The Royal Green Jackets in N I

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Apr 272016
 

The Royal Green Jackets in N I Part One

Sourced from You-Tube

I WALKED THE STREETS OF NI MANY YEARS AGO

I WALKED THE STREETS OF NI IN WIND RAIN AND SNOW

I WALKED THE STREETS OF NI MY HEART BEATING FAST

I WALKED THE STREETS OF NI WOULD THIS BE MY LAST ?

I WALKED THE STREETS OF NI MY MATES BY MY SIDE

I WALKED THE STREETS OF NI WHEN ONE DIED I CRIED

I WALKED THE STREETS OF NI BY DAY AND NIGHT

I WALKED THE STREETS OF NI AND SAW HORRIFIC SIGHTS

I WALKED THE STREETS OF NI AND WANTED NO MORE

I WALKED THE STREETS OF NI AND TOLD NOT A WAR

I WALKED THE STREETS OF NI A PLACE ACROSS THE POND

I WALKED THE STREETS OF NI AND FOUND A SPECIAL BOND

I WALKED THE STREETS OF NI AND NOW I`M CALLED A VET

I WALKED THE STREET OF NI AND I WILL NEVER FORGET

DEDICATED TO ALL WHO WALKED THE WALK

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unknown author

The Royal Green Jackets in N I Part Two

Sourced from You-Tube

The Royal Green Jackets in N I Part Three

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WALK THE WALK

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Mar 252016
 

I WALKED THE STREETS OF NI MANY YEARS AGO

I WALKED THE STREETS OF NI IN WIND RAIN AND SNOW

I WALKED THE STREETS OF NI MY HEART BEATING FAST

I WALKED THE STREETS OF NI WOULD THIS BE MY LAST ?

I WALKED THE STREETS OF NI MY MATES BY MY SIDE

I WALKED THE STREETS OF NI WHEN ONE DIED I CRIED

I WALKED THE STREETS OF NI BY DAY AND NIGHT

I WALKED THE STREETS OF NI AND SAW HORRIFIC SIGHTS

I WALKED THE STREETS OF NI AND WANTED NO MORE

I WALKED THE STREETS OF NI AND TOLD NOT A WAR

I WALKED THE STREETS OF NI A PLACE ACROSS THE POND

I WALKED THE STREETS OF NI AND FOUND A SPECIAL BOND

I WALKED THE STREETS OF NI AND NOW I`M CALLED A VET

I WALKED THE STREET OF NI AND I WILL NEVER FORGET

DEDICATED TO ALL WHO WALKED THE WALK

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unknown author

I want to be a Green Jacket

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Mar 242016
 

“I want to be a Green Jacket”

I want to be a Green Jacket;

I want to stand so proud

I want to March at a PACE

That others aren’t allowed!

I want to wear the rifle Green

To stand in the woods

And not be seen

My trusted SLR by my side

Ready and waiting to kill with pride

140 paces a minute

Proud to say that I was in it.

A Green Jacket I am

A Green Jacket I’ll stay

For that’s what life chose for me

From then to this day.

By Philip Mason

Bloomsbury Volunteers (St Giles & St George`s) 1804

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Mar 012016
 

Bloomsbury Volunteers (St Giles & St George`s)

1804

Bloomsbury Volunteers (St Giles & St George`s)

1859

Bloomsbury Rifles

( 37 MX )

1881

Bloomsbury Rifles

( 19 MX )

1908

Queen Victoria`s Rifles

1922

Queen Victoria`s Rifles

(9 County of London)

1937

Queen Victoria`s Rifles

(KRRC)

1939

1st & 2nd

Queen Victoria`s Rifles

(KRRC)

1940-1945

7th & 8th

KRRC

1950

Queen Victoria`s Rifles

KRRC

1961

Queen`s Royal Rifles

KRRC (TA)

The 9th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Queen Victoria’s Rifles) was a Territorial Army infantry battalion of the British Army. The London Regiment was formed in 1908 in order to regiment the various Volunteer Force battalions in the newly formed County of London, and the Queen Victoria’s Rifles were one of twenty six units brought together in this way.

The Queen Victoria’s Rifles could trace their origins back to the old volunteer regiments of the Napoleonic Wars when the Duke of Cumberland’s Sharpshooters were formed as a Corps of Riflemen on September 5th, 1803.

Many transformations occurred over the next century until the passing of the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act came into effect on April 1, 1908 and the old volunteer regiments were reorganised into the new Territorial Force. In this way the QVRs were formed by the amalgamation of:

1st Middlesex (Victoria and St George’s) Volunteer Rifle Corps (previously 4th Volunteer Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps (KRRC)
19th Middlesex (St Giles and St George’s, Bloomsbury) Volunteer Rifle Corps (previously 6th Volunteer Battalion, Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort’s Own)

The QVRs arrived in Le Havre on November 5 1914, one of the first Territorial battalions to serve in France; they were attached to the 13th Brigade of the 5th Division.

On April 17th 1915, an attack was mounted on Hill 60 by the 13th Brigade which included:

2nd Battalion, King’s Own Scottish Borderers
2nd Battalion, Duke of Wellington’s Regiment
1st Battalion, Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment
2nd Battalion, King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
Queen Victoria’s Rifles (9th Battalion, London Regiment)
The Hill was a small promontory on the edge of the Ypres Salient that afforded good views for the Germans across the British lines and in to Ypres. It was therefore of great tactical significance to both sides who “fought with great gallantry”.

