A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible.
131-632: RGH may refer to: Royal Gloucestershire Hussars , a former British Army Regiment RGH-188 , an antipsychotic drug Repatriation General Hospital , a group of Australian hospitals, mostly active between 1947 and 1995 RGH UMC , Riverside General Hospital University Medical Center in California Rockyview General Hospital , in Calgary, Alberta, Canada Raleigh (Amtrak station) , station code RGH Reset Glitch Hack,
262-476: A member of parliament and captain of the Berkeley Troop, which had joined the regiment in 1840. In pursuing his grievance against his brother, FitzHardinge pressured his tenants into resigning from the troop and threatened some with the loss of their farms if they did not. Further insight into the regiment's strong ties to the farming community can be found in the records of the annual exercises. In 1865,
393-416: A battle honour board. This is usually a solid wooden board (traditionally teak ) mounted on the ship's superstructure, carved with the ship's badge and scrolls naming the ship and the associated honours, and either left completely unpainted, or with the lettering painted gold. The size of the board and number of scrolls is dependent on the number of honours earned by a ship and her predecessors, although it
524-723: A battle honour for the ships that served in the Vietnam War, then moved to a completely independent system before 1993, to avoid HMAS Newcastle (named for the city of Newcastle, New South Wales ) inheriting the battle honours of Royal Navy ships named Newcastle . The Royal Canadian Navy began displaying battle honours in the 1950s, but after the Unification of the Canadian Forces in 1968, new units entering service would only carry those honours earned by Canadian ships. The earliest recorded naval battle honour
655-501: A battle honour, such as École polytechnique 's Pour la Patrie, les sciences et la gloire ('for Fatherland, sciences and glory') in addition to the "true" battle honour Paris, 1814 . During the 19th century, honours were limited to eight on a regiment's flag, leading to the removal of some honours to make room for newer ones. This limitation was upped to twelve honours after the Second World War. Some units, such as
786-466: A battle or campaign, or those for single-ship actions . Honours for battles take their name from the location of the battle, while honours for actions are named for the opposing ship. These are rendered differently, in order to distinguish between the two types and to limit confusion between battle honours with the same name (for example, between the multi-ship Battle of the Chesapeake in 1781, and
917-708: A biblical route through Jerusalem, Calvary , the Mount of Olives , Gethsemane , Jericho , Mount Nebo , the alleged site of the inn of the Good Samaritan and across the Jordan valley. It fought dismounted in the Second Action of Es Salt at the beginning of May, and when that operation ended in defeat, it retired with the British Empire forces back into the valley. The regiment remained until August in
1048-531: A certain number of honours (up to ten each for the First and Second World Wars) could be selected for emblazonment , that is appear on colours or drums. This was due to the large number of battle honours awarded. It is often the case that battle honours not carried on the colours (limited by space and design) will be emblazoned on the drum major's baldric. While regimental colours and guidons are no longer carried on operations by British and Commonwealth military, as
1179-484: A civilian police force and renewed fears of invasion in the mid-19th century turned the yeomanry's focus to national defence. In 1871, Westley Richards breech-loading carbines replaced the muzzle-loading carbines and were issued to all troopers rather than just the skirmishers, and three years later responsibility for the yeomanry was transferred from the Lord-Lieutenants to district military commanders of
1310-407: A defensive box held by the 201st Guards Motor Brigade some 20 miles (32 km) south-west of Tobruk. At the start of the battle, F Squadron lost all but one of its Grants, and the regiment was quickly reduced to 16 Crusaders and two Honies. These were formed into a composite squadron under command of the 3rd County of London Yeomanry . On 1 June the regiment handed over its remaining Crusaders to
1441-515: A military campaign. These honours usually take the form of a place and a date (e.g. " Cambrai 1917 "). Theatre honours , a type of recognition in the British tradition closely allied to battle honours, were introduced to honour units which provided sterling service in a campaign but were not part of specific battles for which separate battle honours were awarded. Theatre honours could be listed and displayed on regimental property but not emblazoned on
SECTION 10
#17327981856321572-560: A part of the wider variety of distinctions which serve to distinguish military units from each other. For the British Army , the need to adopt a system to recognise military units' battlefield accomplishments was apparent since its formation as a standing army in the later part of the 17th century. Although the granting of battle honours had already been in place at the time, it was not until 1784 that infantry units were authorised to bear battle honours on their colours . Before then,
1703-572: A period of inaction. In June, General Edmund Allenby was appointed commander of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force , and at the end of October he resumed the British Empire offensive in southern Palestine . The regiment was in corps reserve during the Battle of Beersheba , but saw action on 4 November in the Battle of Tel el Khuweilfe , during which it suffered 14 casualties. The regiment supported, but did not participate in,
1834-465: A regiment's colours were practical tools for rallying troops in the battlefield and not quite something for displaying the unit's past distinctions. The first battle honour to be awarded in the British Army was granted to the 15th Hussars for the Battle of Emsdorf in 1760. Thereafter, other regiments received battle honours for some of their previous engagements. The earliest battle honour in
1965-460: A regimental HQ and a rear echelon component responsible for supply. It was equipped with 52 Crusader tanks , 10 scout vehicles and 112 wheeled vehicles. In Operation Crusader , the 7th Armoured Division was tasked with locating and destroying the Axis armour, and the 2nd Royal Gloucestershire Hussars was the lead element of the 22nd Armoured Brigade's advance. On 19 November, the brigade encountered
2096-512: A ship are inherited by all subsequent warships of the same name. Battle honours for Commonwealth warships were initially awarded and controlled by the British Admiralty , under the "Commonwealth Battle Honours List". Warships of Commonwealth navies would also inherit the honours of any preceding British warship of the name. Commonwealth navies later moved to independent but parallel systems. Australia began moving away by instituting
2227-650: A squadron and combined with elements of the North Somerset and Bristol Yeomanry , the 5th Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment and the Gloucestershire Volunteer Artillery to form the Wessex Volunteers. A further reorganisation in 1969 reduced the squadron to a cadre of eight men, but it was expanded two years later to provide the regimental HQ and two squadrons in the infantry-roled Wessex Yeomanry, which in 1979 became
