Wyeman

Back from Afghanistan

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2009-07-15
10:57 AM

The Soldiers

B Company 1st Battalion, the Rifles.

The Rifles are the direct descendants of the Herefordshire Light Infantry (TA), the only Territorial Army Regiment to be given the honour of becoming a
Light Infantry Regiment.

The biggest Infantry Regiment in the British Army, The Rifles is formed from the merger of The Light Infantry (LI) with The Devonshire and Dorset Light Infantry (DDLI), The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry (RGBWLI) and The Royal Green Jackets (RGJ).

Between them the four Regiments have amassed a staggering 913 battle honours and 123 Victoria Crosses (the highest award for gallantry in The British Army).

The regiment (The Rifles), is the direct descendant of the Rifle Regiments and Light Infantry Companies brought to television screens in the series "Sharpe’s Rifles", starring the actor Sean Bean.


1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards.

The regiment - nicknamed The Welsh Cavalry - is the Cavalry Regiment of Wales and the Border Counties (Shropshire, Herefordshire and Cheshire). It is the senior Heavy Cavalry Regiment, and therefore the Senior Regiment of the Line in the British Army.

An armoured cavalry regiment, it has a distinguished 324-year history having been formed in 1959 by the amalgamation of 1st King's Dragoon Guards and the Queen's Bays (2nd Dragoon Guards), both of which cavalry regiments were raised by James II of England to put down the Monmouth Rebellion of 1685 (see below).

The Regiment is part of the Royal Armoured Corps and normally operates in armoured cars, probing deep behind enemy lines to carry out raids and gather information.


The rebellion of 1685 was known as The Pitchfork Rebellion - read about it here http://www.battlefieldstrust.com/resource-centre/stuart-rebellions/campainpageview.asp?pageid=314 - use the links on the left of the page.
The term "Pitchfork Rebellion" has pased into modern times and often used for this type of public dissent - check the phrase in Google.

"Regiment" - a military unit, larger than a company and smaller than a division.

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