Green Howards: Difference between revisions
→History: Alexandra of Denmark |
|||
| Line 26: | Line 26: | ||
== History == |
== History == |
||
The regiment was formed in 1688 from independent [[company (military unit)|companies]] of infantry in [[Devon]]. Until 1751 it was known by the names of its various colonels, when it became the '''19th Regiment of Foot'''. In 1782 all regiments of foot without a special designation were given county title ''"to cultivate a connection with the County which might at all times be useful towards recruiting"''.<ref>Royal Warrant dated August 31 1782</ref> The regiment became the '''19th (1st [[North Riding of Yorkshire]]) Regiment of Foot''', and its main recruiting efforts continued in this area until 2006, particularly in [[Middlesbrough]], [[Redcar]], [[Northallerton]] and [[Scarborough, North Yorkshire|Scarborough]]. |
The regiment was formed in 1688 from independent [[company (military unit)|companies]] of infantry in [[Devon]]. Until 1751 it was known by the names of its various colonels, when it became the '''19th Regiment of Foot'''. In 1782 all regiments of foot without a special designation were given county title ''"to cultivate a connection with the County which might at all times be useful towards recruiting"''.<ref>Royal Warrant dated August 31 1782</ref> The regiment became the '''19th (1st [[North Riding of Yorkshire]]) Regiment of Foot''', and its main recruiting efforts continued in this area until 2006, particularly in [[Middlesbrough]], [[Redcar]], [[Northallerton]] and [[Scarborough, North Yorkshire|Scarborough]]. |
||
=== Princess of Wales's Own === |
|||
In 1875 [[Alexandra of Denmark|Princess Alexandra, Princess of Wales]] presented new colours to the 1st Battalion at [[Sheffield]], and consented to the regiment bearing her name, thus becoming the '''19th (1st Yorkshire North Riding - Princess of Wales's Own) Regiment of Foot'''.<ref>[http://www.greenhowards.org.uk/html-files/norwegianlink.htm ''The Norwegian Link'' (Friends of the Green Howards)]</ref> The regiment adopted a cap badge consisting of the Princess's cypher "A" combined with the [[Dannebrog]] or Danish cross and topped by her coronet. |
|||
The Princess became Queen Alexandra in 1901, and was the regiment's colonel-in-chief from 1914 until her death in 1925. |
|||
===The Two Howards=== |
===The Two Howards=== |
||
Revision as of 15:24, 6 July 2007
| The Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment; 19th Regiment of Foot) | |
|---|---|
 Green Howards cap badge | |
| Active | 20 November 1688 – 6 June 2006 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Line Infantry |
| Role | Light Infantry |
| Size | One battalion |
| Colors | Green Facings |
| March | Quick - The Bonnie English Rose Slow - Maria Theresa |
| Anniversaries | Alma (20 September) |
| Engagements | Battle of Alma (1854) |
| Commanders | |
| Colonel in Chief | King Harald V of Norway |
| Colonel of the Regiment | Field Marshal Peter Inge KG, GCB, PC, DL |
The Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment) was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the King's Division.
History
The regiment was formed in 1688 from independent companies of infantry in Devon. Until 1751 it was known by the names of its various colonels, when it became the 19th Regiment of Foot. In 1782 all regiments of foot without a special designation were given county title "to cultivate a connection with the County which might at all times be useful towards recruiting".[1] The regiment became the 19th (1st North Riding of Yorkshire) Regiment of Foot, and its main recruiting efforts continued in this area until 2006, particularly in Middlesbrough, Redcar, Northallerton and Scarborough.
Princess of Wales's Own
In 1875 Princess Alexandra, Princess of Wales presented new colours to the 1st Battalion at Sheffield, and consented to the regiment bearing her name, thus becoming the 19th (1st Yorkshire North Riding - Princess of Wales's Own) Regiment of Foot.[2] The regiment adopted a cap badge consisting of the Princess's cypher "A" combined with the Dannebrog or Danish cross and topped by her coronet.
The Princess became Queen Alexandra in 1901, and was the regiment's colonel-in-chief from 1914 until her death in 1925.
The Two Howards
The regiment has been known as The Green Howards since 1744. At that time, regiments were known by the name of their colonel. The 19th regiment's colonel was The Honourable Sir Charles Howard. However, at the same time the 3rd regiment had been commanded by its Colonel Thomas Howard since 1737. In order to tell them apart (since they both would have been known as 'Howard's Regiment of Foot'), the colours of their uniform facings were used to distingush them. In this way, one became "Howard's Buffs" (eventually simply "The Buffs"), while the other became the "Green Howards". Although the Green Howards were referred to as such from then on, the name didn't become official until 1920.
The Green Howards Regimental Museum is located in the old Trinity Church, at the centre of the market place in Richmond, North Yorkshire. The former Green Howards Regimental Headquarters, located within the museum, has now taken on the role of an Area Headquarters for the Yorkshire Regiment.
Amalgamation
In 2004, as part of the re-organisation of the infantry, it was announced that the Green Howards would merge with the Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire and the Duke of Wellington's Regiment to form the new Yorkshire Regiment. The official rebadging took place on the 6th June 2006, whilst elements of the regiment were stationed in Bosnia, Kosovo.
From May 2006 until the regiment's rebadging, the Green Howards were one of five remaining line infantry regiments that had not been amalgamated in their entire history, a claim shared with:
- The Royal Scots
- The 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment
- The Royal Welch Fusiliers
- The King's Own Scottish Borderers
A and B (Green Howards) Companies of the Tyne Tees Regiment, based in Scarborough and Middlesbrough respectively, merged with the PWO and DWR companies of the East and West Riding Regiment to form the 4th Bn The Yorkshire Regiment TA, with the official rebadging date being 10th June 2006, four days after their regular counterparts.
As amalgamation drew ever nearer, a pair of sad milestones were reached in March 2006; on the 19th March at a farewell dinner at Dunster Castle in Somerset, the regiment said goodbye to its Colonel-in-Chief after HM King Harald V chose to end his role with the end of the regiment's independent existence, while on the 28th March, the 1st Battalion held their final parade on British soil. The Colonel of the Regiment, Brigadier JSW Powell OBE, took the parade and took the opportunity to award various service medals to members of the battalion. The regiment had nearly all deployed to Bosnia and Kosovo.
Traditions
King Harald's Company
Each year, all of the companies in the battalion took part in a competition, consisting of sports and military skills tests, to win the right to be named King Harald's Company, after the regiment's Colonel-in-Chief. The winning company was given a special flag bearing the King's personal cypher, the Company Sergeant Major was presented with a special pace stick, and all members of the company were permitted to wear a special red badge on the arm of their uniform. The last company to hold the title was B (KH) Coy, the tradition was retained on rebadging to the new regiment.
Alliances
Present:
Past:
Bond of Friendship:
Unofficial:
External links
- The Friends of the Green Howards website
- The Green Howards web page on army.mod.uk
- The British Army in the Great War: Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own (Yorkshire Regiment)
- ^ Royal Warrant dated August 31 1782
- ^ The Norwegian Link (Friends of the Green Howards)