1.
United Kingdom
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The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom or Britain, is a sovereign country in western Europe. Lying off the north-western coast of the European mainland, the United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain, Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom that shares a land border with another sovereign state—the Republic of Ireland. The Irish Sea lies between Great Britain and Ireland, with an area of 242,500 square kilometres, the United Kingdom is the 78th-largest sovereign state in the world and the 11th-largest in Europe. It is also the 21st-most populous country, with an estimated 65.1 million inhabitants, together, this makes it the fourth-most densely populated country in the European Union. The United Kingdom is a monarchy with a parliamentary system of governance. The monarch is Queen Elizabeth II, who has reigned since 6 February 1952, other major urban areas in the United Kingdom include the regions of Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Liverpool and Manchester. The United Kingdom consists of four countries—England, Scotland, Wales, the last three have devolved administrations, each with varying powers, based in their capitals, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, respectively. The relationships among the countries of the UK have changed over time, Wales was annexed by the Kingdom of England under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. A treaty between England and Scotland resulted in 1707 in a unified Kingdom of Great Britain, which merged in 1801 with the Kingdom of Ireland to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Five-sixths of Ireland seceded from the UK in 1922, leaving the present formulation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, there are fourteen British Overseas Territories. These are the remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in the 1920s, British influence can be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former colonies. The United Kingdom is a country and has the worlds fifth-largest economy by nominal GDP. The UK is considered to have an economy and is categorised as very high in the Human Development Index. It was the worlds first industrialised country and the worlds foremost power during the 19th, the UK remains a great power with considerable economic, cultural, military, scientific and political influence internationally. It is a nuclear weapons state and its military expenditure ranks fourth or fifth in the world. The UK has been a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council since its first session in 1946 and it has been a leading member state of the EU and its predecessor, the European Economic Community, since 1973. However, on 23 June 2016, a referendum on the UKs membership of the EU resulted in a decision to leave. The Acts of Union 1800 united the Kingdom of Great Britain, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have devolved self-government
2.
British Army
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The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom. As of 2017 the British Army comprises just over 80,000 trained Regular, or full-time, personnel and just over 26,500 trained Reserve, or part-time personnel. Therefore, the UK Parliament approves the continued existence of the Army by passing an Armed Forces Act at least once every five years, day to day the Army comes under administration of the Ministry of Defence and is commanded by the Chief of the General Staff. Repeatedly emerging victorious from these decisive wars allowed Britain to influence world events with its policies and establish itself as one of the leading military. In 1660 the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were restored under Charles II, Charles favoured the foundation of a new army under royal control and began work towards its establishment by August 1660. The Royal Scots Army and the Irish Army were financed by the Parliament of Scotland, the order of seniority of the most senior line regiments in the British Army is based on the order of seniority in the English army. At that time there was only one English regiment of dragoons, after William and Marys accession to the throne, England involved itself in the War of the Grand Alliance, primarily to prevent a French invasion restoring Marys father, James II. Spain, in the two centuries, had been the dominant global power, and the chief threat to Englands early transatlantic ambitions. The territorial ambitions of the French, however, led to the War of the Spanish Succession and the Napoleonic Wars. From the time of the end of the Seven Years War in 1763, Great Britain was the naval power. As had its predecessor, the English Army, the British Army fought the Kingdoms of Spain, France, and the Netherlands for supremacy in North America and the West Indies. With native and provincial assistance, the Army conquered New France in the North American theatre of the Seven Years War, the British Army suffered defeat in the American War of Independence, losing the Thirteen Colonies but holding on to Canada. The British Army was heavily involved in the Napoleonic Wars and served in campaigns across Europe. The war between the British and the First French Empire of Napoleon Bonaparte stretched around the world and at its peak, in 1813, the regular army contained over 250,000 men. A Coalition of Anglo-Dutch and Prussian Armies under the Duke of Wellington, the English had been involved, both politically and militarily, in Ireland since being given the Lordship of Ireland by the Pope in 1171. The campaign of the English republican Protector, Oliver Cromwell, involved uncompromising treatment of the Irish towns that had supported the Royalists during the English Civil War, the English Army stayed in Ireland primarily to suppress numerous Irish revolts and campaigns for independence. Having learnt from their experience in America, the British government sought a political solution, the British Army found itself fighting Irish rebels, both Protestant and Catholic, primarily in Ulster and Leinster in the 1798 rebellion. The Haldane Reforms of 1907 formally created the Territorial Force as the Armys volunteer reserve component by merging and reorganising the Volunteer Force, Militia, Great Britains dominance of the world had been challenged by numerous other powers, in the 20th century, most notably Germany
3.
Challenger 2
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The FV4034 Challenger 2 is a British main battle tank in service with the armies of the United Kingdom and Oman. It was designed and built by the British company Vickers Defence Systems, Vickers Defence Systems began to develop a successor to Challenger 1 as a private venture in 1986. A £90 million deal for a vehicle was finalised in January 1989. In June 1991, the Ministry of Defence placed a £520 million order for 140 vehicles, production began in 1993 and the units tanks were delivered in July 1994, replacing the Challenger 1. The tank entered service with the British Army in 1998, with the last delivered in 2002 and it is expected to remain in service until 2035. The Royal Army of Oman ordered 18 Challenger 2s in 1993, the Challenger 2 is an extensive redesign of the Challenger 1. Although the hull and automotive components seem similar, they are of a design and build than those of the Challenger 1. The tanks drive system provides a 550 km range, with a road speed of 59 km/h. The Challenger 2 is equipped with a 120-millimetre 55-calibre long L30A1 tank gun, the Challenger 2 is also armed with a L94A1 EX-347.62 mm chain gun and a 7.62 mm L37A2 machine gun. Fifty eight main armament rounds and 4,200 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition are carried, the Challenger 2 is considered to be one of the best protected tanks in the world. The turret and hull are protected with second generation Chobham armour, on one occasion, in August 2006, during the post-invasion stage of the Iraq War, an RPG-29 was fired at a Challenger 2 that was climbing over a ramp. The armour on its front underside hull, which was not augmented with an explosive reactive armour package, was damaged, the tank subsequently returned to base under its own power and was quickly repaired and back on duty the following day. As a response to the incident, the reactive armour package was replaced with a Dorchester block. It has seen service in Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq. The Challenger 2 is the vehicle of this name, the first being the A30 Challenger. The second was the Persian Gulf War era Challenger 1, which was the British armys main battle tank from the early 1980s to the mid-1990s, Vickers Defence Systems began to develop a successor to Challenger 1 as a private venture in 1986. Following the issue of a Staff Requirement for a next-generation tank, the demonstration phase contained three milestones for progress, with dates of September 1989, March 1990, and September 1990. At the last of these milestones, Vickers was to have met 11 key criteria for the tanks design, in June 1991, after competition with other tank manufacturers designs, the MoD placed a £520 million order for 127 MBTs and 13 driver training vehicles
4.
FV107 Scimitar
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The FV107 Scimitar is an armoured reconnaissance vehicle used by the British Army. It was manufactured by Alvis in Coventry and it is very similar to the FV101 Scorpion, but mounts a high velocity 30 mm L21 RARDEN cannon instead of a 76 mm gun. It was issued to Royal Armoured Corps armoured regiments in the reconnaissance role, each regiment originally had a close reconnaissance squadron of five troops, each containing eight FV107 Scimitars. The FV107 Scimitar is one of the CVR series of vehicles, initially, the engine was the Jaguar J604. 2-litre 6-cylinder petrol engine, the same as used by several Jaguar cars. This has now replaced by a Cummins BTA5.9 diesel engine in British Army Scimitars. Following a risk mitigation programme, in December 2010 a contract was awarded for the development, testing and management of an upgraded Scimitar. This was undertaken by the Vehicles Military & Technical Services team, BAE Systems Telford, the Scimitar Mark 2 combat vehicle is one of five enhanced CVR types. The resulting vehicles have since been re-engined with a Cummins BTA5.9 litre diesel engine, ground clearance,0.35 m Main armament,30 mm L21 RARDEN cannon. Ammunition types, High Explosive Incendiary High Explosive Armour Piercing APSE Armour Piercing Discarding Sabot-Tracer Additional defence,2 × 4-barrel smoke launchers. Ammunition stores,30 mm –165 rounds 7.62 mm –2,000 rounds As with all UK armoured vehicles, Scimitar is equipped with an air system. For this reason, the vehicle is equipped with a vessel, to cook. United Kingdom –325 units The Scimitar is used by the five formation reconnaissance regiments of the British Army, four of the regiments are organised with three squadrons, each of 12 Scimitars, the fifth has an extra squadron to support 16 Air Assault Brigade. It is also used by support groups within infantry battalions. After the Strategic Defence and Security Review in 2010, some regiments are seeing their Challenger 2 tanks replaced with CVR Scimitars, belgium –141 units, withdrawn from active service in 2004. Two troops from B Squadron, Blues and Royals served in the Falklands War, one troop was equipped with four Scorpions, the other with four Scimitars. These CVRs were the armoured vehicles used in action by the British Army during the conflict. In the First Gulf War, 16th/5th The Queens Royal Lancers, with attached reinforcements, a troop of Scimitars engaged and knocked out Iraqi T-62s, penetrating their frontal armour with sabot rounds. One Scimitar was engaged and hit by an Iraqi T-55 and the round passed through the thin aluminium armour without injuring the crew
5.
Royal Tank Regiment
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The Royal Tank Regiment is the oldest tank unit in the world, being formed by the British Army in 1916 during the Great War. Today, it is the regiment of the British Armys 1st Armoured Infantry Brigade. Formerly known as the Tank Corps and the Royal Tank Corps, the formation of the Royal Tank Regiment followed the invention of the tank. Tanks were first used at the Battle of Flers–Courcelette in September 1916 during the Battle of the Somme in the First World War, at that time the six tank companies were grouped as the Heavy Section of the Machine Gun Corps. On 28 July 1917, the Heavy Branch was separated from the rest of the Corps by Royal Warrant and given official status as the Tank Corps. The formation of new battalions continued and, by December 1918,26 had been created though only 25 battalions were equipped with tanks, the first commander of the Tank Corps was Hugh Elles. The Corps saw much action at the Battle of Cambrai in November 1917, after the war, the Tank Corps was trimmed down to a central depot and four battalions, the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th battalions. On 18 October 1923, it was given the title Royal making it the Royal Tank Corps by Colonel-in-Chief King George V. It was at time that the motto, Fear Naught, the black beret. In 1933, the 6th Battalion, RTC was formed in Egypt by combining the personnel of the 3rd, in 1934, the 1st Battalion, RTC was formed in England with personnel drawn from the 2nd, 3rd & 5th Battalions. With the preparations for war in the late 1930s, two more Regular Army Battalions were formed, the 7th in 1937 and the 8th in 1938. In the latter half of 1938, six TA Infantry Battalions were converted to Tank Battalions, eight of the Regular Army Companies were later converted into independent Light Tank Companies, all twelve Companies had been disbanded by the outbreak of the Second World War. On 4 April 1939, the Royal Tank Corps was renamed the Royal Tank Regiment, the eight Yeomanry Armoured Car Companies of the RTR were activated and transferred to the Royal Armoured Corps. Before the Second World War, Royal Tank Corps recruits were required to be at least 5 feet 4 inches tall and they initially enlisted for six years with the colours and a further six years with the reserve. They trained at the Royal Tank Corps Depot at Bovington Camp, at the outbreak of war, the regiment consisted of 20 battalions,8 regular and 12 territorial. 11 RTR formed part of 79th Armoured Division, initially equipped with Canal Defence Light tanks, it converted to Buffalo not long after D-Day, prime Minister Winston Churchill was ferried across the Rhine in a Buffalo from C Squadron, 11RTR. The Regiments numerous units took part in battles in the Second World War, including the Battle of Dunkirk, El Alamein, Italian Campaign, Burma Campaign. On 2 August 2014, 1RTR and 2RTR amalgamated at Bulford, the new regiment is titled the Royal Tank Regiment
6.
Yeomanry
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Yeomanry is a designation used by a number of units or sub-units of the British Army Reserve, descended from volunteer cavalry regiments. Today, Yeomanry units serve in a variety of different military roles, in the 1790s, the threat of invasion of the Kingdom of Great Britain was high, after the French Revolution and the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. To improve the defences, volunteer regiments were raised in many counties from yeomen. These regiments became known collectively as the Yeomanry, members of the yeomanry were not obliged to serve overseas without their individual consent. In 1827 it was decided for reasons to reduce the number of yeomanry regiments. A number of independent troops were also dissolved, following these reductions the yeomanry establishment was fixed at 22 corps receiving allowances and a further 16 serving without pay. During the 1830s the number of yeomanry units fluctuated, reflecting the level of civil unrest in any region at any particular time. The Irish Yeomanry, which had played a role in suppressing the rebellion of 1798, was completely disbanded in 1838. For the next thirty years the Yeomanry Force was retained as a line of support for the regular cavalry within Britain. Recruiting difficulties led to serious consideration being given to the disbandment of the force in 1870. These included requirements that individual yeomanry troopers attend a number of drills per year in return for a permanent duty allowance. While these reforms improved the professionalism of the Yeomanry Force, numbers remained low, in 1876 the role of the Yeomanry Force was fixed as that of light cavalry. These supernumerary units were now abolished, during the Second Boer War companies of Imperial Yeomanry were formed to serve overseas from volunteers from the Yeomanry. In 1901 all yeomanry regiments were redesignated as Imperial Yeomanry, in 1908 the Imperial Yeomanry was merged with the Volunteer Force to form the Territorial Force, of which it became the cavalry arm. The Imperial title was dropped at the same time, on the eve of World War I in 1914 there were 55 Yeomanry regiments, each of four squadrons instead of the three of the regular cavalry. Upon embodiment these regiments were brought together to form mounted brigades or allocated as divisional cavalry. For purposes of recruitment and administration the Yeomanry were linked to counties or regions. Some of the still in existence in 1914 dated back to those created in the 1790s while others had been created during a period of expansion following on the Boer War
7.
Infantry of the British Army
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The Infantry of the British Army, part of the structure of the British Army, comprises 47 infantry battalions, from 19 regiments. Of these,33 battalions are part of the Regular army, the British Armys Infantry forms a highly flexible organisation, taking on a variety of roles, including armoured, mechanised, air assault and light. Traditionally, regiments that form the arms of the British Army 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 and these were formalised under the Cardwell Reforms that began in the 1860s. Under this scheme, single battalion regiments were amalgamated into two battalion regiments, then assigned to a depot and associated recruiting area. The recruiting area would become part of the regiments title. It was this that gave rise to the concept of the county regiment, over time, regiments have been amalgamated further, which has led to recruiting areas of individual regiments increasing in size. Often, these amalgamations have been 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 and The Light Infantry, since September 2007, when the most recent reforms were completed, the infantry has consisted of 18 separate regiments. The five regiments of foot guards recruit from their home nations. Scotland, Ireland and Wales each have a regiment of line infantry from which they recruit, while England has seven line infantry. They initially enlisted for seven years with the colours and a five years with the reserve. They trained at their own regimental depot and this course, called the Combat Infantrymans Course, lasts 26 weeks as standard and teaches recruits both the basics of soldiering and the specifics of soldiering in the infantry. On 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 course, the Brigade of Gurkhas CIC combines the Common Military Syllabus with the CIC, together with courses on British culture and the English Language. The Gurkha CIC lasts 37 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 Commanders Battle Course, is run at the Infantry Battle School at Brecon in Wales and 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, Phase 3 training is also undertaken at the Support Weapons School at Warminster, where new officers, NCOs and soldiers are trained in the use of support weapons and in communications
8.
Guards Division
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The Guards Division is an administrative unit of the British Army responsible for the administration of the regiments of Foot Guards and the London Regiment. The Guards division was established by renaming the Brigade of Guards in 1968, the depot was established at Wellington Barracks in London. They represent the battalions at significant events, such as Trooping the Colour. As such, each company is an independent unit of their regiment, the colours and traditions of each battalion are kept and maintained by the incremental companies. The British Army, A Pocket Guide, 2012-2013, Brigade of Guards at regiments. org by T. F. Mills at the Wayback Machine
9.
King's Division
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The Kings Division is a British Army command, training and administrative apparatus designated for infantry regiments in the North of England. The Kings Division was formed in 1968 with the union of the Lancastrian Brigade, Yorkshire Brigade, the depot was established at Queen Elizabeth II Barracks in Strensall. The Band was formed through the amalgamation of two former bands, the Normandy Band and the Waterloo Band. A written statement says that The Mercian Regiment from the Prince of Wales’s Division will join with the King’s Division, the British Army, A Pocket Guide, 2012-2013. Kings Division The Band of The Kings Division The Band of The Yorkshire Regiment
10.
Queen's Division
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The Queens Division is a British Army command, training and administrative apparatus designated for the regiments from the east and south of England and the remaining regiment of Fusiliers. The Queens Division was formed in 1968 with the regimentation of the Home Counties Brigade, Fusilier Brigade and East Anglian Brigade, the depot was established at Bassingbourn Barracks in Cambridgeshire. The Queens Division also maintains a single Band of the Queens Division and this was formed in 2006 by the amalgamation of two former divisional bands, the Minden Band and the Normandy Band. The British Army, A Pocket Guide, 2012-2013
11.
Parachute Regiment (United Kingdom)
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The Parachute Regiment, colloquially known as the Paras, is an elite airborne infantry regiment of the British Army. One battalion is permanently under the command of the Director Special Forces in the Special Forces Support Group, the other battalions are the parachute infantry component of the British Armys rapid response formation,16 Air Assault Brigade. The Paras are the line infantry regiment of the British Army that has not been amalgamated with another unit since the end of the Second World War. The Parachute Regiment was formed on 22 June 1940 during the Second World War, in Europe, these battalions formed part of the 1st Airborne Division, the 6th Airborne Division and the 2nd Independent Parachute Brigade Group. Another three battalions served with the British Indian Army in India and Burma, the regiment took part in six major parachute assault operations in North Africa, Italy, Greece, France, the Netherlands and Germany, often landing ahead of all other troops. At the end of the Second World War, the regiment was reduced to three regular army battalions first assigned to the 16th Parachute Brigade and later the 5th Airborne Brigade, the reserve 16th Airborne Division was formed using the regiment reserve battalions in the Territorial Army. Defence cuts gradually reduced the TA formations to a parachute brigade, the Parachute Regiment consists of three regular army battalions, the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, and an Army Reserve battalion, the 4th. The 1st is based at St Athan, Wales, and is attached to the Special Forces Support Group. They receive further training on weapons, communications equipment and specialist assault skills. All men within the Parachute Regiment can expect to serve with the SFSG on rotation and this ensures that the advanced military skills taught to the SFSG are maintained in the other two regular battalions. The 2nd and 3rd battalions are the infantry component of the 16 Air Assault Brigade, the armys rapid response brigade. The reserve 4th Battalion has its headquarters at Pudsey and companies in Glasgow, Liverpool, volunteers for the Parachute Regiment are invited to a 3-day insight course at the Parachute Regiment Assessment Course at Catterick Garrison. Over the three days, they have to pass a series of fitness assessments. All recruit training is undertaken over a 30-week course with 2nd Infantry Training Battalion at the Infantry Training Centre at Catterick. P company puts recruits through a number of physical assessments designed to test fitness, stamina, at the end of P Company, recruits take part in eight pre-parachute selection tests. Those who are successful are awarded their maroon beret, currently, recruits for the Parachute Regiment must be male and aged 16 to 33 for the regular Army, or 18 to 40 for the Army Reserve. Potential Officers must be aged 18 to 29, on completion of his basic training and entry into his battalion, recruits are posted to RAF Brize Norton for a Basic Parachute Course. Since 1995, all jumps are carried out from powered aircraft
12.
Royal Gurkha Rifles
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The Royal Gurkha Rifles is a rifle regiment of the British Army, forming part of the Brigade of Gurkhas. Unlike other regiments in the British army, soldiers are recruited from Nepal and their motto is, Better to die than live a coward. 2nd Battalion, Royal Gurkha Rifles, formed by renaming the 1st Bn, 3rd Battalion, Royal Gurkha Rifles, formed by renaming the 1st Bn, 10th Princess Marys Own Gurkha Rifles. The 3rd Battalion was amalgamated with the 2nd Battalion in 1996 as part of run down of British forces in Hong Kong, in December 1995, Lieutenant-Colonel Bijaykumar Rawat became the commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, the first Nepalese to become a battalion commander in the RGR. He oversaw the departure of the battalion from Hong Kong just before that citys transfer to Chinese control, during this tour, Cornet Harry Wales was attached for a period to the 1st Battalion as a Forward Air Controller. Under Army 2020, the regiment was intended to provide two light battalions, rotating between Brunei and the UK, with their higher unit as 11th Infantry Brigade. However, in June 2015, the 2nd Battalion, then based in the UK, was reassigned to part of 16 Air Assault Brigade. The two battalions of the RGR are formed as light role infantry, the first battalion is based at the British garrison in Brunei as part of Britains commitment to maintaining a military presence in Southeast Asia. The second battalion is based at Shorncliffe, near Folkestone in Kent as part of 16 Air Assault Brigade, a post on the Gurkha Brigade website in August 2016 noted that the RGR will grow in personnel size in the future. Corporal Dip Prasad Pun of the 1st battalion was awarded Conspicuous Gallantry Cross for an act of bravery during the War in Afghanistan in 2010 and he alone defended his outpost against a force of up to 30 Taliban fighters. He fired more than 400 rounds,17 grenades, and one mine and he even resorted to fighting with his machine gun tripod after his ammunition had run out
13.