2358-696: A trumpeter and fifty troopers, and was recruited from the tenants of Codrington's estate and those of his neighbours, including that of the Duke of Beaufort . In 1831, six more troops were raised by members of the Gloucestershire gentry in Fairford and Cirencester , Stroudwater, Tetbury , Gloucester , Winterbourne and Stapleton , and Alveston . That same year, the Dodington and Tetbury Troops were sent to Bristol in response to civil unrest following
2489-498: A way to modify an Xbox 360 game console Royal Gwent Hospital , Hospital in Newport South Wales Rabbids Go Home , a 2009 video game released for Nintendo DS and Wii Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title RGH . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to
2620-492: Is Valmy, 1792 , the last one to date is Koweït, 1991 . The honours are sewn in gold letters on the regiment's flag or standard under the form battle name, date (such as Austerlitz, 1805 ). In some cases, the honour refers to a whole conflict and take the form geographical designation, date (such as AFN, 1952–1962 ) or simply war, date (such as Grande guerre, 1914–1918 ). Some military schools and academies have their motto sewn on their flags as
2751-580: Is ARMADA 1588, the defeat of the Spanish Armada at Gravelines by a combined British-Dutch fleet. Because of the significant number of ships sunk during World War I and World War II , only three battle honours have been awarded for single-ship actions since the start of the 20th century: to the Town-class cruiser HMAS Sydney for sinking the German light cruiser SMS Emden during
SECTION 20
#17327981856322882-559: Is common for blank scrolls to be included in a design. Other designs are also in use: these include plaques for the ship and honours mounted on a backing board, or the details painted onto a flat board. The British Admiralty set honour board sizes for various types of ship: 10 by 6 feet (3.0 by 1.8 m) for capital ships and shore bases, 6 by 5 feet (1.8 by 1.5 m) for cruisers and large auxiliary ships, 4 by 3 feet (1.22 by 0.91 m) for all other surface ships, and 21 by 17 inches (53 by 43 cm) for submarines (the size restriction
3013-513: Is delighted with us and says all sorts of nice things, and told Ralph we saved the situation at Romani, where we were told to hold on at all costs till the infantry came up in the morning. Diary of Lieutenant Edgerton Cripps Royal Gloucestershire Hussars 10 August 1916 After a short spell on Lemnos , the regiment arrived back in Egypt in November 1915. It returned to the cavalry role and
3144-445: Is no order of precedence for battle honours, they are listed in chronological order, either in a single list, or in multiple even numbers of columns, reading left to right, and top to bottom. On drums, the honours are listed on scrolls, usually with the cap badge central, and other unit devices present (such as a representation of a unit distinction or motto). The honours for the First and Second World Wars were restricted in that only
3275-668: Is not required to earn a battle honour: the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps received the battle honour "Hong Kong" despite the defeat and capture of most of the force during the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong , while the cruiser HMAS Sydney was awarded the naval engagement honour " Kormoran 1941" after being sunk with all aboard by the German raider Kormoran . Supporting corps/branches such as medical, service, ordnance, or transport do not currently receive battle honours. However, and uniquely
3406-513: Is so the board can be moved through the submarine's hatches, as it is only displayed when the submarine is on the surface). Two educational institutions have been awarded battle honours. La Martinere College in Lucknow , India was awarded a battle honour, Defence of Lucknow 1857 , for the role played by its students and teachers during the mutiny of 1857. McGill University in Canada received
3537-783: The Indian Army continued after independence in 1947 and these honours continue to be listed against a regiment's achievements. Battle honours, but not theatre honours, are permitted to be emblazoned on the President's Colours , which have replaced the King's colours after independence. Battle honour days are celebrated by a few units or regiments. Present battle honour days however pertain to battles for which honours have been won post-independence. Some battle honours, granted prior to independence to units for battles or campaigns in India against
3668-510: The 2nd Marine Infantry Regiment , have been awarded more than twelve honours, but their flag displays only the twelve considered the most important in the history of the regiment. Other units, such as the 1st Marine Infantry Regiment , have been granted a dispensation allowing them to emblazon all their battle honours, regardless of their number. In addition to battle honours, military units can be awarded collective military decorations and collective mentions-in-dispatches , leading eventually to
3799-512: The 3rd Mounted Division ). In July 1916, the regiment swapped horses for bicycles and joined the 8th Cyclist Brigade in the 2nd Cyclist Division . In November, the regiment was merged with the 2/1st Queen's Own Worcestershire Hussars to form the 12th (Gloucestershire and Worcestershire) Yeomanry Cyclist Regiment in the 4th Cyclist Brigade, but resumed its original identity as the 2/1st Royal Gloucestershire Hussars in March 1917. Around April 1918,
3930-472: The 4th Armoured Brigade . It rejoined the 22nd Armoured Brigade in the last week of December and completed a long march across the desert as the British and Commonwealth forces pushed the Axis forces out of Cyrenaica . As Operation Crusader drew to a close, the regiment saw action around Chor es Sufan on 28 and 30 December, after which the 7th Armoured Division was relieved by the 1st Armoured Division . In total,
4061-474: The 7th Armoured Division (the Desert Rats ). The regiment suffered heavy losses during Operation Crusader and the subsequent Battle of Gazala , twice being taken out of the line for refit, and was variously equipped with Crusader , M3 Stuart and M3 Grant tanks. When it lost two commanders killed in action in quick succession, the regiment's individual squadrons were used to reinforce other units, and
RGH - Misplaced Pages Continue
4192-451: The 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars . As well as materiel losses, the fighting to date had cost the regiment 16 officers and 70 other ranks. Major W. A. B. Trevor, who had assumed command of the regiment after Birley was wounded, was awarded the DSO for his handling of the regiment. In December, the regiment fought at various times under command of the 7th Armoured Division's Support Group and
4323-532: The ANZAC Mounted Division and took part in the capture of Qatia and the pursuit of the enemy to Bir el Abd. British Empire forces continued to advance across the Sinai, and the regiment was next in action on 9 January 1917, in the Battle of Rafa , during which it fought dismounted, suffering 46 casualties. Following the Battle of Rafa , the 5th Mounted Brigade transferred from corps troops to
