The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment (11th, 39th and 54th), usually just known as the Devon and Dorsets, was an
infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...
regiment
A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation.
In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscript ...
of the
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
formed in 1958 by the amalgamation of two county regiments, the
Devonshire Regiment
The Devonshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that served under various titles and served in many wars and conflicts from 1685 to 1958, such as the Second Boer War, the First World War and the Second World War. In 1958 ...
and the
Dorset Regiment
The Dorset Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1958, being the county regiment of Dorset. Until 1951, it was formally called the Dorsetshire Regiment, although usually known as "The Dorsets". In 1 ...
. In 2007 it was itself merged into
The Rifles
The Rifles is an infantry regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of four Regular battalions and three Reserve battalions, plus a number of companies in other Army Reserve battalions. Each battalion of The Rifles was formerl ...
, a "
large regiment A large regiment is a multi-battalion infantry formation of the British Army. First formed in the 1960s, large regiments are the result of the amalgamation of a number of existing single-battalion regiments, and perpetuate the traditions of each of ...
".
Formation
As part of the
1957 Defence Review, it was announced that there would be a reduction in the number of infantry battalions in the British Army. The reduction was to be effected by the merging of a number of pairs of regiments.
[Merged regiments and new brigading – many famous units to lose separate identity. '']The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' (f ...
'', 25 July 1957.
Among the mergers to be carried out were those of the regiments of the two neighbouring counties of
Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...
and
Dorset
Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset. Covering an area of , ...
.
*
Devonshire Regiment
The Devonshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that served under various titles and served in many wars and conflicts from 1685 to 1958, such as the Second Boer War, the First World War and the Second World War. In 1958 ...
(the former 11th Regiment of Foot, originally raised in 1685)
*
Dorset Regiment
The Dorset Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1958, being the county regiment of Dorset. Until 1951, it was formally called the Dorsetshire Regiment, although usually known as "The Dorsets". In 1 ...
(the successor to the
39th Foot, raised in 1702; and the
54th Foot
The 54th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1755. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 39th (Dorsetshire) Regiment of Foot to form the Dorsetshire Regiment in 1881.
History
Early history
The ...
, dating from 1755)
The amalgamation took place in
Minden,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, on 17 May 1958. The new 1st Battalion, Devonshire and Dorset Regiment was commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Guy Young, formerly commanding officer of the 1st Devonshires, while the colonel of the regiment was Major-General
George Neville Wood, formerly of the Dorsets.
Service
1960s
In November 1958 the 1st Battalion moved to
Cyprus
Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ge ...
, where they carried out
anti-insurgency activities against the paramilitary
EOKA organisation. A ceasefire was called in December 1959, and the island achieved independence from Britain in August 1960. Following the ending of the conflict the battalion carried out exercises in
Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Suda ...
before returning to the United Kingdom in 1961.
From 1961 to 1963 the battalion was based in
Plymouth, taking part in exercises on
Salisbury Plain and in recruitment activities following the ending of
National Service
National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939.
The ...
. In May 1962 the regiment was given the
freedom of the City of Exeter, and were presented with a stand of
colours
Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are associ ...
by the
Colonel-in-Chief,
Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent.
From July 1963 the battalion was based in
Holywood
Holy Wood or Holywood may refer to:
Places
* Holywood, County Down, a town and townland in Northern Ireland
** Holywood, County Down (civil parish), a civil parish in County Down, Northern Ireland
** Holywood railway station (Northern Ireland)
* ...
,
County Down. Placed on twenty-four hours' travel notice, in May 1964 they moved to
British Guiana where there was political and civil unrest. Elections were held in December of that year, a first step in the independence of the colony. The battalion returned to Holywood in January 1965.
In February 1966 the battalion joined the
British Army of the Rhine
There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine (BAOR). Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War and the other after the Second World War. Both formations had areas of responsibility located ...
(BAOR) as part of
6th Infantry Brigade based in
Münster
Münster (; nds, Mönster) is an independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a state di ...
.
In 1967 disturbances spread throughout the Arab world in the wake of the
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War (, ; ar, النكسة, , or ) or June War, also known as the 1967 Arab–Israeli War or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab states (primarily Egypt, Syria, and Jordan) from 5 to 10 Ju ...
. The battalion were dispatched to
Benghazi in Libya to evacuate isolated British personnel.
In January 1968 the regiment were transferred within the BAOR to the
12th Infantry Brigade based in
Osnabrück
Osnabrück (; wep, Ossenbrügge; archaic ''Osnaburg'') is a city in the German state of Lower Saxony. It is situated on the river Hase in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest. With a population ...
.
In 1970 the battalion moved to
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
.
