British Army Infantry
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The British Army's Infantry is comprised of 50 battalions of Infantry, from 18 Regiments. Of these 36 battalions are part of the 'Regular' army and the remaining 14 a part of the 'Territorial' (part-time) force. The British Infantry forms a highly flexible organisation, taking on a variety of roles including armoured, mechanised, air assault and light. It has a long and proud history of proven quality across the full spectrum of warfare in all terrains - jungle, desert, urban and mountain fighting.
[edit] Recruitment and Training
[edit] Recruitment
Traditionally, regiments that form the combat arms of the British Army (cavalry and infantry) recruit from specific areas of the country. Infantry regiments had been assigned specific areas from which they would recruit from by the mid eighteenth century. These were formalised under the Cardwell Reforms that began in the 1860s. Under this scheme, single battalion infantry regiments were amalgamated into two battalion regiments, then assigned to a depot and associated recruiting area (which would usually correspond all or part of a county). The recruiting area (usually) would then become part of the regiment's title. It was this that gave rise to the concept of the "county regiment", with the local infantry regiment becoming part of the fabric of its local area.
Over time, regiments have been amalgamated further, which has led to recruiting areas of individual regiments increasing in size. Often, these amalgamations will be between regiments whose recruiting areas border each other. However, there have been occasions where regiments of a similar type, but from widely different areas, have been amalgamated. Two modern examples have been the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (amalgamated from the county regiments of Northumberland, Warwickshire, City of London and Lancashire, all of which were regiments of fusiliers) and The Light Infantry (amalgamated from the county regiments of Cornwall, Somerset, Shropshire, South Yorkshire and Durham, all of which were regiments of light infantry).
After September 2007, when the current reforms have been completed, the infantry will consist of a total of 17 separate regiments. The five regiments of foot guards recruit from their respective home nations (with the exception of the Coldstream Guards, which recruits from the counties through which the regiment marched between Coldstream and London). Scotland, Ireland and Wales each have a single regiment of line infantry from which they recruit (though the battalions of the Royal Regiment of Scotland recruit from the areas they recruited from when they were separate regiments), while England has seven line infantry and rifles regiments. The Parachute Regiment recruits nationally, while the Royal Gurkha Rifles recruits most of its serving personnel from Nepal.
[edit] Training
Unlike the other trades in the army, which have separate units for basic training and specialised training, new recruits into the infantry undergo a single course at the Infantry Training Centre Catterick. This course, called the Combat Infantryman's Course (CIC), lasts 24 weeks as standard and teaches recruits both the basics of soldiering (Phase 1 training) and the specifics of soldiering in the infantry (Phase 2 training). Upon completion of the CIC, the newly qualified infantry soldier will then be posted to his battalion.
For some infantry units, the CIC is longer, due to specific additional requirements for individual regiments:
- The Foot Guards CIC has an additional two week enhanced drill course
- The Parachute Regiment CIC has an additional two week Pre-Parachute Selection (PPS) course
- The Brigade of Gurkhas CIC combines the Common Military Syllabus taught at ATR with the CIC, together with courses on British culture and the English Language. The Gurkha CIC lasts 39 weeks.
New officers conduct their Phase 1 training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Phase 2 training for officers, which is encompassed by the Platoon Commander's Battle Course, is run at the Infantry Battle School at ITC Brecon in Wales. It is here that leadership and tactics are taught to new platoon commanders. New NCOs and Warrant Officers are also sent on courses at Brecon when they come up for promotion. This encompasses Phase 3 training. Phase 3 training is also undertaken at the Support Weapons School at ITC Warminster, where new officers, NCOs and soldiers are trained in the use of support weapons (mortars, anti-tank weapons) and in communications.
[edit] Divisions of infantry
The majority of the infantry in the British Army is divided for administrative purposes into five divisions. These are not the same as the ready and regenerative divisions (see below), but are based on either the geographical recruiting areas of regiments, or the type of regiments:
- The Guards Division has the five regiments of Foot Guards.
- The Scottish Division has the remaining infantry regiment from Scotland.
