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99-837: The Guards Machine Gun Regiment was a regiment of the British Army , formed for service in the First World War . When the Guards Division was formed in August 1915, it included three machine gun companies , with a fourth added in March 1917. In April 1917, the four companies were grouped together as a single battalion named the Machine Gun Guards , before being re-designated by Royal Warrant in May 1918 as

198-796: A Rifle or Yager Company introduced around 1803. The regiment has the rare distinction of having fought on the side of both Parliament and the Royalists during the English Civil War 1642 to 1649. From its formation, the Company trained at a site it had occupied at the Old Artillery Ground in Spitalfields and at the Merchant Taylors' Company Hall. In 1622, the Company built its first Armoury House at

297-473: 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.

396-633: 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

495-518: A mine. While recuperating at Headley Court rehabilitation centre, he and a friend came up with the idea of a rugby match at Twickenham to help raise money for the charity Help for Heroes . The Honourable Artillery Company Museum is located at Armoury House. In 1830, King William IV ordered that the uniform of the HAC should be based on that of the Grenadier Guards , except that where

594-457: A number of four to six man patrols provided surveillance and target acquisition capabilities to the HQs of 1st Artillery Brigade (HQ Sqn HAC), 1 Armoured Division (I Sqn HAC), 4 Armoured Division (II Sqn HAC), and 1 BR Corps (III Sqn HAC) with one 'sabre' squadron each. The new structure was: In 1992, the signals troops that had been integrated into the patrol squadrons were brought together to form

693-621: A perpetual corporation for the defence of the realm to be known as the Fraternity or Guild of Artillery of Longbows , Crossbows and Handgonnes . This body was known by a variety of names until 1658, when it was first referred to as the Artillery Company . It was initially referred to as the Honourable Artillery Company in 1685 and officially received the name from Queen Victoria in 1860. However,

792-485: 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

891-419: 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

990-403: 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

1089-477: 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

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1188-452: 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

1287-490: Is a reserve regiment in the British Army . Incorporated by royal charter in 1537 by King Henry VIII , it is the oldest regiment in the British Army and is considered the second-oldest military unit in the world. Today, it is also a charity whose purpose is to attend to the "better defence of the realm", primarily through supporting the HAC regiment. The word "artillery" in "Honourable Artillery Company" does not have

1386-565: 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

1485-546: 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,

1584-665: 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

1683-604: Is similar to that of the Royal Artillery but with "HAC" and "Arma Pacis Fulcra" replacing "Ubique" and "Quo Fas et Gloria Ducunt". In Full Dress (normally only worn by the Band and Corps of Drums), the Bearskin is worn without a plume. In No 2 dress, Soldiers wear the larger Foot Guards badges of rank and qualification. Lance Corporals wear two chevrons and Lance Sergeants three. In Full Dress and Number 1 dress, WO2's wear

1782-606: 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

1881-531: The Army Special Operations Brigade and 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team . The sub units of the HAC are: Future Soldier programme: under this programme the HAC was moved to 77th Brigade . A Battery will provide two guns to each battery of 7 (Para) RHA and 1 Squadron will provide Special Patrols to the Army Special Operations Brigade . The Regiment has had individuals or sub-units on active service at all times since 1996; with

1980-757: 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

2079-695: 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,

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2178-417: 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,

2277-723: 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

2376-474: 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

2475-612: The Grenadier Guards . More recently, regiments, battalions and batteries of the Company fought with distinction in both World Wars and its current regiment, which forms part of the Army Reserve , is the oldest surviving regiment in the British Army, and the second most senior in the Army Reserve after the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (Militia) . Members of the regiment are drawn, for

2574-633: The Guards Machine Gun Regiment . In June, the regiment was reorganised into battalions. The battalions of the regiment were: The first three battalions served with the 1st Army of the British Expeditionary Force , while the 4th Battalion remained with the Guards Division. In November 1918, after the end of the war, the three Household Cavalry battalions resumed their old role as cavalry , with

2673-581: The Militia and Yeomanry in consideration of its antiquity. Members of the Company first served as a formed unit overseas in the South African War (1899–1902). Almost two hundred members served; the majority in the City of London Imperial Volunteers (CIV) as infantry, mounted infantry and in a Field Battery that was officered, and for the most part manned, by members of the company. In 1907,

2772-622: The Netherlands and across the Rhine into Germany as part of 11th Armoured Division . The regiment formed part of 26th (London) Anti-Aircraft Brigade defending the London Inner Artillery Zone. Anti-Aircraft Command mobilised on 24 August 1939, and so 86th (HAC) HAA Rgt was already manning static gunsites at places like Primrose Hill and Finsbury Park when war was declared on 3 September. The regiment served in