Following the outbreak of
The Troubles
The Troubles ( ga, Na Trioblóidí) were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it is sometimes described as an " ...
in
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
, the Devon and Dorsets were moved to
Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...
with less than twenty four hours' notice in June 1970.
They found themselves involved in the
Battle of the Falls.
They returned to Malta in August 1970.
1970s
In 1971 the battalion moved to Gordon Barracks in
Gillingham, Kent. As an air-portable unit, elements of the Devon & Dorsets were frequently dispatched to various locations at short notice: In January 1972 they moved to
County Armagh
County Armagh (, named after its county town, Armagh) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the southern shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of an ...
, to
British Honduras
British Honduras was a British Crown colony on the east coast of Central America, south of Mexico, from 1783 to 1964, then a self-governing colony, renamed Belize in June 1973, in August 1972, to West Belfast in October 1973, to Cyprus in October 1974 and to
Belize
Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...
in November 1975.
In May 1976 the battalion rejoined the
12th Mechanised Brigade
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...
in Osnabrück.
They did two tours of duty in Northern Ireland: in North Belfast from January to May 1977 and in Central Belfast from January to May 1979.
1980s and 1990s
In April 1980 the battalion moved to
Colchester
Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian.
Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colch ...
. From July to November 1981 they did another tour in County Armagh under
Operation Banner
Operation Banner was the operational name for the British Armed Forces' operation in Northern Ireland from 1969 to 2007, as part of the Troubles. It was the longest continuous deployment in British military history. The British Army was initial ...
, and in 1982 took part in training exercises in
Kenya
)
, national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Nairobi
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, largest_city = Nairobi
...
.
In March 1983 the Devon & Dorsets became a resident battalion at
Abercorn Barracks
Abercorn Barracks, sometimes referred to as Ballykinlar Barracks or Ballykinler Barracks, is a former military base in Ballykinler in County Down, Northern Ireland. The surrounding training area is retained by the Ministry of Defence.
Early histo ...
in
Ballykinler
Ballykinler (), often transcribed as Ballykinlar, is a village and civil parish in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies 12 kilometres south west of Downpatrick, in the parish of Tyrella and Dundrum. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 34 ...
in Northern Ireland as part of the
39th Infantry Brigade, remaining there until 1985.
In 1985 they joined the
Berlin Brigade
The Berlin Brigade was a US Army brigade-sized garrison based in West Berlin during the Cold War. After the end of World War II, under the conditions of the Yalta and Potsdam agreements, the Allied forces occupied West Berlin. This occupat ...
, remaining in the city until 1987.
From February 1987 the battalion formed part of
1st Brigade at
Bulford
Bulford is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England, close to Salisbury Plain. The village is close to Durrington and about north of the town of Amesbury. The Bulford Camp army base is separate from the village but within the parish. ...
.
Elements of the regiment were sent to the
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands (; es, Islas Malvinas, link=no ) is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and about from Cape Dubouze ...
and
Belize
Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...
in 1987 and 1988. From April to August 1989 they did another tour of duty in County Armagh.
The Regimental Band were sent to the
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a mediterranean sea in Western Asia. The bod ...
between October 1990 and March 1991 as part of
Operation Granby
Operation Granby, commonly abbreviated Op Granby, was the code name given to the British military operations during the 1991 Gulf War. 53,462 members of the British Armed Forces were deployed during the conflict. The total cost of operations w ...
to serve in a field hospital.
[ In August 1991 the battalion returned to Germany and was based in ]Werl
Werl (; Westphalian: ''Wiärl'') is a town located in the district of Soest in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Geography
Werl is easily accessible because it is located between the Sauerland, Münsterland, and the Ruhr Area. The Hellweg road ...
and Paderborn
Paderborn (; Westphalian: ''Patterbuorn'', also ''Paterboärn'') is a city in eastern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader and ''Born'', an old German term for t ...
. In 1993 they had another tour of duty in West Belfast. In 1994 they moved to Paderborn as part of the 20th Armoured Brigade.
Bosnia 1995
In May 1995 the battalion formed part of the United Nations Protection Force
The United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR; also known by its French acronym FORPRONU: ''Force de Protection des Nations Unies'') was the first United Nations peacekeeping force in Croatia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Yugoslav War ...
intervening in the Bosnian War. Corporal Simon Harvey was awarded the Military Cross
The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries.
