- Childers Reforms
-
The Childers Reforms restructured the infantry regiments of the British army. The reforms were undertaken by Secretary of State for War Hugh Childers in 1881, and were a continuation of the earlier Cardwell reforms.
The reorganisation was brought into effect by General Order 41/1881, issued on 1 May 1881, amended by G.O. 70/1881 dated 1 July, which created a network of multi-battalion regiments. In England, Wales and Scotland, each regiment was to have two regular or "line" battalions and two militia battalions. In Ireland, there were to be two line and three militia battalions. This was done by renaming the numbered regiments of foot and county militia regiments. In addition the various corps of county rifle volunteers were to be designated as volunteer battalions. Each of these regiments was linked by headquarters location and territorial name to its local "Regimental District". The reforms came into effect on 1 July.
From 1881 regimental seniority numbers were officially abolished and battalions came to be known by their number within the regiment and the regimental district name. Unofficially, the regiments were still referred to by their numbers by their officers and men, as tradition and a point of pride, and several regiments such as "The Buffs", The Cameron Highlanders, and "The Black Watch", lobbied to keep their distinct names as part of their battalion titles.
In practice, it was not always possible to apply the scheme strictly: the Cameron Highlanders initially had only one regular battalion, while several regiments had more or fewer militia regiments than envisaged in the initial scheme. In addition, the Rifle Brigade and King's Royal Rifle Corps had no local regimental districts, and their affiliated militia and volunteer battalions were selected not on a territorial basis, but due to their "rifle" traditions. This structure lasted until 1948, when every regiment of line infantry had its regular battalions cut to one, with only the three original Guards Division regiments retaining two regular battalions.
Contents
Standardisation of uniforms and colours
An attempt was made to have the facings of uniforms standardised: English and Welsh regiments would have white facings, Irish regiments would wear green facings, Scottish regiments would have yellow facings, and royal regiments would have dark blue facings. Officers' uniforms had lace in distinctive national patterns: rose pattern for England and Wales, thistle for Scotland and shamrock for Ireland. In the case of regular battalions the lace was gold, while that of the militia battalions was silver. There were also attempts to assimilate regimental insignia and remove "tribal" uniform distinctions. This was less successful, as regimental tribalism and tradition forced a national outcry.
In 1890, The Buffs succeeded in being allowed to resume the wearing of buff facings. Within a few years, a number of other regiments had replaced white facings with traditional colours. After 1935, the ruling on blue facings for royal regiments effectively lapsed. In that year, in celebration of his silver jubilee, King George V designated three regiments as royal. In each case, they were "permitted to retain their present facings".[1] In 1939 The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, who had worn blue facings since 1881, were issued buff regimental colours "by request and gracious permission".[2] Again in 1946 three infantry regiments were designated as "royal" for services in the Second World War. Of these, only the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment replaced its (white) facings with blue.[3]
Regiments created
Original title Changes Regular battalions Militia battalions Volunteer battalions Regimental district Facings The Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment) 1921: The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment)[4] 1st, or The Royal Scots Regiment (2 battalions) The Edinburgh (or Queen's) Regiment of Light Infantry Militia City of Edinburgh Rifle Volunteer Brigade
2nd Midlothian (Midlothian and Peebles-shire) Rifle Volunteer Corps
1st Berwickshire RVC*
1st Haddington RVC
1st Linlithgowshire RVCBerwickshire*, City of Edinburgh, County of Edinburgh, Haddingtonshire, Linlithgowshire Blue The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) 1921: The Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)[4] 2nd (Queen's Royal) Regiment of Foot (2 battalions) 2nd Royal Surrey Militia 2nd Surrey RVC
4th Surrey RVC
6th Surrey RVC