4454-730: The Battle of Alexandria in 1801. Knowledge of that battle honour, represented by the back badge, is said to have encouraged the soldiers of the Gloucestershire Regiment in the defence of Gloster Hill during the Battle of the Imjin River in April 1951 during the Korean War . Other uniform distinctions include: Subject to approval by the sovereign, awards made by other allied nations may be permitted to be worn or carried. For example, several units have been awarded
4585-692: The Battle of Cocos in November 1914 ('Emden' 1914), to the Commonwealth warships involved in the pursuit and last battle of the German battleship Bismarck in May 1941 ('Bismarck' 1941), and to the Leander -class cruiser HMAS Sydney for the mutually destructive engagement with the German auxiliary cruiser Kormoran in November 1941 ('Kormoran' 1941). As warships do not carry regimental colours , battle honours are instead displayed on
4716-731: The Battle of Long Tan in the Vietnam War. Although awarded to D Company, it is carried on the 6th Battalion's Colours and worn on the uniform of all members of the battalion. The PUC was awarded to the 1st Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment for its actions at the Battle of Imjin River in 1951, with the tradition continued by its successor, the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment , until its amalgamation into The Rifles . Naval battle honours are battle honours awarded to warships. There are two types of naval battle honours: those awarded to ships that participate in
4847-452: The Charge at Huj , and fought a defensive action on 12 November, immediately before the Battle of Mughar Ridge , when a Turkish counter-attack pushed the 5th Mounted Brigade back from Balin at a cost to the regiment of 21 casualties. In the early hours of 1 December, the regiment helped defeat a Turkish counter-attack against the high ground north and north-east of Jaffa , and for the rest of
4978-732: The Imperial Yeomanry . Before the First World War , all volunteer forces, including the yeomanry, were brought into the Territorial Force . On the outbreak of the war the regiment raised a second-line unit, which remained in the UK and became a cyclist unit in 1916, and a third-line unit, which served as a reserve. The first-line unit saw action as infantry at Gallipoli and as cavalry in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign ; in
5109-757: The Royal Field Artillery or reducing in size and converting to armoured car companies. On 25 November, the regiment chose the latter to become the 21st (Royal Gloucestershire Hussars) Armoured Car Company (TA) in the Royal Tank Corps (renamed in 1939 to the Royal Tank Regiment ). The company comprised a headquarters (HQ) and four sections, each section equipped with four Peerless armoured cars , replaced in 1928–1929 by Rolls-Royce Armoured Cars . As war loomed again in Europe,
5240-619: The Royal Logistic Corps has five battle honours inherited from its previous transport elements, such as the Royal Waggon Train . Commonwealth artillery does not maintain battle honours as they carry neither colours nor guidons—though their guns by tradition are afforded many of the same respects and courtesies. However, both the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers were in 1832 granted by King William IV
5371-595: The Royal Scots , the senior Scottish and British Regiment), for their protracted 23-year defence of the Colony of Tangier . The battle honour is still held by the successor regiment, the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment . During these early years of the British standing army, a regiment needed only to engage the enemy with musketry before it was eligible for a battle honour. However, older battle honours are carried on
RGH - Misplaced Pages Continue
5502-633: The Royal Wessex Yeomanry . In 1983, the new yeomanry regiment was equipped with stripped-down Land Rovers and took on the reconnaissance role. It was further reorganised and re-purposed as an armoured reserve regiment in the 1990s, tasked with the provision of replacement crews for the regular army's Challenger 2 tanks. The Gloucestershire yeomanry lineage is maintained in the Royal Wessex Yeomanry by C (Royal Gloucestershire Hussars) Squadron. The battle honours earned by
5633-707: The Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry in June. The remaining cadre of 28 men began their journey home at the end of June and arrived in Gloucester on 15 August. The names of the 28 officers and 200 other ranks of the regiment killed in the war are recorded on the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars war memorial , unveiled on 29 April 1922 in the grounds of Gloucester Cathedral . The Territorial Force was reconstituted in 1920 and renamed
5764-545: The Territorial Army (TA) shortly afterwards, and the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars began to recruit new members. On 21 October, its strength was 10 officers and 37 other ranks, rising to 16 officers and 208 other ranks by August 1921. The same year, the War Office ruled that only the fourteen most senior yeomanry regiments would be retained as cavalry, and offered the remainder the choice of converting to units of
5895-477: The War Office . In 1867, the regiment's annual inspection had involved drill, but from 1875 the regiment was practising outpost duties, reconnaissance, and rear-guard exercises in the local hills. As the years passed, old troops were disbanded, renamed or amalgamated and new troops raised, and in 1893 the troops then existing were formally organised by order of the army into squadrons: The order also allocated
6026-525: The capture of USS Chesapeake by HMS Shannon in 1813). In older sources and on battle honour boards, battles are written in all capitals, while actions are capitalised normally and surrounded by single quotation marks (CHESAPEAKE 1781 and 'Chesapeake' 1813). Newer sources display battles with normal capitalisation, and italicise actions in the same way ships' names are italicised; both may or may not be contained in double quotation marks ("Chesapeake 1781" and " Chesapeake 1813"). The battle honours awarded to
6157-587: The fourragère award. Prior to independence , battle honours were awarded to British Indian Army as part of the British military tradition. Awards prior to the takeover of the Presidency Armies by the Crown in 1858 were done by the Governor General in India or the respective Presidency government that the units belonged to. The practice of awarding battle honours and theatre honours to
6288-419: The "valley of death", where temperatures peaked above 54 °C (129 °F) and malaria was a constant problem, with only brief periods of relief. It suffered more from sickness in the inhospitable environment than from enemy action; in May alone the regiment suffered 16 casualties in battle, while 116 men were hospitalised due to illness. In August, the 5th Mounted Brigade became the 13th Cavalry Brigade and
6419-548: The 1830s in support of the civil authorities. From the mid-19th century, the yeomanry's policing role diminished with the establishment of a civilian police force , and renewed fears of invasion turned its focus to national defence. The Royal Gloucestershire Hussars' first battle honour was won in South Africa during the Second Boer War , when a contingent of Gloucestershire yeomanry served as mounted infantry in