- The King's Division has the regiments from the north of England.
- The Prince of Wales' Division has the regiments from the west of England and Wales.
- The Queen's Division has the regiments from the east of England and the remaining regiment of Fusiliers.
A further division, the Light Division, grouped together the regiments of light infantry and rifles, until they were amalgamated into a single regiment in 2007.
[edit] Regular army
There are further infantry units in the army that are not grouped in the various divisions:
- 1st Bn, The Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskillings), 83rd, 87th & The Ulster Defence Regiment)
- 2nd & 3rd Bn, The Parachute Regiment
- 1st & 2nd Bn, The Royal Gurkha Rifles
- 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th Bn, The Rifles
- 22nd Special Air Service Regiment
- 1st Battalion, The Parachute Regiment/SFSG
[edit] Territorial Army
- 52nd Lowland, 6th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland
- 51st Highland, 7th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland
- 3rd Battalion, The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment
- The London Regiment
- 4th Battalion, Duke of Lancaster's Regiment
- 5th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
- 3rd Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment
- 4th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment
- West Midlands Regiment
- 3rd Battalion, Royal Welsh
- Royal Irish Rangers
- 4th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment
- 6th Battalion, The Rifles
- 7th Battalion, The Rifles
- 21st SAS Regiment (Artist's)
- 23rd SAS Regiment
- In addition, there is the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Battalions, Royal Irish Regiment, which are for Home Service in Northern Ireland.
[edit] Types of infantry
Within the British Army, there are four main types of infantry:
- Armoured Infantry - armoured infantry are equipped with the Warrior armoured personnel carrier, a tracked vehicle that can deploy over all terrain.
- Mechanised Infantry - mechanised infantry are equipped with the Saxon armoured personnel carrier, a wheeled vehicle that can be deployed over rough terrain, but is primarily a road vehicle. Saxon is in the process of being replaced by the Bulldog tracked vehicle.
- Light Infantry - light infantry are not equipped with armoured vehicles, and are trained to hold an area.
- Air Assault Infantry - air assault infantry are trained to be deployed using helicopters.
The British Army currently employs a process known as arms plot, which involves an infantry battalion performing one role for a period of time (between two and six years), before being posted elsewhere to re-train and take up another role. As part of the re-organisation (see below), this process will be ended, with battalions being given a fixed role.
[edit] Deployments
The majority of infantry battalions are based in the UK, but there are a significant number that are based overseas:
[edit] UK battalions
- England
- Shorncliffe: Light Infantry Battalion (Gurkha) (2nd Infantry Brigade)
- Canterbury: Air Assault Battalion (16th Air Assault Brigade)
- London: 2 x Light Infantry Battalions (London District)
- Windsor: Light Infantry Battalion (London District)
- Colchester: 2 x Air Assault Infantry Battalions (16th Air Assault Brigade)
- North Luffenham: Light Infantry Battalion (2nd Infantry Brigade)
- Aldershot: 2 x Mechanised Infantry Battalions (12th Mechanised Brigade)
- Tidworth: 2 x Armoured Infantry Battalion (1st Mechanised Brigade, 12th Mechanised Brigade)
- Bulford: Mechanised Infantry Battalion (1st Mechanised Brigade)
- Pirbright: Mechanised Infantry Battalion (12th Mechanised Brigade)
- Warminster: Demonstration Infantry Battalion (Land Warfare Centre)
- Tern Hill: Light Infantry Battalion (2nd Infantry Brigade)
- Chester: Light Infantry Battalion (52nd Infantry Brigade)
- Weeton: Light Infantry Battalion (19th Light Brigade)
- Catterick: Armoured Infantry Battalion, Mechanised Infantry Battalion, Light Infantry Battalion (19th Light Brigade)
- Hereford: Special Forces Regiment (UKSF)
- Scotland
- Wales
- Northern Ireland
- Ballykelly: Light Infantry Battalion (8th Infantry Brigade)
- Omagh: Light Infantry Battalion (8th Infantry Brigade)
- South Armagh: Light Infantry Battalion (39th Infantry Brigade)
- Holywood: Light Infantry Battalion (39th Infantry Brigade)
[edit] Overseas battalions
There are three locations that have a permanent British infantry presence; Germany, Cyprus and Brunei. Gibraltar has its own permanently based home defence battalion. Other postings are usually roulement postings from either the UK, Germany or Cyprus.