The MC ...
for twice extracting his Warrior tracked armoured vehicle
The Warrior tracked vehicle family is a series of British armoured vehicles, originally developed to replace FV430 series armoured vehicles. The Warrior started life as the MCV-80, "Mechanised Combat Vehicle for the 1980s". One of the requirement ...
from enemy fire on the Mount Igman
Igman ( sr-cyrl, Игман, ) is a mountain plateau in central Bosnia and Herzegovina. Geologically, Igman is part of the Dinaric Alps and formed largely of secondary and tertiary sedimentary rock, mostly Limestone. It is located southwest of Sa ...
route into Sarajevo
Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see names in other languages'') is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its administrative limits. The Sarajevo metropolitan area including Sarajevo ...
. For part of the campaign they served alongside the French 2e Régiment Étranger d'Infanterie
The 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (french: 2e Régiment Étranger d'Infanterie, 2e REI) is an infantry regiment of the Foreign Legion in the French Army. The regiment is one of two mechanized infantry regiments of the 6th Light Armoured Brigade. ...
as part of United Nations Task Force Alpha, and a bond of friendship was later established between the two units.[
]
1995–2005
The battalion returned to Paderborn in November 1995 and was based there until 1998. Parts of the unit spent time in Fermanagh
Historically, Fermanagh ( ga, Fir Manach), as opposed to the modern County Fermanagh, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Fermanagh. ''Fir Manach'' originally referred to a distinct kin group of a ...
between December 1996 and June 1997. In March 1998 they moved to Warminster
Warminster () is an ancient market town with a nearby garrison, and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in south west Wiltshire, England, on the western edge of Salisbury Plain. The parish had a population of about 17,000 in 2011. The 11th-c ...
where they assumed responsibility for teaching infantry tactics at the Combined Arms Tactics Centre Battle Group. They moved to the Cavalry Barracks, Hounslow
Cavalry Barracks is a former British Army installation located north of Hounslow Heath in Hounslow, west London. Hounslow was one of 40 new barracks established around the country in the wake of the French Revolution, to guard against the dual t ...
in 2000. After intensive training, the battalion performed public duties
Public duties are performed by military personnel, and usually have a ceremonial or historic significance rather than an overtly operational role.
Armenia
Since September 2018, the Honour Guard Battalion of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia has ...
in London and Windsor
Windsor may refer to:
Places Australia
* Windsor, New South Wales
** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area
* Windsor, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland
**Shire of Windsor, a former local government authority around Wi ...
which included providing the Queen's Guard
The King's Guard and King's Life Guard (called the Queen's Guard and the Queen's Life Guard when the reigning monarch is female) are the contingents of infantry and cavalry soldiers charged with guarding the official royal residences in the U ...
at Buckingham Palace during the September 11 attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commer ...
and in 2002 attending the state funeral of Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.
The Devon and Dorsets was again the resident battalion at Ballykinler from 2002 to 2004. In 2004 the battalion moved to Catterick Garrison
Catterick Garrison is a major garrison and military town south of Richmond, North Yorkshire, England. It is the largest British Army garrison in the world, with a population of around 13,000 in 2017 and covering over 2,400 acres (about 10 ...
.
Conversion to light infantry
In 2003 a defence white paper
A white paper is a report or guide that informs readers concisely about a complex issue and presents the issuing body's philosophy on the matter. It is meant to help readers understand an issue, solve a problem, or make a decision. A white pape ...
, ''Delivering Security in a Changing World
The 2003 Defence White Paper, titled ''Delivering Security in a Changing World'', set out the future structure of the British military, and was preceded by the 1998 Strategic Defence Review (SDR) and the 2002 SDR New Chapter, which responded to t ...
'', was published. Among the changes proposed was the amalgamation of all single-battalion infantry regiments into multi-battalion large regiment A large regiment is a multi-battalion infantry formation of the British Army. First formed in the 1960s, large regiments are the result of the amalgamation of a number of existing single-battalion regiments, and perpetuate the traditions of each of ...
s. As a result, discussions were undertaken between The Light Infantry
The Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Light Division. The regiment was one of four 'large' regiments formed after the 1966 Defence White Paper through the amalgamation of units of the Light Infantry Brig ...
and the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment concerning the formation of a three-battalion regiment. In December 2004 details of the amalgamations to be carried out were announced. The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment would integrate Gloucestershire elements of the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment
The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment was a short-lived infantry regiment of the British Army.
History
The regiment was formed in 1994 by the amalgamation of the Gloucestershire Regiment and the Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Re ...
to form a new battalion of The Light Infantry. As part of the preparation for this, the regiment moved from the Prince of Wales' Division
The Prince of Wales's Division was a British Army command, training and administrative apparatus designated for all land force units in the West of England and Wales. It merged with the Scottish Division, to form the Scottish, Welsh and Irish D ...
to the Light Division
The Light Division was a light infantry division of the British Army. Its origins lay in "Light Companies" formed during the late 18th century, to move at speed over inhospitable terrain and protect a main force with skirmishing tactics. These ...