6550-589: The 2nd Battalion of the Scots Guards were awarded two battle honours for their role in the Falklands War ; "Tumbledown Mountain" specifically for the Battle of Mount Tumbledown , and "Falkland Islands 1982" for the overall conflict. Similarly, while in Korea, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry earned both "Kapyong" (for the Battle of Kapyong ) and "Korea 1951–1953" (for the overall war). Victory
6681-530: The 2nd Royal Gloucestershire Hussars was disbanded in 1943. Reduced back to a single regiment after the war, the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars was equipped with armoured cars and given a reconnaissance role. Repeated reorganisation of the Territorial Army in the 1960s reduced the regiment to a squadron assigned to an infantry role. In the 1990s, the squadron returned to an armour role in the Royal Wessex Yeomanry , tasked with training replacement crews for
SECTION 50
#17327981856326812-485: The 2nd Royal Gloucestershire Hussars was recruiting in Gloucester, Cheltenham, Stroud and Tetbury. Attendance at the annual camp in July 1939 was about 1,000 yeomen, compared to some 300 the previous year. On the outbreak of Second World War , the 1st Royal Gloucestershire Hussars was equipped with Vickers Mk. IV and Mk. VI light tanks and initially served in home defence as part of the 20th Light Armoured Brigade . It
6943-643: The 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment received their awards for their actions at the Battle of Kapyong during the Korean War. Although their regiments carry the honour "Kapyong" as a whole, only these specific battalions are permitted to carry the PUC streamer that denotes the award by the United States and wear the ribbon on the uniform. D Company, 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment were awarded their Presidential Unit Citation for their actions during
7074-658: The 4th County of London Yeomanry and the 9th Queen's Royal Lancers . Meanwhile, F and H Squadrons became infantry in the 10th Armoured Division and, armed with Italian anti-tank rifles, grenades and molotov cocktails , manned defences in the Delta . At the end of July, H Squadron took over the Crusaders of A Squadron, 5th Royal Tank Regiment (RTR), and relieved them in the El Alamein line, and F Squadron similarly replaced 5RTR's C Squadron on 17 August. The same month, G Squadron
7205-405: The 4th County of London Yeomanry and was taken out of the line for a refit the next day. The regiment returned to the line on 4 June with Honies and Grants taken over from the 4th Queen's Own Hussars ; 14 tanks each in G and H Squadrons, 4 in the regimental HQ and 12 Grants in F Squadron. The next day it participated in a failed attack at Bir el Aslagh in the 'Cauldron', a German salient behind
7336-404: The 5th Royal Tank Regiment, and G Squadron was part of an abortive 9th Australian Division attack along the coast. The three squadrons were reunited in Alexandria on 20 September, but any hopes that the regiment would fight again under its own command were dashed when F, G and H Squadrons were transferred to the 4th Hussars, the Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry and the 8th Hussars respectively. HQ Squadron
7467-407: The 7th Motor Brigade (the former Support Group) fighting around Bir Hacheim . It remained with that brigade until the end of the month, while the remainder of the regiment was withdrawn from the line. In addition to the losses in materiel, the Battle of Gazala had cost the regiment 82 casualties, and on 12 June another was added to the list when Trevor was killed in an airstrike. Over the next few days
7598-415: The British Army is Tangier 1662–80, granted to the Tangier Horse (later known as the 1st Royal Dragoons), the oldest line cavalry regiment of the British army, who in 1969 amalgamated with the Royal Horse Guards to become The Blues and Royals. Also awarded the honour was the 2nd Regiment of Foot, or the Tangier Regiment now The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, the senior English regiment in the Union (after
7729-430: The Cheltenham Troop were disbanded, but the following year Napoleon's planned invasion of the United Kingdom prompted the re-establishment of several old troops and the formation of new troops; by the end of 1803 there were thirteen troops in Gloucestershire, and in 1813 the county's yeomanry had a strength of 582 men. As well as permanent duty, the yeomanry assembled as required for ceremonial and peace-keeping purposes;
7860-406: The Dodington and Winterbourne Troops helped police a Chartist rally in Bristol. The 'Royal' prefix was granted in 1841, and in 1847 the regiment adopted a blue hussar uniform and the name Royal Gloucestershire Hussars. The authority of the Duke of Beaufort is evident in his order, in 1846, that all members should grow moustaches "in the form of a carving knife", an instruction that was derided in
7991-499: The French Croix de guerre 1914–1918 and Croix de guerre 1939–1945 , the ribbon of which can be worn on the uniform. The United States Presidential Unit Citation , as with other similar citations, is similarly worn on the uniform (usually on the arm), but is also carried on the colour or guidon of the unit it has been awarded to. In the Commonwealth, three units are permitted to carry this award on their Regimental Colour: The 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry and
SECTION 60
#17327981856328122-431: The Gloucester Troop provided an escort during the visit of the Prince of Wales to the city in 1807, and in 1810 it was called out to an affray between Irish militia and citizens in a local pub. A general reduction in volunteer forces followed the defeat of Napoleon , and by 1815 all yeomanry troops in Gloucestershire except one were disbanded. Only the Gloucester Troop was retained, as a mounted police force, until it too
8253-407: The Gloucestershire Yeomanry Cavalry. In 1847, the regiment adopted a hussar uniform and the name Royal Gloucestershire Hussars. Originally intended to counter insurrection and a French invasion that never materialised, the yeomanry's first deployments were ceremonial and as mounted police during times of civil unrest. Three Gloucestershire troops were deployed to Bristol on two separate occasions in
8384-413: The Imperial Mounted Division (renamed in June to the Australian Mounted Division ) in the Desert Column (reorganised in August as the Desert Mounted Corps ). On 26 March, the mounted divisions, less the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars, invested Gaza from the east and north in the First Battle of Gaza . The regiment, attached to the 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division , was deployed along the coast, covering
8515-490: The Italian Ariete Division , and in the ensuing action at Bir el Gubi it lost 40 tanks. Of the brigade's three regiments, the 2nd Royal Gloucestershire Hussars fared the worst. The regiment overran some Italian anti-tank positions, but without infantry support it could not take their surrender. The Italians subsequently returned to their guns and caught the regiment's tanks in a crossfire. The Crusader's armour could be defeated at ranges of 1,500 yards (1,400 m) while its gun