2871-579: 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

2970-825: The Reconnaissance Corps . In 1942, 101 RAC OCTU amalgamated with 162 Reconnaissance Corps OCTU to form 100 RAC OCTU based at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst . The 11th (HAC) Regiment RHA served in North Africa at the Battle of Knightsbridge with 25-pounder guns and, after re-equipping with the M7 Priest self-propelled gun , in the Second Battle of El Alamein where it was commanded by Bill Leggatt . The regiment's guns were

3069-541: 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

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3168-709: 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

3267-906: The Second Anglo-Dutch War . James (later King James VII & II ), the Duke of York and Albany, Lord High Admiral and brother of King Charles II, was Captain-General of the Honourable Artillery Company, the unit that trained the Trained Bands. The Company served in Broadgate during the Gordon Riots of 1780 and in gratitude for its role in restoring order to the city, the Corporation of London presented "two brass field-pieces", which led to

3366-814: 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

3465-456: The 1st Battalion followed the British Expeditionary Force to France and fought in the 1st Battle of Ypres . After the fighting at the Battle of the Ancre in 1916 and the Battle of Arras in 1917, it became an officer training battalion and provided demonstration platoons. Elements of the battalion were used to help quell the Étaples Mutiny . The 2nd Battalion HAC was raised in August 1914; it

3564-649: The 1st Bn Grenadier Guards and the HAC) at St Paul's Cathedral. In December of that year, the Captain-General visited and dined with the company to commemorate her Golden Jubilee as Captain-General. In 2005, the guns were withdrawn from Gun Troop, which was renamed Liaison Troop. In 2006, the HAC was the first major unit of the Territorial Army to convert to the Bowman communications system. When Bowman

3663-549: The 1st and 2nd Line batteries. A seventh battery, the 309th (HAC) Siege Battery RGA , went to France in April 1917 and saw action at the Battle of Messines and the Battle of Amiens . In 1919, Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Lisle Strutt , arranged for a detachment of the 2nd Battalion to form a Guard of Honour at Imst Station to give a final Royal Salute on the departure of the Imperial State Train for Charles I ,

3762-671: The 4th Battalion disbanded in February 1919. The regimental establishment of HQ and four machine gun companies was retained until 1920, and the regiment took part in the Trooping the Colour ceremony in Hyde Park, London to mark the King's Official Birthday in June 1919 alongside the other regiments of foot guards. On 26 February 1920 an army order was issued announcing that the regiment

3861-482: The Archers' Company of the Honourable Artillery Company was retained into the late 19th century, though as a private club. Founded in 1781 by Sir Ashton Lever , it met at Archers' Hall, Inner Circle, Regent's Park, London. The Archers' Company remained a part of the regiment operated from 1784 to the late 1790s, along with Matross , Grenadier (established on 11 August 1686) and Light Infantry companies/divisions, with

3960-582: 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

4059-622: 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

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4158-440: The Brigade Reconnaissance Force (BRF). On Tuesday 4 December 2007, Trooper Jack Sadler, who was serving with the BRF, was killed when his vehicle was hit by a blast north of Sangin , in Helmand Province . Two other soldiers were injured in the attack. In 2008, the Runner-up for the Cobra Trophy for Volunteer Reservist of the year was Trooper Adam Cocks of 2 Squadron, who was severely injured in Afghanistan when his vehicle struck

4257-409: The Company became part of the newly formed Territorial Force with the passing of the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act . The HAC Infantry was due to become part of the newly formed London Regiment as the "26th (County of London) Battalion", but instead managed to retain its own identity as the Honourable Artillery Company Infantry Battalion. The HAC also had its property and privileges protected by

4356-401: The Company lost their lives during the Second World War. In 1947, the Company was reorganised into: In 1973, the Regiment was again reorganised; it was given the role of providing 'stay behind' observation posts (OPs) for the British Army of the Rhine as one of the three Territorial Army units making up the Corps Patrol Unit (with 21 and 23 SAS). The three sabre squadrons, each with

4455-462: The Grenadiers wear gold, the HAC were to wear silver. This tradition is continued today by the wearing of the silver coloured grenade in the forage cap similar to the brass one of the Grenadiers, and the buttons and lace on HAC dress uniforms being silver coloured instead of gold. The HAC wear a khaki beret with the HAC's beret badge ("short arms") in white metal on a black backing. Officers and warrant officers wear an embroidered cloth version of

4554-438: The HAC infantry grenade (white metal) is worn by junior ranks of all subunits of the regiment. Sergeants and Warrant Officers wear a different version of the grenade, which has the letters HAC in brass on the ball of the grenade. Officers wear an embroidered silver grenade on their forage caps in No 1 Dress (Infantry) and on the Service Dress forage cap but when in No 1 Dress (Gunner) they wear the HAC Artillery cap badge. The latter

