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The life of our
Regiment began in Flanders. At many times in the last three
hundred years the towns and villages of the Low Countries have
been familiar to men of the 1st Guards. They fought in 1658, and
again in 1940, against great odds, on the road between Furnes and
Dunkirk. Under the great Duke of Marlborough they bore their part
in the victories of Ramillies, Oudenarde and Malplaquet. At
Waterloo in 1815 they won their name, a name to which great honour
was added a century later in the mud and suffering of the Western
Front. In 1944 they entered Brussels at the head of a victorious
British Army. They have returned gloriously many times to
Flanders, and in Flanders they were first formed.
King Charles II was in
exile, and England lay under the military dictatorship of
Cromwell, the Lord Protector. In May of that year the King formed
his Royal Regiment of Guards at Bruges, under the Colonelcy of
Lord Wentworth. The Regiment was first recruited from the loyal
men who had followed their King into exile rather than live under
tyranny, and their reward came in 1660 when the King was restored
to his throne. After the Restoration, a second Royal Regiment of
Guards was formed in England under the Colonelcy of Colonel John
Russell. In 1665, following Lord Wentworth's death, both Regiments
were incorporated into a single Regiment with twenty-four
Companies, whose royal badges or devices, given by King Charles
II, are still emblazoned on its Colours.
The Regiment, later
termed "The First Regiment of Foot Guards", and now called "The
First or Grenadier Regiment of Foot Guards", has fought in almost
every major campaign of the British Army from that time until our
own. Under the last two Stuart Kings it fought against the Moors
at Tangiers, and in America, and even took part as Marines in the
naval wars against the Dutch.
In the Wars of the
Spanish Succession, the 1st Guards served under a commander who
had joined the King's Company of the Regiment as an Ensign in
1667. His name was John Churchill, first Duke of Marlborough who
was Colonel of the Regiment and who, with his brilliant victories
of Blenheim (1704), Ramillies (1706), Oudenarde (1708) and
Malplaquet (1709), established his reputation as one of the
greatest soldiers of all time. The 1st Guards took part in his
famous march from the Low Countries to the Danube in 1704, and
when the British stormed the fortified heights of the Schellenberg
before Blenheim, the Regiment led the assault.
In the long series of wars against France - then the chief military power of Europe - that covered fifty-six of the 126 years between 1689 and 1815, the 1st Guards played their part. They fought at Dettingen and Fontenoy, where the superb steadiness of their advance under a murderous cannonade won the admiration of both armies. Rigid attention to detail, flawless perfection of uniform and equipment and a discipline of steel were the hard school in which the tempered metal of the Regiment was made for the service of the State. Yet running through that tradition of discipline, of harsh punishments, of undeviating rule, ran a vein of poetry, of humour, of loyalty to comrade, of sense of belonging to something greater than any individual, something undying and profound. And the letters and diaries of men of the Regiment of those days bear witness to it.
During the
Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, the 1st Guards, crossing to
Holland in 1793, were among the first British troops to land in
Europe. Driven from the Continent two years later, they returned
in 1799 when another British Army attempted, though in vain, to
liberate Holland. In the autumn and winter of 1808 they took part
in Sir John Moore's classic march and counter-march against
Napoleon in Northern Spain and, when under the terrible hardships
encountered on the retreat across the wild Galician mountains the
tattered, footsore troops, tested almost beyond endurance, showed
signs of collapse, the 1st Foot Guards, with their splendid
marching discipline, lost fewer men by sickness and desertion
than any other unit in the Army. Subsequently they took part in
the battle of Corunna and when Sir John Moore fell mortally
wounded in the hour of victory it was men of the 1st Foot Guards
who bore him, dying, from the field. Next year, they fought again
in Spain under one of the great Captains of history, an officer
also destined to become Colonel of the Regiment, Arthur Wellesley,
first Duke of Wellington. Under Wellesley, they took part in the
desperate engagements of the Peninsular War.
When, after the
victorious peace that followed, Napoleon escaped from Elba and
re-entered Paris, the Regiment returned to the Low Countries. In
the middle of June 1815 the Emperor struck at the British and
Prussian forces north of the Meuse, seeking to separate them and
destroy them severally.
