The Irish Guards (IG) is one of the Foot Guards regiments of the British Army and is part of the Guards Division. Together with the Royal Irish Regiment, it is one of the two Irish infantry regiments in the British Army. The regiment has participated in campaigns in the First World War, the Second World War, the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan as well as numerous other operations throughout its history. The Irish Guards claim six Victoria Cross recipients, four from the First World War and two from the Second World War.
1st Battalion, Irish Guards prepare to leave Wellington Barracks, Westminster, London, following the outbreak of the First World War, 6 August 1914. The Battalion arrived in France as part of the British Expeditionary Force on 13 August 1914.
Guardsmen of the 1st Battalion, Irish Guards, advancing north of Anzio, Italy, 25 January 1944.
Two Irish Guardsmen and a camouflaged Sherman Firefly guard a section of the Bremen-Hamburg autobahn, 20 April 1945.
1st Battalion, Irish Guards Brigade Advisory Group move on patrol with Afghan National Army soldier during Operation Omid Shash in Gereshk, Helmand province. (2011)
In some militaries, foot guards are senior infantry regiments. Foot guards are commonly responsible for guarding royal families or other state leaders, and they also often perform ceremonial duties accordingly, but at the same time are combat soldiers.
Harald V, the King of Norway, inspects Hans Majestet Kongens Garde with Dmitry Medvedev. The unit acts as foot guards for the Norwegian Army.
The Governor General's Foot Guards is one of two active foot guards regiments in Canada.
The Guard Jaeger Regiment is a Finnish Army unit that provides a guard of honour for the President of Finland.
The Wachbataillon performs ceremonial guard duty for the German Armed Forces.