, and was renamed the Devonshire and Dorset Light Infantry, on 22 July 2005.
Amalgamation
On 24 November 2005, the Ministry of Defence announced further changes to the amalgamations. The regiment were now to join a new large regiment created by the amalgamation of the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment, The Light Infantry, the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment, and the Royal Green Jackets
The Royal Green Jackets (RGJ) was an infantry regiment of the British Army, one of two "large regiments" within the Light Division (the other being The Light Infantry).
History
The Royal Green Jackets was formed on 1 January 1966 by the amalgama ...
. This new regiment was to be called The Rifles
The Rifles is an infantry regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of four Regular battalions and three Reserve battalions, plus a number of companies in other Army Reserve battalions. Each battalion of The Rifles was formerl ...
and was to be formed in February 2007. In the lead-up to the formation of The Rifles, officers and men of all four regiments were cross posted, but 1st Battalion, The Rifles was formed from the regular battalions of the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment and the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment. On becoming part of a rifle regiment, the Devon and Dorsets no longer carried their colours
Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are associ ...
; these were laid up in Exeter Cathedral on 27 January 2007.
Regimental museum
The Devonshire and Dorset regimental collections are displayed in the Keep Military Museum, Dorchester.
Colonels-in-Chief
Colonels-in-Chief of the regiment were:[
*1958–1968: Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, CI, GCVO, GBE
*1977–2007: F.M. ]Prince Edward, Duke of Kent
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, (Edward George Nicholas Paul Patrick; born 9 October 1935) is a member of the British royal family. Queen Elizabeth II and Edward were first cousins through their fathers, King George VI, and Prince George, Duke ...
, KG, GCMG, GCVO, ADC
Regimental Colonels
Colonels of the regiment were:
*1958–1962: Maj-Gen. George Neville Wood, CB, CBE, DSO, MC
*1962–1967: Maj-Gen. Hugh Alastair Borradaile, CB, DSO
*1967–1977: Brig. Alexander Edward Craven Bredin, DSO, MC
*1977–1979: Gen. Sir Arthur John Archer, KCB, OBE
*1979–1984: Col. Michael Frederick Robert Bullock, OBE, DL
*1984–1990: Maj-Gen. Colin Terry Shortis, CB, CBE
*1990–1998: Gen. Sir John Finlay Willasey Wilsey, GCB, CBE, ADC
*1998–2002: Maj-Gen. Bryan Hawkins Dutton, CB, CBE
*2002–2007: Lt-Gen. Sir Cedric Norman George Delves, KBE, DSO
*''2007: Regiment amalgamated with the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry
The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment was a short-lived infantry regiment of the British Army.
History
The regiment was formed in 1994 by the amalgamation of the Gloucestershire Regiment and the Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Reg ...
, The Light Infantry
The Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Light Division. The regiment was one of four 'large' regiments formed after the 1966 Defence White Paper through the amalgamation of units of the Light Infantry Brig ...
and the Royal Green Jackets
The Royal Green Jackets (RGJ) was an infantry regiment of the British Army, one of two "large regiments" within the Light Division (the other being The Light Infantry).
History
The Royal Green Jackets was formed on 1 January 1966 by the amalgama ...
to form The Rifles
The Rifles is an infantry regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of four Regular battalions and three Reserve battalions, plus a number of companies in other Army Reserve battalions. Each battalion of The Rifles was formerl ...
''.
Alliances
* – Les Fusiliers de Sherbrooke
Les Fusiliers de Sherbrooke is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. It is based in Sherbrooke, Quebec, with a sub-unit in Granby.
Badge
A grenade with the Crown superimposed upon the ball within an annulet inscribed ''Les ...
* – The Royal New South Wales Regiment
* – 6th Battalion, Royal Malay Regiment
The Royal Malay Regiment ( ms, Rejimen Askar Melayu DiRaja; Jawi: ) is the premier unit of the Malaysian Army's two infantry regiments. At its largest, the Malay Regiment comprised 27 battalions. At present, three battalions are parachute train ...
* – 5 South African Infantry Battalion (Bond of Friendship)
* – HMS ''Exeter''
* – 2e Régiment Étranger d'Infanterie
The 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (french: 2e Régiment Étranger d'Infanterie, 2e REI) is an infantry regiment of the Foreign Legion in the French Army. The regiment is one of two mechanized infantry regiments of the 6th Light Armoured Brigade. ...
(Bond of Friendship)
References
External links
Regimental museum
BBC News story on the reorganization plans
{{The Rifles
Infantry regiments of the British Army
Military units and formations established in 1958
British light infantry
Military units and formations disestablished in 2007
The Rifles
1958 establishments in England