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114-540: The Coldstream Guards is the oldest continuously serving regular regiment in the British Army . As part of the Household Division , one of its principal roles is the protection of the monarchy ; due to this, it often participates in state ceremonial occasions. The Regiment has consistently provided formations on deployments around the world and has fought in the majority of the major conflicts in which

228-483: A colonel . During the modern era, the word "regiment" – much like " corps " – may have two somewhat divergent meanings, which refer to two distinct roles: In many armies, the first role has been assumed by independent battalions , battlegroups , task forces , brigades and other, similarly sized operational units. However, these non-regimental units tend to be short-lived; and regiments have tended to retain their traditional responsibilities for ceremonial duties,

342-473: A chain of command. Soldiers and officers are transferred in and out of divisions as required. Some regiments recruited from specific geographical areas, and usually incorporated the place name into the regimental name (e.g. Bangladesh Infantry Regiment ). In other cases, regiments would recruit from a given age group within a nation (e.g. Zulu Impis ), an ethnic group (e.g. the Gurkhas ), or foreigners (e.g.

456-633: A legacy of the British Indian army during the years when the British ruled India before 15 August 1947. Each infantry regiment may have one or more battalions, while cavalry, armour and artillery regiments are single-battalion formations. There are regimental headquarters (called as a centre) for each regiment. Each regiment of infantry is commanded by a colonel and assisted by a lieutenant colonel. The Irish Army field artillery units are called regiments. They are divided into batteries and together

570-493: A number of events from the Nine Years' War, including Namur where Tristram's uncle Toby suffered an unspecified "groin injury". He and his trusted servant Corporal Trim build a replica of the battle in his garden which he shows to his fiancée Widow Wadman among others. The Widow tries to determine how serious Toby's injury is before committing to marriage but he avoids her questions by providing increasingly elaborate accounts of

684-505: A numerical advantage for the first time. However, the Allies had also reached the limit of their resources. The 1690s marked the lowest point of the so-called Little Ice Age , a period of cold and wet weather affecting Europe in the second half of the 17th century. Spain and Scotland in particular experienced famine; the harvest failed in 1695, 1696, 1698 and 1699 and an estimated 5-15% of the population starved to death. While this theatre

798-485: A previously existing continental system usually do not succeed. The system presents difficulties for military planners, who must deal with the problems of trying to keep soldiers of a regiment together throughout their careers and of administering separate garrisons, training and mess facilities. The regimental community of serving and retired members often makes it very difficult for planners to restructure forces by moving, merging or re-purposing units. In those armies where

912-485: A red plume. The Band of the Coldstream Guards plays at Changing of The Guard, state visits and many other events. Unlike the other four regiments of foot guards, which recruit from each of the four home nations , the Coldstream Guards has a specific recruiting area, which encompasses the counties that Monck's Regiment passed through on its march from Coldstream to London . The traditional recruiting area of

1026-458: A signing-on bonus was common, particularly as these were paid immediately and wages were often months in arrears. As recruiters were paid for each man they enlisted, several thousand additional soldiers represented significant profits for the French officers involved. In retaliation, despite the garrison of Namur being allowed to surrender on terms, Boufflers was taken prisoner and released only when

1140-419: A single entity of up to 1,000 troopers. A notable exception to this practice was the British line infantry system where the two regular battalions constituting a regiment alternated between "home" and "foreign" service and seldom came together as a single unit. In the regimental system, each regiment is responsible for recruiting, training, and administration; each regiment is permanently maintained and therefore

1254-403: A situation, co-ordination between regiments is rarely necessary, and the esprit de corps of the regiment provides an emotional substitute for the sense of public approval that an army receives at home. This is particularly relevant to British experience during the days of the empire , where the army was virtually continuously engaged in low-intensity conflict with insurgents, and full-scale warfare

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1368-477: A symbolic colonel-in-chief (often a member of the royal family), a colonel of the regiment or "honorary colonel" who protects the traditions and interests of the regimental family and insists on the maintenance of high standards, battle honours (honours earned by one unit of an administrative regiment are credited to the regiment), ceremonial uniforms, cap badges , peculiarities of insignia, stable belts , and regimental marches and songs. The regiment usually has

1482-452: A traditional "home station" or regimental depot , which is often a historic garrison that houses the regimental museum and regimental headquarters. The latter has a modest staff to support regimental committees and administer both the regular members and the association(s) of retired members. The regimental system is generally admired for the esprit de corps it engenders in its units' members, but efforts to implement it in countries with

1596-567: A two-year deployment in 2001. It then deployed to Iraq in April 2005 for a six-month tour with the rest of 12th Mechanised Brigade, based in the south of the country. The battalion lost two of its soldiers, on 2 May, near Al Amarah and on 18 October at Basra . Des Browne , Secretary of State for Defence , announced on 19 July 2007 that in October 2007 the battalion was to be sent to Afghanistan as part of 52 Infantry Brigade . In October 2009,

1710-565: Is but one administrative infantry regiment in the regular army: the Royal Australian Regiment , consisting of all seven regular infantry battalions in the Army. The Australian Army Reserve also has state-based infantry regiments which administer the reserve infantry battalions. In Pakistan, the word regiment is an administrative grouping. While individual battalions may have different roles (for example different battalions of

