1945 Order of Precedence of the British Army

The British Colonial Auxiliary Forces referred to the various military units of Britain's colonial empire which were not considered part of the

British military The British Armed Forces, also known as His Majesty's Armed Forces, are the military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests, su ...

proper. Though the first colonial units established in the British Empire were militia formations in Britain's American colonies, by the Victorian era these units were modelled after the regular armed forces of Britain and consisted of professional soldiers. They supplied a reserve force either to be called up in war time to reinforce regular British Army garrisons for home defence, or in some cases were entirely responsible for home defence. Many units, however, took part in active campaigns outside of the role of home defence in various conflicts the British Empire was involved in, including the two world wars. Some of the reserve colonial units, especially in the strategically-important imperial fortress colonies (consisting of Halifax, Gibraltar, Bermuda and Malta), were funded by the War Department out of Army Funds and considered part of the British Army (by example, the

Bermuda Militia Artillery The Bermuda Militia Artillery was a unit of part-time soldiers organised in 1895 as a reserve for the Royal Garrison Artillery detachment of the Regular Army garrison in Bermuda. Militia Artillery units of the United Kingdom and Colonies were int ...

was grouped with the Royal Artillery and the Bermuda Volunteer Engineers with the

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...

in the official Army Lists, which also listed the

Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps The Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps (BVRC) was created in 1894 as a reserve for the Regular Army infantry component of the Bermuda Garrison. Renamed the ''Bermuda Rifles'' in 1951, it was amalgamated into the Bermuda Regiment in 1965. Formation A ...

and

Bermuda Militia Infantry The Bermuda Militia Infantry was raised in 1939 as a part-time reserve of the British Army's Bermuda Garrison. History The Bermuda Garrison The Parliament of Bermuda had authorised three part-time reserve units in 1892 to re-inforce the regul ...

officers as part of the British Army, whereas most colonial units were listed separately or did not appear at all), whereas others that did not receive Army Funds were considered auxiliaries (British military units, but not part of the British Army). This had originally been true of various other military forces in the United Kingdom before the mid-Nineteenth Century, following which the

Board of Ordnance The Board of Ordnance was a British government body. Established in the Tudor period, it had its headquarters in the Tower of London. Its primary responsibilities were 'to act as custodian of the lands, depots and forts required for the defence ...

was abolished and its military corps (the Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, and Royal Sappers and Miners) and previously-civilian Commissariat, stores and transport departments were all absorbed by the British Army and the Militia, Yeomanry and Volunteer Forces were more closely integrated with the British Army through a succession of military reforms. Many colonial units started out as auxiliaries and later became regular units and forerunners to the current militaries of those colonies which have become politically independent. While most of the units listed here were army units, colonial marines were raised at various times, as were colonial naval and air force reserve units. Today, only four

British Overseas Territories The British Overseas Territories (BOTs), also known as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs), are fourteen dependent territory, territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom. They are the last remna ...

regiments remain (not including cadet corps): the Royal Bermuda Regiment; the

Royal Gibraltar Regiment The Royal Gibraltar Regiment is part of British Forces Gibraltar for the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. It was formed in 1958 from the Gibraltar Defence Force as an infantry unit, with an integrated artillery troop. The regiment is ...

; the

Falkland Islands Defence Force The Falkland Islands Defence Force (FIDF) is the locally maintained volunteer defence unit in the Falkland Islands, a British Overseas Territory. The FIDF works alongside the military units supplied by the United Kingdom to ensure the security ...

; and the

Royal Montserrat Defence Force The Royal Montserrat Defence Force is the home defence unit of the British Overseas Territory of Montserrat. History Raised in 1899, the unit is today a reduced force of about forty volunteer soldiers, primarily concerned with civil Defence and ...

. The British Government is currently (2020) working with the local governments of the Turks and Caicos Islands and the

Cayman Islands The Cayman Islands () is a self-governing British Overseas Territory—the largest by population in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, which are located to the ...

to raise reserve military units in those territories, also, with recruitment for the new Cayman Islands Regiment starting in January, 2020.

List of Colonial Auxiliary Forces

Aden

* Aden Protectorate Levies

Africa

* King's African Rifles garrisoned the East African colonies of Nyasaland, Kenya, Uganda and British Somaliland. * Royal West African Frontier Force garrisoned the West African colonies of Nigeria, Gold Coast, Sierra Leone and Gambia.