Prior to the attack, the hill had been undermined for days with five galleries being driven under the German positions. The plan was to detonate large mines under the hill to destroy the enemy and their positions, then the 13th Brigade would occupy the area. The Hill was captured on April 17 and on April 20, two and a half companies of the QVRs were ordered up to the front line as the enemy made a counter-attack.

At dawn on 21st April, the Germans began bombarding the QVRs with hand grenades. Casualties were heavy, including two officers, Major Lees and Lieutenant Summerhays who were killed. It was then that Lieutenant Geoffrey Harold Woolley left a position of safety to take command of the soldiers on the Hill. Only 40 QVRs were left in the front line, but by rallying the troops with encouragement and letting the men know that reinforcements were on the way, Woolley helped repulse the counter-attack by throwing bombs (grenades) at the advancing Germans. For his gallantry Lieutenant Woolley was awarded the Victoria Cross, the first to be won by the Territorial Force.

The QVRs remained in France for the rest of the war. Their losses are remembered at Hill 60 by the QVR memorial and at the nearby QVR café and museum.

Post-World War I
Between the wars, the 9th London Regiment (Queen Victoria’s Rifles) was affiliated to the King’s Royal Rifle Corps and re-constituted as two motorized infantry battalions and became the Territorial Army units of the KRRC.

At the outbreak of World War II, 1/QVR and 2/QVR were formally made part of the King’s Royal Rifle Corps, becoming the 7th and 8th KRRC battalions respectively. The 7th KRRC (1st Queen Victoria’s Rifles) were designated a motor-cycle reconnaissance battalion and armed with revolvers instead of rifles. As part of the 30th Infantry Brigade, they were hurriedly sent across the English Channel, but due to an error, their motor cycles and sidecars were left in England. They fought in the desperate operation at Calais between 23rd and 26th May 1940, which bought valuable time for the main Battle of Dunkirk. All were either killed or captured and the battalion had to reconstitute from scratch.

Both battalions served with distinction throughout the rest of the war.

Queen Victoria’s Rifles were merged with the Queen’s Westminsters to form the Queen’s Royal Rifles on May 1 1961.

St George`s Hanover Square Volunteers 1792

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Mar 012016
 

St George`s Hanover Square Volunteers

1792

St George`s Hanover Square Volunteers

1859

St George`s Rifles

(11 MX )

1881

St George`s Rifles

(16 MX )

1892

Victoria & St George`s Rifles

1908

Queen Victoria`s Rifles

1922

Queen Victoria`s Rifles

(9 County of London)

1937

Queen Victoria`s Rifles

(KRRC)

1939

1st & 2nd

Queen Victoria`s Rifles

(KRRC)

1940-1945

7th & 8th

KRRC

1950

Queen Victoria`s Rifles

KRRC

1961

Queen`s Royal Rifles

KRRC (TA)

The 9th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Queen Victoria’s Rifles) was a Territorial Army infantry battalion of the British Army. The London Regiment was formed in 1908 in order to regiment the various Volunteer Force battalions in the newly formed County of London, and the Queen Victoria’s Rifles were one of twenty six units brought together in this way.

The Queen Victoria’s Rifles could trace their origins back to the old volunteer regiments of the Napoleonic Wars when the Duke of Cumberland’s Sharpshooters were formed as a Corps of Riflemen on September 5th, 1803.

Many transformations occurred over the next century until the passing of the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act came into effect on April 1, 1908 and the old volunteer regiments were reorganised into the new Territorial Force. In this way the QVRs were formed by the amalgamation of:

1st Middlesex (Victoria and St George’s) Volunteer Rifle Corps (previously 4th Volunteer Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps (KRRC)
19th Middlesex (St Giles and St George’s, Bloomsbury) Volunteer Rifle Corps (previously 6th Volunteer Battalion, Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort’s Own)

The QVRs arrived in Le Havre on November 5 1914, one of the first Territorial battalions to serve in France; they were attached to the 13th Brigade of the 5th Division.

On April 17th 1915, an attack was mounted on Hill 60 by the 13th Brigade which included:

2nd Battalion, King’s Own Scottish Borderers
2nd Battalion, Duke of Wellington’s Regiment
1st Battalion, Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment
2nd Battalion, King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
Queen Victoria’s Rifles (9th Battalion, London Regiment)
The Hill was a small promontory on the edge of the Ypres Salient that afforded good views for the Germans across the British lines and in to Ypres. It was therefore of great tactical significance to both sides who “fought with great gallantry”.

Prior to the attack, the hill had been undermined for days with five galleries being driven under the German positions. The plan was to detonate large mines under the hill to destroy the enemy and their positions, then the 13th Brigade would occupy the area. The Hill was captured on April 17 and on April 20, two and a half companies of the QVRs were ordered up to the front line as the enemy made a counter-attack.