1824-546: Is changed to meet the tasks at hand. Because of their permanent nature, many regiments have long histories, often going back for centuries: the oldest British regiment still in existence is the Royal Jersey Militia , established in 1337 although historically the Jersey Militia are referred to as a regiment it is disputed that they are in fact a corps. The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment) , formed in 1572,

1938-522: Is commonly referred to as Flanders , most campaigning took place in the Spanish Netherlands , a compact area 160 kilometres wide, the highest point only 100 metres above sea level, and dominated by canals and rivers. In the 17th century, goods and supplies were largely transported by water and the war was fought for control of rivers such as the Lys , Sambre and Meuse . Retaking Namur became

2052-621: Is one of the incremental companies formed to undertake public duties in London and Windsor, and maintains the Colours and traditions of the former 2nd Battalion. Currently, the most prominent role of the 1st Battalion and No. 7 Company is the performance of ceremonial duties in London and Windsor as part of the Household Division . The 1st Battalion is based in Windsor at Victoria Barracks as an operational light infantry battalion. In 2027

2166-520: Is performed each year in the Sergeants' Mess to commemorate the efforts of Cpl James Graham and Lt-Col James Macdonnell , who shut the North Gate after a French attack. The Duke of Wellington himself declared after the battle that "the success of the battle turned upon closing the gates at Hougoumont". The regiment was later part of the British occupation forces of Paris until 1816. During

2280-665: Is recruited. This sense of community 'ownership' over local regiments can be seen in the public outcry over recent regimental amalgamations in the United Kingdom. On the other hand, recruitment from a single community can lead to a concentrated and potentially devastating local impact if the regiment takes heavy casualties. Further, the regimental system offers the advantage of grouping like units together for centralized administrative, training, and logistical purposes, thereby creating an " economies of scale " effect and its ensuing increased efficiency. An illustrative example of this

2394-606: Is the modular integration employed by the United States Marine Corps , which can take elements from its regimentally grouped forces and specifically tailor combined arms task forces for a particular mission or the deployed Marine Expeditionary Units (MEU). This is achievable partially because of the Marines mission adaptability, flexibility, philosophy, shared culture, history and overall esprit de corps, which allows for near seamless interoperability. In

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2508-507: The 11th Infantry Brigade and Headquarters South East . It will move to 4 Light Brigade Combat Team by 2025. The structure of the regiment and affiliated band includes: Companies that make up the regiment are traditionally numbered. New officers destined for the regiment that are at Sandhurst or at the Infantry Battle School form No. 13 Coy, while Guardsmen under training at ITC Catterick make up No. 14 Coy. No. 7 Coy

2622-671: The American Revolutionary War . The Coldstream Regiment saw extensive service in the wars against the French Revolution and in the Napoleonic Wars . Under the command of Sir Ralph Abercromby , it defeated French troops in Egypt . In 1807, it took part in the investment of Copenhagen . In January 1809, it sailed to Portugal to join the forces under Sir Arthur Wellesley . In 1814, it took part in

2736-757: The Assam Regiment ), caste/community ( Jat Regiment ), or religion ( Sikh Regiment ). Most regiments continue the heritage of regiments raised under the British Raj, but some have been raised after independence, some of which have specialised in border defence, in particular the Ladakh Scouts , the Arunachal Scouts , and the Sikkim Scouts . Over the years there have been fears that troops' allegiance lay more with their regiments and

2850-703: The Battle of Bayonne , in France, where a cemetery keeps their memory. The 2nd Battalion joined the Walcheren Expedition . Later, it served as part of the 2nd Guards Brigade in the Chateau Hougoumont where they resisted French assaults all day during the Battle of Waterloo . This defence is considered one of the greatest achievements of the regiment, and an annual ceremony of "Hanging the Brick"

2964-695: The British Army and armies modelled on it (such as the Australian , the New Zealand , the Canadian , the Pakistani , Bangladeshi , Myanmar and the Indian armies), the term regiment is used in two different ways: it can mean an administrative identity and grouping, or a tactical unit. In the former Dominion of Newfoundland , "Regiment" was used to describe the entirety of the fighting armed forces,

3078-417: The British Army consisted of more than one tactical regiment. The Royal Tank Regiment until 2014 had two (1 and 2 RTR), and once had many more. They were all amalgamated into a single regiment. All of a nation's artillery units are considered part of a single administrative regiment, but there are typically several tactical artillery regiments. They are designated by numbers, names or both. For example,

3192-748: The Crimean War , the Coldstream Regiment fought in the battles of Alma , Inkerman and Sevastopol . On its return, four men of the regiment were awarded the newly instituted Victoria Cross . The regiment received its current name, the Coldstream Guards , in 1855. In 1882, it was sent to Egypt against the rebels of Ahmed 'Urabi and in 1885 in the Suakin Campaign. In 1897, the Coldstreamers were reinforced with

3306-597: The First World War , the Coldstream Guards was among the first British regiments to arrive in France after Britain declared war on Germany. In the following battles, it suffered heavy losses, in two cases losing all of its officers. At the First Battle of Ypres , the 1st battalion was virtually annihilated: by 1 November down to 150 men and the Lt Quartermaster. The regiment fought at Mons , Loos ,