8646-404: The RCMP received the honorary distinction of the badge of the Canadian Provost Corps , in recognition of the fact that the first Canadian military police unit was formed from volunteers from the RCMP. The Army Post Office Corps (APOC) was the first British Volunteer unit to be awarded a battle honour for their participation in the 1882 Anglo-Egyptian War . The honour (Egypt 1882) was displayed on
8777-470: The Royal Gloucestershire Hussars once again raised second- and third-line units. The first-line regiment remained in the UK as a training unit, seeing service overseas only after the war as part of the army of occupation in Austria, and the third-line regiment was actually a troop-sized unit acting mainly as a deception designed to disguise British armour strength and disposition. The 2nd Royal Gloucestershire Hussars fought in North Africa , initially attached to
8908-421: The UK expanded its armed forces. The 21st (Royal Gloucestershire Hussars) Armoured Car Company was converted to a full armoured regiment and, on 30 April 1939, regained its original title as the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars. The TA was doubled in size, with each regiment creating a duplicate, and in the summer of 1939 the 1st Royal Gloucestershire Hussars was recruiting in Gloucester, Cirencester and Bristol, while
9039-470: The UK in July 1901, the men of the 1st Battalion were absorbed back into their parent regiments, and the veterans of the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars endowed the regiment with its first battle honour , "South Africa 1900–01". In April 1901, the domestic Yeomanry Cavalry was renamed to the Imperial Yeomanry. The reorganisation set an established regimental strength of 593 (later reduced to 476) all ranks – organised as before into four squadrons, but with
9170-436: The UK, the 2nd Royal Gloucestershire Hussars deployed to Egypt in October 1941. By the middle of November it had assembled 76 miles (122 km) south-west of Mersa Matruh, close to the Libyan border, as part of the 22nd Armoured Brigade attached to the 7th Armoured Division , the Desert Rats . At this stage the regiment comprised 43 officers and 585 other ranks organised into three tank squadrons – F, G and H – with
9301-422: The addition of a machine-gun section – replaced carbines and swords with Lee–Enfield rifles and bayonets , and introduced a standard khaki uniform. The Imperial Yeomanry's mounted rifles role in South Africa and the reorganisation, along with the new uniforms and equipment, led to fears that the yeomanry was being relegated from cavalry to infantry. The regiment petitioned the King for permission to retain
9432-413: The army. Battle honours are usually presented in the form of a name of a country, region, or city where the unit's distinguished act took place, usually together with the year when it occurred. Not every battle fought will automatically result in the granting of a battle honour. Conversely, a regiment or a battalion might obtain more than one battle honour over the course of a larger operation. For example,
9563-495: The authority of the Crown , but also because the colours contain a regiment's battle honours, and thus represent the regiment's history and its deeds. Saluting a colour or guidon is thus a pivotal act in retaining an awareness of regimental history and traditions—key in the functioning of the regimental system . It remains common for army instructors to ensure that their recruits have memorised and are able to recite all of their regiment's battle honours. Such methods are meant to bring
9694-422: The award for their contingent's bravery at Arras in 1917 during the First World War . The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , although a civilian police force, was awarded the status of a dragoon regiment by King George V following the service of many of its members during the First World War . As a consequence, it then became entitled to display the many honours it had won dating back to 1885: In addition,
9825-628: The battalion the Battle Honour "South Africa 1900-1902". They are permitted to wear a miniature KRRC cap badge with this single battle honour, and call their members " riflemen " rather than cadets. In France, battle honours, known officially as inscriptions des noms de batailles au drapeau (literally "inscriptions of names of battles on the flag"), were created during the Wars of the French Revolution . The first honour such awarded
9956-484: The canal. Early on 23 April 1916, A Squadron was stationed at Qatia (or Katia), some 6 miles (10 km) south-east of Romani. At 09:15 it came under attack by a Turkish force of between 1,000 and 1,500 infantry, supported by cavalry and a battery of mountain guns , which had already overwhelmed two squadrons of the Queen's Own Worcestershire Hussars and a party of Royal Engineers further east at Oghratina. The squadron
10087-447: The colours. Since battle honours are primarily emblazoned on colours, artillery units, which do not have colours in the British military tradition, were awarded honour titles instead. These honour titles were permitted to be used as part of their official nomenclature, for example 13 Field Regiment (Chushul) . Similar honours in the same tenor include unit citations . Battle honours, theatre honours, honour titles and their ilk form
10218-542: The commanders, and weapons by the government. The yeomanry could only be called out by the Lord-Lieutenant or royal warrant to suppress civil unrest in home or neighbouring counties, or by royal warrant in the event of foreign invasion. The individual troops of the Corps of Gentlemen and Yeomanry, as the force was first called, were initially independent, and only later would they combine to form regiments. Each troop
10349-673: The defeat of the Second Reform Bill in the House of Lords . In 1834, all of the Gloucestershire yeomanry captains met in the hamlet of Petty France in south Gloucestershire and agreed to combine their troops into a single regiment, to be named the Gloucestershire Yeomanry Cavalry. Its first commanding officer was the Marquis of Worcester, who became the 7th Duke of Beaufort in 1835, thus beginning
10480-400: The division's left flank as it attacked Gaza from the south. The attempt to capture Gaza suffered from delays caused by fog, and the attack was called off in the late afternoon. The Second Battle of Gaza in April, during which the regiment fought with the rest of the cavalry as mounted infantry on the right flank of the main infantry attack, fared no better, and the opposing sides settled into
10611-507: The end of the day, for which action he was awarded the DSO. The regiment, down to a single composite squadron of 19 tanks, was in action again on 22 and 23 November at Sidi Rezegh. The 7th Armoured Division was badly mauled by the German 15th and 21st Panzer Divisions before the German armour broke contact and pushed on towards the Egyptian border. In the respite, the regiment, which at one stage had been reduced to just four Crusaders,
10742-578: The end of the month, the brigade had assembled on the Berkshire Downs with the rest of the 2nd Mounted Division , which was subsequently stationed on home defence duties on the east coast of England. As a territorial regiment, the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars was not obliged to serve overseas but could volunteer to do so, and when it did, a second-line regiment was formed in September 1914 to take its place on home defence duties. A third regiment