Americas, America

*Provincial troops in the French and Indian Wars * Corps of Colonial Marines *American Legion (Great Britain), American Legion (1780-1783) *American Volunteers (1779-1780) *Armed Boat Company (1781-1783) *Black Company of Pioneers (also, known as the Black Pioneers, later merged into the Guides and Pioneers in 1778), (pioneer (military), pioneers, another name for engineer (military), military construction engineers) (1777-1778) *British Legion (American Revolution), British Legion (placed on American establishment in 1781 as 5th American Regiment) (1777-1778) *Bucks County Dragoons (absorbed by British Legion (American Revolution), British Legion in 1780) (1778-1780) *Butler's Rangers (1777-1784) *Caledonian Volunteers (formed part of the British Legion (American Revolution), British Legion in 1778) (1777-1778) *Campbell's Dragoons (South Carolina Dragoons) (1781) *Canadian Companies (1777-1783) *Claus' Rangers (1775-1783) *Collett's Independent Company (1777) *De Lancey's Brigade (1776-1783) *Detroit Volunteers (claimed descent from Roger's Rangers, later became 1st Battalion 119th Field Artillery Regiment, Michigan National Guard) (1778-1783) *Diemar's Troop of Black Hussars (also, known as Diemar's Hussars and Black Hussars, hussars, (light cavalry) (1779-1781) *Duke of Cumberland's Regiment (1781-1783) *Duchess County Company (1776-1777) *Emmerich's Chasseurs (chasseurs / light cavalry) (1777-1779) *Fenwick's Dragoons (South Carolina Dragoons) (1781) *Forshner's Independent Company (1780-1781) *Georgia Light Dragoons (there was also, a Local Volunteer Corps unit, of the same name) (1779-1781) *Georgia Loyalists (1779-1782) *Governor Wentworth's Volunteers (1777-1781) *Guides and Pioneers (absorbed the Black Company of Pioneers in 1778) (1778-1783) *Harkimer's Batteau Company (1780-1783) *Hierlihy's Corps *James Island Light Dragoons *King's American Dragoons *King's American Regiment (placed on American establishment, in 1781, as 4th American Regiment, part of the regular, British Army) (1776-1783) *King's Rangers *King's (Carolina) Rangers *King's Orange Rangers *King's Royal Regiment of New York *Kinloch's Light Dragoons (formed part of the British Legion (American Revolution), British Legion in 1778) *Locke's Independent Company *Duke of Cumberland's Regiment, Loyal American Rangers (1780-1783) *Loyal American Regiment *Loyal Foresters *Loyal New Englanders *Loyal Rangers *Loyal Rhode Islanders *Maryland Loyalists Battalion *McAlpin's Corps (also, known as McAlpin's Corps of Royalists, absorbed the American Volunteers, King’s Loyal Americans, Queen’s Loyal Rangers, and Adams' Rangers) *Nassau Blues *Newfoundland Regiment (placed on British establishment in 1782) *New Hampshire Volunteers *New Jersey Volunteers (Skinner's Greens) *Newport Artillery Company (Rhode Island) 1741 *New York Volunteers (placed on American establishment, as 3rd American Regiment in 1779) *North Carolina Highlanders *North Carolina Independent Company *North Carolina Independent Dragoons *Pennsylvania Loyalists *Philadelphia Light Dragoons (formed part of the British Legion (American Revolution), British Legion in 1778) *Prince of Wales's American Volunteers *Provincial Light Infantry *Queen's Rangers (placed on American establishment, in 1779, as 1st American Regiment, descended from Roger's Rangers) *Roman Catholic Volunteers (1777-1778) *Royal American Reformers *Royal Fencible Americans *Royal Garrison Battalion (placed on British establishment in 178 *Royal Georgia Volunteers *84th Regiment of Foot (Royal Highland Emigrants), Royal Highland Emigrants (placed on British establishment in 1779 as 84th Foot) *Royal Nova Scotia Volunteer Regiment *Saint John's Volunteers *Starkloff's Dragoons (South Carolina Dragoons) (1781) *South Carolina Rangers *South Carolina Royalists *Stewart's Troop of Light Dragoons *Van Alstine's Batteau Company *Volunteers of Ireland (absorbed the Roman Catholic Volunteers and New Jersey Volunteers and placed on American establishment, in 1779, as 2nd American Regiment, part of the regular, British Army) (1778-1782) *Volunteers of New England *West Florida Royal Foresters *West Jersey Volunteers

Antigua

Australia

Barbados

*Barbados Regiment, Barbados Volunteer Force

Bermuda

*Bermuda Militias 1612-1815 *

(1894–1965) *

(1895–1965) * Bermuda Volunteer Engineers (1931-1946) *

(1939-1946) *Bermuda Home Guard *Bermuda Regiment (1965–Present) *Bermuda Cadet Corps (19th Century-2013) *Air Training Corps *Bermuda Sea Cadet Corps (1968–Present)

British Guiana

* British Guiana Volunteer Force (BGVF)

British Honduras

* The Prince Regent's Royal Militia (1817-1866) * The Belize Volunteer Force (1866-1868) * The Belize Volunteer Corps (1868-1883) * The Belize Light Infantry Volunteer Force (1897-1905) * British Honduras Volunteers (1905-1916) * British Honduras Territorial Force (1916-1928) * British Honduras Defense Force (1928-1944) * British Honduras Home Guard (1942-1943) * British Honduras Volunteer Guard (1943-1973) * Belize Volunteer Guard (1973-1977)

Burma

*Burma Royal Navy Volunteer ReserveThe Burma Navy under the SLORC.
/ref>

Canada

* Provincial Marine

Ceylon

*Ceylon Defence Force, Ceylon Volunteers (1881–1910) *Ceylon Defence Force (1910–1948) *Ceylon Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, Ceylon Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve

Dominica

*Dominica Defence Force

Falkland Islands

(1892–Present)

Fiji

*Fiji Defence Force

Gibraltar

Gold Coast (British colony), Gold Coast

*Ghana Regiment, Gold Coast Constabulary

Grenada

*Grenada Defence Force

Guernsey

High Commission Territories

*African Auxiliary Pioneer Corps (1941-1946)

Hong Kong

*Royal Hong Kong Regiment (The Volunteers), Royal Hong Kong Regiment (1854–1997)

India

;Cavalry *The Allahabad Light Horse *The Assam Valley Light Horse *The Bihar Light Horse *The Bombay Light Horse *The Calcutta Light Horse *The Cawnpore Light Horse *The Ghazipur Light Horse *The Gorakhpur Light Horse *The Northern Bengal Mounted Rifles *The Oudh Light Horse *The Punjab Light Horse *The Surma Valley Light Horse ;Infantry *The Agra Volunteer Rifle Corps *The Allahabad Rifles *The Assam Bengal Railway Battalion *The Baluchistan Volunteer Rifle Corps *The Bangalore Contingent *The Bengal and North West Railway Battalion *The Bengal Nagpur Railway Battalion *The Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway Regiment *The Bombay Volunteer Rifles Corps *The Calcutta and Presidency Battalion *The Calcutta Presidency Battalion *The Cawnpore Rifles *The Chota Nagpur Regiment *The Coorg and Mysore Company *The Coorg and Mysore Rifles *The Dehra Dun Mounted Rifles *The East Coast Battalion *The East Indian Railway Regiment *The Eastern Bengal Company *The Eastern Bengal Railway Battalion *The Great Indian Peninsula Railway Regiment *The Hyderabad Rifles *The Kolar Goldfields Battalion *The Lucknow Volunteer Rifle Corps *The Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway Rifles *The Madras Guards *The Malabar Volunteer Rifles *The Malwah Bheel Corps *Meywa Bheel Corps *The Midlands Volunteer Rifle Corps *The Moulmein Volunteer Rifle Corps *The Mussourie Battalion *The Nagpur Rifles *The Naini Tal Volunteer Rifles *The Nilgiri Malabar Battalion *The Northern Bengal Mounted Rifles *The North West Railway Battalion *The Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway Battalion *The Poona Rifles *The Shillong Volunteer Rifles *The Simla Rifles *The South Andaman Volunteer Rifles Corps *The South Indian Railway Battalion *The Yercaud Volunteer Rifle Corps

Iraq

* Iraq Levies

Jamaica

*Jamaica Militia Artillery *Jamaica Engineer Corps *Kingston (later Jamaica) Infantry Volunteers *Jamaica Home Guard *consolidated postwar to form: *Jamaica Defence Force

Jersey

Kenya

*Kenya Regiment

Leeward Island

*Leewards Islands Battalion (1943-1945) *Leewards Home Guard

Federation of Malaya, Malaya

*Malay States Volunteer Rifles (1915–1936) *Malayan Naval Volunteer Reserve

Malta

*Armed Forces of Malta, King's Own Malta Regiment

Mauritius

* Mauritius Territorial Force * Mauritius Defence Force * Mauritius Regiment

Montserrat

New Zealand

*Waikato Mounted Rifles *Hauraki Regiment

Nigeria

Rhodesia/Nyasaland

* British South Africa Police * Northern Rhodesia Police * Nyasaland Police * Nyasaland Volunteer Reserve * Rhodesia Regiment , Royal Rhodesia Regiment * Northern Rhodesia Regiment * Rhodesian African Rifles, Rhodesian Native Regiment * King's African Rifles, 1st (Nyasaland) Battalion King’s African Rifles * King's African Rifles, 2nd (Nyasaland) Battalion King’s African Rifles * King's African Rifles, 22nd (Nyasaland) Battalion King’s African Rifles * Rhodesian Armoured Corps, Southern Rhodesian Reconnaissance Regiment * Rhodesian Special Air Service , ’C’ Squadron, Special Air Service Regiment * Rhodesian Light Infantry

Saint Kitts and Nevis, St Christopher Nevis

*Saint Kitts and Nevis Defence Force

Singapore

*Singapore Volunteer Corps *Singapore Naval Volunteer Force

St Lucia

*St. Lucia Volunteer Corps

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, St Vincent

Sudan

*Sudan Defence Force

Trinidad/Tobago

*Trinidad Volunteers (expanded during WWII to form:) *Trinidad Regiment *Trinidad Volunteer Artillery *Trinidad Home Guard

Uganda

*Uganda Volunteer Reserve

West Indies

* West India Regiment

Zanzibar

*Zanzibar Volunteer Defence Force

Medals

* Efficiency Decoration * Efficiency Medal * Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration * Colonial Auxiliary Forces Long Service Medal

References & External links

{{reflist British colonial regiments Lists of military units and formations Lists of military units and formations of the United Kingdom Reserve forces of the United Kingdom