3420-723: The French Foreign Legion ). In other cases, new regiments were raised for new functions within an army; e.g. the Fusiliers , the Parachute Regiment (British Army), U.S. Army 75th Ranger Regiment , and the Light Reaction Regiment ( Philippine Army ) . Disadvantages of the regimental system are hazardous regimental competition, a lack of interchangeability between units of different regiments, and more pronounced " old boy networks " within

3534-474: The Frontier Force Regiment may be mechanized infantry, paratroop infantry, or mountain troops), the regiment is considered to encompass all of them. The modern British regimental system came about as a result of the 19th century Cardwell Reforms . In the British Army , for most purposes, the regiment is the largest "permanent" organisational unit. Above regimental level, the organisation

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3648-553: The Grenadier Guards . The regiment have the motto Nulli Secundus (Second to None), which is a play on the fact that the regiment was originally the "Second Regiment of Foot Guards", a position they have never accepted as the regiment is older than the Grenadier Guards. The regiment's nickname is Lilywhites. An ordinary soldier of the regiment is called a Guardsman, a designation granted by King George V after

3762-615: The Monmouth Rebellion , including the decisive Battle of Sedgemoor in 1685. It fought in the Battle of Walcourt in 1689, the Battle of Landen and the Siege of Namur . In 1760, the 2nd Battalion was sent to Germany to campaign under Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick and fought in the Battle of Wilhelmstal and at the Castle of Amöneburg. Three Guards companies of 307 men under Coldstream commander Colonel Edward Mathew fought in

3876-606: The Nine Years' War between 2 July and 4 September 1695. Its capture by the French in the 1692 siege and recapture by the Grand Alliance in 1695 are often viewed as the defining events of the war; the second siege is considered to be William III 's most significant military success during the war. Namur was divided into the 'City,' with the residential and commercial areas, and the Citadel that controlled access to

3990-645: The Order of the Garter and his regiment was assigned to keep order in London. However, the new parliament soon ordered his regiment to be disbanded along with all of the other regiments of the New Model Army. Before that could happen, Parliament was forced to rely on the help of the regiment against the rebellion by the Fifth Monarchists led by Thomas Venner on 6 January 1661. The regiment defeated

4104-579: The Pakistan Army , several regiments have over 50 battalions. In Canada, the regiment is a formation of one or more units; existing almost exclusively for reasons of heritage, the continuance of battle honors and esprit de corps . The three regular force infantry regiments each consist of three regular force battalions of approximately 600 soldiers, in addition to one or more reserve battalions. Canadian battalions are employed tactically and administratively within brigade groups . In Australia, there

4218-631: The Roundheads defeated the forces of Charles Stuart . After Richard Cromwell 's abdication, Monck gave his support to the Stuarts, and on 1 January 1660 he crossed the River Tweed into England at the village of Coldstream , from where he made a five-week march to London . He arrived in London on 2 February and helped in the Restoration of the monarchy. For his help, Monck was given

4332-602: The Royal Engineers , Royal Corps of Signals , Army Air Corps , Royal Logistic Corps , and Royal Military Police . Upon its inception, the Indian Army inherited the British Army's organisational structure, which is still maintained today. Therefore, like its predecessor, an Indian infantry regiment's responsibility is not to undertake field operations but to provide battalions and well-trained personnel to

4446-709: The Royal Newfoundland Regiment . In the Commonwealth countries listed above, the large administrative regiment has been the normal practice for many years. In the case of India, "large regiments" of four to five battalions date from 1923 and, since the 1950s, many of these have expanded even further. As an example, the Punjab Regiment of the Indian Army has expanded from four battalions in 1956 to its present strength of 20, while, in

4560-484: The Siege of Lille in 1708. Historian John Lynn summarised his defence of Namur as follows; (He) demonstrated one could effectively win a campaign by losing a fortress, provided you pinned down and exhausted the besieging force in the process. He conducted a classic active defence, launching attacks by the garrison on the enemy's siege works, contesting every advance as best he could. Prisoners were normally exchanged as soon as possible, partly because neither side wanted

4674-814: The Swedish Life Guards (1521), the British Honourable Artillery Company (1537) and the King's Own Immemorial Regiment of Spain, first established in 1248 during the conquest of Seville by King Ferdinand the Saint . In the 17th century, brigades were formed as units combining infantry, cavalry, and artillery that were more effective than the older, single-arms regiments; in many armies, brigades replaced regiments. Organisation and numbers did not follow any standardised pattern between or within armies during this period, with

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4788-677: The Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 and several times in Northern Ireland after 1969. The Regimental Band of the Coldstream Guards was the first act on stage at the Wembley leg of the 1985 Live Aid charity concert. It played for the Prince and Princess of Wales . In 1991, the 1st battalion was dispatched to the first Gulf War , where it was involved in prisoner of war handling and other roles. In 1993, due to defence cutbacks ,

4902-420: The 'ruin caused...was horrible...and in many places, the houses reduced to rubble.' By mid-August, the Citadel was largely intact, Villeroi was making resupply much more difficult, while the besiegers were beginning to lose men to disease, in an age when far more soldiers died from illness than in battle. The Allies were running out of time and Coehoorn and William now agreed a new approach; a battery of 200 guns