- Germany
- Munster: Armoured Infantry Battalion (4th Armoured Brigade)
- Osnabruck: Armoured Infantry Battalion (4th Armoured Brigade)
- Celle: Armoured Infantry Battalion (7th Armoured Brigade)
- Fallingbostel: Armoured Infantry Battalion (7th Armoured Brigade)
- Paderborn: 2 x Armoured Infantry Battalions (20th Armoured Brigade)
- Cyprus
- Dhekelia: Light Infantry Battalion (British Forces Cyprus)
- Episkopi: Light Infantry Battalion (British Forces Cyprus)
- Brunei
- Gibraltar
- Gibraltar: Light Infantry Battalion
- Bosnia
- Light Infantry Battalion (roulement)
- Iraq
- 2 x Mechanised Infantry Battalions, 2 x Light Infantry Battalions (roulement)
- Afghanistan
- Light Infantry Battalion (roulement)
[edit] Divisions and brigades
The British Army is administered through HQ Land Command, which has responsibility for the majority of army units. Most of these are organised into a total of five divisions, each of which has a number of brigades under its command.
| 1st Division | 2nd Division | 3rd Division | 4th Division | 5th Division | HQ Northern Ireland |
| 4 (Armoured) Brigade | 15 Brigade | 1 (Mechanised) Brigade | 2 (Infantry) Brigade | 43 Brigade | |
| 7 (Armoured) Brigade | 42 Brigade | 12 (Mechanised) Brigade | 16 (Air Assault) Brigade1 | 143 (West Midlands) Brigade | 39 (Infantry) Brigade |
| 20 (Armoured) Brigade | 51 Brigade | 19 (Light) Brigade | 49 (East) Brigade | 160 (Wales) Brigade | 107 Brigade |
| 52 (Infantry) Brigade | 145 (Home Counties) Brigade | ||||
| Catterick Garrison | Aldershot Garrison | ||||
| Colchester Garrison | |||||
| London District2 |
1. 16 (Air Assault) Brigade is based at Colchester, which falls under the direction of 4 Division. However, when deployed, 16 Brigade forms part of the Joint Rapid Reaction Force.
2. London District is operationally separate from any higher formation, but for budgetary and administrative purposes comes under the remit of 4 Division.
3 Commando Brigade is a Royal Navy maritime light infantry formation which falls under the full command of Commander in Chief Fleet. Formed around a core of Royal Marines it has one infantry battalion, 1 RIFLES, and two combat support regiments, Artillery and Engineers, attached from the Army. 3 Cdo forms part of the Joint Rapid Reaction Force.
[edit] Reorganisation
The Treasury asked for major cuts in the strength of the infantry in 2003, with at least ten battalions to be disbanded. This proved so unacceptable that in November 2003 there was consideration to instead reducing each battalion to two rifle companies (with the third to come from the TA).[1] By March 2004 ECAB had shown maximum number of battalions it was possible to cut was four. This was finally official announced as part of the army re-organisation. The arms plot system would be abolished, with instead individual battalions being given fixed roles. In order to ensure that officers and men could continue to gain the variety of skills the arms plot provided, the restructuring would also see a series of amalgamations of the remaining single battalion infantry regiments into large regiments. In addition, the regular army will lose a total of four battalions. The roles will be divided up as follows:
- Armoured Infantry - 8 battalions (including Land Warfare Training Battalion)
- Mechanised Infantry - 3 battalions
- Light Role Infantry (including public duties and Gurkhas) - 20 battalions
- Air Assault Infantry - 4 battalions
- Commando Infantry - 1 battalion
- Territorial Army Infantry - 14 battalions
The reorganisation is a hybrid of the systems used to organise the regular infantry in Australia and Canada. Australia's regular infantry encompasses six battalions in a single large regiment, the Royal Australian Regiment - this system is the one undertaken by the Scottish Division and the Light Division. Canada's regular infantry has three regiments each of three battalions, which is how the King's Division and the Prince of Wales' Division will be restructured (albeit with one regiment of three battalions and one of two battalions each).
