infantry
Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...
regiment
A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation.
In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...
of the
British Army
The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
in existence from 1959 until 2006, and was part of the
King's Division
The King's Division is a British Army command, training and administrative apparatus designated for infantry regiments in the North of England.
History
The King's Division was formed in 1968 with the union of the Lancastrian Brigade, Yorks ...
. It was formed at Barnard Castle on 1 October 1959 through the amalgamation of the
King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster)
The King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army. It served under various titles and fought in many wars and conflicts, including both the First and the Second World Wars, from 1680 to 1959. In 1959, the ...
and the
Border Regiment
The Border Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, which was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 34th (Cumberland) Regiment of Foot and the 55th (Westmorland) Regiment of Foot.
After service in ...
.
History
The regiment's earliest forebears were the 4th, or Kings Own Regiment of Foot, formed 13 July 1680 as the 2nd Tangier Regiment, also known as 'Charles Earl of Plymouth's Regiment of Foot for Tangiers', being the fourth regiment of foot in seniority in the British Army.
The 34th (Cumberland) and 55th (Westmorland) Regiments of Foot were formed later in 1705 and 1755, respectively.Beckett, p. 29 In 1881 they amalgamated to form the Border Regiment.
The 1 October 1959 amalgamated regiment preserved traditions of the previous three regiments (4th, 34th and 55th). Every 28 October, the regiment would celebrate "Arroyo Day" by parading the French drums and French drum major's mace captured during the
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War (1808–1814) was fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Kingdom of Portugal, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French ...
in 1811. They had been taken intact in the
Battle of Arroyo dos Molinos
The Battle of Arroyo dos Molinos took place on 28 October 1811 during the Peninsular War. An allied force under General Rowland Hill trapped and defeated a French force under General Jean-Baptiste Girard, forcing the latter's dismissal by ...
from the French 34e Régiment de Ligne on 28 October 1811.
The regiment saw a great deal of service in
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
during
the troubles
The Troubles () were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted for about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it began in the late 1960s and is usually deemed t ...
Derry
Derry, officially Londonderry, is the second-largest City status in the United Kingdom, city in Northern Ireland, and the fifth-largest on the island of Ireland. Located in County Londonderry, the city now covers both banks of the River Fo ...
and
Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
.
In 2004, as part of the restructuring of the infantry, it was announced that the King's Own Royal Border Regiment would amalgamate with the
King's Regiment
The King's Regiment, officially abbreviated as KINGS, was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the King's Division. It was formed on 1 September 1958 by the amalgamation of the King's Regiment (Liverpool) which had been raised in 168 ...
and the
Queen's Lancashire Regiment
The Queen's Lancashire Regiment (30th, 40th, 47th, 59th, 81st and 82nd Regiments of Foot) (QLR) was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the King's Division. It was formed on 25 March 1970 at Connaught Barracks, Dover, Connaught ...
Iraq
Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
between 2005 and 2006. The new regiment was formed on 1 July 2006, with the Kings Own Royal Border Regiment forming the 3rd Battalion.
Territorials
Upon the regiment's creation the territorial battalions of both predecessor regiments were transferred, without a change in name. These were:
*5th Battalion, King's Own Royal Regiment, at
Lancaster
Lancaster may refer to:
Lands and titles
*The County Palatine of Lancaster, a synonym for Lancashire
*Duchy of Lancaster, one of only two British royal duchies
*Duke of Lancaster
*Earl of Lancaster
*House of Lancaster, a British royal dynasty
...
*4th (Cumberland and Westmorland) Battalion, The Border Regiment, at
Kendal
Kendal, once Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Westmorland and Furness, England. It lies within the River Kent's dale, from which its name is derived, just outside the boundary of t ...
In 1967, when the
TAVR
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is the implantation of the aortic valve of the heart through the blood vessels without actual removal of the native valve (as opposed to the aortic valve replacement by open heart surgery, surgical ...
was formed, both of the battalions lost a company to the
Lancastrian Volunteers
The Lancastrian Volunteers was a short lived Territorial Army infantry regiment of the British Army, composed of companies from the North West affiliated regiments.
