Cyprus
    • Dhekelia: Light Infantry Battalion (2 PWRR
      Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment

      "PWRR" redirects here. For the railroad with these reporting marks, see Portland and Western Railroad.The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment is the senior English line infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division....
      ) (British Forces Cyprus
      British Forces Cyprus

      British Forces Cyprus is the name given to the British Armed Forces stationed in the UK sovereign base areas of Dhekelia and Akrotiri on the island of Cyprus....
      )
    • Episkopi
      Episkopi

      Episkopi may refer to:*Episkopi Cantonment, a British military base in Cyprus*Episkopi, Heraklion, a town in the Heraklion prefecture, Greece...
      : Light Infantry Battalion (2 LANCS) (British Forces Cyprus
      British Forces Cyprus

      British Forces Cyprus is the name given to the British Armed Forces stationed in the UK sovereign base areas of Dhekelia and Akrotiri on the island of Cyprus....
      )
  • Germany
    • Celle
      Celle

      Celle is a town and capital of the district of Celle , in Lower Saxony, Germany. The town is situated in the southernmost part of the L?neburg Heath on the banks of the river Aller, a tributary of the Weser....
      : Light Infantry Battalion (2 R ANGLIAN
      Royal Anglian Regiment

      The Royal Anglian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division.The regiment was formed in 1964 as the first of the new Large regiment, through the amalgamation of the four regiments of the East Anglian Brigade....
      ) (7th Armoured Brigade
      British 7th Armoured Brigade

      The 7th Armoured Brigade is a formation of the British Army. The brigade is also known as the 'Desert Rats', a nickname formerly held by the 7th Armoured Division ....
      )
    • Fallingbostel
      Soltau-Fallingbostel

      Soltau-Fallingbostel is a districts of Germany in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Harburg, L?neburg , Uelzen , Celle , Hanover , Nienburg , Verden and Rotenburg ....
      : 2 x Armoured Infantry Battalion (4 SCOTS
      The Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons)

      The Highlanders was an infantry regiment, part of the Scottish Division. The regiment was the only one in the British Army with a Gaelic language motto - Cuidich 'n Righ which means "Aid the King"....
      , 3 MERCIAN
      Mercian Regiment

      The Mercian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed by the amalgamation of four existing regiments in 2007.The Mercian Regiment serves as the county regiment of the following counties:...
      ) (7th Armoured Brigade
      British 7th Armoured Brigade

      The 7th Armoured Brigade is a formation of the British Army. The brigade is also known as the 'Desert Rats', a nickname formerly held by the 7th Armoured Division ....
      )
    • Münster
      Münster

      M?nster is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region and it is also capital of the government region M?nster ....
      : Light Infantry Battalion (1 YORKS
      Yorkshire Regiment

      The Yorkshire Regiment is one of the large infantry regiments of the British Army. The regiment is the only line infantry or rifles unit to represent a single geographical county in the new infantry structure, serving as the county regiment of Yorkshire covering the historical areas of: the East Riding of Yorkshire, North Riding of Yorkshir...
      ) (20th Armoured Brigade
      British 20th Armoured Brigade

      The British Army's 20th Armoured Brigade is an armoured formation currently based in Paderborn, northern Germany, as part of the 1st Armoured Division....
      )
    • Paderborn
      Paderborn

      Paderborn is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn . The name of the city derives from the river Pader River, which originates in more than 200 springs near Paderborn Cathedral, where St....
      : 2 x Armoured Infantry Battalions (1 PWRR
      Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment

      "PWRR" redirects here. For the railroad with these reporting marks, see Portland and Western Railroad.The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment is the senior English line infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division....
      , 5 RIFLES
      The Rifles

      The Rifles is a regiment of the British Army. It consists of five regular and two territorial battalions, plus a number of companies in other TA battalions, making the regiment the largest in the infantry....
      ) (20th Armoured Brigade
      British 20th Armoured Brigade

      The British Army's 20th Armoured Brigade is an armoured formation currently based in Paderborn, northern Germany, as part of the 1st Armoured Division....
      )
  • Gibraltar
    • Gibraltar
      Gibraltar

      Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located near the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar. The territory shares a border with Spain to the north....
      : Light Infantry Battalion (1 RG
      Royal Gibraltar Regiment

      The Royal Gibraltar Regiment is the home defence unit for the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. It was formed in 1958 from the Gibraltar Defence Force as an infantry unit, with an integrated artillery troop....
      ) (British Forces Gibraltar
      British Forces Gibraltar

      British Forces Gibraltar is the name given to the British Armed Forces stationed in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. Gibraltar is used primarily as a training area, thanks to its good climate and rocky terrain, and as a stopover for units and ships en route to and from deployments East of Suez....
      )


Other regiments


Disbanded regiments

Over time, a handful of infantry regiments have disappeared from the roll through disbandment rather than amalgamation. In the 20th Century, seven regiments disappeared like this:
  • In 1922, following cuts to the size of the armed forces after the First World War and the establishment of the Irish Free State
    Irish Free State

    The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand....
    , the five infantry regiments solely from the south of Ireland
    Ireland

    Ireland is the List of islands by area in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islet....
     were disbanded:
    • The Connaught Rangers
    • The Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians)
    • The Royal Dublin Fusiliers
    • The Royal Irish Regiment
      Royal Irish Regiment (1684-1922)

      The Royal Irish Regiment, until 1881 the 18th regiment of Foot, was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, first raised in 1684....
    • The Royal Munster Fusiliers
      Royal Munster Fusiliers

      The Royal Munster Fusiliers was a regular Ireland Infantry Regiment of the British Army. One of eight Irish regiments raised and garrisoned in Ireland, it was originally formed in 1881 by the amalagamation of two regiments of the former Honourable East India Company....
  • In 1968, after a re-organisation of the army, two regiments opted to be placed in suspended animation rather than amalgamate, and were eventually disbanded in 1987:
    • The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
      The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)

      The Cameronians was an infantry regiment of the British Army, the only rifle regiment amongst the Scotland regiments of infantry. It was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of two other regiments:...
    • The York and Lancaster Regiment
      York and Lancaster Regiment

      The York and Lancaster Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army....


Regiments that never were

Since the Cardwell reforms began, infantry regiments in the British Army have amalgamated on many occasions. However, there have been occasions where amalgamations have been announced, but have then been abandoned:
  • The Royal Regiment of Gloucestershire and Hampshire - planned as the amalgamation of the Gloucestershire Regiment and the Royal Hampshire Regiment
    Royal Hampshire Regiment

    The Royal Hampshire Regiment is a former British Army line infantry regiment who trace their origins back to 1702. In World War I it took part in the Battle of Gallipoli when engaged in the fatal Landing at Cape Helles of the 88th Brigade, 29th Division ....
    . This was announced in July 1968 to be implemented in September 1970, but was cancelled in the autumn of that year.
  • The Royal Scots Borderers
    Royal Scots Borderers

    The Royal Scots Borderers is the name given to the 1st Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland . The battalion was formed in August 2006 by the amalgamation of the Royal Scots and King's Own Scottish Borderers....
     - planned as the amalgamation of the Royal Scots and the King's Own Scottish Borderers
    King's Own Scottish Borderers

    The King's Own Scottish Borderers was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Scottish Division. It was raised on 18 March 1689 by the David Melville, 3rd Earl of Leven to defend Edinburgh against the Jacobite forces of James II....
     as part of Options for Change
    Options for Change

    Options for Change was a restructuring of the British Armed Forces in 1990, aimed at cutting defence spending following the end of the Cold War....
    . This was cancelled on 3 February 1993. The name was resurrected with the formation of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, when the two regiments amalgamated as a single battalion.
  • The Cheshire and Staffordshire Regiment - planned as the amalgamation of the 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment
    Cheshire Regiment

    The Cheshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division.The regiment was created in 1881 as part of the Childers reforms by the linking of the 22nd Regiment of Foot and the militia and Volunteer Force of Cheshire....
     and the Staffordshire Regiment as part of Options for Change. This was cancelled on 3 February 1993.
  • The Executive Committee of the Army Board proposed under Delivering Security in a Changing World
    Delivering Security in a Changing World