After a fierce
encounter at Quatre Bras on June 16th, 1815, in which the 3rd
Battalion suffered heavy casualties, Wellington's Army withdrew to
Waterloo, and on Sunday June 18th, was fought the battle in which
the Regiment gained its present title and undying fame. During the
morning the light companies of the Guards defended the farm of
Hougoumont, the light companies of the 1st Guards being withdrawn
later to join their battalions - the 2nd and 3rd Battalions. At
evening these two battalions, together forming the 1st Brigade,
were in position behind the ridge which gave shelter to the Army.
At this point Napoleon directed his final assault with fresh
troops - the Imperial Guard, which had hitherto been maintained in
reserve. That assault was utterly defeated, and, in honour of
their defeat of the Grenadiers of the French Imperial Guard, the
1st Guards were made a Regiment of Grenadiers and given the title
of "First or Grenadier Regiment of Foot Guards" which they bear to
this day. The Grenade was adopted as a badge and the Bearskin Cap
was worn after Waterloo.
During the Crimean
War, the 3rd Battalion formed part of Lord Raglan's Army, which
stormed the heights above the River Alma and besieged the Russian
fortress of Sebastopol. During the early part of that grim siege
was fought, in November 1854, the battle of Inkerman. The defence
of the Sandbag Battery in the fog against overwhelming odds is one
of the epics of British military history. On that day the Brigade
of Guards, of which the 3rd Battalion of the Grenadier Guards
formed part, lost half its officers and men, but not a single
prisoner or an inch of ground.
The Grenadier Guards
fought at Tel-el-Kebir and in the Boer War, proving the worth of
discipline and esprit de corps in the era of khaki, machine guns
and open order as they had done under the old dispensation of
muskets and scarlet and gold.
In the first Great War
of 1914-18, they fought in nearly all the principle battles of the
Western front. At First Ypres all but 4 officers and 200 men of
the 1st Battalion and 4 officers and 140 men of the 2nd fell in
action. The regiment won the battle honour 'Ypres' twice; firstly
in 1914 and then again in 1917.
During this war a 4th
Battalion was formed for the first time and covered itself with
glory in the critical fighting in the spring of 1918. The Marne,
the Aisne, Ypres, Loos, the Somme, Cambrai, Arras, Hazebrouck and
the Hindenburgh Line are inscribed on the Colours of the Regiment,
commemorating its part in the bloodiest war of our history. Before
the final victory was won and Britain's new Armies broke the
German Imperial Army, 12,000 casualties had been suffered by the
Regiment.
The rank of Guardsman
replaced that of Private in all Guards Regiments in 1919, an
honour awarded by the King in recognition of their great effort
during the War.
In 1939 the 1st, 2nd
and 3rd Battalions again returned to the Continent, forming part
of the British Expeditionary Force under Lord Gort, himself a
Grenadier. During the retreat of 1940, the traditional discipline
of the Regiment stood the test as it had done at First Ypres,
Corunna and Waterloo. Two of its Battalions fought in the Division
then commanded by Major General, later Field Marshal, Montgomery
and another in that commanded by Major General, later Field
Marshal, Alexander. At Dunkirk, which the Regiment had garrisoned
under Charles II, it took part in the defences of the perimeter,
under cover of which the embarkation of the Army was made. In the
course of that year the 4th Battalion was re-formed, and in 1941
two further Battalions, the 5th and 6th, were raised.
The Regiment was
represented in the Eighth Army's famous advance to Tunisia, taking
part in the battle of Mareth, where the 6th Battalion, the first
to meet the enemy after the evacuation of Dunkirk, suffered heavy
casualties but won the respect of friend and foe alike. The 3rd
and 5th Battalions shared in the invasion of North Africa; all
three Battalions were engaged in the invasion of Italy and the
Italian campaign, the 5th Battalion forming part of the force that
landed at Anzio.
Meanwhile, in England,
the 2nd and 4th Battalions had been converted to armour, and the
2nd Battalion, with the 1st Battalion, which had become a Motor
Battalion, served in the Guards Armoured Division under the
command of Major General Allan Adair, another Grenadier, and later
to become Colonel of the Regiment. The 4th Battalion formed part
of the 6th Guards Tank Brigade. These three Battalions fought in
the battles of Normandy and across France and Germany. In
September 1944 the 1st and 2nd Battalions entered Brussels. On
September 20th, tanks of the 2nd Battalion and troops of the 1st
Battalion crossed the Nijmegen Bridge. In 1945 the Army entered
Germany.
The British public
most frequently sees the Grenadier at his ceremonial duties in
time of peace. But behind this ceremony lies a tradition tested on
the battlefields of British history, a tradition as valid to-day
as ever, a tradition of discipline, comradeship, loyalty and
fidelity to one another, to the Country, and to the Crown. It was
expressed by the then Colonel of the Regiment, the Prince Consort,
speaking on the 200th anniversary of our formation in words that
remain as true over a century later. "That same discipline which
has made this Regiment ever ready and terrible in war has enabled
it to pass long periods of peace in the midst of all temptations
of a luxurious metropolis without the loss of vigour and energy;
to live in harmony and good-fellowship with its fellow citizens;
and to point to the remarkable fact that the Household Troops have
for over 200 years formed the permanent garrison of London; have
always been at the command of the civil power to support law and
order, but have never themselves disturbed that order, or given
cause of complaint, either by insolence or licentiousness. Let us
hope that for centuries to come these noble qualities may still
shine forth, and that the Almighty will continue to shield and
favour this little band of devoted soldiers".
Since 1945 the
Regiment has served in virtually every one of the "small
campaigns" and crises which have marked the last few decades, and
has continued its traditional and privileged task of mounting
guard over the person of the Sovereign.
In the Gulf war of
1991, the 1st Battalion went from the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR)
- Germany - to fight in their Warrior armoured personnel carriers.
They then returned to London to Troop their Colour on the Queen's
Birthday Parade in 1992, before going to South Armagh for a
six-month operational tour in Northern Ireland. They then carried
out operational tours in the Falkland Isles and a two-year
operational tour in Northern Ireland.
In 1998 they trained
in the United States of America, were on operations in Northern
Ireland in 1999, conducted training in Canada in 2000 and Norway
in 2001, served in Northern Ireland in 2001 and were again in
Canada in 2002. They trained in Kenya and served in the Falklands
in 2003.
Currently the Queens
Company are deployed on peace keeping duties in Kosovo. The
remainder of the Battalion are conducting Public Duties and
training and are stationed in Windsor.
The Regiment now
consists of the 1st Battalion whose Left Flank Company, the 'Inkerman
Company', retains the inherited privileges of the 3rd Battalion.
The 2nd Battalion was
placed in suspended animation in 1994, but the traditions and the
Colours of the Battalion are carried by the Nijmegen Company, the
incremental Company, which carries the name of the battle honour
won by the 2nd Battalion in 1944.
During the Regiment's
long history, seventy nine battle honours have been awarded.
Thirteen members of the Regiment have won the Victoria Cross and
one the George Cross.
The correct title for
"Battle Honours" is Honorary Distinctions. The Regiment has been
awarded seventy-nine Honorary Distinctions of which forty-six
appear on the Colours of the Regiment. These are, in date and
month order:-
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Thirteen members of the Regiment have
been awarded the Victoria Cross:
The Victoria Crosses of those shown with a asterisk are not held by the Regiment. The Medals belonging to Lance Corporal Fuller are held by the Guards Museum.
The Regimental Marches
are :
Slow Marches The
March from Scipio and The Duke of York's' March
Quick Marches The
British Grenadiers and The Grenadiers March
For More Information on these marches please <Click Here>
The following was submitted to Jim White
for inclusion in his weekly newsletter to those in the email
listings.