At dawn on 21st April, the Germans began bombarding the QVRs with hand grenades. Casualties were heavy, including two officers, Major Lees and Lieutenant Summerhays who were killed. It was then that Lieutenant Geoffrey Harold Woolley left a position of safety to take command of the soldiers on the Hill. Only 40 QVRs were left in the front line, but by rallying the troops with encouragement and letting the men know that reinforcements were on the way, Woolley helped repulse the counter-attack by throwing bombs (grenades) at the advancing Germans. For his gallantry Lieutenant Woolley was awarded the Victoria Cross, the first to be won by the Territorial Force.

The QVRs remained in France for the rest of the war. Their losses are remembered at Hill 60 by the QVR memorial and at the nearby QVR café and museum.

Post-World War I
Between the wars, the 9th London Regiment (Queen Victoria’s Rifles) was affiliated to the King’s Royal Rifle Corps and re-constituted as two motorized infantry battalions and became the Territorial Army units of the KRRC.

At the outbreak of World War II, 1/QVR and 2/QVR were formally made part of the King’s Royal Rifle Corps, becoming the 7th and 8th KRRC battalions respectively. The 7th KRRC (1st Queen Victoria’s Rifles) were designated a motor-cycle reconnaissance battalion and armed with revolvers instead of rifles. As part of the 30th Infantry Brigade, they were hurriedly sent across the English Channel, but due to an error, their motor cycles and sidecars were left in England. They fought in the desperate operation at Calais between 23rd and 26th May 1940, which bought valuable time for the main Battle of Dunkirk. All were either killed or captured and the battalion had to reconstitute from scratch.

Both battalions served with distinction throughout the rest of the war.

Queen Victoria’s Rifles were merged with the Queen’s Westminsters to form the Queen’s Royal Rifles on May 1 1961.

Duke of Cumberland`s Sharpshooters 1803

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Mar 012016
 

Duke of Cumberland`s Sharpshooters

1803

Duke of Cumberland`s Sharpshooters

1835

The Victoria Rifle Club

1835

The Royal Victoria Rifles

1859

Victoria Rifles

(1 MX)

1881

Victoria Rifles

(1 MX)

1892

Victoria & St Georges

Rifles

(1 MX)

1908

Queen Victoria`s Rifles

1922

Queen Victoria`s Rifles

(9 County of London)

1937

Queen Victoria`s Rifles

(KRRC)

1939

1st & 2nd

Queen Victoria`s Rifles

(KRRC)

1940-1945

7th & 8th

KRRC

1950

Queen Victoria`s Rifles

KRRC

1961

Queen`s Royal Rifles

KRRC (TA)

The 9th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Queen Victoria’s Rifles) was a Territorial Army infantry battalion of the British Army. The London Regiment was formed in 1908 in order to regiment the various Volunteer Force battalions in the newly formed County of London, and the Queen Victoria’s Rifles were one of twenty six units brought together in this way.

The Queen Victoria’s Rifles could trace their origins back to the old volunteer regiments of the Napoleonic Wars when the Duke of Cumberland’s Sharpshooters were formed as a Corps of Riflemen on September 5th, 1803.

Many transformations occurred over the next century until the passing of the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act came into effect on April 1, 1908 and the old volunteer regiments were reorganised into the new Territorial Force. In this way the QVRs were formed by the amalgamation of:

1st Middlesex (Victoria and St George’s) Volunteer Rifle Corps (previously 4th Volunteer Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps (KRRC)
19th Middlesex (St Giles and St George’s, Bloomsbury) Volunteer Rifle Corps (previously 6th Volunteer Battalion, Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort’s Own)

The QVRs arrived in Le Havre on November 5 1914, one of the first Territorial battalions to serve in France; they were attached to the 13th Brigade of the 5th Division.

On April 17th 1915, an attack was mounted on Hill 60 by the 13th Brigade which included:

2nd Battalion, King’s Own Scottish Borderers
2nd Battalion, Duke of Wellington’s Regiment
1st Battalion, Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment
2nd Battalion, King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
Queen Victoria’s Rifles (9th Battalion, London Regiment)
The Hill was a small promontory on the edge of the Ypres Salient that afforded good views for the Germans across the British lines and in to Ypres. It was therefore of great tactical significance to both sides who “fought with great gallantry”.

Prior to the attack, the hill had been undermined for days with five galleries being driven under the German positions. The plan was to detonate large mines under the hill to destroy the enemy and their positions, then the 13th Brigade would occupy the area. The Hill was captured on April 17 and on April 20, two and a half companies of the QVRs were ordered up to the front line as the enemy made a counter-attack.

At dawn on 21st April, the Germans began bombarding the QVRs with hand grenades. Casualties were heavy, including two officers, Major Lees and Lieutenant Summerhays who were killed. It was then that Lieutenant Geoffrey Harold Woolley left a position of safety to take command of the soldiers on the Hill. Only 40 QVRs were left in the front line, but by rallying the troops with encouragement and letting the men know that reinforcements were on the way, Woolley helped repulse the counter-attack by throwing bombs (grenades) at the advancing Germans. For his gallantry Lieutenant Woolley was awarded the Victoria Cross, the first to be won by the Territorial Force.

The QVRs remained in France for the rest of the war. Their losses are remembered at Hill 60 by the QVR memorial and at the nearby QVR café and museum.

Post-World War I
Between the wars, the 9th London Regiment (Queen Victoria’s Rifles) was affiliated to the King’s Royal Rifle Corps and re-constituted as two motorized infantry battalions and became the Territorial Army units of the KRRC.