8th Surrey RVCPart of Surrey (including Bermondsey, Croydon, Guildford and Southwark) Blue The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) 1935: The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)[5] 3rd (East Kent, The Buffs) Regiment of Foot (2 battalions) East Kent Militia
A new 4th Battalion was also formed2nd Kent (East Kent) RVC
5th Kent (Weald of Kent) RVC
Part of Kent (including Ashford, Canterbury, Dover and Ramsgate) White, changed to buff in 1890[6] The King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment) 1921: The King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster)[4] 4th (King's Own Royal) Regiment of Foot (2 battalions) 1st Royal Lancashire Militia (Duke of Lancaster's Own) (2 battalions) 10th Lancashire RVC Part of Lancashire (including Barrow-in-Furness, Lancaster, Morecambe and Ulverston) Blue The Northumberland Fusiliers 1935: The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers[5] 5th (Northumberland) (Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot (2 battalions) The Northumberland Light Infantry Militia 1st Northumberland (Northumberland and Berwick-on-Tweed) RVC
2nd Northumberland RVC
1st Newcastle-on-Tyne RVCNorthumberland (including Berwick-upon-Tweed) White, changed to gosling green in 1899 The Royal Warwickshire Regiment 1963: The Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers 6th (Royal 1st Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot (2 battalions) 1st Warwickshire Militia
2nd Warwickshire Militia
1st Warwickshire (Birmingham) RVC
2nd Warwickshire RVC
Warwickshire Blue The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) 7th (Royal Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot (2 battalions) Royal London Militia
3rd or Royal Westminster Middlesex (Light Infantry) Militia
4th or Royal South Middlesex Militia1st Tower Hamlets Rifle Volunteer Brigade
Originally the 5th Middlesex RVC, 9th Middlesex RVC and 22nd Middlesex RVC, reallocated to King's Royal Rifle Corps 1882/3
replaced by: 10th Middlesex RVC
11th Middlesex RVC
23rd Middlesex RVCCity of London, part of Middlesex (the Tower division, Bloomsbury and Westminster) Blue The Liverpool Regiment 1881: The King's (Liverpool Regiment)
1921:The King's Regiment (Liverpool)[4]8th (the King's) Regiment of Foot (2 battalions) 2nd Royal Lancashire Militia (Duke of Lancaster's Own Rifles) 1st Lancashire RVC
Liverpool Rifle Brigade (5th Lancashire RVC)
13th Lancashire RVC
15th Lancashire RVC
18th Lancashire (Liverpool Irish) RVC
19th Lancashire (Liverpool Press Guard) RVC
1st Isle of Man RVCPart of Lancashire (including Bootle, Liverpool and Southport) and the Isle of Man Blue The Norfolk Regiment 1935: The Royal Norfolk Regiment[5] 9th (East Norfolk) Regiment of Foot (2 battalions) 1st or West Norfolk Militia
2nd or East Norfolk Militia
1st Norfolk (City of Norwich) RVC
2nd Norfolk RVC
3rd Norfolk RVC
4th Norfolk RVCNorfolk White, changed to yellow in 1905 The Lincolnshire Regiment 1946:The Royal Lincolnshire Regiment[7] 10th (North Lincoln) Regiment of Foot (2 battalions) Royal North Lincolnshire Militia
Royal South Lincolnshire Militia
1st Lincolnshire RVC
2nd Lincolnshire RVC
Lincolnshire White, changed to royal blue in 1946 and to blue in 1949[7][8] The Devonshire Regiment 11th (North Devon) Regiment of Foot (2 battalions) 1st or East Devon Militia
2nd or South Devon Militia
1st Devonshire (Exeter and South Devon) RVC
2nd Devonshire Rifle Volunteers (Prince of Wales's)
3rd Devonshire RVC
4th Devonshire RVC
5th Devonshire RVCDevon White, changed to Lincoln green in 1905 The Suffolk Regiment 12th (East Suffolk) Regiment of Foot (2 battalions) West Suffolk Militia
Cambridgeshire Militia
1st Suffolk RVC
6th Suffolk (West Suffolk) RVC
1st Cambridgeshire (Cambridge, Essex and Huntingdonshire) RVC
2nd Cambridgeshire (Cambridge University) RVCCambridgeshire and Suffolk, also Huntingdonshire until 1900† White, changed to yellow in 1899 Prince Albert's Light Infantry (Somersetshire Regiment) 1882: The Prince Albert's (Somersetshire Light Infantry)
1912: Prince Albert's (Somerset Light Infantry)
1921: The Somerset Light Infantry (Prince Albert's)[4]13th (1st Somersetshire) (Prince Albert's Light Infantry) Regiment of Foot (2 battalions) 1st Somersetshire Light Infantry Militia
2nd Somersetshire Light Infantry Militia
1st Somersetshire RVC
2nd Somersetshire RVC
3rd Somersetshire RVCSomerset Blue The Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment) 1921: The West Yorkshire Regiment (The Prince of Wales's Own)[4] 14th (Buckinghamshire) (Prince of Wales's Own) Regiment of Foot (2 battalions) 2nd West York Light Infantry Militia
4th West York Militia
1st Yorkshire, West Riding RVC
3rd Yorkshire, West Riding RVC