4653-638: The HAC is required to train as a regiment. Those who wish to serve in 1 Squadron are required to undertake the Surveillance and Reconnaissance Patrols Course (SRPC), an arduous course with only a 10% pass rate. Service as a Special Observer qualifies for additional pay and specialist courses and is open to all arms and services. The HAC is not part of the Royal Regiment of Artillery , being an older and separate regiment with its own uniform, insignia and colours. The regiment forms part of 77 Brigade (having previously been part of 1st Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Brigade ) with sub units supporting

4752-418: The Honourable Artillery Company Act 1908. The HAC expanded to three infantry battalions and seven artillery batteries during the First World War . Second Lieutenants Reginald Leonard Haine and Alfred Oliver Pollard , of the 1st Battalion HAC, were awarded Victoria Crosses for their actions at Gavrelle in 1917. In total 1,650 men from the HAC were killed during the war. In September 1914,

4851-411: The Honourable Artillery Company who had taken the then heir to the throne, Prince Charles (later Charles II ), to Europe for his safety during the English Civil War. On 28 October 1664, in the New Artillery Gardens, the body of men that would become the Royal Marines was first formed with an initial strength of 1,200 infantrymen recruited from the London Trained Bands as part of the mobilisation for

4950-447: 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

5049-409: The Regiment to be mobilised for active service since the Second World War was called up for Operation Resolute with the NATO IFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina . The regiment participated in the celebration of the Queen's Golden Jubilee on 4 June 2002 by firing a 62 gun salute at the Tower of London , and by providing a Guard of Honour (including the Regimental Band and the Massed Corps of Drums of

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5148-590: The Royal Artillery ceased to be stationed at the Tower), has provided the saluting battery at the Tower of London for state occasions. The HAC is one of only a small number of Army Reserve units with responsibility for the carrying out portions of Phase One (recruits) and Two training of its own soldiers 'in house'. The Phase One course comprises six HAC-only weekends, followed by a two-week training period with other reserve soldiers at Army Training Centre Pirbright . Unlike most Army Reserve units, who are only required to train at up to sub-unit (company or squadron) level,

5247-407: The Signal Squadron; they were subsequently re-integrated with the patrol squadrons in 2010. In 1992, in the Salisbury Plain Training Area , the HAC was the last British Army unit to fire the 25-pounder in the field, as the Gun Troop retrained onto the 105mm Light Gun . The 25 pounder continued to be fired ceremonially until it was replaced by the Light Gun. In 1996, the first formed unit of

5346-452: 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 . Honourable Artillery Company The Honourable Artillery Company ( HAC )

5445-438: 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

5544-422: 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

5643-417: The creation of an HAC Artillery Division. (These guns are on display in the entrance hall of Armoury House.) In 1860, control of the company moved from the Home Office to the War Office and in 1889, a Royal Warrant gave the Secretary of State for War control of the company's military affairs. In 1883, Queen Victoria decreed that the HAC took precedence next after the Regular Forces and therefore before

5742-415: The current meaning that is generally associated with it, but dates from a time when in the English language that word meant any projectile, for example arrows shot from a bow. The equivalent form of words in modern English would be either "Honourable Infantry Company" or "Honourable Military Company". In the 17th century, its members played a significant part in the formation of both the Royal Marines and

5841-454: 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

5940-533: The defence of the capital throughout The Blitz . It became a mobile unit in 1942 and was one of the first units to land on D-Day , with Regimental Headquarters commanding a composite AA Assault Group on Juno Beach . During the Normandy Campaign and subsequent advance into Belgium the regiment's 3.7-inch HAA guns were sometimes used to engage ground targets. During the winter of 1944–45 its guns and radar defended Brussels and Antwerp against V-1 flying bombs (known as 'Divers'). Over seven hundred members of

6039-486: 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

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6138-621: The end of the 17th century, infantry regiments in most European armies were permanent units, with approximately 800 men and commanded by 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,

6237-486: 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 ),

6336-490: 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

6435-501: 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,

6534-539: The first guns ashore in the invasion of Sicily ; then they took part in the Allied invasion of Italy and the Italian Campaign . The 12th (HAC) Regiment RHA took part in the Operation Torch landings and were in action at Thala in February 1943, where they halted a German advance following the Battle of the Kasserine Pass . After re-equipping with Priests , they too moved on to Italy in March 1944 and fought at Monte Cassino . The 13th (HAC) Regiment RHA equipped with Sexton self-propelled guns fought in Normandy ,

6633-421: The garrison of the strategic island of Papadopoli (in the main channel of the River Piave ) to surrender. For this remarkable feat of arms, the HAC was awarded two Distinguished Service Orders , five Military Crosses , three Distinguished Conduct Medals and 29 Military Medals . Both A Battery and B Battery went to Suez in April 1915. In July, B Battery fought in the recapture of Sheikh Othman (key to