5016-472: The 1st Battalion will take over a security force assistance role from 1st Battalion Irish Guards . The Corps of Drums , in addition to their ceremonial role, which has been primarily the musical accompaniment of Changing of the Guard for Windsor Castle , has the role of machine gun platoon. All Guardsmen for public duties wear the 'Home Service' Dress tunic in summer or greatcoat in winter and bearskin with

5130-587: The 2nd battalion was placed in suspended animation. For much of the 1990s, the 1st Battalion was stationed in Münster , Germany, in the Armoured Infantry Role with Warrior APCs as part of the 4th Armoured Brigade . In 1993–1994, the battalion served as an armoured infantry battalion in peacekeeping duties in Bosnia as part of UNPROFOR . The battalion was posted to Derry , Northern Ireland, on

5244-474: The Allied lines, Villeroi retreated and William gave the order for a general assault. The assaults by the Allies were extremely bloody, that of 30 August alone costing 3,000 men in less than three hours but the defenders were eventually forced back to their final lines of defence. Count Guiscard, now commanding the key outwork of Fort Orange, told Boufflers on 2 September they could not repulse another attack and

5358-452: The Allies were now split into a besieging force of 58,000 at Namur and a field army of 102,000 under Prince Vaudémont to cover Villeroi. On 2 July the Earl of Athlone unexpectedly surrounded Namur with the cavalry. Although this was a surprise to the French, Boufflers had a garrison of 13,000-16,000 men, making a siege a formidable challenge. After Athlone's action, the circumvallation line

5472-582: The Armoured Corps, the traditional administrative "regiment" tends to play more of a ceremonial role, while in practice, its members are administered by their corps or "branch" as in the Artillery. Thus soldiers and officers can serve in many different "regiments", changing hat badges without too much concern during their career. Indeed, in the artillery, all regiments wear the same badge. The British Army also has battalion-sized tactical regiments of

5586-907: The Basic Airborne Course. They, later-on, undergo the Special Forces Operations Course - an eight-month course that equips each SF soldier in the basics of Special Forces and unconventional warfare operations. Each member of the SF Regiment may opt to undergo specialty courses as well after finishing the Special Forces basic course. These include, but is not limited to, training in demolitions and bomb disposal (EOD), psychological warfare operations (PSYOPS), riverine operations including combat diving, intelligence operations, weapons, medics, as well as VIP security training in preparation for reassignment with

5700-432: The British Army has been engaged. The Regiment has been in continuous service and has never been amalgamated. It was formed in 1650 as 'Monck's Regiment of Foot' and was then renamed 'The Lord General's Regiment of Foot Guards' after the Restoration in 1660. With George Monck's death in 1670 it was again renamed 'The Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards' after the location in Scotland from which it marched to help restore

5814-545: The British Army; the extra training, carried out throughout the course, is devoted to drill and ceremonies. King Edward VII assumed the colonelcy-in-chief of the regiment on his accession, and subsequent monarchs have also been colonel-in-chief. Duke of Abermarle's Regiment of Foot (1650) Lord General's Regiment of Foot Guards (1661) Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards (1670) The Regimental Lieutenant Colonels have included: The Coldstream Guards have earned 117 battle honours: Regiment In Medieval Europe ,

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5928-410: The Citadel. After the capture of the line Vauban had built between the Meuse and Sambre rivers in the rocks, and further Allied successes, the French decided to surrender the city. After 4 August only the Citadel was still in French hands. Half the French garrison had been lost. Count Guiscard, the Governor of Namur, asked for a truce to allow the French to withdraw to the Citadel, which was accepted and

6042-517: The Coldstream Guards is the South West and North East of England. The Coldstream Guards and other Guards Regiments have a long-standing connection to The Parachute Regiment . Guardsmen who have completed P Company have the option of being posted to the Guards Parachute Platoon , 3 PARA , still keeping the tradition of the No. 1 (Guards) Independent Parachute Company, which was the original Pathfinder Group of 16th Parachute Brigade , now renamed 16th Air Assault Brigade . The grouping of buttons on

6156-416: The Coldstream Guards lies in the English Civil War when Oliver Cromwell gave Colonel George Monck permission to form his own regiment as part of the New Model Army . Monck took men from the regiments of George Fenwick and Sir Arthur Haselrig , five companies each, and on 13 August 1650 formed Monck's Regiment of Foot . Less than two weeks later, this force took part in the Battle of Dunbar , at which

6270-470: The Dutch under Major General Ernst Wilhelm von Salisch captured three detached bastions and forts outside the St Nicholas Gate and, with sword in hand, drove the French into the city itself. The losses on both sides were heavy. On 27 June, William III personally led a successful attack of 400 Dutch and English grenadiers on the counterscarp . At the same time, the Maximilian of Bavaria took possession of an abbey, from which he forced over 300 dragoons into

6384-424: The First World War. The regiment is always referred to as the Coldstream, never as the Coldstreams; likewise, a member of the regiment is referred to as a Coldstreamer. Recruits to the Guards Division go through an intensive training programme at the British Army's Infantry Training Centre (ITC). Their training is two weeks longer than the programme provided for recruits to the Regular line infantry regiments of

