Royal Green Jackets

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= Royal Green Jackets


caption= Royal Green Jackets Cap Badge
dates= 1 January 1966 - 1 February 2007
country= United Kingdom
branch= British Army
type= Rifles
role= Light Infantry
size= 2 Battalions
command_structure=Light Division
garrison=1st Battalion - Weeton
2nd Battalion - Bulford
current_commander=
Regimental Headquarters= Winchester
ceremonial_chief= HM Queen Elizabeth II
ceremonial_chief_label=Colonel-in-Chief
colonel_of_the_regiment= Major General NJ Cottam OBE
colonel_of_the_regiment_label=Colonel Commandant
nickname= "The Black Mafia
The Green Jackets"
identification_symbol=
identification_symbol_label=Tactical Recognition Flash
motto="Celer et Audax"
Latin: "Swift and Bold"
march= Quick - "Huntsman's Chorus/Italian Song"
Double Past - "The Road to The Isles"
anniversaries= Waterloo (18 June)

The Royal Green Jackets (RGJ) was an infantry regiment of the British Army, one of two within the Light Division (the other being The Light Infantry). It was formed in 1966 by the amalgamation of the three separate regiments of the Green Jackets Brigade:
*1st Green Jackets (43rd and 52nd)
*2nd Green Jackets, The King's Royal Rifle Corps
*3rd Green Jackets, The Rifle Brigade

There were also two Territorial Army battalions made up as follows

*4th(v)Bn Royal Green Jackets - formed from the remnants of the Rangers (KRRC), London Rifle Brigade, Tower Hamlets Rifles, Queens Westminsters, Queen Victoria's Rifles and Civil Service Rifles.

*5th(v)Bn the Royal Green Jackets - formed from the 4th Bn the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (TA) and the Buckinghamshire Battalion of the Ox & Bucks Light Infantry

In 1992 1st RGJ was disbanded and 2/RGJ and 3/RGJ renumbered 1/RGJ and 2/RGJ respectively.

Their motto was "Celer et Audax" (Latin: "Swift and Bold"). As they were used as shock troops and marksmen, they had to get to the front line of battle as fast as was possible; as a result the RGJ marches at 140 paces per minute whereas other regiments march at just 120. Until recently no other regiment has devoted so much time to becoming highly proficient with the rifle, even though it has been part of standard army issue for 140 years; as a consequence, the RGJ's lowest rank (after 'recruit') is Rifleman (Rfn), rather than Private (Pte), as in other regiments.

The regiment was classed as a 'rifle' regiment, having its lineage in the regiments of foot that were equipped with the first Baker rifles. Traditionally, rifle regiments wore rifle green tunics, an early form of camouflage, instead of the red jackets worn by line infantry, hence the regimental name. Also, the regiment carried no colours, as traditionally rifle regiments, being skirmishers and sharpshooters, had no need to identify where their fellows were on the battlefield. So, the battle honours of the Royal Green Jackets were worn on the regiment's cap badge. Infantry in the regiment wore a beret with the badge behind the left eye towards the side of the head, traditionally to show that they don't need to hide behind their colours to show how good the regiment is. Green Jackets were issued with short swords instead of bayonets as the Baker rifles of the past were shorter than the traditional musket, fitting the sword to the rifle made the overall weapon length the same as a musket with bayonet attached. The RGJ still refer to their bayonets as 'swords'. The Royal Green Jackets have won more Victoria Crosses than any other unit, with a total of 56.

Amalgamations of 2005

As part of the 2004 restructuring of the infantry, the RGJ was scheduled to be largely unaffected - though the regiment had already been reduced to two Regular battalions in 1992. The regiment would have received a new Territorial Army battalion through the grouping together of the various RGJ companies of the Royal Rifle Volunteers and the London Regiment.

However, on 24 November 2005 it was announced that after discussions between The Light Infantry and the RGJ, the two would be merged together with the Devonshire and Dorset Light Infantry and Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry by the end of 2007 to form a single large regiment to be called The Rifles. The new regiment was to contain five Regular Battalions and two TA Battalions. The amalgamation was completed in 2007.

*The 1st Battalion Royal Green Jackets became 2nd Battalion, The Rifles
*The 2nd Battalion Royal Green Jackets became 4th Battalion, The Rifles
*the surviving Territorial Army companies of 4 & 5 RGJ, along with a company of the RGBW became "'7th Battalion, The Rifles

The Maltese Cross cap badge of the RGJ was adopted as the belt badge of The Rifles and will carry the battle honours. The Rifles is a Rifle Regiment and as such will not carry colours, also the title "Rifleman" will be used for Private soldiers, as it was with the Royal Green Jackets.