History
The regiment was formed in 1967, by the amalgamation of the 8 Territor ...
, and also retained the rest of the battalion within the regiment. However, this didn't last very long, as in 1969, the battalions were reduced to cadre– the KORR battalion formed a new company of 1st Battalion,
Lancastrian Volunteers
The Lancastrian Volunteers was a short lived Territorial Army infantry regiment of the British Army, composed of companies from the North West affiliated regiments.
History
The regiment was formed in 1967, by the amalgamation of the 8 Territor ...
; whilst the Border Regiment battalion formed a company of the
Northumbrian Volunteers
The Northumbrian Volunteers was a short-lived Territorial Army infantry regiment of the British Army, in existence from 1971 to 1975.
History
The regiment was formed on 1 April 1971, as the successor to Territorial Army infantry battalions of C ...
, in 1971.
4th (Volunteer) Battalion
In 1975, control of the territorial units was passed back to the affiliated regiments, and so the regiment formed 4th (Volunteer) Battalion, from companies of the Lancastrian Volunteers and Northumbrian Volunteers.
*HQ Company, at Lancaster
*A Company, at
Carlisle
Carlisle ( , ; from ) is a city in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England.
Carlisle's early history is marked by the establishment of a settlement called Luguvalium to serve forts along Hadrian's Wall in Roman Britain. Due to its pro ...
, with platoon at
Workington
Workington is a coastal town and civil parish in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. The town is at the mouth of the River Derwent on the west coast, south-west of Carlisle and north-east of Whitehaven. At the 2021 census the ...
, ''from A Company, 1st Battalion, Lancastrian Volunteers''
*B Company, at Lancaster, with platoon at
Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness is a port town and civil parish (as just "Barrow") in the Westmorland and Furness district of Cumbria, England. Historic counties of England, Historically in the county of Lancashire, it was incorporated as a municipal borou ...
, ''from E Company, 1st Battalion, Lancastrian Volunteers''
*C Company, at Kendal, ''from B Company, Northumbrian Volunteers''
1984 saw the establishment of E ( Home Service Force) Company, with a platoon stationed with each company, however this was disbanded along with the rest of the HSF in 1992. At the same time, the battalion was reduced down to a HQ Company, and 3 rifle companies and retained this structure until amalgamation in 1999.
*HQ Company, at Lancaster
*A Company, at Carlisle, with platoon at Workington
*C Company, at Barrow-in-Furness
*D Company, at Workington
The battalion amalgamated with the 4th (Volunteer) Battalion, Queen's Lancashire Regiment, in 1999, to form the Lancastrian and Cumbrian Volunteers; HQ and C Companies amalgamated to form A (Tobruk) (King's Own Royal Border Regiment) Company, and A and D Companies amalgamated to form C (Sicily) (King's Own Royal Border Regiment) Company, of the new regiment. The Lancastrian and Cumbrian Volunteers later amalgamated with the two King's Companies of the King's and Cheshire Regiment, to form 4th Battalion, Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, with the KORBR lineage being maintained by C Company.
Regimental museum
Archives of the regiment are preserved in Cumbria's Museum of Military Life at
Carlisle Castle
Carlisle Castle is a stone keep medieval fortress located in the city of Carlisle near the ruins of Hadrian's Wall. First built during the reign of William II in 1092 and rebuilt in stone under Henry I in 1122, the castle is over 930 yea ...
.
Colonels-in-Chief
*1977–2006: HRH
Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy
Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy (Alexandra Helen Elizabeth Olga Christabel; born 25 December 1936) is a member of the British royal family and the only daughter of Prince George, Duke of Kent, and Princess Marina of Greece and ...
Border Regiment
The Border Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, which was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 34th (Cumberland) Regiment of Foot and the 55th (Westmorland) Regiment of Foot.
After service in ...
)''
*1961–1971: Lt-Gen. Richard Neville Anderson, CB, CBE, DSO
*1971–1981: Gen. Sir William Norman Roy Scotter, KCB, OBE, MC
*1981–1988: Maj-Gen. David Edwin Miller, CB, CBE, MC
*1988–2004: Maj-Gen. Robert John Hodges, CB, OBE
*2004–2006: Brig.