At the outbreak of World War II, 1/QVR and 2/QVR were formally made part of the King’s Royal Rifle Corps, becoming the 7th and 8th KRRC battalions respectively. The 7th KRRC (1st Queen Victoria’s Rifles) were designated a motor-cycle reconnaissance battalion and armed with revolvers instead of rifles. As part of the 30th Infantry Brigade, they were hurriedly sent across the English Channel, but due to an error, their motor cycles and sidecars were left in England. They fought in the desperate operation at Calais between 23rd and 26th May 1940, which bought valuable time for the main Battle of Dunkirk. All were either killed or captured and the battalion had to reconstitute from scratch.

Both battalions served with distinction throughout the rest of the war.

Queen Victoria’s Rifles were merged with the Queen’s Westminsters to form the Queen’s Royal Rifles on May 1 1961.

Loyal Volunteers of London 1798

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Mar 012016
 

Loyal Volunteers of London 

1798 to 1814

Loyal Volunteers of London

1859

Civil Service Rifles

(21 MX)

1881

Civil Service Rifles

(12 MX)

1908

Prince of Wales

Own Service Rifles

1922

Queen`s Westminster & Civil

Service Rifles

(County of London)

1937

Queen`s Westminsters

(KRRC)

1939

1st & 2nd

Queen`s Westminsters

(KRRC)

1940-1945

11th & 12th

KRRC

1950

Queen`s Westminsters

KRRC

1961

Queen`s Royal Rifles KRRC (TA)

The 9th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Queen Victoria’s Rifles) was a Territorial Army infantry battalion of the British Army. The London Regiment was formed in 1908 in order to regiment the various Volunteer Force battalions in the newly formed County of London, and the Queen Victoria’s Rifles were one of twenty six units brought together in this way.

The Queen Victoria’s Rifles could trace their origins back to the old volunteer regiments of the Napoleonic Wars when the Duke of Cumberland’s Sharpshooters were formed as a Corps of Riflemen on September 5th, 1803.

Many transformations occurred over the next century until the passing of the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act came into effect on April 1, 1908 and the old volunteer regiments were reorganised into the new Territorial Force. In this way the QVRs were formed by the amalgamation of:

1st Middlesex (Victoria and St George’s) Volunteer Rifle Corps (previously 4th Volunteer Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps (KRRC)
19th Middlesex (St Giles and St George’s, Bloomsbury) Volunteer Rifle Corps (previously 6th Volunteer Battalion, Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort’s Own)

The QVRs arrived in Le Havre on November 5 1914, one of the first Territorial battalions to serve in France; they were attached to the 13th Brigade of the 5th Division.

On April 17th 1915, an attack was mounted on Hill 60 by the 13th Brigade which included:

2nd Battalion, King’s Own Scottish Borderers
2nd Battalion, Duke of Wellington’s Regiment
1st Battalion, Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment
2nd Battalion, King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
Queen Victoria’s Rifles (9th Battalion, London Regiment)
The Hill was a small promontory on the edge of the Ypres Salient that afforded good views for the Germans across the British lines and in to Ypres. It was therefore of great tactical significance to both sides who “fought with great gallantry”.

Prior to the attack, the hill had been undermined for days with five galleries being driven under the German positions. The plan was to detonate large mines under the hill to destroy the enemy and their positions, then the 13th Brigade would occupy the area. The Hill was captured on April 17 and on April 20, two and a half companies of the QVRs were ordered up to the front line as the enemy made a counter-attack.

At dawn on 21st April, the Germans began bombarding the QVRs with hand grenades. Casualties were heavy, including two officers, Major Lees and Lieutenant Summerhays who were killed. It was then that Lieutenant Geoffrey Harold Woolley left a position of safety to take command of the soldiers on the Hill. Only 40 QVRs were left in the front line, but by rallying the troops with encouragement and letting the men know that reinforcements were on the way, Woolley helped repulse the counter-attack by throwing bombs (grenades) at the advancing Germans. For his gallantry Lieutenant Woolley was awarded the Victoria Cross, the first to be won by the Territorial Force.

The QVRs remained in France for the rest of the war. Their losses are remembered at Hill 60 by the QVR memorial and at the nearby QVR café and museum.

Post-World War I
Between the wars, the 9th London Regiment (Queen Victoria’s Rifles) was affiliated to the King’s Royal Rifle Corps and re-constituted as two motorized infantry battalions and became the Territorial Army units of the KRRC.

At the outbreak of World War II, 1/QVR and 2/QVR were formally made part of the King’s Royal Rifle Corps, becoming the 7th and 8th KRRC battalions respectively. The 7th KRRC (1st Queen Victoria’s Rifles) were designated a motor-cycle reconnaissance battalion and armed with revolvers instead of rifles. As part of the 30th Infantry Brigade, they were hurriedly sent across the English Channel, but due to an error, their motor cycles and sidecars were left in England. They fought in the desperate operation at Calais between 23rd and 26th May 1940, which bought valuable time for the main Battle of Dunkirk. All were either killed or captured and the battalion had to reconstitute from scratch.

Both battalions served with distinction throughout the rest of the war.

Queen Victoria’s Rifles were merged with the Queen’s Westminsters to form the Queen’s Royal Rifles on May 1 1961.