[edit] Permanent Deployments
With battalions being assigned fixed roles, they will be attached permanently (semi-permanently for light role battalions) to operational formations:
- 1st Mechanised Brigade
- 1st Battalion, Irish Guards
- 1st Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment
- 3rd Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot) (Duke of Wellington's)
- 3rd Commando Brigade1
- (40 Commando, Royal Marines)
- (42 Commando, Royal Marines)
- (45 Commando, Royal Marines)
- 1st Battalion, The Rifles
- 4th Mechanised Brigade
- 1st Battalion, Scots Guards
- 1st Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border)
- 1st Battalion, The Mercian Regiment (Cheshires)
- 7th Armoured Brigade
- The Highlanders, 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
- 2nd Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment
- 3rd Battalion, The Mercian Regiment (Staffords)
- 12th Mechanised Brigade
- 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards
- 1st Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
- 4th Battalion, The Rifles
- 16th Air Assault Brigade
- The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
- 1st Battalion, The Royal Irish Regiment (23rd (Inniskilling), 83rd, 87th and Ulster Defence Regiment)
- 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment
- 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment
- 19th Light Brigade
- The Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
- The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
- 2nd Battalion, The Mercian Regiment (Worcesters and Foresters)
- 2nd Battalion, The Rifles
- 20th Armoured Brigade
- 1st Battalion, The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires)
- 1st Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot) (Prince of Wales's Own)
- 5th Battalion, The Rifles
- 52nd Infantry Brigade
- The Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
- 2nd Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot) (Green Howards)
- 1st Battalion, The Royal Welsh (Royal Welch Fusiliers)
- 2nd Battalion, The Royal Gurkha Rifles
- 3rd Battalion, The Rifles
- Land Warfare Centre
- 2nd Battalion, The Royal Welsh (Royal Regiment of Wales)
- British Forces Cyprus
- 2nd Battalion, The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires)
- 2nd Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border)
- London District
- 1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards
- 1st Battalion, Welsh Guards
- 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
- Brunei
- 1st Battalion, The Royal Gurkha Rifles
Note 1: 3 Commando Brigade is the main element of the United Kingdom Amphibious Force under the command of CINCFLEET. Command and logistics elements and three of the four infantry units assigned to this formation are provided by the Royal Marines, part of the Naval Service. Artillery and engineering support comes from attached Army units, together with the remaining infantry battalion.
The majority of infantry battalions will be attached to one of the deployable brigades. However, there are a number of formations which exist to administer infantry battalions that are not assigned to deployable brigades, but are instead available for independent deployment on roulement tours.
[edit] Guards Division
For various reasons, the five single battalion regiments of the Guards Division will not be amalgamated - however, each battalion will be given a fixed role:
- Armoured Infantry (1 SG) - 1
- Light Role (1 GREN GDS, 1 IG)- 2
- Public Duties (1 COLDM GDS, 1 WG) - 2
[edit] Scottish Division
The six battalions of the Scottish Division have amalgamated into a single five battalion regiment to be called the Royal Regiment of Scotland.
- Armoured Infantry (4 SCOTS) - 1
- Light Role (1 SCOTS, 2 SCOTS, 3 SCOTS) - 3
- Air Assault/Light Role (5 SCOTS) - 1
[edit] King's Division
The six battalions of the King's Division have amalgamated into two regiments;
- Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's Lancashire and Border) - this is a two battalion regiment formed from the amalgamation of the King's Own Royal Border Regiment, King's Regiment and Queen's Lancashire Regiment.
- Mechanised Infantry (1 LANCS) - 1
- Light Role (2 LANCS) - 1
- Yorkshire Regiment - this is a three battalion regiment formed from the amalgamation of the Green Howards, Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire and Duke of Wellington's Regiment.