    The 2003 Defence white paper, entitled Delivering Security in a Changing World set out the future structure of the Military of the United Kingdom, and was preceded by the 1998 Strategic Defence Review and the 2002 SDR New Chapter, which responded to the immediate challenges to security in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks....
     that there would be a series of two battalion regiments formed. These may have included:
    • A two battalion Lowland regiment formed from the Royal Scots and the King's Own Scottish Borderers.
    • A two battalion Highland regiment formed from the Royal Highland Fusiliers, Black Watch, Highlanders, and Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
    • A two battlion Wessex regiment
      Royal Wessex Regiment

      The Royal Wessex Regiment was the name suggested for a regiment proposed by the initial discussions into the Future Army Structure brought up as part of Delivering Security in a Changing World....
       formed from the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment and Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment.
  • Sikh Regiment - in 2007, Sikh
    Sikh

    Sikh is the title and name given to an adherent of Sikhism. The term has its origin in the Sanskrit ' "disciple, learner" or ' "instruction"....
     leaders in the United Kingdom informed the Army that they would be able to find enough volunteers to form an initial infantry battalion of 700 from within their community. However, the Ministry of Defence
    Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)

    The Ministry of Defence is the Departments of the United Kingdom Government responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
    , having requested advice from the Commission for Racial Equality
    Commission for Racial Equality

    The Commission for Racial Equality was a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom which aimed to tackle racial discrimination and promote racial equality....
    , decided to reject the proposal on the grounds that it would be "divisive and amounted to segregation". The Prince of Wales
    Prince of Wales

    Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the Heir Apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom . The current Prince of Wales is Charles, Prince of Wales, the eldest son of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom....
     had made a similar suggestion in 2001.


Fictional regiments

  • The Royal Wessex Rangers
    Royal Wessex Rangers

    The Royal Wessex Rangers is a fictional British infantry regiment portrayed in the ITV series Spearhead . In the series, the regiment is a standard infantry battalion in the British Army during the late 1970s....
  • The King's Own Fusiliers
    King's Own Fusiliers

    The King's Own Fusiliers is a fictional British Army infantry regiment portrayed in the ITV drama series Soldier Soldier. Like all fusilier regiments, the King's Own Fusiliers wears a hackle in its head-dress; this is coloured dark blue over white....
  • The Northdale Rifles
    Northdale Rifles

    The Northdale Rifles is the name given to a fictional British Army Infantry regiment of the British Army that was featured in the 2007 television film The Mark of Cain ....
In recent years, there have been many depictions of the British Army of various periods in fiction. Two notable ones depicting the modern British Army have been Spearhead
Spearhead (TV series)

Spearhead was a UK television series. Produced by Southern Television and broadcast on the ITV network, it ran for a total of three series and 19 episodes from 1978 to 1981....
 from the period of the late 1970s, and Soldier Soldier
Soldier Soldier

Soldier Soldier was a United Kingdom television drama series. The title comes from a traditional song of the same name.Produced by Central Television and broadcast on the ITV network, it ran for a total of seven series and 82 episodes from 1991 to 1997....
 from the early to mid 1990s. Both are seen as reasonably accurate depictions of life in the army at those times, and both are centred on a fictional infantry regiment. The most recent depiction of the British Army came in the film The Mark of Cain, which featured an infantry regiment deployed to Iraq
Iraq

Iraq , officially the Republic of Iraq , is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros Mountains, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, and the difficulties it faced.

  • The Loamshire Regiment
    Loamshire Regiment

    Loamshire Regiment is a placeholder name used by the British Army to provide examples for its procedures. For example, the Loamshire Regiment is provided by the British Forces Post Office to show how to write a British Army address, and is used to set out specimen charges for violations of military law....
The Loamshire Regiment is used by the British Army as the placeholder name
Placeholder name

Placeholder names are words that can refer to objects or people whose names are either irrelevant or unknown in the context in which it is being discussed....
 in the provision of examples for its procedures, for example in the method of addressing letters to members of the forces produced by the British Forces Post Office
British Forces Post Office

The British Forces Post Office is an agency that provides a postal service to Military of the United Kingdom, separate from that provided by Royal Mail in the United Kingdom....
.

Order of precedence


Footnotes


External links