6732-420: 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

6831-426: 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

6930-513: The last Austro-Hungarian Emperor-King, to safety in Switzerland , after having served as the family's protector at Eckartsau on the personal initiative of King George V . When the Territorial Force was reconstituted as the Territorial Army (TA) in 1920, the HAC infantry battalion was reformed, while A and B Batteries formed a composite RHA unit with the City of London Yeomanry (Rough Riders) (one battery) as 11th (HAC and City of London Yeomanry) Brigade, RHA . The TA began to expand rapidly at

7029-404: 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

7128-545: The loss of all its guns. Both A and B Batteries took part in the Battle of Megiddo in September. The 2nd Line batteries – 2/A Battery and 2/B Battery  – were formed in 1914 and served on the Western Front in 1917 and 1918 as part of an Army Field Artillery Brigade; the 3rd Line batteries – A (Reserve) Battery and B (Reserve) Battery  – were formed in 1915 to provide trained replacements for

7227-478: 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

7326-496: 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

7425-615: The most part, from young men and women working in and around the City and Greater London . Those leaving the active units may become Veteran Members and remain within the fraternity of the company. The HAC can trace its history back as far as 1087, but it received a royal charter from Henry VIII on 25 August 1537, when Letters Patent were received by the Overseers of the Fraternity or Guild of St George authorising them to establish

7524-475: 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

7623-454: 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

7722-913: The personnel serving in a wide variety of roles in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan and various countries in Africa. Commitments included the deployment of individuals to human intelligence roles in the Balkans (including as part of Joint Commission Observer teams) and then formed patrols to Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq; independent sub-units to Operation Telic 4 and 5 in Iraq and L Troop to Operation Telic 9; as well as individual and group reinforcements to other infantry and artillery units. In Afghanistan deployed personnel were divided between operating and maintaining counter indirect fire systems and other high technology equipment and forming part of

7821-585: 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

7920-491: The regiment is surveillance and target acquisition, in which it operates three patrol squadrons. In 2018, the regiment took on an additional role when a new battery was formed to serve as part of 16 Air Assault Brigade in support of 7 (Parachute) Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery . The HAC has a ceremonial role in providing guards of honour at the Guildhall in the City of London during state visits and, since 1924 (when

8019-414: 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

8118-524: 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

8217-461: 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

8316-651: 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

8415-691: 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

8514-454: The same badge. The Corps of Drums and Regimental Band wear the HAC infantry grenade on a blue red blue backing, which is superficially identical to that of the Grenadier Guards . From July 2008, members of 4/73 (Sphinx) Special OP Battery, part of 5th Regiment Royal Artillery, the HACs paired regular regiment, adopted the khaki beret to mark their close working relationship. On the forage cap ,

8613-405: 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

8712-552: The site of the Old Artillery Gardens. In 1638, Sir Maurice Abbot granted the Company use of lands at its current site south of Bunhill Fields Burial Ground on City Road , which in 1649 consisted of twelve acres enclosed by a brick wall and pale. In 1657, it sold its old Armoury House in Spitalfield to Master Gunner Richard Woolaston for £300. In 1656, the Grenadier Guards were formed from gentlemen of

8811-484: 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,

8910-486: 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

9009-669: The time of the Munich Crisis in 1938, and the Yeomanry left to form a separate light anti-aircraft regiment leaving 11th Regiment RHA (HAC) . Subsequently, the HAC formed the 12th (1939) and 13th Regiments RHA (HAC) (1940) and the 86th (HAC) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment (1939). In 1939, the Infantry Battalion became 162 (HAC) Officer Cadet Training Unit, this was the Officer Training Unit of

9108-796: The water supply to Aden ) from the Turks as part of the Aden campaign . In February 1917, both batteries took part in the Palestine Campaign , were in action at the First and Second Battle of Gaza and entered Jerusalem in December 1917. In the German counter-attack during the Second action of Es Salt on 1 May 1918, A Battery was forced to make a rapid withdrawal under heavy fire, which resulted in

9207-790: 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

9306-630: Was in France by October 1916 and in action on 25 February 1917 at Bucquoy . They fought at the Battle of Arras in May and the 3rd Battle of Ypres in October. In November 1917, the battalion moved to the Italian Front under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Richard O'Connor . In the Battle of Vittorio Veneto , in October 1918, they led a force of Italians, Americans and British that compelled

9405-467: 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,

9504-418: Was temporarily withdrawn from the Territorial Army in 2008/09, it was one of the few units to retain the equipment. In 2016, Queen Elizabeth II became the longest-serving Captain-General of the HAC, with 64 years of service. In 2017 A Battery (1st City of London) Honourable Artillery Company, was re-formed to provide gunners in support of 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery . The main role of

9603-481: 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

9702-604: 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

9801-438: Was to be immediately disbanded and the 1918 royal warrant cancelled. Regiment In Medieval Europe , 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

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