The Rifles
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The Rifles is an infantry regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of five Regular and two Reserve battalions, plus a number of companies in other Army Reserve battalions, each battalion of The Rifles was formerly an individual battalion of one of the two large regiments of the Light Division. Since formation the regiment has been involved in operations, first in the later stages of the Iraq War. The Rifles was created as a result of the Future Army Structure, however, on 24 November 2005, the Ministry of Defence announced that the four regiments would amalgamate into a single five-battalion regiment. The 1st Battalion undertook a tour in Afghanistan between October 2008 and April 2009 mentoring the Afghan National Army in Helmand Province, the 5th Battalion was one of the last British Army units to leave Iraq in May 2009. The 4th Battalion provided reinforcement cover for the elections in Afghanistan, at the same time the 2nd Battalion was deployed to Sangin and was relieved in due course by the 3rd Battalion. The 2nd and 5th battalions of the Rifles returned for a tour of duty in Afghanistan serving in the Nahri Saraj District in October 2011. Initially configured in the role as part of 3 Commando Brigade, it moved to 160th Infantry Brigade. Personnel were based at Beachley Barracks, Chepstow, 2nd Battalion, a redesignation of the 1st Battalion, Royal Green Jackets. Initially configured in the role as part of 19 Light Brigade. Personnel are based at Thiepval Barracks, Lisburn, 3rd Battalion, a redesignation of the 2nd Battalion, The Light Infantry. Initially configured in the role as part of 52nd Infantry Brigade, it moved to 51st Infantry Brigade. Personnel are based at Dreghorn Barracks, Edinburgh, 4th Battalion, a redesignation of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Green Jackets. Initially configured in the role as part of 1 Mechanised Brigade. Personnel are based at New Normandy Barracks in Aldershot Garrison, the battalion will convert to a Specialised Infantry battalion, to provide an increased contribution to countering terrorism and building stability overseas. 5th Battalion - redesignation of the 1st Battalion, The Light Infantry, configured in the armoured role as part of 20th Armoured Brigade, it will remain as a Warrior battalion under Army 2020. Personnel are based at Bulford Camp, 6th Battalion - redesignation of the Rifle Volunteers. It comes under 160th Infantry Brigade and Headquarters Wales and is paired with 1 RIFLES, personnel are based at Wyvern Barracks in Exeter with sub-units at Gloucester, Taunton, Dorchester, Shrewsbury, Hereford and Truro
14.
Special Air Service
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The Special Air Service is a special forces unit of the British Army. The SAS was founded in 1941 as a regiment, and later reconstituted as a corps in 1950, the unit undertakes a number of roles including covert reconnaissance, counter-terrorism, direct action and hostage rescue. The Special Air Service traces its origins to 1941 and the Second World War and it was reformed as part of the Territorial Army in 1947, named the 21st Special Air Service Regiment. It was conceived as a force to operate behind enemy lines in the North African Campaign. Its first mission, in November 1941, was a drop in support of the Operation Crusader offensive. Due to German resistance and adverse conditions, the mission was a disaster,22 men. Its second mission was a major success, transported by the Long Range Desert Group, it attacked three airfields in Libya, destroying 60 aircraft with the loss of 2 men and 3 Willys MB. In September 1942, it was renamed 1st SAS, consisting at that time of four British squadrons, one Free French, one Greek, in January 1943, Colonel Stirling was captured in Tunisia and Paddy Mayne replaced him as commander. In April 1943, the 1st SAS was reorganised into the Special Raiding Squadron under Maynes command and the Special Boat Squadron was placed under the command of George Jellicoe. The Special Raiding Squadron fought in Sicily and Italy along with the 2nd SAS, the Special Boat Squadron fought in the Aegean Islands and Dodecanese until the end of the war. In 1944 the SAS Brigade was formed from the British 1st and 2nd SAS, the French 3rd and 4th SAS and the Belgian 5th SAS. It was tasked with parachute operations behind the German lines in France and carried out supporting the Allied advance through Belgium, the Netherlands. As a result of Hitlers issuing of the Commando Order on 18 October 1942, in July 1944, following Operation Bulbasket,34 captured SAS commandos were summarily executed by the Germans. In October 1944, in the aftermath of Operation Loyton another 31 captured SAS commandos were summarily executed by the Germans, at the end of the war the British Government saw no further need for the force and disbanded it on 8 October 1945. The following year it was decided there was a need for a long-term deep-penetration commando unit, ultimately, the Artists Rifles, raised in 1860 and headquartered at Dukes Road, Euston, took on the SAS mantle as 21st SAS Regiment on 1 January 1947. In 1950, a 21 SAS squadron was raised to fight in the Korean War, after three months of training in Britain, it was informed that the squadron would no longer be required in Korea and so it instead volunteered to fight in the Malayan Emergency. Upon arrival in Malaya, it came under the command of Mike Calvert who was forming a new unit called the Malayan Scouts, the Rhodesians returned home after three years service and were replaced by a New Zealand squadron. By this time the need for a regular army SAS regiment had been recognised, in 1959 the third regiment, the 23rd SAS Regiment, was formed by renaming the Reserve Reconnaissance Unit, which had succeeded MI9 and whose members were experts in escape and evasion
15.
Army Air Corps (United Kingdom)
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The Army Air Corps is a component of the British Army, first formed in 1942 during the Second World War. There are eight regiments of the AAC as well as four Independent Flights and they are located in Britain, Brunei, Canada, and Germany. The AAC provides the air elements of 16 Air Assault Brigade through Joint Helicopter Command. The British Army first took to the sky during the 19th century with the use of observation balloons, in 1911 the Air Battalion of the Royal Engineers was the first heavier-than-air British military aviation unit. Between the wars, the Army used RAF co-operation squadrons, at the beginning of the Second World War, Royal Artillery officers, with the assistance of RAF technicians, flew Auster observation aircraft under RAF-owned Air Observation Post Squadrons. Twelve such squadrons were raised —three of which belonged to the RCAF—, early in the war, Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, announced the establishment of a new branch of army aviation, the Army Air Corps, formed in 1942. The corps initially comprised the Glider Pilot Regiment and the Parachute Battalions, in 1944, the SAS Regiment was added to the Corps. One of their most successful exploits during the war was Operation Deadstick, including the attack on Pegasus Bridge, once the three gliders landed, some roughly which incurred casualties, the pilots joined the glider-borne troops to act as infantry. The bridge was taken within ten minutes of the battle commencing and they were soon reinforced and relieved by soldiers from Lord Lovats 1 Special Service Brigade, famously led by piper Bill Millin. It was subsequently reinforced by units of the British 3rd Division. The pilots who had flown the gliders soon had to transfer to flying powered aircraft, becoming part of the RAF Air Observation Post Squadrons. In 1957 the Glider Pilot and Parachute Corps was renamed to The Parachute Regiment, while the Glider Pilot Regiment and the Air Observation Squadrons amalgamated into a new unit, from 1970, nearly every army brigade had at least one Aviation Squadron that usually numbered twelve aircraft. The main rotor aircraft during the 1970s were the Westland Scout, the Sioux was replaced from 1973 by the Westland Gazelle used for Airborne recce, initially unarmed, they were converted to carry 68mm SNEB rocket pods in 1982, during the Falklands War. The Scout was replaced from 1978 by the Westland Lynx, which was capable of carrying additional firepower in the form of door gunners. Basic rotary flying training was carried out on the Bell Sioux in the 1970s, fixed-wing types in AAC service have included the Auster AOP.6 and AOP.9 and DHC-2 Beaver AL.1 in the observation and liaison roles. Since 1989, the AAC have operated a number of Britten-Norman Islander and Defender aircraft for surveillance, the corps operated the DHC-1 Chipmunk T.10 in the training role until its replacement by the Slingsby T67 Firefly in the 1990s. The Firefly was replaced by the Grob Tutor in 2010, a further boost in the Army Air Corps capability came in the form of the Westland Apache AH.1 attack helicopter. In 2006, British Apaches deployed to Afghanistan as part of the NATO International Security Assistance Force, the strength of the Army Air Corps is believed to be some 2,000 Regular personnel, of which 500 are officers
16.
Special Reconnaissance Regiment
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The Special Reconnaissance Regiment, or SRR, is a special reconnaissance unit of the British Army. The regiment conducts a range of classified activities related to covert surveillance and reconnaissance. The SRR draws its personnel from existing units and can recruit volunteers from any serving male or female member of the British Armed Forces, the Special Reconnaissance Regiment conducts surveillance operations mainly concerning, but not limited to, counter-terrorism activities. It was formed to relieve the Special Air Service and the Special Boat Service of that role and is believed to contain around 500–700 personnel, media reports state they are based alongside the Special Air Service in Hereford. The SRR was formed to meet a demand for a reconnaissance capability identified in the Strategic Defence Review. The regiment was formed around a core of the already established 14 Intelligence Company, on 22 July 2005 Jean Charles de Menezes was shot dead by armed police officers on a London Underground train at Stockwell tube station. A partial Ministry of Defence response was reported by The Sunday Times, after an hour -long gunfight, Apache attack helicopters, the Gurkha Quick reaction force and the 16-man unit, supported by a U. S. A company from the Parachute Regiment in an RAF Chinook took off to them, a pair of Apaches spotted the bodies. One SBS member was awarded the MC for his actions in the ambush and he claimed that they would have no operational role and would be fully accountable, as required by the St Andrews Agreement. In late 2015, it was reported there were approximately 60 Special Reconnaissance Regiment plain-clothed and unarmed surveillance troops operating in Northern Ireland, personnel retain the uniforms of their parent organisations with the addition of an emerald grey coloured beret and the SRR cap badge. The cap badge shares Excalibur in common with the other UKSF units, in the case of the SRR being placed behind a Corinthian helmet, the stable belt of the SRR is similar in style to that of the SAS, however, being midnight blue, it is darker. Russia – 45th Spetsnaz Regiment France – 13th Parachute Dragoon Regiment Israel – Sayeret Matkal United States – Intelligence Support Activity
17.
Royal Artillery
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The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery, is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name Royal Regiment of Artillery it actually consists of 13 Regular Regiments and 5 Reserve Regiments, the introduction of artillery into the English army came as early as the Battle of Crécy in 1346. Henry VIII made the armys artillery semi-permanent in the sixteenth century, before the 18th century, artillery traynes were raised by royal warrant for specific campaigns and disbanded again when they were over. On 26 May 1716, however, by warrant of George I two regular companies of field artillery, each 100 men strong, were raised at Woolwich. The title Royal Artillery was first used in 1720, in 1741 the Royal Military Academy was formed in the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich to provide training for RA and Royal Engineers officers. The regiment expanded rapidly and, by 1757, had 24 companies divided into two battalions, as well as a company formed in 1741. During 1748, the presidential artilleries of Bengal, Madras and Bombay were formed,1756 saw the creation of the Royal Irish Regiment of Artillery. In 1762 the Royal Artillery Band was formed at Minden, by 1771 there were 32 companies in four battalions, as well as two invalid companies comprising older and unfit men employed in garrison duties. During 1782, the regiment moved to the Royal Artillery Barracks on Woolwich Common, in January 1793, two troops of Royal Horse Artillery were raised to provide fire support for the cavalry, augmented by two more in November 1793. The Royal Irish Artillery was absorbed into the RA in 1801, during 1805, the Royal Military Academy moved to Woolwich Common. In 1819, the Rotunda was given to the regiment by the Prince Regent to celebrate end of the Napoleonic Wars, in 1832, the regimental motto, Ubique Quo Fas Et Gloria Ducunt, was granted. The motto signified that the regiment had seen action in all the conflicts of the British Army. The regiment was under the control of the Board of Ordnance until the board was abolished in 1855, thereafter the regiment came under the War Office along with the rest of the army. The School of Gunnery established at Shoeburyness, Essex in 1859, the third group continued to be titled simply Royal Artillery, and was responsible for ammunition storage and supply. Which branch a gunner belonged to was indicated by metal shoulder titles, the RFA and RHA also dressed as mounted men, whereas the RGA dressed like foot soldiers. In 1920 the rank of Bombardier was instituted in the Royal Artillery, the three sections effectively functioned as separate corps. This arrangement lasted until 1924, when the three amalgamated once more to one regiment. In 1938, RA Brigades were renamed Regiments, during the World War II there were over 1 million men serving in 960 gunner regiments
18.
Royal Engineers
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The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers, and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army. It is highly regarded throughout the military, and especially the Army and it provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is headed by the Chief Royal Engineer. The Regimental Headquarters and the Royal School of Military Engineering are in Chatham in Kent, the corps is divided into several regiments, barracked at various places in the United Kingdom and around the world. In Woolwich in 1716, the Board formed the Royal Regiment of Artillery and established a Corps of Engineers, the manual work was done by the Artificer Companies, made up of contracted civilian artisans and labourers. In 1782, a Soldier Artificer Company was established for service in Gibraltar, ten years later the Gibraltar company, which had remained separate, was absorbed and in 1812 the name was changed to the Corps of Royal Sappers and Miners. The Corps has no battle honours, in 1832, the regimental motto, Ubique Quo Fas Et Gloria Ducunt, was granted. The motto signified that the Corps had seen action in all the conflicts of the British Army. In 1911 the Corps formed its Air Battalion, the first flying unit of the British Armed Forces, the Air Battalion was the forerunner of the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force. In 1915, in response to German mining of British trenches under the then static siege conditions of the First World War, before the Second World War, Royal Engineers recruits were required to be at least 5 feet 4 inches tall. They initially enlisted for six years with the colours and a six years with the reserve or four years. Unlike most corps and regiments, in which the age limit was 25. They trained at the Royal Engineers Depot in Chatham or the RE Mounted Depot at Aldershot, the Royal Engineers Museum is in Gillingham in Kent. Britain having acquired an Empire, it fell to the Royal Engineers to conduct some of the most significant civil engineering schemes around the world, some examples of great works of the era of empire can be found in A. J. Smitherss book Honourable Conquests. The Royal Engineers, Columbia Detachment, commanded by Richard Clement Moody, was responsible for the foundation, the Royal Albert Hall is one of the UKs most treasured and distinctive buildings, recognisable the world over. Since its opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the leading artists from every kind of performance genre have appeared on its stage. The Hall was designed by Captain Francis Fowke and Major-General Henry Y. D. Scott of the Royal Engineers, the designers were heavily influenced by ancient amphitheatres, but had also been exposed to the ideas of Gottfried Semper while he was working at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Much of the British colonial era infrastructure of India, of which survive today, was created by engineers of the three presidencies armies and the Royal Engineers. In 1838 he designed and built sea defences for Vizagapatam and he masterminded the Godavery Delta project where 720,000 acres of land were irrigated and 500 miles of land to the port of Cocanada was made navigable in the 1840s
19.
Royal Corps of Signals
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The Royal Corps of Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. Signals units are among the first into action, providing the battlefield communications, colloquially referred to by some as Siggies, Royal Signals units provide the full telecommunications infrastructure for the Army wherever they operate in the world. The Corps has its own engineers, logistics experts and systems operators to run radio, in 1870, C Telegraph Troop, Royal Engineers, was founded under Captain Montague Lambert. By 1871, C Troop had expanded in size from 2 officers and 133 other ranks to 5 officers and 245 other ranks, in 1879, C Troop first saw action during the Anglo-Zulu War. Signalling was the responsibility of the Telegraph Battalion until 1908, when the Royal Engineers Signal Service was formed, as such it provided communications during the First World War. It was about time that motorcycle despatch riders and wireless sets were introduced into service. A Royal Warrant for the creation of a Corps of Signals was signed by the Secretary of State for War, Winston Churchill, six weeks later, King George V conferred the title Royal Corps of Signals. Before the Second World War, Royal Signals recruits were required to be at least 5 feet 2 inches tall and they initially enlisted for eight years with the colours and a further four years with the reserve. They trained at the Signal Training Centre at Catterick Camp, all personnel were taught to ride. Throughout the Second World War, members of the Royal Corps of Signals had served in every theatre of war, by the end of the war the strength of the Corps was 8,518 officers and 142,472 other ranks. In the immediate period, the Corps played a full and active part in numerous campaigns, including Palestine, Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation, Malaya. Soldiers from the Royal Signals delivered communications in the Falklands War, the first Gulf War, Bosnia, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, East Timor and they are currently deployed in Cyprus and Afghanistan. In late 2012, 2nd Signal Brigade disbanded, the future structure of the Royal Signals will change under Army 2020. Other ranks are trained both as soldiers and tradesmen. Their basic military training is delivered at the Army Training Regiment at Winchester before undergoing trade training at 11th Signal Regiment. Whilst SSgts are generally regarded as being Regimental Duty, this roster does not start until WO2, the Corps wears a blue and white tactical recognition flash. This is worn horizontally on the arm with the blue half charging forward. Airborne elements of the Royal Signals wear a Drop Zone flash on the arm of their combat jacket
20.
Intelligence Corps (United Kingdom)
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The Intelligence Corps is one of the corps of the British Army. It is responsible for gathering, analysing and disseminating military intelligence and also for counter-intelligence, the Director of the Intelligence Corps is a brigadier. In the 19th century, British intelligence work was undertaken by the Intelligence Department of the War Office, an important figure was Sir Charles Wilson, a Royal Engineer who successfully pushed for reform of the War Offices treatment of topographical work. Although the first proposals to create an intelligence corps came in 1905 and it left for France on 12 August 1914. The Royal Flying Corps was formed to monitor the ground, during the Irish War of Independence, Intelligence Corps operatives were used in an unsuccessful battle to defeat the Irish Republican Army. The Cairo Gang were overwhelmingly Intelligence Corps operatives, on Bloody Sunday,1920, twelve of these agents were assassinated at their lodgings by Michael Collins Squad. Due to this and similar failures, the Intelligence Corps was disbanded in 1929, on 19 July 1940 a new Intelligence Corps was created by Army Order 112 and has existed since that time. The Army had been unprepared for collecting intelligence for deployment to France, the Corps trained its operatives to parachute at RAF Ringway, who were then dropped over France as part of the Special Operations Executive. Intelligence Corps officers were involved in forming the highly-effective Long Range Desert Group, around 40% of British Army personnel at Bletchley Park were in the Intelligence Corps. The Corps gained its regimental march in 1956, first played at Kneller Hall, from August 1957, the Corps first had a permanent cadre of officers, previously all personnel serving in the corps were officers from other parts of the army, on occasional tours. Many members of the Intelligence Corps served in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, units such as the Military Reaction Force, Special Reconnaissance Unit, Force Research Unit and 14 Intelligence Company contained Corps soldiers and officers. On 1 February 1985 the corps was declared an Arm instead of a Service. Intelligence Corps personnel wear a distinctive green beret with a cap badge consisting of a union rose between two laurel branches and surmounted by a crown. Their motto is Manui Dat Cognitio Vires, the corps quick march is The Rose & Laurel while its slow march is Henry Purcells Trumpet Tune & Ayre. DISC was renamed as Joint Intelligence Training Group in January 2015, the corps has a particularly high proportion of commissioned officers, many of them commissioned from the ranks, and also a high percentage of female members. Non-commissioned personnel join as an Operator Military Intelligence or Operator Military Intelligence and they do basic 14-week military training at either the Army Training Centre, Pirbright, or the Army Training Regiment, Winchester. Forearmed, History of the Intelligence Corps, live and Let Spy, Brixmis the Last Cold War Mission
21.
Royal Army Chaplains' Department
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The Royal Army Chaplains Department is an all-officer corps that provides ordained clergy to minister to the British Army. The Army Chaplains Department was formed by Royal Warrant of 23 September 1796, previously chaplains had been part of individual regiments, but not on the central establishment. Only Anglican chaplains were recruited until 1827, when Presbyterians were recognised, Roman Catholic chaplains were recruited from 1836, Methodist chaplains from 1881, and Jewish chaplains from 1892. During the First World War some 4,400 Army Chaplains were recruited and 179 lost their lives on active service, the Department received the Royal prefix in February 1919. During the Second World War another 96 British and 38 Commonwealth Army Chaplains lost their lives, from 1946 until 1996, the RAChDs Headquarters, Depot and Training Centre were at Bagshot Park in Surrey, now the home of The Earl and Countess of Wessex. In 1996, they moved to the joint service Armed Forces Chaplaincy Centre at Amport House near Andover, uniquely within the British Army, the Royal Army Chaplains Department has different cap badges for its Christian and Jewish officers. Army chaplains, although they are all commissioned officers of the British Army and wear uniform and they are unique within the British Army in that they do not carry arms. At services on formal occasions, chaplains wear their medals and decorations on their clerical robes, the RAChDs motto is In this Sign Conquer as seen in the sky before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge by the Roman Emperor Constantine. Its regimental march, both quick and slow, is the Prince of Denmarks March, erroneously known as the Trumpet Voluntary, the Museum of Army Chaplaincy is located at Amport House near Andover, Hampshire. Chaplains are the only British Army officers who do not carry standard officer ranks and they are officially designated Chaplain to the Forces. They do, however, have grades which equate to the standard ranks, Chaplains are usually addressed as Padre /ˈpɑːdreɪ/, never by their nominal military rank. The Senior Roman Catholic Chaplain is sometimes ranked as a monsignor, the Sword of the Lord, Military Chaplains from the First to the Twenty-First Century. University of Notre Dame Press ISBN 0-268-02176-7 Kennedy, Geoffrey Anketell Studdert The Unutterable Beauty, ISBN 1-84685-110-6 Loudon, the Role of Army Chaplains since 1914. ISBN 1-86033-840-2 MacDonald, David R. Padre E. C, crosse and the Devonshire Epitaph, The Astonishing Story of One Man at the Battle of the Somme, ISBN 978-1-929569-45-8 McLaren, Stuart John Somewhere in Flanders. A Norfolk Padre in the Great War, the War Letters of the Revd Samuel Frederick Leighton Green MC, Army Chaplain 1916–1919. The Larks Press, Norfolk, UK,2005, ISBN 1-904006-25-6 Montell, Hugh A Chaplains War. The Story of Noel Mellish VC, MC, ISBN 1-84394-008-6 ORahilly, Alfred The Padre of Trench Street, ISBN 1-905363-15-X Purcell, William Woodbine Willie. Being some account of the life and times of Geoffrey Anketell Studdert Kennedy, poet, prophet, seeker after truth, London,1962 Smyth, Brigadier The Rt Hon
22.
Royal Logistic Corps
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The Royal Logistic Corps provides logistic support functions to the British Army. It is the largest Corps in the Army, the RLC flag is dark blue with the Corps Badge emblazoned on the centre. It has a Corps of Drums and a Marching Band, the RLC is the only Corps of the British Army with battle honours, derived from the usage of previous transport elements of the Royal Waggon Train, and their successors as cavalry. It is often seen on the insignia of Regiments and Corps with Royal in their title, RLC units include, RHQ The RLC. located at the Home of the Corps, Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut. Defence Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Munitions and Search School formerly the Army School of Ammunition until 2009,15 Air Assault Close Support Squadron RLC. Attached to 13 Air Assault Support Regiment, Disbanded Units,2 Logistic Support Regiment RLC, based at Gutersloh. 8 Regiment - The Regiment formed in 1964 at Munster, Germany as 8 Transport Column, initially based in Nelson Barracks, it moved to Portsmouth Barracks and was disbanded in York Barracks on 27 March 2012. The regiment consisted of 3,5,13,27 and 64 Squadrons and in its time had attached pioneers from the RPC and it worked closely with the American Custodial Detachment whose role was maintenance of nuclear warheads and weapons components. The regiment directly supported the Gunners, firstly 24,39 and 50 Missile Regiments and this latter task was carried out in the UK from barracks at Catterick, 1993-2008. 12 Logistic Support Regiment - Disbanded at Abingdon 12 December 2013,19 Combat Service Support Battalion - a combined unit with a logistical squadron and an Equipment Support company. 23 Pioneer Regiment - a specialist pioneer unit with artisans, defence and Force Protection elements,24 Regiment - disbanded in Germany,30 January 2014. Part of 104th Logistic Support Brigade, drivers, Technicians, EOD all selected from the RLC. It is headed by a Colonel as the head of the Corps. There is also a head, who heads the Corps and its wider family such as the Associations and Cadets. Holders of the post include, General Sir Kevin ODonoghue Lieutenant General Mark Poffley The Sustainer is the magazine of the RLC Association, the Waggoner remains the Journal of the RASC/RCT Association. The RAOC Gazette that of the RAOC Association and the Pioneer of the RPC Association, the Review is an annual magazine of essays published by the Corps. The RLC has five Victoria Cross holders, Five derive historically from establishments that eventually became the Royal Corps of Transport, assistant Commissary James Langley Dalton VC. Second Lieutenant Alfred Cecil Herring VC. Army Service Corps, private Richard George Masters VC. Army Service Corps
23.
Royal Army Medical Corps
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The Royal Army Medical Corps is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all Army personnel and their families, in war and in peace. Together with the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, the Royal Army Dental Corps and Queen Alexandras Royal Army Nursing Corps, because it is not a fighting arm, under the Geneva Conventions, members of the RAMC may only use their weapons for self-defence. Other ranks do not fix bayonets, neither do they prefix Surgeon in front of their rank as medical officers of the Royal Navy do. The RAMC, like every other British regiment, has its own distinctive unit insignia, dark blue beret, the default Army colour worn by units without distinctive coloured berets. There is also a small attachment to Special Forces, the Medical Support Unit who wear the beret of the SAS. Cap badge depicting the Rod of Asclepius, surmounted by a crown, enclosed within a wreath, with the regimental motto In Arduis Fidelis. The cap badge is worn 1 inch above the eye on the beret. The cap badge of the ranks must also be backed by an oval patch of dull cherry-red coloured cloth measuring 3.81 cm wide and 6.35 cm high sewn directly to the beret. Officers do not use the backing, but have a cloth cap badge instead. Silver regimental collar badges, a miniature of the cap badge, stable belt comprising equal horizontal bands of dull cherry, royal blue, and old gold, reflecting the old uniform worn in the 1900s, the gold depicting the royal in the title. Silver belt buckle with engraved regimental badge, Medical services in the British armed services go as far back as the formation of the Standing Regular Army after the Restoration of Charles II in 1660. This was the first time a career was provided for a Medical Officer, known as the Regimental Surgeon, both in peacetime and in war. The Army was formed entirely on a basis, and an MO with a Warrant Officer as his Assistant Surgeon was appointed to each regiment. The MO was also for the first time concerned in the health of his troops. This regimental basis of appointment for MOs continued until 1873, when an army medical service was set up. There was much unhappiness in the Army Medical Service in the following years, for medical officers did not actually have military rank but advantages corresponding to relative military rank. They had inferior pay in India, excessive amounts of Indian and colonial service and they did not have their own identity as did the Army Service Corps, whose officers did have military rank. A number of complaints were published, and the British Medical Journal campaigned loudly, for over two years after 27 July 1887 there were no recruits to the Army Medical Department
24.
Royal Army Dental Corps
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The Royal Army Dental Corps is a specialist corps in the British Army that provides oral hygiene services to British Army personnel and their families in war and in peace. The corps is a part of the British Armys Army Medical Services, in 1921, dentists of the RAMC were split off into a separate Army Dental Corps. The corps was awarded the prefix to become the Royal Army Dental Corps in November 1946 in recognition of its service in World War II. Qualified dentists are all commissioned officers, before the Second World War, ADC recruits were required to be at least 5 feet 2 inches tall and could enlist up to 30 years of age. They initially enlisted for seven years with the colours and a five years with the reserve. They trained at the Royal Army Medical Corps Depot, Crookham Camp, Aldershot, the two trades available at that time were Clerk Orderly and Dental Mechanic. Official site Royal Army Dental Corps Association
25.
Royal Army Veterinary Corps
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The Royal Army Veterinary Corps is an administrative and operational branch of the British Army responsible for the provision, training and care of animals. It is a corps, forming part of the Army Medical Services. Unusually, although it is responsible for providing what could be termed materiel, it is under the purview of the Adjutant-General, the original Army Veterinary Service within the Army Medical Department was founded in 1796 after public outrage concerning the death of Army horses. John Shipp was the first veterinary surgeon to be commissioned into the British Army when he joined the 11th Light Dragoons on 25 June 1796, the Honorary Colonel-in-Chief is the Princess Royal who has visited RAVC dog-handling units serving in Afghanistan. In late March 2016, the Ministry of Defence announced that Fitz Wygram House, the RAVC provides, trains and cares for mainly dogs and horses, but also tends to the various regimental mascots in the army, which range from goats to an antelope. Personnel include veterinary surgeons and veterinary technicians providing medical and surgical care to animals, dogs are used extensively in the theatre of war, and are organised within the Military Working Dog Regiment. Horses are used primarily for ceremonial purposes, although the Corps continues to rehearse procedures for the deployment of horses. The main location for the RAVC is the Defence Animal Centre based at Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire and they are also responsible for explosives and drug search dogs. Its only subsidiary regiment is the 1st Military Working Dog Regiment, sadie, a black labrador retriever belonging to 102 MWDSU and cared for by handler Lance Corporal Karen Yardley, won the PDSA Dickin Medal in 2007. In February 2010, Treo, a black Labrador-Spaniel crossbreed, was awarded the Dickin Medal for services in Afghanistan, in 2011 Lance Corporal Liam Tasker of 104 MWD Squadron was killed in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. He was posthumously mentioned in despatches and his Arms Explosive search dog, Theo, died shortly afterwards. Theo was posthumously awarded the Dickin Medal on 25 October 2012, a memorial to the RAVC and its predecessors was unveiled at the National Memorial Arboretum on 2 May 2014 by the Princess Royal. The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, 1919–1961, review of The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1919–1961. A History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, 1796–1919, london, Baillière & Co. p.268
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Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps
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Queen Alexandras Royal Army Nursing Corps is the nursing branch of the British Army and part of the Army Medical Services. Although an official nursing service was not established until 1881, the corps traces its heritage to Florence Nightingale, who was instrumental in lobbying for the support of female military nurses. The Army Nursing Service, which had established in 1881. In 1897, in an effort to have nurses available if needed for war, nurses registered for the service and by the beginning of the First Boer War the reserve had around 100 members, but swelled its membership to over 1400 during the conflict. PCANSR eventually became the Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service, in March 1902, Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service was established by Royal Warrant, and was named after Queen Alexandra, who became its President. In 1949, the QAIMNS became a corps in the British Army and was renamed as the Queen Alexandras Royal Army Nursing Corps, since 1950 the organisation has trained nurses, and in 1992 men were allowed to join. The associated Queen Alexandras Royal Army Nursing Corps Association is a registered charity, Queen Alexandra was President from 1902 until her death in 1925. The following year she was succeeded by Queen Mary, the Colonel In Chief is HRH The Countess of Wessex GCVO. The Corps has two Colonels Commandant, Colonel Sue Bush RRC who was appointed in 2011 and Colonel Jane Davis OBE QVRM TD DL who was appointed in 2014, the Territorial Force Nursing Service was established in 1909 as a sister organisation to the QAIMNS. Its purpose was to supplement the service in emergencies and all its members worked as nurses in civilian life. It was renamed the Territorial Army Nursing Service in 1921, when the Territorial Force was renamed the Territorial Army, the initial ranking system used by the QAIMNS was as follows
27.
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
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The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers is a corps of the British Army that maintains the equipment that the British Army utilises. Pursuant to the recommendation of a committee William Beveridge chaired, the Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers was formed on the 1st October 1942, such a major re-organisation was too complex to be carried out quickly and completely in the middle of a world war. Therefore the changeover was undertaken in two phases, at the same time a number of individual tradesmen were transferred into REME from other corps. The new corps was responsible for repairing the technical equipment of all arms with certain major exceptions. REME did not yet undertake, Those repairs which were carried out by tradesmen who were driver/mechanics or fitters in regiments. Repairs of RASC-operated vehicles, which remained the responsibility of the RASC, repairs of RE specialist equipment, which remained the responsibility of the RE. In 1949, it was decided that REME Phase II should be implemented, the main changes were, The transfer to REME of most of the unit repair responsibilities of other arms. The provision of Light Aid Detachments for certain units that had not possessed them under the old organisation, the provision of new REME workshops to carry out field repairs in RASC transport companies. Maintenance of vessels of the RASC fleet whilst in port was given to the fleet repair branch and this organisation was also responsible for arranging and overseeing ship refits. After some interim designs, the badge of the Corps was formalised in June 1943 for use as the cap-badge, collar-badge, and on the buttons. It consisted of an oval Royally Crowned laurel wreath, on the wreath were four small shields at the compass points, within the wreath was a pair of calipers. Examples of these early badges can be found at the REME Museum, in 1947 the Horse and Lightning was adopted as the cap badge. The final change occurred in 1953 when the Queens crown replaced the Kings crown, at the end of the war, the Allies occupied the major German industrial centres to decide their fate. The Volkswagen factory at Wolfsburg became part of the British Zone in June 1945 and No.30 Workshop Control Unit, REME and they operated under the overall direction of Colonel Michael McEvoy at Rhine Army Headquarters, Bad Oeynhausen. Uniquely, he had experience of the KdF Wagen in his career as a motor racing engineer. Whilst attending the Berlin Motor Show in 1939 he was able to test drive one, after visiting the Volkswagen factory he had the idea of trying to get Volkswagen back into production to provide light transport for the occupying forces. The British Army, Red Cross and essential German services were short of light vehicles. If the factory could provide them, there would be no cost to the British taxpayer, to do this a good manager with technical experience would be needed
28.
Adjutant General's Corps
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The Adjutant Generals Corps is a corps in the British Army responsible for many of its general administrative services. As of 2002, the AGC had a staff of 7,000 people and its personnel serve alongside and administer every unit in the British Army. The AGC Pro unifies two former services which, while no longer independent, retain their identities and cap badges, the Royal Military Police is the Armys police force, while the Military Provost Staff provides guards for military prisons. The newly formed Military Provost Guard Service is also part of this branch, the ETS Branch has the responsibilities of the Royal Army Educational Corps, it is an all officer branch with around 400 serving members. The ALS Branch provides legal advice to all levels of the Army and it retains the cap badge of the former Army Legal Corps. Prior to its amalgamation into the AGC, it was an independent corps in its own right and its personnel are all qualified lawyers and commissioned officers. The Museum of the Adjutant Generals Corps is located at Peninsula Barracks in Winchester and it was opened in 2003 and is also the museum of the AGCs predecessor corps and units. It is one of several museums that are part of Winchesters Military Museums. Official site AGC Museum AGC AGC Regimental Association AGC entry on the UK Armed Forces site
29.
Educational and Training Services Branch
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The Educational and Training Services form part of the Adjutant Generals Corps and have done since 1992 when this Corps of the British Army was formed. Their remit is to continue the education of soldiers and officers alike. In 1992 the Royal Army Educational Corps was disbanded and its Officers transferred into the newly formed Educational, ETS is an all officer, all graduate, branch. It provides education to Regular and Reserve Army personnel, helping them to meet the challenges of the 21st century by training for certainty and educating for uncertainty. Officers are primarily employed as follows, Training and Development advisors who specialise in the creation, design, implementation and assurance of Army wide training, Learning Development Officers in Army Education Centres developing soldiers command, leadership and management skills in order to prepare them for promotion. On operations as Learning Development Officers, supporting Short Term Training Teams abroad as the Education and Training Specialist. Training development posts in the Directorate Training Capability Directorates, Army Recruiting and Training Division or in Defence Training Establishments, headquarters, Operational and Training appointments The Educational and Training Services Branch is a member of the International Association for Military Pedagogy
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Army Legal Services Branch
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The Army Legal Services Branch is a branch of the Adjutant-Generals Corps in the British Army. Before 1992, the branch existed as the independent Army Legal Corps, many of the functions of the ALS were once carried out by the Judge Advocate General whose own origins can be traced back to Medieval times. Following World War I, the demand for legal services within the army. The Directorate of Army Legal Services was formed from the JAGs office on 1 October 1948 and it was always the smallest corps in the Army. On 6 April 1992, the became the Army Legal Services Branch of the Adjutant Generals Corps. Army Legal Services Branch is structured as follows, The ALS posts a number of its Officers to the Service Prosecuting Authority, the most senior military officer in the organisation is a Brigadier of the ALS who is the Deputy Director Service Prosecutions. Officers of the SPA prosecute cases at Court Martial and where appropriate Service Civilian Court and they also act as respondent in the Summary Appeal Court and represent the Crown at the Court Martial Appeal Court. The SPA has its HQ and UK Office at RAF Northolt and it also maintains an office in Bielefeld, Germany. The Advisory Branch of ALS advises the chain of command on a variety of administrative. There are advisory Officers in every major Army HQ around the world, Advisory branch Officers often work directly with the Army’s most senior commanders. When the British Army deploys on operations it takes legal advisors with it, when deployed on operations ALS Officers are often asked to advise on the most sensitive issues, as well as on international law and often on the local law of the country concerned. ALS Operational Law branch Officers are also attached to the operations of NATO. The headquarters of Army Legal Assistance is located at Catterick Barracks and this branch provides legal assistance and advice to entitled service personnel and their dependants worldwide. The majority of advice relates to law, debt and German legal issues. ALA do not deal the Child Support Agency, wills and probate, property law or adoption, ALA therefore exists to provide this service instead. ALA is a service, but applicants must fund any court or other fixed costs themselves. ALA officers conduct legal clinics in Germany and in operational theatres, RAF Legal Branch Judge Advocate General Adjutant Generals Corps - British Army website Army Legal Services - British Army website Official British Army homepage
31.
Royal Military Police
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Members of the RMP are often known as Redcaps because of the scarlet covers on their peaked caps, or scarlet coloured berets. The RMP origins can be traced back to the 13th Century but it was not until 1877 that a corps of military police was formed. This was followed by the Military Foot Police in 1885, although technically two independent corps, the two effectively functioned as a single organisation. In 1926, they were amalgamated to form the Corps of Military Police. In recognition of their service in the Second World War, they became the Corps of Royal Military Police on 28 November 1946, on 6 April 1992 the RMP amalgamated into the Adjutant Generals Corps, under whose overall command they form part of the AGCs Provost Branch. Non-commissioned members of the RMP receive their training as soldiers. They then receive further training at the Defence School of Policing and Guarding, RMP commissioned officers are trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, as are all other British Army officers. The regimental march of the RMP is The Watchtower or Hoch Heidecksburg originally a German Army marching tune from 1912 by Rudolf Herzer, the RMP motto is Exemplo Ducemus, Latin for By example, shall we lead. The Provost Marshal is a post which goes back to the 13th century and was originally an under-officer of the Earl Marshal, in 1685 the role of Provost Marshal General became a permanent post. The Military Mounted Police was formed in 1877 and the Military Foot Police was formed in 1885, during the First World War the Military Police grew from 508 all ranks to over 25,000 all ranks by the end of the War. During the Battle of Neuve Chapelle in March 1915 the Military Police served the Army as a rather than just individual units. On 27 February 1926 the Corps of Military Police was formed by merging the Military Mounted Police, Provost Wing – Responsible for general policing. Provost Companies were included in the order of battle of Home Commands, Armoured, Infantry and Airborne Divisions, as well as at Army and Corps level and with independent Brigades. From 1942, Ports Provost Companies were raised, consisting of a mix of Provost and Vulnerable Points Sections, Vulnerable Points Wing – Formed in 1941 to provide security of static locations and establishments. They were known as blue caps from the Oxford blue cloth covers worn on their service dress caps, originally intended to act as static Companies and detachments, VP Coys were later deployed in North West Europe, guarding prisoner of war camps and other static installations. The VP Wing was quickly phased out at the end of the war, traffic Control Wing – Formed in 1941, TC Coys were deployed throughout the United Kingdom, releasing Provost Companies from the tasks of traffic control. TC Coys were later deployed in the Middle East, Italy, the Wing was phased out of the Corps by 1946. Field Security Wing – First formed in 1937, personnel of the F. S. W, wore Lincoln green cap covers and brass shoulder titles on their tunics with the letters FSP, to distinguish them from the rest of the Corps
32.
Military Provost Staff
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The Military Provost Staff are the Armys specialists in custody and detention, providing advice inspection and surety within custodial establishments. The MPS form part of the Adjutant Generals Corps and are based at the Military Corrective Training Centre in Colchester, the Military Prison Staff Corps was formed in 1901 under Army Order 241. It was redesignated the Military Provost Staff Corps in 1906, as the Military Provost Staff it became part of the Adjutant Generals Corps on 6 April 1992, forming the Provost Branch along with the Royal Military Police. It retains a separate identity within the AGC, however, keeping its cap badge, the MPS does not recruit directly from civilian life, but only accepts applications from soldiers already serving in the Army. All its members hold a rank of Corporal. MOD Website -new Tactical recognition flash for the MPS
33.
Military Provost Guard Service
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The Military Provost Guard Service is responsible for maintaining physical security at British Armed Forces locations throughout Great Britain. It is one of three constituent units of the Adjutant Generals Corps Provost Branch, the Provost branch is the responsibility of the Provost Marshal who is a Brigadier from the Royal Military Police. In Northern Ireland, security at Ministry of Defence establishments is provided by the Northern Ireland Security Guard Service in a manner to that of the MPGS in Great Britain. The aim of the MPGS is to rationalise guarding arrangements at sites where service personnel normally live, the MPGS replaces previously civilian-held duties with armed soldiers. The MPGS works alongside the civilian unarmed Ministry of Defence Guard Service, the MPGS was formed in the wake of structural changes of the Armed Forces and the increased threat of terrorism in 1999. Military Working Dog services at some sites and they must have completed that service within six years of application to the MPGS, unless they have relevant service in the Police or HM Prison Service since leaving the armed forces. To join, they have to re-enlist into the Regular British Army on a Military Local Service Engagement, the MLSE is a form of engagement which is ideally suited to use by the MPGS. There are 26 police constabularies that currently have a Memorandum of Understanding with the Military Provost Guard Service in respect of the authority for carrying firearms on UK roads. MPGS soldiers are issued the uniform and equipment as other arms and services in the British Army. Everyday working dress is the standard Personal Clothing System Combat Uniform in Multi-Terrain Pattern, beret with cap badge, belt, the shirt and jacket will have the MPGS tactical recognition flash on the right sleeve. If soldiers are carrying out security duties on roads or vehicle checks, they may wear a high-visibility yellow jacket, normally with SECURITY or MILITARY GUARD printed on the front. The main firearm used by the MPGS is the SA80 L85A2 assault rifle, all MPGS soldiers must pass a weapon handling test biannually to use firearms. Some vehicles have an amber strobe beacon on the roof for increased visibility, in late 2013 the Ministry of Defence bought some new Ford Ranger pickups for use within the MPGS and other MOD departments. Commandants Service A similar Russian organization
34.
Small Arms School Corps
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In 1849, Claude-Étienne Minié produced the Minié rifle, although still a muzzle loader three important advances were incorporated. Re-equipment of the Army with this new firearm being adopted in 1851, the consequence of this was that the army now had a weapon that was more accurate, at a longer range, was quicker to load and was marginally safer for the user as to ignition. For the first time since the demise of the bow and arrow lethal marksmanship was possible, shooting ceased to be a drill and became an art based on personal skill. Elevation, windage and ballistics now played a part, in March 1853 the Army Estimates included the sum of £1,000 for Lord Hardinge to form an Establishment for the instruction of the Army in rifle and target practice. In June 1853 Colonel Hay arrived at Hythe, Kent, with a staff of officers. On 1 August the first instructor, Colour Sergeant MacKay of the 19th Foot, was appointed, by 15 September a further three instructors were on strength. They were Sergeant Ruston, Sergeant Lobes and Sergeant Morris, the first mention of the establishment of the School was in the Army List of 1854 when it was referred to as the School of Musketry. These men were the Corps of Instructors of Musketry, a misnomer as muskets were being withdrawn from service - yet the art of the use of arms to this day is sometimes known as musketry. The Machine Gun Training Centres had been established in 1914 at Grantham and by the BEF in Wisques and this was followed on 14 October 1915 by the creation of the Machine Gun Corps. Originally equipped with the Maxim gun, these were replaced by the Vickers machine gun shortly after formation of the Corps, in 1919 the name was changed to the Small Arms School. In 1926 the School expanded to include the Machine Gun School at Netheravon, the original badge of the School was crossed rifles surmounted by a crown. In 1929 the present badge was introduced, consisting of crossed rifles, the title Small Arms School Corps came into being at this time. On the occasion of the centenary of the Corps in 1953, in 1969 the School moved from Hythe to Warminster where Headquarters SASC remains to this day. The SASC does not recruit directly from life, but only accepts applications from soldiers already serving in the British Army. All its members hold a rank of Sergeant. Volunteers transfer to the SASC from All Arms and Services, although primarily from the Infantry, the training regime is as follows, Phase 1 takes place at Land Warfare Centre, Warminster and lasts for 11 weeks. Candidates are assessed to see if they have the ability and capacity to instruct Skill At Arms to the standard required by the SASC. The phase consists of how to train the trainer in the instruction of Small Arms, Defence Instructional Techniques, Command, Leadership and Management training, candidates are also trained to assess instruction and conduct de-briefs
35.
Royal Army Physical Training Corps
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The Royal Army Physical Training Corps is the British Army corps responsible for physical fitness and physical education and is headquartered in Aldershot. Its members are all Royal Army Physical Training Corps Instructors, the RAPTC was formed in 1860 as the Army Gymnastic Staff. It was renamed the Army Physical Training Staff in 1918 and was given status as the Army Physical Training Corps by Army Order 165 in 1940. Notable former Army Physical Training Instructors include Nik Stuart, a former National Gymnastic Coach, at the Festival of Remembrance on 13 November 2010, Huw Edwards announced that the Army Physical Training Corps had been granted the title Royal Army Physical Training Corps by Her Majesty the Queen. The corps cap badge, which is worn on the front of its vests, t-shirts and tracksuits, consists of crossed swords surmounted by a crown. The corps motto is Mens sana in corpore sano which means a mind in a healthy body. Its quick march is Be Fit, with words taken from Land and it is not possible to join the RAPTC directly from civilian life. Prospective PTIs must first join another regiment or corps and then qualify as Regimental All Arms Physical Training Instructor after a course at the ASPT. They then return to their own unit and only after further experience can they attend selection for the RAPTC, if they pass the selection course they follow a 30-week training course before qualifying as Advanced PTIs and transferring to the RAPTC as an RAPTCI. Royal Army Physical Training Corps – on British Army official website
36.
Corps of Army Music
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The Corps of Army Music is a Corps of the British Army dedicated to the provision and promotion of military music. The Queen signed a warrant on 13 August 1994 to allow the formation of the Corps of Army Music. The home of the corps was established at Kneller Hall in Twickenham, a site that encompasses the Headquarters of the Corps of Army Music and the Royal Military School of Music. The school was founded by the Duke of Cambridge, soon after his appointment as Commander in Chief in 1857, when the first class of musicians was formed. The establishment was retitled as The Royal Military School of Music by Queen Victoria in 1887, the Future Army Structures review of 2006 saw the bands of the Regular Army reduced from 30 to 23. The regiments of the Life Guards and The Blues and Royals will have their bands merged to form a band of the Household Cavalry. The five Foot Guards Bands will remain in London, as Symphonic Wind Bands, the 10 man strong Light Cavalry Band will be amalgamated with the Heavy Cavalry and Cambrai Band to form the Band of the Royal Armoured Corps. A string orchestra, to be known as the Countess of Wessex’s String Orchestra, will be based in Woolwich, prior to Options for Change and the formation of the Corps of Army Music most regiments, especially in the infantry, maintained their own military bands. This tradition is now continued by the Army Reserve, who retain regimental, Army Reserve Bands are not part of the Corps of Army Music. They are still under the command of their parent corps or regiment
37.
World War II
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World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although related conflicts began earlier. It involved the vast majority of the worlds countries—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing alliances, the Allies and the Axis. It was the most widespread war in history, and directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. Marked by mass deaths of civilians, including the Holocaust and the bombing of industrial and population centres. These made World War II the deadliest conflict in human history, from late 1939 to early 1941, in a series of campaigns and treaties, Germany conquered or controlled much of continental Europe, and formed the Axis alliance with Italy and Japan. Under the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of August 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union partitioned and annexed territories of their European neighbours, Poland, Finland, Romania and the Baltic states. In December 1941, Japan attacked the United States and European colonies in the Pacific Ocean, and quickly conquered much of the Western Pacific. The Axis advance halted in 1942 when Japan lost the critical Battle of Midway, near Hawaii, in 1944, the Western Allies invaded German-occupied France, while the Soviet Union regained all of its territorial losses and invaded Germany and its allies. During 1944 and 1945 the Japanese suffered major reverses in mainland Asia in South Central China and Burma, while the Allies crippled the Japanese Navy, thus ended the war in Asia, cementing the total victory of the Allies. World War II altered the political alignment and social structure of the world, the United Nations was established to foster international co-operation and prevent future conflicts. The victorious great powers—the United States, the Soviet Union, China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and the United States emerged as rival superpowers, setting the stage for the Cold War, which lasted for the next 46 years. Meanwhile, the influence of European great powers waned, while the decolonisation of Asia, most countries whose industries had been damaged moved towards economic recovery. Political integration, especially in Europe, emerged as an effort to end pre-war enmities, the start of the war in Europe is generally held to be 1 September 1939, beginning with the German invasion of Poland, Britain and France declared war on Germany two days later. The dates for the beginning of war in the Pacific include the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War on 7 July 1937, or even the Japanese invasion of Manchuria on 19 September 1931. Others follow the British historian A. J. P. Taylor, who held that the Sino-Japanese War and war in Europe and its colonies occurred simultaneously and this article uses the conventional dating. Other starting dates sometimes used for World War II include the Italian invasion of Abyssinia on 3 October 1935. The British historian Antony Beevor views the beginning of World War II as the Battles of Khalkhin Gol fought between Japan and the forces of Mongolia and the Soviet Union from May to September 1939, the exact date of the wars end is also not universally agreed upon. It was generally accepted at the time that the war ended with the armistice of 14 August 1945, rather than the formal surrender of Japan
38.
Corps
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A corps is a military unit usually consisting of several divisions. Some military service branches are also called corps, such as the Military Police Corps, Royal Logistic Corps, Quartermaster Corps, a few civilian organizations use the name corps to imply a similar service level, such as the Peace Corps. In many armies, a corps is a formation composed of two or more divisions, and typically commanded by a lieutenant general. During World War I and World War II, due to the scale of combat. In Western armies with numbered corps, the number is indicated in Roman numerals. II Corps was also formed, with Militia units, to defend south-eastern Australia, sub-corps formations controlled Allied land forces in the remainder of Australia. I Corps headquarters was assigned control of the New Guinea campaign. In early 1945, when I Corps was assigned the task of re-taking Borneo, the Canadian Corps consisted of four Canadian divisions. After the Armistice, the peacetime Canadian militia was organized into corps and divisions. Early in the Second World War, Canadas contribution to the British-French forces fighting the Germans was limited to a single division, after the fall of France in June 1940, a second division moved to England, coming under command of a Canadian corps headquarters. This corps was renamed I Canadian Corps as a corps headquarters was established in the UK. I Canadian Corps eventually fought in Italy, II Canadian Corps in NW Europe, after the formations were disbanded after VE Day, Canada has never subsequently organized a Corps headquarters. The Chinese Republic had 133 Corps during the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Corps became the basic tactical unit of the NRA having strength nearly equivalent to an allied Division. The French Army under Napoleon used corps-sized formations as the first formal combined-arms groupings of divisions with reasonably stable manning, Napoleon first used the Corps dArmée in 1805. The use of the Corps dArmée was an innovation that provided Napoleon with a significant battlefield advantage in the early phases of the Napoleonic Wars. The Corps was designed to be an independent military group containing cavalry, artillery and infantry and this allowed Napoleon to mass the bulk of his forces to effect a penetration into a weak section of enemy lines without risking his own communications or flank. This innovation stimulated other European powers to adopt similar military structures, the Corps has remained an echelon of French Army organization to the modern day. As fixed military formation already in peace-time it was used almost in all European armies after Battle of Ulm in 1805, in Prussia it was introduced by Order of His Majesty from November 5,1816, in order to strengthen the readiness to war
39.
Reconnaissance Corps
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The Reconnaissance Corps, or simply Recce Corps, was a corps of the British Army, formed during the Second World War whose units provided the mobile spearhead of infantry divisions. It was formed from infantry brigade reconnaissance groups on 14 January 1941, all the brigade reconnaissance groups of each infantry corps were formed into reconnaissance battalions, each usually bearing the number of its relevant division. For example, the 43rd Battalion, Reconnaissance Corps was the reconnaissance battalion of the 43rd Division. Initially, coming from infantry units, reconnaissance units used the designations of battalions, companies. However, from 6 June 1942, the Corps changed to the descriptions of regiments, squadrons. The Corps became part of the Royal Armoured Corps in 1944, with the end of the war, this number of reconnaissance units was not needed and the Reconnaissance Corps was disbanded in August 1946. Reconnaissance duties reverted to regular armoured units of the RAC, the Reconnaissance Corps was charged with gathering vital tactical information in battle for infantry divisions, probing ahead and screening the flanks of main advances. The training centre was established at Winchester in February 1941, until the home of the Corps moved to Catterick in Yorkshire. Many failed and were sent to infantry battalions, but those who succeeded enjoyed the kudos of belonging to an elite unit and were determined to prove their own worth. Before beginning training with his unit, each man undertook a course with technical units. Most recce men became efficient in two of these roles e. g. driver and operator, Reconnaissance regiments were organised into a headquarters squadron and three reconnaissance squadrons. Each recce squadron comprised three troops and an assault troop. Scout troops were equipped with Bren Gun Carriers and light reconnaissance cars, the assault troops were composed of lorried infantry and were called up when enemy resistance needed to be overcome. Later in the war, more efficient and well-armed armoured cars such as the Humber Armoured Car, Daimler Armoured Car, the following units served in the Recce Corps, 1st Reconnaissance Regiment formed January 1941 in the 1st Division from the Hampshire Regiment. 2nd Reconnaissance Regiment formed April 1941 in the 2nd Division, mainly from the 6th Battalion, Loyal Regiment, 3rd Reconnaissance Regiment formed April 1941 in the 3rd Division, from the 8th Battalion, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers. 4th Reconnaissance Regiment formed January 1941 mainly from the companies of the 10th, 11th and 12th Brigades of the 4th Division. 5th Reconnaissance Regiment formed February 1941 in the 5th Division from the 3rd Battalion, 18th Reconnaissance Battalion formed in the 18th Division from the 5th Battalion, Loyal Regiment, surrendered at Singapore 1942. 44th Reconnaissance Regiment formed January 1941 in the 44th Division from the 7th Battalion, Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment, transferred to 56th Division in 1943, but retained number
40.
Main battle tank
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A main battle tank, also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the armor-protected direct fire and maneuver role of many modern armies. Through the 1960s, the MBT replaced almost all other tanks, today, main battle tanks are considered a key component of modern armies. Modern MBTs seldom operate alone, as they are organized into armoured units which involve the support of infantry and they are also often supported by surveillance or ground-attack aircraft. In World War I, tanks were classed into light, medium, and heavy based on weight, as tank combat evolved, tank design suffered from a number of limitations due largely to engine power and transmission capability. A designer could produce a tank with high maneuverability, armour, or a large gun, the first prioritised maneuverability, and thus had a limit on weight. These were known variously as cavalry tanks, light tanks, medium tanks and these tanks had different uses depending on the countrys tank doctrine, but were generally used to exploit holes in the enemy lines and run far into the rear areas in self-supporting armoured groups. This would disrupt enemy logistics and command-and-control, as well as delay the movement of reserves to the front and it was believed operations of this sort would undermine or completely destroy the ability for the front-line troops to continue battle. The second class prioritised armour and thus weighed more, limiting maneuverability and these were known as infantry tanks, heavy tanks, or assault tanks. They were generally designed to assault enemy lines, working in concert with front-line infantry, as these were expected to move forward at the same speed as the men, higher speeds were not required and the engine power could instead be used to carry a much greater load. Infantry tanks featured much larger amounts of armour, heavier guns, as the nature of tank warfare evolved, tanks designed for other specialised roles also saw development. This included dedicated tank destroyers, and engineer tanks such as Hobarts Funnies, Tank destroyers had varied successes, and often ended up engaging enemy infantry instead of their intended targets. German assault gun armoured vehicles like the Sturmgeschütz III were found effective in an anti-tank role, in spite of a great amount of theory and pre-war testing, the plans for armoured combat quickly proved themselves outdated. The battlefield did not bog down like it did in World War I and this was especially evident in the great sweeping battles in North Africa and the Soviet Union, where armoured forces executed drives of hundreds of miles. In these cases the problems with having two became especially evident, the tanks able to go toe-to-toe with the enemy were generally found miles to the rear. Those able to maintain the drive were lightly armoured, and proved easy prey for enemy anti-tank guns, as these evolved, the tanks own weapons had to grow larger in order to deal with enemy tanks with the same level of armour. This evolution led to the development of a more general-purpose medium tank, medium tanks formed the bulk of the tank combat forces. Generally these designs massed about 25-30 tonnes, were armed with cannons around 75 mm, notable examples include the Soviet T-34, the German Panzer IV, and the US M4 Sherman. The widespread production of designs led to most others being pushed out of service or into niche roles
41.
Armoured regiment (United Kingdom)
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Armoured regiments are units provided by the Royal Armoured Corps of the British Army. They are battalion-sized formations equipped with Challenger 2 main battle tanks, there are three Armoured Regiments, each equipped with 56 Challenger 2 tanks. Headquarters Squadron The first armoured regiments - known at the time as tank battalions - were formed in the First World War, first in the Machine Gun Corps and later as the Tank Corps. Each battalion had three companies, each of three sections of four tanks, for a strength of thirty-six tanks, a further twelve were kept in reserve for training. Twenty-six battalions were formed during the war, quickly reduced to four battalions after the end of hostilities, by late World War Two, there were four armoured regiments in each armoured division. One, the Divisions Reconnaissance Regiment, was equipped with the Cromwell tank, each regiment was formed of four squadrons, A, B, C and HQ. The lettered squadrons were made up of four troops of four tanks, the HQ squadron was made up of command tanks and a reconnaissance troop of light tanks. In north-west Europe, during the battle of Normandy from June to August 1944, as a part of this change, the six remaining regiments were expanded from a three-squadron structure with 38 tanks to a four-squadron one with 58. This structure is known as the Type 58 regiment. Type 58 armoured regiments, The Royal Dragoon Guards -58 Challenger 2s,8 CVR Scimitars, the Queens Royal Hussars -58 Challenger 2s,8 CVR Scimitars. Heavy armoured regiments, The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards -44 Challenger 2s,22 CVR Scimitars, the Kings Royal Hussars -44 Challenger 2s,22 CVR Scimitars. 2nd Royal Tank Regiment -44 Challenger 2s,22 CVR Scimitars, Two regiments of the Territorial Army, the Royal Wessex Yeomanry and the Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry, provided replacement crews for the regular regiments. The 1st Royal Tank Regiment also operated a number of Challenger 2 tanks for training
42.
Hussars
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A Hussar was a member of any one of several types of light cavalry used during the 18th and 19th centuries, beginning in Central Europe. Historically, the term derives from the cavalry of late medieval Hungary, the title and distinctive dress of these horsemen were subsequently widely adopted by light cavalry regiments in European and European colonial armies in the late 17th and 18th centuries. A number of armored or ceremonial mounted units in modern armies retain the designation of hussars, the first written mention of the word Hussarones has been found in documents dating from 1432 in Southern Hungary. A type of light horsemen was already well-established by the 15th century in medieval Hungary. Etymologists are divided over the derivation of the word hussar, byzantinist scholars argue that the term originated in Roman military practice, and the cursarii. 10th-century Byzantine military manuals mention chonsarioi, light cavalry, recruited in the Balkans, especially Serbs and this word was subsequently reintroduced to Western European military practice after its original usage had been lost with the collapse of Rome in the west. According to Websters Dictionary, the word stems from the Hungarian huszár. On the other hand, husz means twenty in Hungarian whilst ar is a unit of measurement or acre. Hussars are so named as they were a form of military levy whereby any land owner with twenty acres was duty bound to provide a mounted and equipped soldier to the army at their own expense. The elaborate uniforms were based on traditional Magyar horsemans clothes with highly braided, tight riding breeches, close fitting pointed boots, the hussars reportedly originated in bands of mostly Serbian warriors, crossing into southern Hungary after the Ottoman conquest of Serbia at the end of the 14th century. Regent-Governor John Hunyadi created mounted units inspired by the Ottomans and his son, Matthias Corvinus, later king of Hungary, is unanimously accepted as the creator of these troops, commonly called Rac. Initially, they fought in bands, but were reorganised into larger. The first hussar regiments comprised the cavalry of the Black Army of Hungary. Under Corvinus command, the took part in the war against the Ottoman Empire in 1485 and proved successful against the sipahis as well as against the Bohemians. After the kings death, in 1490, hussars became the form of cavalry in Hungary in addition to the heavy cavalry. The Habsburg emperors hired Hungarian hussars as mercenaries to serve against the Ottomans, early hussars wore armor when they could afford to it like the later Polish hussars. Hungarian hussars abandoned using shields and later armors and became entirely light cavalry in the first half of the 17th century, initially the first units of Polish hussars in the Kingdom of Poland were formed in 1500, influenced by Serbian mercenaries. A small number of Serbian mercenaries were recruited and became citizens of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Polish heavy hussars of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth were far more manoeuvrable than the heavily armoured lancers previously employed
43.
Lancer
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A lancer was a type of cavalryman who fought with a lance. Lances were used in mounted warfare by the Assyrians as early as 700 BC and subsequently by Greek, Persian, Gallic, Han-Chinese, nomadic and Roman horsemen. The weapon was used in Asia and Europe during the Middle Ages. In a modern context, a lancer regiment usually denotes an armoured regiment, the Polish winged lancers were amongst the last to abandon the armour in Europe. At the Battle of Waterloo, French lances were nearly three meters long, weighed three kilograms, and had a point on a wooden staff, according to historian Alessandro Barbero. He adds that they were terrifyingly efficient, in the Siege of Los Angeles, during the war between Mexico and the United States, a company of Californio lancers temporarily recaptured the town, expelling a company of U. S. Marines. Although the lance had its greatest impact in the charge, lancers were vulnerable against other cavalry, as the lance proved a clumsy, Lancers typically wore a double-breasted jacket with a coloured panel at the front, a coloured sash, and a square-topped Polish cap. Their lances usually had small swallow-tailed flags just below the spearhead, the pennons were normally removed or wrapped in a canvas cover on active service. With the improved range and accuracy of rifles, the high-profile presented by lancers with their conspicuous weapons became a problem. The ułans or uhlans, as lancers are known in the Polish, in 1914, lances were still being carried by regiments in the British, Indian, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese, Turkish, Belgian and Russian armies, amongst others. Almost all German cavalry retained a steel lance as their primary weapon, as late as 1914, half of the troopers in each Russian regular cavalry regiment carried lances on active service, as did all cossacks. The British lancer regiments lost this weapon for all but ceremonial use following the Boer War, the French army did not have lancer regiments as such, but steel lances 2.97 metres in length were carried by the twenty-six dragoon regiments and some light cavalry units in 1914. The French had earlier tested the Indian bamboo lances used by the British cavalry, prior to the outbreak of World War I, there had been controversy as to whether lances or sabres were the more effective armes blanches for cavalry, but neither proved a match for modern firearms. Some armies continued to use throughout this war, but they seldom saw use on the Western Front after initial clashes in France. On the Eastern Front, mounted cavalry still had a role, during the 1920s, the use of lances ceased for active service in most armies. British and Indian lancer regiments continued to carry lances on mounted parades, some other armies retained lance armed ceremonial units. The Polish cavalry did not discard the lance as a weapon until 1934, some modern armored cavalry units are still designated as lancer regiments for historical reasons. There are examples in the armies of Spain, United Kingdom, India, Belgium, Portugal, Pakistan, Italy and Australia, Argentina, the elite troops of the Colombian National Army are called lanceros
44.
Dragoon
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The word dragoon originally meant mounted infantry, who were trained in horse riding as well as infantry fighting skills. However, usage altered over time and during the 18th century, in most armies, dragoons came to signify ordinary medium cavalry. Dragoon regiments were established in most European armies during the late 17th, the name is derived from a type of firearm, called a dragon, which was a handgun version of a blunderbuss, carried by dragoons of the French Army. The title has been retained in modern times by a number of armoured or ceremonial mounted regiments, the establishment of dragoons evolved from the practice of sometimes transporting infantry by horse when speed of movement was needed. In 1552 Prince Alexander of Parma mounted several companies of infantry on horses to achieve surprise. Another early instance was ordered by Louis of Nassau in 1572 during operations near Mons in Hainaut and it is also suggested the first dragoons were raised by the Marshal de Brissac in 1600. According to old German literature, dragoons were invented by Count Ernst von Mansfeld, one of the greatest German military commanders, there are other instances of mounted infantry predating this. However Mansfeld, who had learned his profession in Hungary and the Netherlands, often used horses to make his troops more mobile. The name possibly derives from a weapon, a short wheellock called a dragon because the first dragoons raised in France had their carbines muzzle decorated with a dragons head. The practice comes from a time when all gunpowder weapons had distinctive names, including the culverin, serpentine, falcon, falconet and it is also sometimes claimed a galloping infantryman with his loose coat and the burning match resembled a dragon. It has also suggested that the name derives from the German tragen or the Dutch dragen. Howard Reid claims that the name and role descend from the Latin Draconarius, Dragoon is occasionally used to mean to subjugate or persecute by the imposition of troops, and by extension to compel by any violent measures or threats. Early dragoons were not organized in squadrons or troops as were cavalry, Dragoon regiments used drummers, not buglers, to communicate orders on the battlefield. Supplied with inferior horses and more equipment, the dragoon regiments were cheaper to recruit. When in the 17th century Gustav II Adolf introduced dragoons into the Swedish Army, he provided them with a sabre, an axe, many of the European armies henceforth imitated this all-purpose set of weaponry. In the Spanish Army, Pedro de la Puente organized a body of dragoons in Innsbruck in 1635, in 1640, a tercio of a thousand dragoons armed with the arquebus was created in Spain. By the end of the 17th century, the Spanish Army had three tercios of dragoons in Spain, plus three in the Netherlands and three more in Milan, in 1704, the Spanish dragoons were reorganised into regiments by Philip V, as were the rest of the tercios. Towards the end of 1776, George Washington realized the need for a branch of the American military
United Kingdom
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