7th Yorkshire, West Riding RVCPart of the West Riding of Yorkshire (including Bradford, Harrogate, Leeds and Ripon) and the county and city of York White, changed to buff in 1900[9] The East Yorkshire Regiment 1935: The East Yorkshire Regiment (The Duke of York's Own)[5] 15th (York, East Riding) Regiment of Foot (2 battalions) East York Militia 1st Yorkshire, East Riding, RVC
2nd Yorkshire, East Riding, RVC
East Riding of Yorkshire White The Bedfordshire Regiment 1919: The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment[10] 16th (Bedfordshire) Regiment of Foot (2 battalions) Bedfordshire Light Infantry Militia
Hertfordshire Militia
1st Hertfordshire RVC
2nd Hertfordshire RVC 1st Bedfordshire RVC
Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire; also Huntingdonshire 1900 - 1908† White The Leicestershire Regiment 1946: The Royal Leicestershire Regiment[7] 17th (Leicestershire) Regiment of Foot (2 battalions) Leicestershire Militia 1st Leicestershire RVC Leicestershire and Rutland White, changed to pearl grey in 1931[11] The Royal Irish Regiment Disbanded 1922[12] 18th (The Royal Irish) Regiment of Foot (2 battalions) Wexford Militia
2nd or North Tipperary Light Infantry Militia
Kilkenny Fusiliers MilitiaN/A County Kilkenny, County Tipperary, County Waterford and County Wexford Blue The Princess of Wales's Own (Yorkshire Regiment) 1902: Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own (Yorkshire Regiment)
1921: The Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment)[4]
19th (1st York, North Riding) (Princess of Wales's Own) Regiment of Foot (2 battalions) 5th West York Militia
North York Rifles
1st Yorkshire (North Riding) RVC
2nd Yorkshire (North Riding) RVC
North Riding of Yorkshire White, changed to grass green in 1899 The Lancashire Fusiliers 20th (East Devonshire) Regiment of Foot (2 battalions) 7th Royal Lancashire Militia 8th Lancashire RVC
12th Lancashire RVC
part of Lancashire (including Bury, Middleton, Radcliffe, Rochdale and Salford) White The Royal Scots Fusiliers 21st (Royal Scots Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot (2 battalions) Dumfries, Roxburgh, Kirkcudbright and Selkirk (Scottish Borderers) Militia[13]
Royal Ayrshire and Wigton Rifles (The Prince Regent's Own)
1st Ayrshire RVC
2nd Ayrshire RVC
Ayrshire, Kirkcudbrightshire and Wigtownshire, also Dumfriesshire, Roxburghshire and Selkirkshire until 1887* Blue The Cheshire Regiment 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment of Foot (2 battalions) 1st Royal Cheshire Light Infantry Militia
2nd Royal Cheshire Militia
1st Cheshire RVC
2nd (Earl of Chester's) Cheshire RVC
3rd Cheshire RVC
4th Cheshire (Cheshire and Derbyshire) RVC
5th Cheshire RVCCheshire White, changed to buff in 1904 The Royal Welsh Fusiliers 1920: The Royal Welch Fusiliers[14] 23rd (Royal Welsh Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot (2 battalions) Royal Denbigh and Merioneth Rifles
Royal Carnarvon Rifle Corps
1st Denbighshire RVC
1st Flintshire and Carnarvonshire RVC
Anglesey, Carnarvonshire, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Merionethshire, also Montgomeryshire from 1908.[15] Blue The South Wales Borderers 24th (2nd Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot (2 battalions) Royal South Wales Borderers Militia (Royal Radnor and Brecknock Rifles)
Royal Montgomery Rifles
1st Brecknockshire RVC
1st Monmouthshire RVC
2nd Monmouthshire RVC
3rd Monmouthshire RVC
1st Montgomeryshire RVCBrecknockshire and Monmouthshire, also Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire until 1908.[15] White, changed to grass green in 1905 The King's Own Borderers 1887: The King's Own Scottish Borderers 25th (King's Own Borderers) Regiment of Foot (2 battalions) Transferred from the Royal Scots Fusiliers in 1887:
Dumfries, Roxburgh, Kirkcudbright and Selkirk (Scottish Borderers) Militia[13]Transferred from the Royal Scots in 1887:
1st Roxburgh and Selkirk (The Border) RVC
1st Berwickshire RVCTransferred from the Royal Scots Fusiliers in 1877:
1st Dumfriesshire RVC
The Galloway RVCOriginally to have been part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, but no regimental district formed in 1881. In 1887 a regimental district was formed comprising Berwickshire, Dumfriesshire, Roxburghshire and Selkirkshire by transferring areas from the Royal Scots and Royal Scots Fusiliers. Blue The Cameronians (Scotch Rifles) 1881: The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) 26th (Cameronian) Regiment of Foot
90th (Perthshire Volunteers) (Light Infantry) Regiment of Foot
2nd Royal Lanark Militia (2 battalions) 1st Lanarkshire (or Glasgow 1st Western) RVC