[edit] Prince of Wales's Division
The original seven battalions of the Prince of Wales's Division have been reduced to five with the transfer of the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment and the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment to the Light Division. The five remaining battalions will amalgamate into two regiments;
- Royal Welsh - this is a two battalion regiment formed from the amalgamation of the Royal Welch Fusiliers and the Royal Regiment of Wales.
- Mercian Regiment - this will be a three battalion regiment formed from the amalgamation of the 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment, Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment and Staffordshire Regiment.
[edit] Queen's Division
The three existing large regiments of the Queen's Division remain unaffected by the restructuring.
- Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment
- Armoured Infantry (1 PWRR) - 1
- Light Role (2 PWRR) - 1
- Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
- Armoured Infantry (1 RRF) - 1
- Light Role (2 RRF) - 1
- Royal Anglian Regiment
- Mechanised Infantry (1 R ANGLIAN) - 1
- Light Role (2 R ANGLIAN) - 1
[edit] Light Division
The four current battalions of the Light Division in two regiments were added to by two battalions from the Prince of Wales's Division in 2005. These two were amalgamated into a single battalion and then amalgamated with Light Infantry and the Royal Green Jackets to form a new five battalion regiment, called The Rifles. Upon its formation, the Light Division was abolished [2].
- Armoured Infantry (5 RIFLES) - 1
- Light Role (2 RIFLES, 3 RIFLES) - 2
- Mechanised Infantry (4 RIFLES) - 1
- Commando (1 RIFLES) - 1
[edit] Other infantry Regiments
[edit] Royal Irish Regiment
The single regular battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment will remain unamalgamated to "retain an infantry footprint in Northern Ireland".
- Air Assault/Light Role (1 R IRISH) - 1
[edit] Royal Gurkha Rifles
The Royal Gurkha Rifles will remain unaffected by the restructuring. However, the regiment will be regularised, with the UK based battalion integrating more fully with the rest of the infantry. As a consequence, the UK based RGR battalion will be trained in the air assault role.
- Air Assault/Light Role (2 RGR) - 1
- Light Role (1 RGR) - 1
[edit] Parachute Regiment
One battalion of the Parachute Regiment will be re-roled as a "special forces support battalion", while the other two remain unaffected.
- Special Forces Support (1 PARA) - 1
- Air Assault/Light Role (2 PARA, 3 PARA) - 2
[edit] Territorial Army
With the exception of the Royal Gurkha Rifles, every infantry regiment will gain at least one TA battalion (the Royal Regiment of Scotland and The Rifles will have two). This will include the Guards Division, which for the first time will have an affiliated TA battalion. Both this, and the affiliated battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment, will be separately named (The London Regiment and The Royal Irish Rangers).
[edit] New structure
| Guards Division | Scottish Division | King's Division | Prince of Wales' Division | Queen's Division | |
| 1st Bn, Grenadier Guards | 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th(V) & 7th(V) Bn, Royal Regiment of Scotland | 1st, 2nd & 4th(V) Bn, Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's Lancashire and Border) | 1st, 2nd & 3rd(V) Bn, Royal Welsh | 1st, 2nd & 3rd(V) Bn Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queens and Royal Hampshires) | |
| 1st Bn, Coldstream Guards | 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th(V) Bn, Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th) | 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th(V) Bn, Mercian Regiment | 1st, 2nd & 5th(V) Bn, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers | ||
| 1st Bn, Scots Guards | 1st, 2nd & 3rd(V) Bn, Royal Anglian Regiment | ||||
| 1st Bn, Irish Guards | |||||
| 1st Bn, Welsh Guards | |||||
| London Regiment(V) |
- 1st Bn, Royal Irish Regiment, Royal Irish Rangers(V)
- 1st & 2nd Bn, Royal Gurkha Rifles
- 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th(V) & 7th(V) Bn, The Rifles
- Special Forces Support Group
- 2nd, 3rd & 4th(V) Bn, Parachute Regiment
- 21st SAS Regiment(V), 22nd SAS Regiment, 23rd SAS Regiment(V)
- Royal Gibraltar Regiment
[edit] Future deployments
As part of the reorganisation, there will be a realignment of postings, due to be completed in 2009[3]:
- 52 Infantry Brigade will transfer from 2nd Division to 3rd (UK) Division.