6498-447: The Presidential Security Group. The basic combat organization of the Special Forces is the 12-man Special Forces Team. An SF Team will have at least one of each SF MOS present in the team. The Light Reaction Regiment is the premier counter-terrorist unit of the Philippine Army. It was formerly known as the Light Reaction Battalion and Light Reaction Company. Due to its specialization in counter-terrorism operations and its formation with

6612-401: The Somme , Ginchy and in the 3rd Battle of Ypres . The regiment also formed the 4th (Pioneer) Battalion, which was disbanded after the war, in 1919. The 5th Reserve battalion never left Britain before it was disbanded. When the Second World War began, the 1st and 2nd battalions of the Coldstream Guards were part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in France; whilst the 3rd Battalion

6726-401: The addition of a 3rd battalion. The 1st and 2nd battalions were dispatched to South Africa at the outbreak of the Second Boer War . During the conflict, they would prove instrumental at the Battle of Belmont , and were also present at Graspan , Modder River , Magersfontein , Driefontein , Diamond Hill , Belfast , and were also involved in hunting Christiaan de Wet . At the outbreak of

6840-473: The assistance of American advisers, the Light Reaction Regiment has been sometimes referred to as the Philippines' Delta Force . It traces its origins back to the year 2000 when non-commissioned officers from the Scout Rangers and 1st Special Forces Regiment (Airborne) were trained by American military advisers from the 1st Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group . Siege of Namur (1695) The 1695 Siege of Namur or Second Siege of Namur took place during

6954-448: The battalion was deployed on Operation Herrick 11, with units deploying to the Babaji area of central Helmand Province , Afghanistan, playing a major role in Operation Moshtarak in February 2010. Before the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010 the battalion was part of the 12th Mechanised Brigade in a light infantry role. Under Army 2020 it transferred to London District as a public duties battalion, then in 2019 it joined

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7068-479: The capture of Namur , Mons , Huy and Charleroi failed to force the Dutch Republic out of the war. The cost had exhausted the French economy with crop failures in 1693 and 1694 causing widespread famine in France and Northern Italy. The Dutch Republic remained intact and the Alliance held together under William through four years of war. Their losses were damaging but not critical; in 1694, they had recaptured towns like Huy and Diksmuide , and by 1695 held

7182-438: The continental system exists, the regimental system is criticised as parochial and as creating unnecessary rivalry between different regiments. The question is also raised as to whether it is healthy to develop soldiers more loyal to their regiment than to the military in general. Regiments recruited from areas of political ferment (such as Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Quebec , India, etc.), tend to perform particularly well because of

7296-422: The continental system, the division is the functional army unit, and its commander is the administrator of every aspect of the formation : his staff train and administer the soldiers, officers, and commanders of the division's subordinate units. Generally, divisions are garrisoned together and share the same installations: thus, in divisional administration, a battalion commanding officer is just another officer in

7410-454: The day-to-day functioning of a battalion – they can replace the commanding officer but will not micro-manage the unit. The regimental sergeant major is another key figure, responsible to the CO for unit discipline and the behaviour of the NCOs. It should, however, be noted that amalgamations beginning in the late 1950s and ending in 2006 have diluted the British regimental system through the now almost universal adoption of "large regiments" for

7524-422: The direct confrontations advocated by Marlborough and others in the War of the Spanish Succession . The two sieges of Namur caused a major media spectacle. There are few examples in early modern history where the media commented so extensively, so diversely and so multi-medially on military events. In Dutch Republic, France and England an incredible amount of eulogies , illustrations, maps and medals related to

7638-486: The end of the Second World War have usually consisted of a single tactical regiment. During the 1960s, three Canadian regiments had both regular and militia components, which were disbanded shortly after unification in 1968. Currently, one regiment is organised with two tactical regiments, 12 Régiment blindé du Canada and 12 Régiment blindé du Canada (Milice) are both part of the administrative regiment 12 Régiment blindé du Canada . One administrative armoured regiment of

7752-486: The end of the campaign or war; the colonel and his regiment might recruit from and serve several monarchs or countries. Later, it was customary to name the regiment by its precedence in the line of battle , and to recruit from specific places, called cantons . The oldest regiments which still exist, and their dates of establishment, include the French 1st Infantry Regiment (1479), the Spanish 9th Infantry Regiment “Soria” (1505), originally called Tercio de Nápoles ),

7866-490: The exception of The Irish Regiment of Canada , which has a 2nd Battalion only). Until after the Second World War , every regiment had at least two battalions. Traditionally, the regular battalions were the 1st and 2nd Battalions, the militia (later Special Reserve) battalion was the 3rd Battalion, and the Army Reserve battalions were the 4th Battalion, the 5th Battalion and up. A few regiments had up to four regular battalions and more than one militia battalion, which disrupted

7980-439: The expense of having to feed them. On this occasions, the French refused William's request for the return of the 6,000 - 7,000 troops captured at Diksmuide and Deinze due to a dispute over the terms of their surrender. By now, shortage of manpower was a problem for all combatants; many of the rank and file were forcibly enlisted into French regiments and sent to fight in Italy or Spain. Desertion from one army to another to receive

8094-501: The field formations. As such, it is common to find battalions of the same regiment spread across several brigades, divisions, corps, commands, and even theatres. Like its British and Commonwealth counterparts, troops enlisted within the regiment are immensely loyal, take great pride in the regiment to which they are assigned, and generally spend their entire career within the regiment. Most Indian Army infantry regiments recruit based on certain selection criteria, such as region (for example,