The Royal Green Jackets has two Combined Cadet Force units, which are part of the prestigious London Oratory School CCF, and Winchester College CCF

Battle Honours

**Louisburg, Quebec 1759, Martinique 1762, Havannah, North America 1763-64, Mysore, Hindoostan, Martinique 1794, Copenhagen, Montevideo, RoLica, Vimiero, Corunna, Martinique 1809, Talavera, Busaco, Barrosa, Fuentes d'Onor, Albuhera, Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz, Salamanca, Vitoria, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive, Orthez, Toulouse, Peninsula, Waterloo, South Africa 1846-47, Mooltan, Goojerat, Punjab, South Africa 1851-53, Alma, lnkerman, Sevastopol, Delhi 1857, Lucknow, Taku Forts, Pekin 1860, New Zealand, Ashantee 1873-74, Au Masjid, South Africa 1879, Ahmed Khel, Kandahar 1880, Afghanistan 1878-80, Tel-ei-Kebir, Egypt 1882-84, Buma 1885-87, Chitral, Khartoum, Defence of Ladysmith, Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Relief of Ladysmith, South Africa 1899-1902.
**The Great War: Mons, Le Cateau, Retreat from Mons, Marne 1914, Aisne 1914, 18, Armentières 1914, Ypres 1914, 15, 17, 18, Langemarck 1914, 17, Gheluvelt, Nonne Boschen, Givenchy 1914, Neuve Chapelle, Gravenstafel, St. Julien, Frezenberg, Heliewaarde, Aubers, Festubert 1915, Hooge 1915, Loos, Mount Sorrel, Somme 1916, 18, Albert 1916, 18, Bazentin, Delville Wood, Pozières, Guillemont, Flers-Courcelette, Morval, Le Transloy, Ancre Heights, Ancre 1916, 18, Bapaume 1917, 18, Arras 1917, 18, Vimy 1917, Scarpe 1917, 18, Arleux, Messines 1917, 18, Pilckem, Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Broodseinde, Poelcappelle, Passchendaele, Cambrai 1917, 18, St. Quentin, Rosières, Avre, Villers-Bretonneux, Lys, Hazebrouck, Bailleul, Kemmel, Bethune, Drocourt Quéant, Hindenburg Line, Havrincourt, Epehy, Canal du Nord, St. Quentin Canal, Beaurevoir, Kortrijk, Selle, Valenciennes, Sambre, France and Flanders 1914-18, Piave, Vittorio Veneto, Italy 1917-18, Doiran 1917, 18, Macedonia 1915-18, Kut al Amara 1915, Ctesiphon, Defence of Kut al Amara, Tigris 1916, Khan Baghdadi, Mesopotamia 1914-18.
**Archangel 1919
**The Second World War: Defence of Escaut, Calais 1940, Cassel, Ypres-Comines Canal, Normandy Landing, Pegasus Bridge, Villers Bocage, Odon, Caen, Esquay, Bourguebus Ridge, Mont Pincon, Le Perier Ridge, Falaise, Antwerp, Hechtel, Nederrijn, Lower Maas, Roer, Ourthe, Rhineland, Reichswald, Kleve, Goch, Hochwald, Rhine, Ibbenbueren, Dreirwalde, Leese, Aller, North-West Europe 1940, 44-45, Egyptian Frontier 1940, Sidi Barrani, Beda Fomm, Mersa el Brega, Agedabia, Derna Aerodrome, Tobruk 1941, Sidi Rezegh 1941, Chor es Sufan, Saunnu, Gazala, Bir Hacheim, Knightsbridge, Defence of Alamein Line, Ruweisat, Fuka Airfield, Alam el Halfa, El Alamein, Capture of Haifaya Pass, Nofilia, Tebaga Gap, Enfidaville, Medjez el Bab, Kasserine, Thala, Fondouk, Fondouk Pass, El Kourzia, Djebel Kournine, Agroub el Megas, Tunis, Hamman Lif, North Africa 1940-43, Sangro, Salerno, Santa Lucia, Salerno Hills, Cardito, Teano, Monte Camino, Garigliano Crossing, Damiano, Anzio, Cassino II, Liri Valley, Melfa Crossing, Monte Rotondo, Capture of Perugia, Monte Malbe, Arezzo, Advance to Florence, Gothic Line, Coriano, Gemmano Ridge, Lamone Crossing, Orsara, Tossignano, Argenta Gap, Fossa Cembalina, Italy 1943-45, Veve, Greece 1941, 44,45, Crete, Middle East 1941, Arakan Beaches, Tamandu, Burma 1943-44.

Uniform

All Green jackets would have historically been made of wool with a lining of linen to give shape to the garment. The modern scarlet wool is also supplied by "Abimelech Hainsworth" and is much lighter than the traditional material, which was intended for hard wear on active service. Their boots were made of fake thick animal hyde, this was then lined in a thin layer of wool. They had a small pouch on the side of their hip, this contained the ammunition for their Rifles.

International controversy

In September 1994, in Cyprus, a young Danish tour guide called Louise Jensen was dragged from her boyfriend by three members of the 1st Battalion Royal Green Jackets, raped and murdered. Allan Ford, Justin Fowler and Geoff Pernell were convicted less than two years later amid much bitterness among the Cypriots and the World's media. [http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article232357.ece]

References

* [http://www.news.mod.uk/news_headline_story2.asp?newsItem_id=3788 MOD Press Release Nov 2005]

Alliances

*AUS - Melbourne University Regiment
*CAN - The British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own) (RCAC)
*CAN - Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
*CAN - The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada (1966-2007)
*CAN - The Brockville Rifles
*CAN - The Royal Winnipeg Rifles
*CAN - The Royal Regina Rifles
*NZL - 1st Battalion, The Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment
*NZL - The Hauraki Regiment
*RSA - The Durban Light Infantry
*RSA - The Kaffrarian Rifles
*PAK - 2nd Battalion, The Frontier Force Regiment (Guides)
*SRI - Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment
*GHA - 1st Battalion, The Ghana Regiment
*RN - HMS "Somerset"

ee also

* [http://www.lightinfantryreunited.co.uk Light Infantry Reunited - Site for all ex and serving Light Infantry/RGJ and Rifles personnel]
*Pegasus Bridge
*Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps