Cheshire Regiment
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| The Cheshire Regiment | |
|---|---|
| Image:Cheshire-Cap-Badge.jpg Cap badge of The Cheshire Regiment | |
| Active | 1689-2007 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Role | Light Infantry |
| Size | One battalion |
| Part of | Prince of Wales' Division |
| Garrison/HQ | 1st Battalion - Catterick |
| Nickname | The Old Two-twos The Young Buffs The Peep of Day Boys The Lightning Conductors The Red Knights The Specimens Twos |
| Motto | Ever Glorious |
| Colors | Cerise and Buff |
| March | Quick - Wha Wadna Fecht for Charlie Slow - The 22nd Regiment 1772 |
| Battles/wars | See honours list |
| Commanders | |
| Ceremonial chief | HRH The Prince of Wales, KG, GCB, KT, ADC(P) |
| Colonel of the Regiment | Brigadier A.R.D. Sharpe OBE |
| Insignia | |
| Tactical Recognition Flash | Image:Cheshire TRF.PNG |
The Cheshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. The regiment was created in 1881 as part of the Childers reforms by the linking of the 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment of Foot and the militia and rifle volunteers of Cheshire. The title 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment continued to be used within the regiment.
The 22nd Foot was raised by the Duke of Norfolk in 1689 and was able to boast an independent existence of over 325 years, being one of five line infantry regiments never to have been amalgamated in its history; Up to 2006, it shared this claim with:
However, on September 1 2007, the Cheshire Regiment was merged to form the Mercian Regiment, becoming 1 (Cheshires) MERCIAN.
Contents |
[edit] History
In 1689, Henry, Duke of Norfolk, raised a regiment on the little Roodee in Chester in an effort to resist any attempt by James II to re-take the English throne. For the early part of its formation, the regiment was known by the name of the current Colonel-in-Chief, later becoming known as the 22nd Regiment of Foot. In the same year that it was raised, the regiment saw its first action as part of a British force sent to Ireland under the command of General Frederick Schomberg, 1st Duke of Schomberg, taking part in the siege and capture of Carrickfergus. In 1690, the 22nd fought in the Battle of Boyne, and in 1691 at the Battle of Aughrim. The regiment continued to serve as a garrison in Ireland from this point until 1695, when it was sent to the Low Countries for a short time before returning to its duties in Ireland.
In 1702, the 22nd Regiment of Foot sailed to Jamaica, spending the next twelve years in combat duties against the French and native population, both on land and at sea.
[edit] Recent History
Between 1986 and 1988, the 1st Battalion was posted to Caterham as a public duties battalion. This was the first time that a line infantry unit had been posted as such - before this, although line infantry battalions had performed public duties, this had only been for brief periods. Amongst the duties performed was the mounting of the Queen's Guard at Buckingham Palace.
[edit] Reorganisation of the British Army
In 2004, as part of the restructuring of the infantry, it was announced that the Cheshire Regiment would be amalgamated with the Staffordshire Regiment and the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters to form the new Mercian Regiment. In August 2007, the regiment will move to Catterick, simultaneously being renamed 1st Battalion, Mercian Regiment (Cheshires), in the light infantry role. As a consequence, between July 2006 and August 2007, the 22nd had the honour of being the oldest line infantry regiment in the British Army, thanks to its uninterrupted service since its formation in 1688.
[edit] Alliances
- Image:Flag of Canada.svg Canada - 2nd Battalion, The Nova Scotia Highlanders (Cape Breton)
- Image:Flag of India.svg India - 5th Battalion (Napiers), The Rajputana Rifles
- Image:Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy - HMS Albion
[edit] Battle Honours
[edit] Borne on Regimental Colours
- ‘Louisburg’
- ‘Martinique 1762’
- ‘Havannah’,
- ‘Meanee’
- ‘Hyderabad’
- ‘Scinde’
- ‘South Africa 1900-02’
[edit] Borne on Queen's Colours
- ‘Mons’
- ‘Ypres 1914, 15, 17, 18’
- ‘Somme 1916, 18’
- ‘Arras 1917, 18’
- ‘Messines 1917, 18’
- ‘Bapaume 1918’
- ‘Dorian 1917, 18’
- ‘Suvla’
- ‘Gaza’
- ‘Kut al Amara 1917’
[edit] 1939-1945
- ‘St. Omer-La Bassee’
- ‘Normandy Landing’
- ‘Capture of Tobruk’
- ‘El Alamein’
- ‘Mareth’
- ‘Sicily 1943’
- ‘Salerno’
- ‘Rome’
- ‘Gothic Line’
- ‘Malta 1941-42’