Armed Association of Westminster 1797

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Mar 012016
 

Armed Association of Westminster

1797 to 1829

Armed Association of Westminster

1859

Queen`s

Westminster Rifles

(22 MX)

1881

Queen`s

Westminster Rifles

(13 MX)

1908

Queen`s

Westminster

1922

Queen`s Westminster & Civil

Service Rifles

(County of London)

1937

Queen`s Westminsters

(KRRC)

1939

1st & 2nd

Queen`s Westminsters

(KRRC)

1940-1945

11th & 12th

KRRC

1950

Queen`s Westminsters

KRRC

1961

Queen`s Royal Rifles KRRC (TA)

The 9th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Queen Victoria’s Rifles) was a Territorial Army infantry battalion of the British Army. The London Regiment was formed in 1908 in order to regiment the various Volunteer Force battalions in the newly formed County of London, and the Queen Victoria’s Rifles were one of twenty six units brought together in this way.

The Queen Victoria’s Rifles could trace their origins back to the old volunteer regiments of the Napoleonic Wars when the Duke of Cumberland’s Sharpshooters were formed as a Corps of Riflemen on September 5th, 1803.

Many transformations occurred over the next century until the passing of the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act came into effect on April 1, 1908 and the old volunteer regiments were reorganised into the new Territorial Force. In this way the QVRs were formed by the amalgamation of:

1st Middlesex (Victoria and St George’s) Volunteer Rifle Corps (previously 4th Volunteer Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps (KRRC)
19th Middlesex (St Giles and St George’s, Bloomsbury) Volunteer Rifle Corps (previously 6th Volunteer Battalion, Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort’s Own)

The QVRs arrived in Le Havre on November 5 1914, one of the first Territorial battalions to serve in France; they were attached to the 13th Brigade of the 5th Division.

On April 17th 1915, an attack was mounted on Hill 60 by the 13th Brigade which included:

2nd Battalion, King’s Own Scottish Borderers
2nd Battalion, Duke of Wellington’s Regiment
1st Battalion, Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment
2nd Battalion, King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
Queen Victoria’s Rifles (9th Battalion, London Regiment)
The Hill was a small promontory on the edge of the Ypres Salient that afforded good views for the Germans across the British lines and in to Ypres. It was therefore of great tactical significance to both sides who “fought with great gallantry”.

Prior to the attack, the hill had been undermined for days with five galleries being driven under the German positions. The plan was to detonate large mines under the hill to destroy the enemy and their positions, then the 13th Brigade would occupy the area. The Hill was captured on April 17 and on April 20, two and a half companies of the QVRs were ordered up to the front line as the enemy made a counter-attack.

At dawn on 21st April, the Germans began bombarding the QVRs with hand grenades. Casualties were heavy, including two officers, Major Lees and Lieutenant Summerhays who were killed. It was then that Lieutenant Geoffrey Harold Woolley left a position of safety to take command of the soldiers on the Hill. Only 40 QVRs were left in the front line, but by rallying the troops with encouragement and letting the men know that reinforcements were on the way, Woolley helped repulse the counter-attack by throwing bombs (grenades) at the advancing Germans. For his gallantry Lieutenant Woolley was awarded the Victoria Cross, the first to be won by the Territorial Force.

The QVRs remained in France for the rest of the war. Their losses are remembered at Hill 60 by the QVR memorial and at the nearby QVR café and museum.

Post-World War I
Between the wars, the 9th London Regiment (Queen Victoria’s Rifles) was affiliated to the King’s Royal Rifle Corps and re-constituted as two motorized infantry battalions and became the Territorial Army units of the KRRC.

At the outbreak of World War II, 1/QVR and 2/QVR were formally made part of the King’s Royal Rifle Corps, becoming the 7th and 8th KRRC battalions respectively. The 7th KRRC (1st Queen Victoria’s Rifles) were designated a motor-cycle reconnaissance battalion and armed with revolvers instead of rifles. As part of the 30th Infantry Brigade, they were hurriedly sent across the English Channel, but due to an error, their motor cycles and sidecars were left in England. They fought in the desperate operation at Calais between 23rd and 26th May 1940, which bought valuable time for the main Battle of Dunkirk. All were either killed or captured and the battalion had to reconstitute from scratch.

Both battalions served with distinction throughout the rest of the war.

Queen Victoria’s Rifles were merged with the Queen’s Westminsters to form the Queen’s Royal Rifles on May 1 1961.

Rangers (Gentlemen Members of Grey`s Inn) 1780 to The Rifles

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Mar 012016
 

Rangers (Gentlemen Members of Grey`s Inn) 1780

to

The Rifles

1780

Rangers

(Gentlemen Members of Grey`s Inn)

1859

Rifle Rangers

(40 MX)

1881

The Rangers

8th KRRC

(22 MX)

1908

The Rangers

1922

The Rangers

(12 County of London)

1937

The Rangers
(KRRC)

1939

1st & 2nd

Rangers

(KRRC)

1940-1945

9th & 10th

KRRC

1950

London Rifle Brigade

Rangers RB

1967

4th Bn

The Royal Green Jackets

1992

The London Regiment

2 x Green Jacket Coys

2007

7th Bn

The Rifles

The London Regiment is an infantry regiment in the British Army, part of the Army Reserve. The regiment saw distinguished service in World War I and was disbanded after the war in 1938, shortly before World War II, when most of its battalions were converted to other roles or transferred elsewhere. However, the regiment was raised again in 1993 and continues an existence in the present day.
It was first formed in 1908 in order to regiment the 26 Volunteer Force battalions in the newly formed County of London, each battalion having a distinctive uniform.