8208-519: The garrison surrendered on 4 September, having suffered 8,000 casualties to the Allies 18,000. The recapture of Namur was a major achievement for the Allies but Bouffler's energetic defence prevented them taking advantage of French weakness elsewhere, an achievement recognised by Louis promoting him to Field-Marshall. Due to a monetary crisis in England and the Bombardment of Givet neither side

8322-545: The infantry of the Army. As of 2014, only thirteen line infantry regiments survive, each comprising up to six of the former battalions that previously had separate regimental status. Only the five Guards regiments retain their historic separate identities. Similarly, as of 2015, only eight of the regiments of the Royal Armoured Corps (cavalry plus Royal Tank Regiments) survive. Armoured regiments in Canada since

8436-548: The intelligence gathering American Alamo Scouts and the combat ready US Army Rangers . It was also formed to combat insurgencies such as the Communist and Moro Rebellions. It currently have more than 2500 Members. The Special Forces Regiment (Airborne) is a special forces unit of the Philippine Army. It is based on and continually trains with its American counterpart, the U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Berets) . It

8550-701: The key objective for 1695 as its location between the Sambre and Meuse made it a vital part of the "Barrier" system. This was a chain of fortresses in the Spanish Netherlands the Dutch viewed as essential for defence against French invasion and possession would be extremely advantageous in any peace negotiations. The French commander in Flanders, Marshal Luxembourg , died in January 1695 and was replaced by

8664-404: The late 1950s and concluded in 2006 has resulted in a system of administrative regiments each with several battalions, a band, a common badge and uniform etc. In the British regimental system, the tactical regiment or battalion is the basic functional unit and its commanding officer more autonomous than in continental systems. Divisional and brigade commanders generally do not immerse themselves in

8778-451: The less talented Villeroi . French strategy for 1695 was to remain on the defensive and Boufflers spent April constructing entrenchments between the rivers Scheldt and Lys , from Coutrai/Kortrijk to Avelgem . William marched on these in June with the bulk of the Allied force but secretly detached Frederick of Prussia to Namur. Once Frederick was in place on 2 July, William joined him;

8892-476: The longer the siege went on, the more likely Namur was to fall. Villeroi's attempts to out-manoeuvre Vaudémont were unsuccessful, despite the capture of Diksmuide and Deinze in late July with 6,000 - 7,000 prisoners. The Bombardment of Brussels between 13–15 August also failed to divert the Allies, despite destroying large parts of the commercial centre; Constantijn Huygens , William's Secretary for Dutch affairs, visited Brussels on 11 September and recorded that

9006-478: The loyalty their members exhibit to the regiments. Generally, the regimental system is found to function best in countries with small-to medium-sized military forces where the problems of administering vast numbers of personnel are not as prevalent. The regimental system works particularly well in an environment in which the prime role of the army consists of small-scale police actions and counterinsurgency operations, requiring prolonged deployment away from home. In such

9120-496: The military that may hamper efficiency and fairness. A key aspect of the regimental system is that the regiment or battalion is the fundamental tactical building block. This flows historically from the colonial period, when battalions were widely dispersed and virtually autonomous, but is easily adapted to a number of different purposes. For example, a regiment might include different types of battalions (e.g. infantry or artillery) of different origins (e.g. regular or reserve). Within

9234-580: The monarchy in 1660. Its name was again changed to the 'Coldstream Guards' in 1855 and this is still its present title. Today, the Regiment consists of: Regimental Headquarters, a single battalion (the 1st Battalion), an independent incremental company (Number 7 Company, maintaining the customs and traditions, as well as carrying the Colours of 2nd Battalion), a Regimental Band, a reserve company (Number 17 Company) and individuals at training establishments and other extra regimental employment. The origin of

9348-610: The motto Nulli Secundus ( Second to None ) as the regiment is older than the senior regiment. The regiment always stands on the left of the line when on parade with the rest of the Foot Guards, so standing "second to none". When Monck died in 1670, the Earl of Craven took command of the regiment and it adopted a new name, the Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards . The regiment saw active service in Flanders and in

9462-699: The new battalions were disbanded, and the troops distributed to the 1st and 2nd Guard Training Battalions. After the war, the 1st and 3rd battalions served in Palestine . The 2nd battalion served in the Malayan Emergency . The 3rd battalion was placed in suspended animation in 1959. The remaining battalions served during the Mau Mau rebellion from 1959 to 1962, in Aden in 1964, in Mauritius in 1965, in

9576-475: The numbering, but this was rare. For this reason, although the regular battalion today (if there is only one) will always be the 1st Battalion, the TA battalions may have non-consecutive numbers. In practice, it is impossible to exercise all the administrative functions of a true regiment when the regiment consists of a single unit. Soldiers, and particularly officers, cannot spend a full career in one battalion. Thus in

9690-454: The only common factor being that each regiment had a single commander. By the beginning of the 18th century, regiments in most European continental armies had evolved into permanent units with distinctive titles and uniforms, each under the command of a colonel. When at full strength, an infantry regiment normally comprised two field battalions of about 800 men each or 8–10 companies . In some armies, an independent regiment with fewer companies

