The
Guards Division is an administrative unit of the
British ArmyThe British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England and Scotland and...
responsible for the administration of the regiments of
Foot Guards-British Army:The Foot Guards are the Infantry regiments of the Household Division of the British Army. There have been six regiments of foot guards, five of which still exist...
.
The Headquarters of the Guards Division is in
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
, along with the RHQs of each regiment. It is responsible for providing two
public dutiesPublic duties are performed by military personnel, and usually have a ceremonial or historic significance rather than an overtly operational role.-Germany:...
battalions to
London DistrictLondon 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....
(plus three incremental companies); although the guards are most associated with ceremonial, they remain as operational infantry battalions, and as such perform in all the various roles of infantry.
Under the restructuring of the infantry announced in 2004, the Guards Division will gain an extra battalion, with, for the first time, a Territorial Army unit being affiliated to the Guards—this will be the
London RegimentThe London Regiment is a Territorial Army regiment in the British Army. It was first formed in 1908 in order to regiment the various Volunteer Force battalions in the newly formed County of London, each battalion having a distinctive uniform. The Volunteer Force was merged with the Yeomanry in 1908...
.
Discussion
Ask a question about 'Guards Division' Start a new discussion about 'Guards Division' Answer questions from other users |
The
Guards Division is an administrative unit of the
British ArmyThe British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England and Scotland and...
responsible for the administration of the regiments of
Foot Guards-British Army:The Foot Guards are the Infantry regiments of the Household Division of the British Army. There have been six regiments of foot guards, five of which still exist...
.
The Headquarters of the Guards Division is in
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
, along with the RHQs of each regiment. It is responsible for providing two
public dutiesPublic duties are performed by military personnel, and usually have a ceremonial or historic significance rather than an overtly operational role.-Germany:...
battalions to
London DistrictLondon 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....
(plus three incremental companies); although the guards are most associated with ceremonial, they remain as operational infantry battalions, and as such perform in all the various roles of infantry.
Under the restructuring of the infantry announced in 2004, the Guards Division will gain an extra battalion, with, for the first time, a Territorial Army unit being affiliated to the Guards—this will be the
London RegimentThe London Regiment is a Territorial Army regiment in the British Army. It was first formed in 1908 in order to regiment the various Volunteer Force battalions in the newly formed County of London, each battalion having a distinctive uniform. The Volunteer Force was merged with the Yeomanry in 1908...
. The five regular battalions will be given fixed roles:
- Grenadier Guards—Light Infantry
- Coldstream Guards—Public Duties
- Scots Guards—Armoured Infantry
- Irish Guards—Light Infantry
- Welsh Guards—Public Duties
Note: The two light role battalions and two public duties battalions will periodically rotate.
Each regiment maintains its own regimental band (refer to "See Also" section for list of regimental bands).
Current units
- Regular Army Units
- 1st Battalion, 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. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
- Nijmegen Company
The Guards Division of the British Army contains a total of five battalions, one from each of the five regiments of Foot Guards. However, before the Options for Change defence review in 1992, there were eight battalions:*1st and 2nd Bn, Grenadier Guards...
, Grenadier GuardsThe 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. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
- 1st Battalion, 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....
- No 7 Company
The Guards Division of the British Army contains a total of five battalions, one from each of the five regiments of Foot Guards. However, before the Options for Change defence review in 1992, there were eight battalions:*1st and 2nd Bn, Grenadier Guards...
, Coldstream GuardsHer 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....
- 1st Battalion, 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...
- F Company
The Guards Division of the British Army contains a total of five battalions, one from each of the five regiments of Foot Guards. However, before the Options for Change defence review in 1992, there were eight battalions:*1st and 2nd Bn, Grenadier Guards...
, Scots GuardsThe 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...
- 1st Battalion, Irish Guards
The Irish Guards , part of the Guards Division, is a Foot Guards regiment of the British Army.Along with the Royal Irish Regiment, it is one of only two purely Irish regiments remaining in the British Army...
- 1st Battalion, Welsh Guards
The Welsh Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division.-Creation in War:...
- Territorial Army Units
- London Regiment
The London Regiment is a Territorial Army regiment in the British Army. It was first formed in 1908 in order to regiment the various Volunteer Force battalions in the newly formed County of London, each battalion having a distinctive uniform. The Volunteer Force was merged with the Yeomanry in 1908...
Past units
Units previously in the Guards Division, but which are no longer in existence (along with the dates at which they came into existence, and were disbanded):
- 2nd Battalion, Grenadier Guards (1656–1994)
- 2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards (1711–1993)
- 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards (1689–1993)
- Guards Independent Parachute Company (1948–1975)
Note: The three battalions have technically not been disbanded; instead they are in "suspended animation" and, in theory, can be re-raised if needed. The colours and traditions of each battalion are kept and maintained by the incremental companies. Also the heritage of the Guards Independent Parachute Company has now been continued through the Guards Parachute Platoon that is attached to the 3rd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment.
See also
List of Bands:
- Grenadier Guards Band
The Band of the Grenadier Guards is the oldest of all of the bands in the British Army, with a history dating back over three hundred years.- History :In 1685 Charles II allowed the band to maintain 12 Hautbois players...
- Coldstream Guards Band
The Band of the Coldstream Guards is one of the oldest and best known bands in the British Army, having been officially formed on 16 May 1785 under the command of Major C F Eley, reflecting the fact that the Coldstream Guards regiment is the oldest of the guards regiments...
- Welsh Guards Band
The Welsh Guards Band, often referred to as the "Band of the Welsh Guards", is the youngest of the five bands in the Foot Guards Regiments in the Household Division which primarily guards the British monarch.-Band membership duties:...
- Irish Guards Band
The Irish Guards Band is one of five bands in the Foot Guards Regiments in the Household Division whose main role is to guard the British monarch...
- Scots Guards Band
External links