Now part of the Territorial Force, the London Regiment expanded to 88 battalions in the First World War. Of these 49 battalions saw action in the trenches of the Western Front in France and Flanders, 6 saw action at the Gallipoli Campaign, 12 saw action at Salonika, 14 saw action against the Turks in Palestine, and one saw action in Waziristan and Afghanistan.

The London Regiment was reformed in the Territorial Army in the 1920s but ceased to exist in 1938 and the battalions were all transferred to regular infantry regiments, the Royal Artillery and the Royal Engineers. For example, the 10th London Regiment (Hackney) was transferred to the corps of the Royal Berkshire Regiment (Princess Charlotte of Wales’s), becoming the 5th (Hackney) Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment.

The London Regiment was reformed in 1992 through the regimentation of most of the remaining successors of the original regiment (except the Rifles and the Artists Rifles). It is the only permanent infantry battalion in London District and consists of an HQ and four rifle companies.

They are;

HQ (Anzio) Company
A (London Scottish) Company
B (Queen’s Regiment) Company
C (City of London Fusiliers) Company
D (London Irish Rifles) Company
Two companies of the Royal Green Jackets, F Company and G Company, formed part of the regiment between 1998 and 2004.

In October 2003, 120 members of regiment were called up for active service in Operation Telic. They were deployed in areas around Basra in southern Iraq in January 2004. This group made up a company known as Cambrai company as part of the Multi-National Division (South East), a UK commanded division[citation needed]. In May 2004, they were replaced by Messines company, which was made up from an HQ and two platoons from across the London Regiment, along with a platoon from the Royal Irish Rangers.

Following the restructuring of the British Army in 2004, it was announced that the Guards Division would gain a TA battalion. This saw the London Regiment retaining its name and multi-badge structure, while transferring from the Queen’s Division to the Guards Division. The two RGJ companies were transferred to the Royal Rifle Volunteers in preparation for the formation of The Rifles in 2007, leaving the remaining companies in their present multi-badge formation.

Original London Regiment battalions
The London battalions formed the London District, which consisted principally of the 1st and 2nd London Divisions
1st London Division
1st London Brigade
Unit
1st (City of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers)
Formerly
1st Volunteer Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (late 10th Middlesex RVC)
HQ
Bloomsbury
Unit
2nd (City of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers)
Formerly
2nd Volunteer Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (late 23rd Middlesex RVC)
HQ
Westminster
Unit
3rd (City of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers)
Formerly
3rd Volunteer Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (late 11th Middlesex RVC)
HQ
St Pancras
Unit
4th (City of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers)
Formerly
4th Volunteer Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (late 1st Tower Hamlets RVC)
HQ
Shoreditch
2nd London Brigade
Unit
5th (City of London) Battalion, London Regiment (London Rifle Brigade)
Formerly
1st London VRC (City of London Volunteer Rifle Brigade) (9th Volunteer Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps)
HQ
Finsbury
Unit
6th (City of London) Battalion, London Regiment (City of London Rifles)
Formerly
2nd London VRC (10th Volunteer Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps)
HQ
Finsbury
Unit
7th (City of London) Battalion, London Regiment
Formerly
3rd London VRC (11th Volunteer Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps)
HQ
Finsbury
Unit
8th (City of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Post Office Rifles)
Formerly
24th Middlesex VRC (7th Volunteer Battalion, Rifle Brigade)
HQ
Finsbury
3rd London Brigade
Unit
9th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Queen Victoria’s), Berkeley Square
Formerly
1st Middlesex (Victoria and St. George’s) VRC (4th Volunteer Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps) and 19th Middlesex (St. Giles’s and St. George’s, Bloomsbury) VRC (6th Volunteer Battalion, Rifle Brigade)
HQ
Westminster
Unit
10th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Paddington Rifles); disbanded 1912
Formerly
18th Middlesex VRC (4th Volunteer Battalion, Rifle Brigade)
HQ
Paddington
Unit
10th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Hackney)
Formerly
Formed in 1912 to replace the Paddington Rifles
HQ
Hackney
Unit
11th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Finsbury Rifles)
Formerly
21st Middlesex (Finsbury) VRC (7th Volunteer Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps)
HQ
Pentonville
Unit
12th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (The Rangers)
Formerly
22nd Middlesex VRC (Central London Rangers) (8th Volunteer Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps)
HQ
Holborn
2nd London Division
4th London Brigade
Unit
13th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Kensington)
Formerly
4th (Kensington) Middlesex VRC (3rd Volunteer Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps)
HQ
Kensington
Unit
14th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (London Scottish)
Formerly
7th (London Scottish) Middlesex VRC (1st Volunteer Battalion, Rifle Brigade)
HQ
Westminster
Unit
15th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Prince of Wales’s Own Civil Service Rifles)
Formerly
The Prince of Wales’s Own 12th Middlesex (Civil Service) VRC (5th Volunteer Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps)
HQ
Westminster
Unit
16th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Queen’s Westminster Rifles)
Formerly
13th Middlesex (Queen’s Westminster) VRC (6th Volunteer Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps)
HQ
Kensington
5th London Brigade
Unit
17th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Poplar and Stepney Rifles)
Formerly
2nd Tower Hamlets VRC (9th Volunteer Battalion, Rifle Brigade)
HQ
Bow
Unit
18th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (London Irish Rifles),
Formerly
16th Middlesex (London Irish) VRC (3rd Volunteer Battalion, Rifle Brigade)
HQ
Chelsea
Unit
19th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (St. Pancras)
Formerly
17th Middlesex (North Middlesex) VRC (3rd Volunteer Battalion, Middlesex Regiment)
HQ
Camden Town
Unit
20th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Blackheath and Woolwich)
Formerly
2nd Volunteer Battalion, Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) (ex 3rd Kent VRC)
HQ
Blackheath
6th London Brigade
Unit
21st (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (First Surrey Rifles)
Formerly
1st Surrey (South London) VRC (1st Volunteer Battalion, East Surrey Regiment)
HQ
Camberwell
Unit
22nd (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Queen’s)
Formerly
3rd Volunteer Battalion, Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment) (ex 6th Surrey RVC)
HQ
Bermondsey
Unit
23rd (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment
Formerly
4th Volunteer Battalion, East Surrey Regiment (ex 7th Surrey RVC)
HQ
Battersea
Unit
24th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Queen’s)
Formerly
4th Volunteer Battalion, Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regt)([ex 8th Surrey RVC)
HQ
Southwark
Others
Unit
25th (County of London) Cyclist Battalion, London Regiment.
Formerly
26th (Cyclist) Middlesex VRC (Rifle Brigade)
HQ
Fulham
Unit
26th (County of London) Battalion
Formerly
Title allotted to Infantry Battalion, Honourable Artillery Company but never used
Unit
27th (County of London) Battalion
Formerly
Title allotted to the Inns of Court Regiment but never used
Unit
28th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Artists Rifles),
Formerly
20th Middlesex (Artists) VRC (6th Volunteer Battalion, Rifle Brigade)
HQ
St Pancras
Battle honours for the First World War were awarded to the individual battalions in 1924.