- 4 Mechanised Brigade will transfer to Catterick Garrison.
- HQ 19 Light Brigade, plus two of its infantry battalions, will transfer to Northern Ireland.
- The Land Warfare Centre demonstration battalion role will rotate between 3 YORKS at Warminster, and 1 RRF and 2 R WELSH at Tidworth.
- 1 SCOTS and 2 SCOTS will rotate between 19 Light Brigade and 52 Infantry Brigade, with the battalion in 52 Bde responsible for public duties in Edinburgh.
- Foot Guards battalions on public duties in London/Windsor (1 COLDM GDS, 1 WG) will rotate with light role battalions in Aldershot (1 GREN GDS, 1 IG) every 2-3 years.
- 5 SCOTS, 1 R IRISH and 2 RGR will rotate between 16 Air Assault Brigade and 52 Infantry Brigade.
- Battalions in London District (2 RRF), British Forces Cyprus (2 LANCS, 2 PWRR) and 52 Infantry Brigade (2 YORKS, 1 R WELSH, 3 RIFLES) will rotate between each other every 2-3 years.
[edit] UK battalions
- England
- Aldershot: 2 x Light Infantry Battalions (1 GREN GDS, 1 IG) (1st Mechanised Brigade, 12th Mechanised Brigade)
- Bulford: 2 x Mechanised Infantry Battalion (4 RIFLES, 1 R ANGLIAN) (1st Mechanised Brigade, 12th Mechanised Brigade)
- Canterbury: Air Assault Battalion (5 SCOTS) (16th Air Assault Brigade)
- Catterick: Armoured Infantry Battalion (1 SG), Mechanised Infantry Battalion (1 LANCS), Light Infantry Battalion (1 MERCIAN) (4th Mechanised Brigade)
- Chester: Light Infantry Battalion (1 R WELSH) (52nd Infantry Brigade)
- Colchester: 2 x Air Assault Battalions (2 PARA, 3 PARA) (16th Air Assault Brigade)
- Hereford: Special Forces Regiment (22 SAS) (UK Special Forces)
- London: 2 x Light Infantry Battalions (1 WG, 2 RRF) (London District)
- Shorncliffe: Light Infantry Battalion (2 RGR) (52nd Infantry Brigade)
- Tern Hill: Air Assault Battalion (1 R IRISH) (16th Air Assault Brigade)
- Tidworth: Armoured Infantry Battalion (1 RRF), Demonstration Infantry Battalion (2 R WELSH) (12th Mechanised Brigade, Land Warfare Training Centre)
- Warminster: Armoured Infantry Battalion (3 YORKS) (1st Mechanised Brigade)
- Weeton: Light Infantry Battalion (2 YORKS) (52nd Infantry Brigade)
- Windsor: Light Infantry Battalion (1 COLDM GDS) (London District)
- Scotland
- Edinburgh: 3 x Light Infantry Battalions (1 SCOTS, 2 SCOTS, 3 RIFLES) (19th Light Brigade, 52nd Infantry Brigade)
- Inverness: Light Infantry Battalion (3 SCOTS) (19th Light Brigade)
- Wales
- Chepstow: Light Infantry Battalion (1 RIFLES) (3rd Commando Brigade)
- St Athan: Special Forces Support Battalion (1 PARA/SFSG) (UK Special Forces)
- Northern Ireland
- Ballykinler: Light Infantry Battalion (2 RIFLES) (19th Light Brigade)
- Holywood: Light Infantry Battalion (2 MERCIAN) (19th Light Brigade)
[edit] Overseas battalions
There are four locations that have a permanent British infantry presence; Germany, Cyprus and Brunei are home to battalions from the regular army, while Gibraltar has its own permanent home defence battalion. Other postings are usually roulement postings from either the UK, Germany or Cyprus.