9804-478: The publicity as an opportunity to enhance their reputation. The assault by 3,000 British troops on the Terra Nova earthwork on 31 August spearheaded by 700 grenadiers is alleged to have been the inspiration for the song " The British Grenadiers ". The siege and its aftermath is the centre of the novel Mother Ross; an Irish Amazon by GR Lloyd. This is an update of Daniel Defoe 's original that purports to be

9918-582: The rebels and on 14 February the men of the regiment symbolically laid down their arms as part of the New Model Army and were immediately ordered to take them up again as a royal regiment of The Lord General's Regiment of Foot Guards , a part of the Household Troops . The regiment was placed as the second senior regiment of Household Troops, as it entered the service of the Crown after the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards , but it answered to that by adopting

10032-585: The recruitment of volunteers, induction of new recruits, individual morale and esprit de corps , and administrative roles (such as pay ). A regiment may consequently be a variety of sizes: The French term régiment is considered to have entered military usage in Europe at the end of the 16th century, when armies evolved from collections of retinues who followed knights , to formally organised, permanent military forces. At that time, regiments were usually named after their commanding colonels, and disbanded at

10146-414: The regiment will develop its unique esprit de corps because of its unitary history, traditions, recruitment, and function. Usually, the regiment is responsible for recruiting and administering all of a soldier's military career. Depending upon the country, regiments can be either combat units or administrative units or both. This is often contrasted to the "continental system" adopted by many armies. In

10260-471: The regimental system underwent modification. Prior to World War I, an infantry regiment in the French, German, Russian, and other smaller armies would comprise four battalions, each with a full strength on mobilization of about 1,000 men. As far as possible, the separate battalions would be garrisoned in the same military district, so that the regiment could be mobilized and campaign as a 4,000 strong linked group of sub-units. A cavalry regiment by contrast made up

10374-461: The regimental system, soldiers, and usually officers, are always posted to a tactical unit of their own regiment whenever posted to field duty. In addition to combat units, other organizations are very much part of the regimental family: regimental training schools, serving members on "extra-regimental employment", regimental associations (retirees), bands and associated cadet groups. The aspects that an administrative regiment might have in common include

10488-651: The regiments form the Artillery Corps. Air Defence units are organised as a single regiment with individual batteries stationed around the country. The Philippine Army currently has 3 regiments dedicated to special operations under the AFP Special Operations Command . They specialized in direct action, jungle warfare, urban warfare, special reconnaissance, unconventional warfare, psychological warfare, counter-terrorism, mass base and sniping operations against hostile positions depending on

10602-691: The regions/castes/communities/religions from which they were recruited, as opposed to the Indian union as a whole. Thus some "all India" or "all class" regiments have been created, which recruit troops from all over India, regardless of region, caste, community, or religion: such as the Brigade of the Guards (which later converted to the mechanised infantry profile) and the Parachute Regiment . The Indian Army has many regiments, majority of them infantry, with single-battalion cavalry and artillery regiments. These are

10716-521: The remaining Allied prisoners had been returned in September. While the Bombardment of Brussels failed to distract the Allies, some see it as marking the end of a period where the dominant form of warfare was taking or holding fortifications. By demonstrating fortified towns could no longer resist the massive firepower available in modern warfare, it led to a move away from siege warfare and into

10830-428: The rivers Sambre and Meuse. In 1692, the Dutch military engineer Menno van Coehoorn made the Citadel one of the strongest defensive points in Flanders, but the garrison was less than 5,000, many of them poorly-trained Spanish troops with low morale. While the outer City fell relatively quickly, capturing the Citadel took the French over a month and they were nearly forced to withdraw by torrential rain and sickness. This

10944-405: The same name as the regiment. For example, The North Saskatchewan Regiment is the only battalion in the administrative regiment of the same name. When there is more than one battalion, they are distinguished by numbers, subsidiary titles or both. In Britain, every infantry battalion bears a number, even if it is the only remaining battalion in the regiment (in that case it is the 1st Battalion, with

11058-403: The siege resumed after six days. However, a siege of the Citadel could not be proceeded with immediately due to a lack of money to pay the workers. Vaudémont's role was to keep his field army between Villeroi and Namur, while Villeroi tried to tempt him out of position by attacking Allied-held towns like Knokke and Beselare, now Zonnebeke . Vaudémont refused to be drawn since both sides knew

11172-816: The siege. This episode and Toby's reconstruction appear in the 2006 film A Cock and Bull Story . Fourteen British regiments earned a battle honour for "Namur 1695" including the Grenadier , Coldstream and Scots Guards , the Royal Scots , the King's Own Scottish Borderers , the Royal Irish Regiment , the Royal Welch Fusiliers , the Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers , the Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) ,

11286-403: The sieges were produced, and newspapers wrote about the events in great detail. Although much of this was done on the publicists' own initiative, it was also encouraged by the state. This way, the governments hoped that the public remained engaged and convinced of the war effort and that it would make their allies more confident, while reducing the enemy's morale. Both William and Louis also saw all