Corps of Hackney Volunteer Riflemen 1802 to The Rifles

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Mar 012016
 

Corps of Hackney Volunteer Riflemen

to

The Rifles

1802 to 1814

Corps of

Hackney Volunteer Riflemen

1859

1st City of London

Rifle Volunteer Brigade

1881

1st City of London

Rifle Volunteers

1908

London

Rifle Brigade

1922

London RB

5 County of London)

1939

1st & 2nd

London RB

1940-1945

7th & 8th

RB

1950

London Rifle Brigade

Rangers RB

1967

4th Bn

The Royal Green Jackets

1992

The London Regiment

2 x Green Jacket Coys

2007

7th Bn

The Rifles

The London Regiment is an infantry regiment in the British Army, part of the Army Reserve. The regiment saw distinguished service in World War I and was disbanded after the war in 1938, shortly before World War II, when most of its battalions were converted to other roles or transferred elsewhere. However, the regiment was raised again in 1993 and continues an existence in the present day.
It was first formed in 1908 in order to regiment the 26 Volunteer Force battalions in the newly formed County of London, each battalion having a distinctive uniform.

Now part of the Territorial Force, the London Regiment expanded to 88 battalions in the First World War. Of these 49 battalions saw action in the trenches of the Western Front in France and Flanders, 6 saw action at the Gallipoli Campaign, 12 saw action at Salonika, 14 saw action against the Turks in Palestine, and one saw action in Waziristan and Afghanistan.

The London Regiment was reformed in the Territorial Army in the 1920s but ceased to exist in 1938 and the battalions were all transferred to regular infantry regiments, the Royal Artillery and the Royal Engineers. For example, the 10th London Regiment (Hackney) was transferred to the corps of the Royal Berkshire Regiment (Princess Charlotte of Wales’s), becoming the 5th (Hackney) Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment.

The London Regiment was reformed in 1992 through the regimentation of most of the remaining successors of the original regiment (except the Rifles and the Artists Rifles). It is the only permanent infantry battalion in London District and consists of an HQ and four rifle companies.

They are;

HQ (Anzio) Company
A (London Scottish) Company
B (Queen’s Regiment) Company
C (City of London Fusiliers) Company
D (London Irish Rifles) Company
Two companies of the Royal Green Jackets, F Company and G Company, formed part of the regiment between 1998 and 2004.

In October 2003, 120 members of regiment were called up for active service in Operation Telic. They were deployed in areas around Basra in southern Iraq in January 2004. This group made up a company known as Cambrai company as part of the Multi-National Division (South East), a UK commanded division[citation needed]. In May 2004, they were replaced by Messines company, which was made up from an HQ and two platoons from across the London Regiment, along with a platoon from the Royal Irish Rangers.

Following the restructuring of the British Army in 2004, it was announced that the Guards Division would gain a TA battalion. This saw the London Regiment retaining its name and multi-badge structure, while transferring from the Queen’s Division to the Guards Division. The two RGJ companies were transferred to the Royal Rifle Volunteers in preparation for the formation of The Rifles in 2007, leaving the remaining companies in their present multi-badge formation.