10873-686: The existing Yeomanry Cavalry regiments were asked to provide volunteers. The Royal Gloucestershire Hussars contributed a contingent of 125 men, around half of whom were existing members, the remainder being recruited into the regiment when they enlisted for service in South Africa. They were folded into the Imperial Yeomanry as 3rd Company, 1st Battalion, which arrived in South Africa in 1900 and saw its first action on 5 May at Thaba 'Nchu . It served for 18 months, as mounted rifles rather than cavalry, and came under fire 65 times, though more men were lost to sickness than enemy action. On their return to
11004-621: The expansion of the Empire . Thus in 1882, a committee was formed to adjudicate applications of battle honour claims. This committee, later called the Battles Nomenclature Committee, still maintains its function in the British Army today. A battle honour may be granted to infantry / cavalry regiments or battalions , as well as ships (see Naval battle honours below) and squadrons ; they are rarely granted to sub-units such as companies , platoons and sections in
11135-418: The final approval of claims. The ceremonial granting of new battle honours would be made in the form of the presentation of new Regimental and Sovereign's Colours to the regiment by the British monarch or an agent of the Crown, such as the Governor General of a commonwealth dominion. In British and Commonwealth armies a unit's battle honours can normally be found engraved, painted or embroidered on: As there
11266-571: The forces at the nation's disposal. This included the raising of volunteer troops of cavalry consisting of gentlemen and yeomanry . Each troop comprised 50 to 80 men, commanded by the person raising it. Commanders received a temporary rank ranging from Captain to Colonel, depending on the number of troops raised. Officers were generally appointed from among the nobility and gentry , and troops were largely recruited from landholders and tenant farmers . Members provided their own horses and were not paid except when called out. Uniforms were provided by
11397-413: The honorary colonel and lieutenant colonel . The regimental committee reviewed the report to determine which battle honours were claimable based on the unit's wartime service. The regiment submitted an application of claims to the army with evidence showing that the unit was worthy of the battle honours. Claims could also be made for actions not listed in the report. In Britain, public announcements followed
11528-533: The intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=RGH&oldid=1032974037 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Royal Gloucestershire Hussars Second World War Henry Somerset, 8th Duke of Beaufort Francis Berkeley, 2nd Baron FitzHardinge Henry Somerset, 9th Duke of Beaufort The Royal Gloucestershire Hussars
11659-608: The latter it fought both mounted and dismounted from the Suez Canal to Aleppo in modern-day Syria. Following the war, the regiment was downsized and converted to the 21st (Royal Gloucestershire Hussars) Armoured Car Company. When the United Kingdom began mobilising again in the late 1930s, the company converted to an armoured regiment and was restored to its former name. On the outbreak of the Second World War ,
11790-544: The local rulers or nationalist forces, have been declared as ' repugnant ' and are not celebrated or held in esteem. The earliest battle to be commemorated in the history of the British Indian Army was Plassey in 1757 which was awarded in 1829 vide Gazette of the Governor General No 43. La Martinière is the only school in the world to have been awarded royal battle honours for its role in
11921-467: The month it was employed in guard duties, reconnaissance, fortification works and as divisional reserve. The regiment remained in reserve while Allenby secured his right flank with the occupation of the Jordan valley in early 1918, and when not on duty the men entertained themselves with fox hunts, a steeplechase , and periods of leave in Jaffa and Jerusalem . At the end of April, the regiment travelled
12052-505: The new scheme between 19 May and 2 June 1909, when the 1st South Midland Mounted Brigade , of which the regiment was now part, assembled with the 1st South Western Mounted Brigade for exercises in the Salisbury Plain Training Area . Following the outbreak of the First World War , the regiment mobilised on 4 August 1914 and joined the rest of the 1st South Midland Mounted Brigade at Warwick eight days later. By
12183-427: The new soldier into the regimental ethos and sub-culture by means of imprinting shared history. In some cases where a battle honour was not granted, a special distinction has been substituted. For example, soldiers of The Rifles wear a cap badge on both the front and the rear of their hats. This so-called "back badge" is unique in the British Army and was awarded to the 28th Regiment of Foot for their actions at
12314-539: The next day. Although it was ordered to withdraw later that morning, it returned and completed the capture of the town on 21 September. By the end of September the regiment had reached Damascus , and on 27 October, shortly before the Armistice of Mudros ended hostilities, it entered Aleppo . During the march, the regiment recovered the sword of Captain Lloyd-Baker, commander of A Squadron, over two years after it
12445-411: The original British and Commonwealth lines. It then retired east to Knightsbridge where, on 6 June, the command tank was hit, killing Birley and the regiment's adjutant . The regiment was by this stage down to a strength of 17 Honies and two Grants, and for the next two days, with Trevor once again in command, it acted as a patrol squadron for 22nd Armoured Brigade. On 10 June, H Squadron was attached to
12576-483: The original contingent of 361 all ranks that had landed over two months previously, only some 100 men were still fit for duty when the regiment departed Gallipoli on 31 October. We have got quite a reputation. I tell you this because there are certain people in high places who can’t say anything too bad for us after the "disaster", which was bad management and nothing to do with us. So I don’t suppose we shall get much credit. It will be interesting to see. Our Anzac General
12707-459: The pages of Punch magazine at the time, and his insistence the next year that the regiment wear the second jacket over the back, Hungarian style, instead of the usual English-style over the shoulder. The influence of the social order on the composition of the regiment at this time can be observed from an incident in 1847. It involved a disagreement between Lord FitzHardinge , Lord-Lieutenant of Gloucestershire, and his brother, Grantley Berkeley ,
12838-575: The permanent duty was deferred until the autumn due to an early harvest, and participation in a major 14-day exercise in 1871 was cancelled due to a late harvest. Attendance at the annual assemblies dropped below 300 men in the late 1870s and early 1880s, compared to 445 in 1875, due to a succession of bad harvests. In 1890, the regiment boasted four Masters of Hounds and a large number of fox hunters in its membership, both officers and other ranks, and that year it adopted an old hunting song, D'ye ken John Peel , as its regimental march. The establishment of