11400-484: The situation of a certain place. The Scout Rangers, known officially as the First Scout Ranger Regiment, specializes in anti-guerrilla jungle warfare, raids, ambushes, close quarters combat, urban warfare and sabotage. It was formed on November 25, 1950, under the command of former AFP Vice Chief of Staff and Defense Secretary Rafael M. Ileto . It was modelled after two legendary fighting groups,

11514-428: The story of Christian "Kit" Cavanagh, alias Christian Davies , an Irish woman who enlisted in the British Army in 1693 disguised as a man and was present at the siege. Defoe claims to have met her in old age when she was a Chelsea Pensioner ; it contains a number of factual errors but is an interesting and rare observation of the siege from the rank and file. Laurence Sterne 's 1760 novel Tristram Shandy refers to

11628-486: The tactical regiments 1st Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery , 7th Toronto Regiment, RCA and many others are part of the single administrative regiment The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery . In Britain, the Royal Regiment of Artillery works in the same way. Administrative infantry regiments are composed of one or more battalions . When a regiment has only one battalion, the battalion may have exactly

11742-463: The term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted in one geographical area, by a leader who was often also the feudal lord in capite of the soldiers. Lesser barons of knightly rank could be expected to muster or hire a company or battalion from their manorial estate. By the end of the 17th century, infantry regiments in most European armies were permanent units, with approximately 800 men and commanded by

11856-453: The tunic is a common way to distinguish between the regiments of Foot Guards . Coldstream buttons are arranged in pairs, and a Star of the Garter is marked on their brassware. The Coldstream Guards can also be distinguished from the other Foot Guards by the presence of a red plume ( hackle ) on the right side of their bearskins. The regiment is ranked second in the order of precedence, behind

11970-506: Was capable of mounting an offensive in 1696 and serious fighting came to an end, although Louis made one final demonstration prior to the signing of the Treaty of Ryswick in September 1697. Namur showcased Coehoorn's offensive tactics and also the defensive precepts set out in his 1685 work New Fortress Construction or Nieuwe Vestingbouw op een natte of lage horisont. These can be summarised as follows; (1) passive reliance on fortifications

12084-661: Was established in 1962 by then Captain Fidel V. Ramos PA (INF) (first commanding officer of the SFR-A), primarily trained in both unconventional warfare operations and psychological warfare operations. Like the Scout Rangers, members of the Special Forces Regiment of the Philippine Army are also highly trained in counter-insurgency operations. Upon assignment to the Special Forces, soldiers are made to undergo

12198-509: Was established in Namur city and on 21 August began a continuous 24-hour bombardment of the Citadel's lower defences. Boufflers later told Louis it was 'the most prodigious artillery ever assembled' and by 26 August the Allies were ready to assault the Citadel. At midnight on 27th, Villeroi finally made contact with William but his numerical advantage of 105,000 to 85,000 was offset by the strongly entrenched Allied positions. Having failed to outflank

12312-467: Was labelled a demi-regiment . A cavalry regiment numbered 600 to 900 troopers, making up a single entity. On campaign, these numbers were soon reduced by casualties and detachments and it was sometimes necessary to amalgamate regiments or to withdraw them to a depot while recruits were obtained and trained. With the widespread adoption of conscription in European armies during the nineteenth century,

12426-449: Was not enough and (b) in trying to hold an entire town, defenders simply risked losing it very quickly. This meant dividing fortifications into inner (Citadel) and outer (City) and conducting an 'active' defence that used constant counter attacks to keep the besiegers off guard. Bouffler applied these concepts but jeopardised his defence by committing too many troops to the outer City without means of retreat. He would apply these lessons at

12540-599: Was on overseas service in the Middle East. Additional 4th and 5th battalions were also formed for the duration of the war. They fought extensively, as part of the Guards Armoured Division , in North Africa and Europe as dismounted infantry. The 4th battalion first became a motorized battalion in 1940 and then an armoured battalion in 1943. Coldstreamers gave up their tanks at the end of the war,

12654-483: Was partly due to the terms negotiated for surrendering the City; van Coehoorn agreed not to fire on the City from the Citadel, in return for the French agreeing not to attack him from that direction, making it almost impregnable. After its capture, Namur's defences were significantly upgraded by Vauban . After 1693, Louis XIV assumed a largely defensive posture in Flanders. French victories at Steinkirk and Landen and

12768-616: Was soon completed. After the artillery equipment arrived, on 12 June, the Brandenburgs, from across the Meuse River, opened the artillery fire on the City; the next day, the Dutch started it on the St Nicolas Gate side, with Major General Fagel being wounded in the neck by a musket ball. While on July 18 the French launched an assault on the position of Brandenburg's General-Field Marshal Heino Heinrich Graf von Flemming ,

12882-481: Was the exception rather than the rule. A regimental system, since it is decentralized and the regiments are independent from each other, prevents the army from staging a coup d'état . This is best exemplified by the British Army: since the formation of the United Kingdom, there have been no military takeovers. A regimental system can also foster close links between the regiment and the community from which it

12996-669: Was the oldest infantry regiment. It now forms part of the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment . In the United Kingdom, there existed until recently a number of administrative "divisions" in the infantry that encompassed several regiments, such as the Guards Division, the former Scottish Division (now a single regiment), or the Light Division (now also compressed into a multi-battalion single regiment). The reduction and consolidation of British infantry regiments that began in

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