- Brunei
- Cyprus
- Dhekelia: Light Infantry Battalion (2 PWRR) (British Forces Cyprus)
- Episkopi: Light Infantry Battalion (2 LANCS) (British Forces Cyprus)
- Germany
- Celle: Light Infantry Battalion (2 R ANGLIAN) (7th Armoured Brigade)
- Fallingbostel: 2 x Armoured Infantry Battalion (4 SCOTS, 3 MERCIAN) (7th Armoured Brigade)
- Osnabrück: Light Infantry Battalion (1 YORKS) (20th Armoured Brigade)
- Paderborn: 2 x Armoured Infantry Battalions (1 PWRR, 5 RIFLES) (20th Armoured Brigade)
- Gibraltar
- Gibraltar: Light Infantry Battalion (1 RG) (British Forces Gibraltar)
[edit] Other regiments
[edit] Disbanded regiments
Over time, a handful of infantry regiments have disappeared from the roll through disbandment rather than amalgamation. In the 20th Century, seven regiments disappeared like this:
- In 1922, following cuts to the size of the armed forces after the First World War and the establishment of the Irish Free State, the five infantry regiments solely from the south of Ireland were disbanded:
- Connaught Rangers
- Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians)
- Royal Dublin Fusiliers
- Royal Irish Regiment
- Royal Munster Fusiliers
- In 1968, after a re-organisation of the army, two regiments opted to be placed in suspended animation rather than amalgamate, and were eventually disbanded in 1987:
[edit] Regiments that never were
Since the Cardwell reforms began, infantry regiments in the British Army have amalgamated on many occasions. However, there have been occasions where amalgamations have been announced, but have then been abandoned:
- Royal Regiment of Gloucestershire and Hampshire - planned as the amalgamation of the Gloucestershire Regiment and the Royal Hampshire Regiment. This was announced in July 1968 to be implemented in September 1970, but was cancelled in the autumn of that year.
- Royal Scots Borderers - planned as the amalgamation of the Royal Scots and the King's Own Scottish Borderers as part of Options for Change. This was cancelled on 3 February 1993. The name was resurrected with the formation of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, when the two regiments amalgamated as a single battalion.
- Cheshire and Staffordshire Regiment - planned as the amalgamation of the 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment and the Staffordshire Regiment as part of Options for Change. This was cancelled on 3 February 1993. [4]
- The Executive Committee of the Army Board proposed under Delivering Security in a Changing World that there would be a series of two battalion regiments formed.[5] These may have included:
- A two battalion Lowland regiment formed from the Royal Scots and the King's Own Scottish Borderers.
- A two battalion Highland regiment formed from the Royal Highland Fusiliers, Black Watch, Highlanders, and Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
- A two battlion Wessex regiment formed from the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment and Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment.
[edit] Fictional regiments
In recent years, there have been many depictions of the British Army of various periods in fiction. Two notable ones depicting the modern British Army have been Spearhead from the period of the late 1970s, and Soldier Soldier from the early to mid 1990s. Both are seen as reasonably accurate depictions of life in the army at those times, and both are centred on a fictional infantry regiment.
The Loamshire Regiment is used by the British Army as the placeholder name in the provision of examples for its procedures, for example in the method of addressing letters to members of the forces produced by the British Forces Post Office.
[edit] Order of precedence
| Preceded by: Foot Guards |
Order of precedence | Succeeded by: Army Air Corps |
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/11/24/narmy24.xml
- ^ The Rifles - March 2006 situation report 2
- ^ Information obtained from the MOD under Freedom of Information Act 2000
- ^ Statement to Parliament revealing the "Two Battalion add back"
- ^ Hoon wins his regimental campaign Daily Telegraph 16/07/04
[edit] See also
| British Infantry Depots |
| Current Infantry Depots
Guards Division | Scottish Division | King's Division | Queen's Division | Prince of Wales' Division |
| Former Infantry Depots
Light Division |