I have just found a set of cigarette
cards published in 1900, by a firm called Parkers. This set
depicts many Regiments of the British Army, with their badge,
cap badge and nicknames. For the Regiment it correctly shows
the Royal Cypher with the VR reversed and interlaced, a
Grenade fired proper as the cap badge and the following
nicknames, presumably in the order of the three Battalions;
"Sand Bags"; "Coal Heavers" and "Old Eyes". Where do these fit
in? and when were Grenadiers first referred to as "Bill
Browns", "Models" or "Ribs"?
This is another item submitted for the
same newsletter from Jim White.
"Some time ago I read Hamiltons history
of The Grenadier Guards, this stated that The Bill Browns
applied to the third battalion only. At that time the second
battalion was the Boners, meaning that they had bone in the
Brown Besses instead of flints, they were also known for many
years as The Bermuda Exiles, the result of a mutiny in London.
Another from Jim White's latest
newsletter -
Reference the various nicknames: the
origins of the Dandies, Models and Ribs are in regimental
standing orders and are generally now accepted by the
regiment. The origins of the Bill Browns (or Brownes) remain
unclear to me, I remain convinced that it is connected with
civil disorder brought about in connection with one William
Browne, I have been unable to prove this apart from very
tenuous links. The Coal Heavers allegedly came about because
officers of the regiment 'rented out' services of the
Guardsmen (or at that time privates) to haul coal, this was
done to raise money for the refurbishment of the officers mess
at St James' Palace. The sand bags or more likely
'sandbaggers' is a reference to the action at the sand bag
battery at the battle of the Inkerman. I suspect that the
origins of Bill Browns is lost to time but most of these
nicknames would probably have been applied originally to only
one battalion. The link to the Brown Bess seems very unlikely
as this weapon was in service for around one hundred years and
it seems far fetched that there is a link unique to the
regiment. Any more offers?
The current and "official" nicknames of the Regiment and the three Battalions are as follows :-The Regiment - The Bill Browns 1st Battalion - The Dandies 2nd Battalion - The Models 3rd Battalion - The Ribs
Long before the Royal Marines came into
existence as The Duke of Albany's Maritime Regiment, the First
Guards (3rd Battalion) were serving at sea as marines - (the
Pith helmeted ones hate being reminded of this fact!) - The
3rd Bn fought at sea in the wars against the Dutch, and
because they slept down in the depths of the ship, or its
Ribs, they picked up the nickname of 'The Ribs' - To
commemorate those days at sea, the 3rd Bn adopted the custom
of playing Rule Britannia before The National Anthem at Tattoo
Beating. The Grenadier Guards Comrades Association`was formed as a result of a suggestion made after a review of the Brigade of Guards by His Majesty King George V in April 1913. The first Annual General Meeting was held at Chelsea Barracks on the 26th of March 1915. Initially Branches were formed at Bristol, Cardiff, Derby,Manchester, Nottingham, and Reading with a membership of 1.194. On the 1st April 1967 it changed its title to the Grenadier Guards Association and to day has a total membership of over 11,0000 in forty four branches in England ,one in Canada and one in Australia. Its objects are to maintain the connection between the past and serving members, to provide financial and other assistance to needy members, to circulate information concerning the Regiment, to encourage recruitment and to arrange meetings and social events in furtherance of the aim of comradeship. The Association and all its branches has now become a Registered Charity under the Charities Act 1960 Registered Number 287265 enabling the furtherance of its benevolence work to the Association membership. The Wigan St.Helens and District Branch Originated from a meeting of 25 former Grenadiers under the Chairmanship of Capt. A. Angus a Vice President of the Liverpool branch of the Association held in the Royal British Legion Club in Upper Dicconson St. Wigan, from this meeting the branch was founded in 1974 as a sub branch of the Liverpool branch. Its first Chairman was Mr.John F.Wareing and its first secretary was Mr.Arthur Shaw. the first treasurer was Mr.Arthur Knowles .In 1976 Mr.Les.Corns was elected branch secretary a position he has held continuously until the present day.
The Association Rules and By-Laws for Branches were revised as recently as March 1999 but the objects of the Association have not changed since the beginning in 1913 and these are:
Association Subscription Rates - Life Membership
All
subscriptions are paid to the Branch Secretary and the
monies retained in Branch funds. |
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