12969-558: The reconnaissance role in 1947, equipped initially with Daimler Armoured Cars which were later replaced by Ferret scout vehicles . On 27 May 1962, a new Guidon was presented on behalf of the Queen by Colonel the Duke of Beaufort at Badminton House , and in 1963 the regiment was granted the Freedom of Gloucester . In 1967, following a reorganisation of the TA, the regiment was reduced to
13100-495: The regiment embarked without its horses for Gallipoli and arrived at Suvla Bay three days later. It fought as infantry at Chocolate Hill on 21 August, supporting the attack of the 29th Division in the Battle of Scimitar Hill , during which the regiment suffered 61 casualties. It remained in the area until the end of October, serving periods of duty in reserve and in the support and front-line trenches. During this time it continued to lose men to sickness and enemy shelling, and of
13231-449: The regiment had suffered 169 casualties. Birley, his arm in a sling, resumed command of the regiment on 13 January 1942, and when a German Africa Corps counter-attack pushed the British and Commonwealth forces back to Gazala later that month, he commanded Birley Force, a composite regiment to which the 2nd Royal Gloucestershire Hussars contributed the HQ and a squadron of tanks. The regiment
13362-566: The regiment moved to Ireland and was stationed at Dublin, where it remained, still in the 4th Cyclist Brigade, until the end of the war. The third-line regiment became part of the Cavalry Reserve at Tidworth, initially affiliated to the 4th Reserve Cavalry Regiment and subsequently to the 5th Reserve Cavalry Regiment . In April 1915, the 2nd Mounted Division sailed to Egypt, and the 1/1st Royal Gloucestershire Hussars, less C Squadron, disembarked at Alexandria on 24 April. On 14 August,
13493-469: The regiment were: Honorary colonels were: Battle honour In European military tradition, military units may be acknowledged for their achievements in specific wars or operations of a military campaign . In Great Britain and those countries of the Commonwealth which share a common military legacy with the British, battle honours are awarded to selected military units as official acknowledgement for their achievements in specific wars or operations of
13624-490: The regiment's long association with the Beaufort family. The new regiment was ranked 24th in the yeomanry order of precedence and comprised seven troops with a total strength of 26 officers and 382 other ranks. Adopting the uniform of light dragoons , each man was armed with sword and pistol, and twelve skirmishers in each troop were armed with muzzle-loading carbines . The regiment's first deployment came in 1838, when
13755-737: The regimental flag of 24 Middlesex Rifle Volunteer Corps ( Post Office Rifles ). The only cadet unit to receive a battle honour is 1st Cadet Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps (KRRC). Around 100 older cadets, principally non-commissioned officers, served in the South African War with the KRRC, the City Imperial Volunteers and the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC). Four cadets were killed in action. In recognition of this service, King Edward VII granted
13886-545: The regular army's Challenger 2 tanks. In 1794, fearing insurrection and faced with the threat of invasion during the French Revolutionary Wars , British Prime Minister William Pitt made the first ever recorded mention of yeoman cavalry when he called for an augmentation of the cavalry for internal defence. The government subsequently proposed a plan to all Lord-Lieutenants – the monarch's personal representative in each county – to increase
14017-517: The remaining senior officers appealed to brigade, division and corps commanders to prevent the regiment from being split up and used as replacements. Following defeat in the Battle of Gazala, the British and Commonwealth forces halted the Axis advance in the First Battle of El Alamein , in which G Squadron fought while attached at various times to the 1st Armoured Division Tank Delivery Regiment,
14148-702: The right to use the Latin " Ubique ", meaning everywhere , as a battle honour. This is worn on the cap badge of both the Corps of Royal Engineers and the Royal Regiment of Artillery (but not the Royal Horse Artillery ). Likewise the Royal Marines , although a colours-carrying service, was granted, along with the conventional battle honour of "Gibraltar" , the "Great Globe itself" by King George IV for its very numerous battle honours around
14279-630: The standards of the Yeomen of the Guard and the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms , neither of which are part of the army, but are instead the Sovereign's Bodyguard , in the personal service of the sovereign. The need to develop a centralised system to oversee the selection and granting of battle honours arose in the 19th century following the increase of British military engagements during
14410-474: The sword on parade, and by 1913 the weapon had been re-introduced in place of the bayonet for general use. The Imperial Yeomanry as an organisation lasted only until 1908, when the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 came into effect and brought all volunteer forces, including the yeomanry, together into the Territorial Force . The Royal Gloucestershire Hussars conducted its first annual training under
14541-467: The world. The practice was later extended to these same regiments and corps in the successor Commonwealth armed forces. The Battles Nomenclature Committee advised operational Army Headquarters on the granting of battle honours. At the end of the war, the army received a report from the committee containing: The army ordered regiments to form honours committees comprising at least five regimental officers, including past and present commanding officers, and
14672-492: The yeomanry regiments to brigades and required them to train at brigade level every three years. Accordingly, the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars joined the Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry in the 3rd Yeomanry Brigade, and the two regiments conducted their first joint permanent duty in 1895. In 1899, the British government created the Imperial Yeomanry to reinforce the regular army during the Second Boer War , and
14803-770: Was a volunteer yeomanry regiment which, in the 20th century, became part of the British Army Reserve . It traced its origins to the First or Cheltenham Troop of Gloucestershire Gentleman and Yeomanry raised in 1795, although a break in the lineage means that its formation is dated to the Marshfield and Dodington Troop raised in 1830. Six further troops – officered by nobility and gentry , and recruited largely from among landholders and tenant farmers – were subsequently raised in Gloucestershire , and in 1834 they came together to form
14934-563: Was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO). The squadron rejoined the composite regiment after the 5th Mounted Brigade arrived in support, and when the Anzac and British mounted brigades counter-attacked in the afternoon, the regiment took a ridge at the gallop and subsequently captured 500 prisoners, a battery of four guns and two machine guns. For the rest of the battle, the 5th Mounted Brigade came under command of