2nd Lanarkshire RVC
3rd Lanarkshire (or Glasgow 1st Southern) RVC
4th Lanarkshire (or Glasgow 1st Northern) RVC
7th Lanarkshire RVCPart of Lanarkshire (including Hamilton, Motherwell and parts of Glasgow) Rifle green faced dark green The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot
108th (Madras Infantry) Regiment of Foot
Fermanagh Light Infantry Militia
Royal Tyrone Fusiliers Militia
Londonderry Light Infantry Militia
The Prince of Wales's Own Donegal MilitiaN/A County Donegal (until 1922), County Fermanagh, County Londonderry, County Tyrone‡ Blue The Gloucestershire Regiment 28th (North Gloucestershire) Regiment of Foot
61st (South Gloucestershire) Regiment of Foot
Royal South Gloucestershire Light Infantry Militia
Royal North Gloucestershire Militia
1st Gloucestershire (City of Bristol) RVC
2nd Gloucestershire RVC
Gloucestershire White, changed to primrose yellow in 1929 The Worcestershire Regiment 29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot
36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot
1st Worcestershire Militia
2nd Worcestershire Militia
1st Worcestershire RVC
2nd Worcestershire RVC
Worcestershire White, changed to grass green in 1920 and to "grass green (emerald)" in 1924 The West Lancashire Regiment 1881: The East Lancashire Regiment 30th (Cambridgeshire) Regiment of Foot
59th (2nd Nottinghamshire) Regiment of Foot
5th Royal Lancashire Militia 2nd Lancashire RVC
3rd Lancashire RVC
Part of Lancashire (including Accrington, Blackburn, Burnley, Clitheroe and Darwen) White The East Surrey Regiment 31st (Huntingdonshire) Regiment of Foot
70th (Surrey) Regiment of Foot
1st Royal Surrey Militia
3rd Royal Surrey Militia
1st Surrey (South London) RVC
3rd Surrey RVC
5th Surrey RVC
7th Surrey RVCPart of Surrey (including Camberwell, Kingston upon Thames, Richmond, Southwark and Wandsworth) White The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry 32nd (Cornwall) (Light Infantry) Regiment of Foot
46th (South Devonshire) Regiment of Foot
Royal Cornwall Rangers, Duke of Cornwall's Own Rifles 1st Cornwall RVC
2nd Cornwall RVC
Cornwall White The Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) 1921: The Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding)[4] 33rd (Duke of Wellington's Regiment) Regiment of Foot
76th Regiment of Foot
6th West York Militia (2 battalions) 4th Yorkshire, West Riding RVC
6th Yorkshire, West Riding RVC
9th Yorkshire, West Riding RVCPart of the West Riding of Yorkshire (including Brighouse, Halifax, Huddersfield, Keighley and Skipton) White, reverted to scarlet in 1905 (both 33rd & 76th were originally Scarlet) The Border Regiment 34th (Cumberland) Regiment of Foot
55th (Westmoreland) Regiment of Foot
Royal Cumberland Militia
Royal Westmoreland Light Infantry Militia
1st Cumberland RVC
1st Westmoreland RVC
Cumberland and Westmorland White, changed to yellow in 1913 The Royal Sussex Regiment 35th (Royal Sussex) Regiment of Foot
107th (Bengal Infantry) Regiment of Foot
Royal Sussex Light Infantry Militia 1st Sussex RVC
2nd Sussex RVC
1st Cinque Ports (Cinque Ports and Sussex) RVCSussex Blue The Hampshire Regiment 1946: The Royal Hampshire Regiment[7] 37th (North Hampshire) Regiment of Foot
67th (South Hampshire) Regiment of Foot
Royal Hampshire Militia 1st Hampshire RVC
2nd Hampshire RVC
3rd Hampshire RVC
4th Hampshire RVC,br> 1st Isle of Wight RVCHampshire (including the Isle of Wight) White, changed to yellow in 1904 The South Staffordshire Regiment 38th (1st Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot
80th (Staffordshire Volunteers) Regiment of Foot
(The King's Own) 1st Staffordshire Militia (2 battalions) 1st Staffordshire RVC
3rd Staffordshire RVC
4th Staffordshire RVCPart of Staffordshire (including Handsworth, Walsall, Wednesbury and Wolverhampton) White, changed to yellow in 1936[16] The Dorsetshire Regiment 1951: The Dorset Regiment[17] 39th (Dorsetshire) Regiment of Foot
54th (West Norfolk) Regiment of foot
Dorsetshire Militia 1st Dorsetshire RVC Dorset White, changed to grass green in 1904 The Prince of Wales's Volunteers (South Lancashire Regiment) 1938: The South Lancashire Regiment (The Prince of Wales's Volunteers)[18] 40th (2nd Somersetshire) Regiment of foot
82nd (Prince of Wales's Volunteers) Regiment of Foot
4th Royal Lancashire (Duke of Lancaster's Own) Light Infantry Militia 9th Lancashire RVC
21st Lancashire RVC
Part of Lancashire (including St Helens and Warrington) White, changed to buff in 1933 The Welsh Regiment 1920: The Welch Regiment[14] 41st (The Welsh) Regiment of Foot
69th (South Lincolnshire) Regiment of Foot