Original London Regiment battalions
The London battalions formed the London District, which consisted principally of the 1st and 2nd London Divisions
1st London Division
1st London Brigade
Unit
1st (City of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers)
Formerly
1st Volunteer Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (late 10th Middlesex RVC)
HQ
Bloomsbury
Unit
2nd (City of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers)
Formerly
2nd Volunteer Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (late 23rd Middlesex RVC)
HQ
Westminster
Unit
3rd (City of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers)
Formerly
3rd Volunteer Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (late 11th Middlesex RVC)
HQ
St Pancras
Unit
4th (City of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers)
Formerly
4th Volunteer Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (late 1st Tower Hamlets RVC)
HQ
Shoreditch
2nd London Brigade
Unit
5th (City of London) Battalion, London Regiment (London Rifle Brigade)
Formerly
1st London VRC (City of London Volunteer Rifle Brigade) (9th Volunteer Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps)
HQ
Finsbury
Unit
6th (City of London) Battalion, London Regiment (City of London Rifles)
Formerly
2nd London VRC (10th Volunteer Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps)
HQ
Finsbury
Unit
7th (City of London) Battalion, London Regiment
Formerly
3rd London VRC (11th Volunteer Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps)
HQ
Finsbury
Unit
8th (City of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Post Office Rifles)
Formerly
24th Middlesex VRC (7th Volunteer Battalion, Rifle Brigade)
HQ
Finsbury
3rd London Brigade
Unit
9th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Queen Victoria’s), Berkeley Square
Formerly
1st Middlesex (Victoria and St. George’s) VRC (4th Volunteer Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps) and 19th Middlesex (St. Giles’s and St. George’s, Bloomsbury) VRC (6th Volunteer Battalion, Rifle Brigade)
HQ
Westminster
Unit
10th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Paddington Rifles); disbanded 1912
Formerly
18th Middlesex VRC (4th Volunteer Battalion, Rifle Brigade)
HQ
Paddington
Unit
10th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Hackney)
Formerly
Formed in 1912 to replace the Paddington Rifles
HQ
Hackney
Unit
11th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Finsbury Rifles)
Formerly
21st Middlesex (Finsbury) VRC (7th Volunteer Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps)
HQ
Pentonville
Unit
12th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (The Rangers)
Formerly
22nd Middlesex VRC (Central London Rangers) (8th Volunteer Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps)
HQ
Holborn
2nd London Division
4th London Brigade
Unit
13th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Kensington)
Formerly
4th (Kensington) Middlesex VRC (3rd Volunteer Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps)
HQ
Kensington
Unit
14th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (London Scottish)
Formerly
7th (London Scottish) Middlesex VRC (1st Volunteer Battalion, Rifle Brigade)
HQ
Westminster
Unit
15th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Prince of Wales’s Own Civil Service Rifles)
Formerly
The Prince of Wales’s Own 12th Middlesex (Civil Service) VRC (5th Volunteer Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps)
HQ
Westminster
Unit
16th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Queen’s Westminster Rifles)
Formerly
13th Middlesex (Queen’s Westminster) VRC (6th Volunteer Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps)
HQ
Kensington
5th London Brigade
Unit
17th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Poplar and Stepney Rifles)
Formerly
2nd Tower Hamlets VRC (9th Volunteer Battalion, Rifle Brigade)
HQ
Bow
Unit
18th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (London Irish Rifles),
Formerly
16th Middlesex (London Irish) VRC (3rd Volunteer Battalion, Rifle Brigade)
HQ
Chelsea
Unit
19th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (St. Pancras)
Formerly
17th Middlesex (North Middlesex) VRC (3rd Volunteer Battalion, Middlesex Regiment)
HQ
Camden Town
Unit
20th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Blackheath and Woolwich)
Formerly
2nd Volunteer Battalion, Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) (ex 3rd Kent VRC)
HQ
Blackheath
6th London Brigade
Unit
21st (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (First Surrey Rifles)
Formerly
1st Surrey (South London) VRC (1st Volunteer Battalion, East Surrey Regiment)
HQ
Camberwell
Unit
22nd (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Queen’s)
Formerly
3rd Volunteer Battalion, Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment) (ex 6th Surrey RVC)
HQ
Bermondsey
Unit
23rd (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment
Formerly
4th Volunteer Battalion, East Surrey Regiment (ex 7th Surrey RVC)
HQ
Battersea
Unit
24th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Queen’s)
Formerly
4th Volunteer Battalion, Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regt) (ex 8th Surrey RVC)
HQ
Southwark
Others
Unit
25th (County of London) Cyclist Battalion, London Regiment.
Formerly
26th (Cyclist) Middlesex VRC (Rifle Brigade)
HQ
Fulham
Unit
26th (County of London) Battalion
Formerly
Title allotted to Infantry Battalion, Honourable Artillery Company but never used
Unit
27th (County of London) Battalion
Formerly
Title allotted to the Inns of Court Regiment but never used
Unit
28th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Artists Rifles),
Formerly
20th Middlesex (Artists) VRC (6th Volunteer Battalion, Rifle Brigade)
HQ
St Pancras
Battle honours for the First World War were awarded to the individual battalions in 1924.

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