15065-489: Was being rebuilt, B and D Squadrons joined a squadron from the Worcestershire Hussars to form a composite regiment within the 5th Mounted Brigade. On 4 August, D Squadron, detached to the 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Division , played a conspicuous role in the Battle of Romani when it plugged and held for three hours a dangerous gap on the initiative of its commander, Major Charles Turner, for which he
15196-701: Was brought back up to strength, numbering 370 all ranks in January 1916. The same month, the 2nd Mounted Division was disbanded, and the 1st South Midland Mounted Brigade – renamed the 5th Mounted Brigade in April ;– became corps troops for the XV Corps , stationed in the Suez Canal area. In late March 1916, the regiment was patrolling the Sinai , and at the end of the month it assembled at Romani (modern day Rommana), some 21 miles (34 km) east of
15327-421: Was criticised for advancing too far, and an Australian soldier who visited Qatia labelled the yeomen "country bumpkins led by privileged toffs". When Lieutenant-General Sir Philip Chetwode unveiled the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars war memorial in 1922, he countered the "very wrong criticism", saying that "there was nothing to be ashamed of, but everything to make them proud of their regiment". While A Squadron
15458-458: Was disbanded in 1827. New troops of yeomanry were raised in the 1830s in response to the Swing Riots . The first such troop established in Gloucestershire was the Marshfield and Dodington Troop, raised in 1830 by William Codrington , from which the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars dated its formation. The troop comprised three officers, a quartermaster , four non-commissioned officers ,
15589-419: Was divided between the 5th Royal Tank Regiment and the 3rd The King's Own Hussars , and the 2nd Royal Gloucestershire Hussars was disbanded on 15 January 1943. During its brief career the regiment had lost 72 men killed, 100 wounded and 85 taken prisoner of war, and was awarded two DSOs, seven Military Crosses , a Distinguished Conduct Medal and fourteen Military Medals . The regiment was reconstituted in
15720-509: Was given Crusaders and allocated to Army reserve at El Amiriya, serving at various times under the command of the 8th Hussars, an Indian brigade, the 9th Australian Division and finally the 10th Royal Hussars . The regiment's rear echelon and some of its HQ troops guarded bridges over the Nile in the Delta. During the Battle of Alam el Halfa , the regiment's F and H Squadrons fought as units of
15851-424: Was ineffective at ranges greater than 800 yards (730 m), and at one stage the regiment was outnumbered five or six to one. The day's fighting cost the regiment 30 tanks and some 50 casualties. Among the wounded was the regiment's commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Birley, who, after suffering a broken arm when his tank was disabled, sat exposed on another and directed the regiment until it withdrew at
15982-554: Was later re-equipped with Valentine tanks and earmarked for service in North Africa as part of the 6th Armoured Division , but a last minute change resulted in the unit remaining in the UK as a training regiment which, by the war's end, had trained over 5,000 officers and men. As the war was nearing its conclusion the regiment was equipped with Churchill tanks and prepared for service in the Far East , but following VJ Day it
16113-475: Was raised in 1915 as a reserve and to provide replacements for the first two. The regiments were numbered the 1/1st, 2/1st and 3/1st Royal Gloucestershire Hussars. The second-line regiment spent most of the war stationed at various locations in England, initially as part of the 2/1st South Midland Mounted Brigade (subsequently renamed the 10th Mounted Brigade) in the 2/2nd Mounted Division (subsequently renamed
16244-420: Was re-equipped in the first week of February; F Squadron with the new M3 Grant tanks, and G and H Squadrons with Crusaders, and in May its strength was 36 officers, 563 other ranks and 48 tanks. At the end of May, with the 22nd Armoured Brigade now returned to its parent unit, the 1st Armoured Division, the regiment saw action in the Battle of Gazala . It fought in the areas of Bir el Harmat and 'Knightsbridge',
16375-497: Was re-equipped with Sherman tanks and Greyhound armoured cars and sent instead to Austria as part of the army of occupation in December 1945. The 3rd Royal Gloucestershire Hussars was actually a troop of one officer and 30 men. It served variously as a training regiment, trials unit and decoy, constructing dummy tanks to deceive the enemy about the disposition and strength of British armour. After completing its training in
16506-501: Was reinforced by a squadron of Worcestershire Hussars, and the regiment's own B and D Squadrons moved out of Romani in support. The defenders at Qatia held out until mid-afternoon before being overwhelmed, and B and D Squadrons, which had been heavily engaged in the attempt to reach Qatia, retired back to Romani. The Battle of Katia cost the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars 98 casualties, most of them being taken prisoner, and only nine men of A Squadron evaded death or captivity. The squadron
16637-572: Was reinforced with five M3 Stuarts – named Honey by the British ;– five Crusaders, and a squadron of Cruiser Mk IVs from the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment . The regiment fought next in the Sidi Rezegh area on 27 and 28 November, finding itself once again outgunned by enemy armour returning from its raid on the Egyptian border. After the battle, the regiment was withdrawn and re-equipped with 52 Honies which had already seen battle with
16768-433: Was required to conduct exercises, or 'permanent duty', initially for twelve days each year, reduced to six in 1816. The first yeomanry troop raised in Gloucestershire was the 60-strong First or Cheltenham Troop of Gloucestershire Gentlemen and Yeomanry, formed in 1795 by Powell Snell, a gentleman of means and good position. In total, eight troops had been raised by 1798. Following the 1802 Peace of Amiens , all except
16899-539: Was taken by the Turks following his death at Qatia, and on 21 November the regiment entertained nine of its own recently released prisoners of war who had been captured at Qatia. The regiment remained in Palestine immediately after the war and was demobilised in stages. The first party returned to the UK in January 1919, only two squadrons remained by March, and those not yet eligible for demobilisation were transferred to
17030-415: Was their initial military function, the battle honours they carry are held in high esteem by military personnel. Regiments take pride in their battle honours, and the winning of further battle honours, as these are seen to enhance a unit's reputation. It remains a tradition that whenever military personnel meet a colour or guidon, it must be saluted. This is not only because it is an object which represents
17161-411: Was transferred to the 5th Cavalry Division , which moved to the coastal sector in preparation for the next phase of the offensive. On 19 September, the division led the exploitation of a breach made in the enemy lines by the infantry in the Battle of Sharon , and after an advance of over 50 miles (80 km) the regiment, acting in the traditional cavalry role, entered Nazareth with swords drawn early
#631368