Royal Glamorganshire Light Infantry Militia 1st Pembrokeshire (Pembroke, Carmarthen and Haverfordwest) RVC
1st Glamorganshire RVC
2nd Glamorganshire RVC
3rd Glamorganshire RVCCarmarthenshire, Glamorgan and Pembrokeshire White The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) 1934: The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment)[19] 42nd (Royal Highland, The Black Watch) Regiment of Foot
73rd (Perthshire) Regiment of foot
Royal Perthshire Rifle Regiment of Militia 1st Forfarshire RVC
2nd Forfarshire (Forfarshire or Angus) RVC
3rd Forfarshire (Dundee Highland) RVC
1st Perthshire RVC
2nd Perthshire (Perthshire Highland) RVC
1st Fifeshire RVCFife, Forfarshire and Perthshire Blue The Oxfordshire Light Infantry 1908: The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry 43rd (Monmouthshire Light Infantry) Regiment of Foot
52nd (Oxfordshire) (Light Infantry) Regiment of Foot
Royal Bucks (King's Own) Militia
Oxfordshire Militia
1st Oxfordshire (Oxford University) RVC
2nd Oxfordshire RVC
1st Buckinghamshire RVC
2nd Buckinghamshire (Eton College) RVCBuckinghamshire and Oxfordshire White The Essex Regiment 44th (East Essex) Regiment of Foot
56th (West Essex) Regiment of Foot
Eastern Regiment of Essex Militia
1st or West Essex Militia
1st Essex RVC
2nd Essex RVC
3rd Essex RVC
4th Essex RVCEssex White, changed to purple in 1936[20] The Sherwood Foresters (Derbyshire Regiment) 1902: The Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment) 45th (Nottinghamshire) (Sherwood Foresters) Regiment of Foot
1st Derbyshire Militia
2nd Derbyshire Militia (The Chatsworth Rifles)
Royal Sherwood Foresters or Nottinghamshire Regiment of Militia1st Derbyshire RVC
2nd Derbyshire RVC
1st Nottinghamshire (Robin Hoods) RVC
2nd Nottinghamshire RVCDerbyshire and Nottinghamshire White, changed to lincoln green in 1913 The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire)[4] 47th (Lancashire) Regiment of Foot
81st (Loyal Lincoln Volunteers) Regiment of Foot
3rd Duke of Lancaster's Own Royal Lancashire Militia (2 battalions) 11th Lancashire RVC
14th Lancashire RVC
Part of Lancashire (including Bolton, Chorley and Preston) White The Northamptonshire Regiment 48th (Northamptonshire) Regiment of Foot
58th (Rutlandshire) Regiment of Foot
Northampton and Rutland Militia 1st Northamptonshire RVC Northamptonshire, plus Huntingdonshire from 1914† White, changed to buff in 1927 Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Berkshire Regiment) 1885: Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire Regiment)
1921: The Royal Berkshire Regiment (Princess Charlotte of Wales's)[4]
49th (Hertfordshire) (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) Regiment of Foot
66th (Berkshire) Regiment of Foot
Royal Berkshire Militia 1st Berkshire RVC Berkshire White, changed to blue in 1885 The Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) January 1, 1921: The Royal West Kent (Queen's Own)[4]
April 16, 1921: The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment[21]
50th (Queen's Own) Regiment of Foot
97th (Earl of Ulster's) Regiment of Foot
West Kent Light Infantry Militia 1st Kent RVC
3rd Kent RVC
Part of Kent (including Bromley, Maidstone, Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells) Blue The King's Own Light Infantry (South Yorkshire Regiment) 1887: The King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry)
1921: The King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry[4]
51st (2nd Yorkshire, West Riding, King's Own Light Infantry) Regiment of Foot
105th (Madras Light Infantry) Regiment of Foot
1st West York Rifles Militia 3rd Yorkshire, West Riding RVC Part of the West Riding of Yorkshire (including Batley, Castleford, Dewsbury, Doncaster, Goole, Pontefract and Wakefield) Blue The King's Light Infantry (Shropshire Regiment) 1882: The King's (Shropshire Light Infantry)
1921: The King's Shropshire Light Infantry[4]
53rd (Shropshire) Regiment of Foot
85th (Bucks Volunteers) (King's Light Infantry) Regiment of Foot
Shropshire Militia
Royal Herefordshire Militia
1st Shropshire RVC
2nd Shropshire RVC
1st Herefordshire (Hereford and Radnor) RVCHerefordshire and Shropshire, also Radnorshire from 1908[15] Blue The Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment) 1921: The Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own)[4] 57th (West Middlesex) Regiment of Foot
77th (East Middlesex) Regiment of Foot (The Duke of Cambridge's Own)
Royal Elthorne or 5th Middlesex Light Infantry Militia
Royal East Middlesex Militia
3rd Middlesex RVC
8th Middlesex RVC
1882: 11th Middlesex (Railway)RVC
17th Middlesex RVCMiddlesex, except parts included in the regimental district of the Royal Fusiliers White, changed to lemon yellow in 1902 The King's Royal Rifle Corps January 1, 1921: The King's Royal Rifles[4]
February 10, 1921: The King's Royal Rifle Corps[22]
60th (King's Royal Rifle Corps) Regiment of Foot (4 battalions) Huntingdonshire Rifles Militia
Royal Flint Rifles Militia
2nd Royal Rifle Regiment of Middlesex Militia
Carlow Rifles Militia
North Cork Rifles Militia3rd City of London RVC 1st Middlesex RVC (Victoria Rifles)
2nd Middlesex RVC (South Middlesex)
4th Middlesex RVC (West London)
6th Middlesex RVC (St George's)
12th Middlesex RVC (Civil Service)
13th Middlesex RVC (Queen's Westminsters)
25th Middlesex (Bank of England) RVC
1888: 26th Middlesex (Cyclist) RVCRecruited throughout United Kingdom (depot at Winchester) Rifle green faced scarlet The Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire Regiment) 1921: The Wiltshire Regiment (Duke of Edinburgh's)[4] 62nd (Wiltshire) Regiment of Foot
99th (Duke of Edinburgh's) Regiment of Foot
Royal Wiltshire Militia 1st Wiltshire RVC
2nd Wiltshire RVC
Wiltshire White, changed to buff in 1905 The Manchester Regiment 63rd (West Suffolk) Regiment of Foot
96th Regiment of Foot
6th Royal Lancashire Militia (2 battalions) 4th Lancashire RVC 6th Lancashire (1st Manchester) RVC
7th Lancashire RVC
33rd Lancashire (2nd Manchester) RVC
40th Lancashire (3rd Manchester) RVCPart of Lancashire (including Ashton-under-Lyne, Manchester and Oldham) White, changed to deep green in 1937 The Prince of Wales's (North Staffordshire Regiment) 1921: The North Staffordshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's)[4] 64th (North Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot
98th (Prince of Wales's) Regiment of Foot
The King's Own (2nd Staffordshire) Light Infantry Militia
The King's Own (3rd Staffordshire) Rifles Militia
2nd Staffordshire (Staffordshire Rangers) RVC
5th Staffordshire RVC
Part of Staffordshire (including Burton upon Trent, Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent and Tamworth) White, changed to black in 1937 The York and Lancaster Regiment 65th (2nd Yorkshire, North Riding) Regiment of Foot
84th (York and Lancaster) Regiment of Foot
3rd West York Light Infantry Militia 2nd Yorkshire West Riding (Hallamshire) RVC
8th Yorkshire West Riding RVC
Part of the West Riding of Yorkshire (including Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield) White The Durham Light Infantry 68th (Durham) (Light Infantry) Regiment of Foot
106th (Bombay Light Infantry) Regiment of Foot
1st South Durham Militia
2nd North Durham Militia
1st Durham (Durham and North Riding of York) RVC
2nd Durham RVC
3rd Durham (Sunderland) RVC
4th Durham RVC
5th Durham RVCCounty Durham White changed to dark green in 1903 The Highland Light Infantry 1923: The Highland Light Infantry (City of Glasgow Regiment)[23] 71st (Highland) (light Infantry) Regiment of Foot
74th (Highlanders) Regiment of Foot
1st Royal Lanark Militia 5th Lanarkshire (Glasgow 2nd Northern) RVC
6th Lanarkshire RVC
8th Lanarkshire (The Blythswood) RVC
9th Lanarkshire RVC
10th Lanarkshire (Glasgow Highland) RVCPart of Lanarkshire (including Glasgow and Lanark) Yellow, changed to buff in 1899 Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs) 1881: Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, The Duke of Albany's)
1921: The Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, The Duke of Albany's)[4]
72nd (Duke of Albany's own Highlanders) Regiment of foot
78th (Highlanders) (Ross-shire Buffs) Regiment of Foot
Highland Rifles Militia (The militia regiment of the counties of Ross, Caithness, Sutherland and Cromarty) 1st Ross-shire (Ross Highland) RVC
1st Sutherland (The Sutherland Highland) RVC
1st Elgin RVCCaithness, Cromarty, Elginshire, Nairnshire, Orkney, Ross-shire and Sutherland Yellow, changed to buff to 1899 The Gordon Highlanders 75th (Stirlingshire) Regiment of Foot
92nd (Gordon Highlanders) Regiment of Foot
Royal Aberdeenshire Highlanders Militia 1st Aberdeenshire RVC
2nd Aberdeenshire RVC
3rd Aberdeenshire (The Buchan) RVC
4th Aberdeenshire RVC
1st Banffshire RVC
1st Kincardineshire (Deeside Highland) RVCAberdeenshire, Banffshire and Kincardineshire, also Zetland from 1900 Yellow The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders 79th (Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders) Regiment of Foot
2nd battalion raised in 1897
Inverness, Banff, Elgin and Nairn Militia 1st Inverness-shire (Inverness Highland) RVC Inverness-shire Blue The Royal Irish Rifles 1922: The Royal Ulster Rifles 83rd (County of Dublin) Regiment of Foot
86th (Royal County Down) Regiment of Foot
Royal North Down Rifles
Royal Antrim Rifles Militia
Royal South Down Light Infantry Militia
Royal Louth Rifles MilitiaN/A County Antrim and County Down, also County Louth until 1922 Rifle green faced light green, facings changed to dark green 1882 The Royal Irish Fusiliers (Princess Victoria's) 87th (Royal Irish Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot
89th (Princess Victoria's) Regiment of Foot
Armagh Light Infantry Militia
Cavan Militia
Monaghan MilitiaN/A County Armagh plus County Cavan and County Monaghan until 1922‡ Blue The Connaught Rangers Disbanded 1922[12] 88th (Connaught Rangers) Regiment of Foot
94th Regiment of Foot
South Mayo Rifles Militia
Galway Militia
Roscommon Militia
North Mayo Fusilers MilitiaN/A County Galway, County Leitrim, County Mayo and County Roscommon Green Princess Louises's (Sutherland and Argyll Highlanders) 1882: Princess Louises's (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders)
1921: The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's)[4]
91st (Princess Louises's Argyllshire Highlanders) Regiment of Foot
93rd (Sutherland Highlanders) Regiment of Foot
Highland Borderers Light Infantry Militia (The militia regiment of the counties of Clackmannan, Dumbarton, Kinross and Stirling)
Prince of Wales's Royal Regiment of Renfrew Militia
1st Renfrewshire RVC
2nd Renfrewshire RVC
3rd Renfrewshire RVC
1st Stirlingshire RVC
1st Argyllshire RVC
1st Dumbartonshire RVC
Clackmannanshire and Kinross RVCArgyllshire, Buteshire, Dumbartonshire, Kinross-shire, Renfrewshire and Stirlingshire Yellow The Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians) Disbanded 1922[12] 100th (Prince of Wales's Royal Canadian) Regiment of Foot
109th (Bombay Infantry) Regiment of Foot
King's County Royal Rifles Militia
Royal Queen's County Rifles Militia
Royal Meath MilitiaN/A King's County, County Longford, County Meath, Queen's County, and County Westmeath Blue The Royal Munster Fusiliers Disbanded 1922[12] 101st (Royal Bengal Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot
104th (Bengal Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot
South Cork Light Infantry Militia
Kerry Militia
Royal Limerick County Militia (Fusiliers)N/A County Clare, City of Cork, County Cork, County Kerry and County Limerick Blue The Royal Dublin Fusiliers Disbanded 1922[12] 102nd (Royal Madras Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot
103rd (Royal Bombay Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot
Kildare Rifles Militia
Queen's Own Royal Dublin City Militia
Dublin County Light Infantry MilitiaN/A City of Dublin, County Dublin and County Kildare Blue The Prince Consort's Own (Rifle Brigade) 1921: The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own)[4] Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own)[24] (4 battalions) Queen's Own Royal Tower Hamlets Light Infantry Militia
Prince of Wales's Royal Regiment of Longford Light Infantry Militia
King's Own Light Infantry Militia (a militia regiment of the Tower Hamlets)
Leitrim Rifles Regiment of Militia
Westmeath Rifles Regiment of Militia7th Middlesex (London Scottish) RVC
14th Middlesex (Inns of Court) RVC
15th Middlesex (Customs and Docks) RVC
16th Middlesex (London Irish) RVC
18th Middlesex RVC
20th Middlesex (Artists) RVC
24th Middlesex (Post Office) RVC
1st Tower Hamlets RVC
2nd Tower Hamlets RVCRecruited throughout United Kingdom (depot at Winchester) Rifle green faced black * Berwickshire, Dumfriesshire, Roxburghshire and Selkirkshire were transferred to the regimental district of the King's Own Scottish Borderers in 1887
† Huntingdonshire was originally included in the regimental district of the Suffolk Regiment. There were no volunteer units recruited in the county from 1889 until 1900, when the 4th (Huntingdonshire) Volunteer Battalion, The Bedfordshire Regiment was formed. In 1908 it became part of the 5th Battalion of the Bedfords. In 1914 the Huntingdonshire companies were transferred to a newly formed Huntingdonshire Cyclist Battalion, affiliated to The Northamptonshire Regiment. The successors to the cyclist unit continued to be part of the Northamptons.[25]
‡ It was originally proposed to disband the Royal Irish Fusiliers in 1922. However, the 2nd battalion of that regiment and of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers were disbanded instead. In 1924 the two regiments formed a single "corps" sharing a depot and regimental district consisting of Counties Armagh, Fermanagh, Londonderry and Tyrone. In 1937 the regiments were again separated each forming a second battalion in the following year.
Later changes
Between 1897 and 1900 the regular army was increased in size in response to a number of conflicts, especially the Second Boer War. The Cameron Highlanders raised a second battalion, while third and fourth regular battalions were added to the Northumberland Fusiliers, Warwickshire Regiment, Royal Fusiliers, King's (Liverpool Regiment), Lancashire Fusiliers, Worcestershire Regiment, Middlesex Regiment and the Manchester Regiment. The recruiting areas of each of these regiments included parts of large conurbations.
The Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 reformed the reserve forces in 1908. A number of militia battalions were disbanded with the remainder being transferred to a new Special Reserve. At the same time the volunteer battalions became part of the new Territorial Force, and were redesignated as numbered battalions of the regiments.
The army was expanded for the duration of the First World War, with the territorial battalions being duplicated and numerous war-time service battalions being formed.
In 1921 - 1922 the system was somewhat recast: the special reserve battalions were placed in "suspended animation" and a number of Irish regiments were disbanded on the creation of the Irish Free State. All remaining regiments were reduced to two regular battalions.
During the Second World War regiments were again expanded, although not to the same extent as in the previous conflict.
Following the independence of India in 1947 regiments lost their second battalion, although some were temporarily reformed during the Korean War.
The system introduced in 1881 finally came to an end with the reforms introduced by the Defence White Paper of 1957. A number of pairs of regiments were amalgamated, while regimental depots were closed with recruiting and training being organised in multi-regiment brigades.
Sources
- London Gazette: no. 24992. pp. 3300–3301. 1 July 1881.
See also
References
- ^ Honours for the army - new royal regiments, The Times, June 3, 1935.
- ^ Eric Hamilton, Colours of the Regular Army Infantry of the Line 1st July 1881 to 1958, Bulletin of the Military Historical Society Special Issue No.1, London, 1968
- ^ Royal corps and regiments - war service honours, The Times, December 10, 1946
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Army Order 509/1920, in effect 1st January 1921
- ^ a b c d Army Order 110/1935
- ^ Naval and military intelligence, The Times, September 13, 1890
- ^ a b c d Army Order 167/1946
- ^ Army Order 136/1949
- ^ Naval and military intelligence, The Times, April 4, 1900
- ^ Army Order 269/1919
- ^ Army's return to old colours - Leicestershire Regiment's new facings, The Times, April 25, 1931
- ^ a b c d e Army Order 78/1922
- ^ a b Transferred to the King's Own Scottish Borderers in 1887
- ^ a b Army Order 56/1920
- ^ a b c With the creation of the Territorial Force in 1908, Radnorshire was included in the regimental district of the King's Shropshire Light Infantry, and Montgomeryshire in that of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers
- ^ The Army - Restoration of old facings, The Times, June 4, 1936
- ^ Army Order 70/1951
- ^ Army Order 244/1938
- ^ Army Order 256/1934
- ^ The Army - The Essex Regiment, The Times, August 19, 1936
- ^ Army Order 183/1921
- ^ Army Order 69/1921
- ^ Army Order 221/1923
- ^ The Rifle Brigade was originally the 95th Regiment of Foot. In 1816 the regiment ceased to have a number, taking precedence at the end of the line.
- ^ The Huntingdonshire Battalion (Regiments.org)[1]
External links
Categories:- History of the British Army
- 1881 in the United Kingdom
- 19th-century military history of the United Kingdom
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