The Rifles

Wikipedia:

The Rifles (RIFLES) is one of the two largest regiments of the British Army, the other being the Royal Regiment of Scotland. Formed in 2007, it consists of five regular and two territorial battalions, plus a number of companies in other TA battalions, Each battalion of the Rifles was formerly an individual battalion of one of the two large regiments of the Light Division (with the exception of the 1st Battalion, which is an amalgamation of two individual regiments). Since formation the regiment has been involved in combat operations, first in the later stages of the Iraq War and currently in the War in Afghanistan.

History

The Rifles was created as a result of the Future Army Structure. Under the original announcement, the Light Division would have remained essentially unchanged, with the exception of the Light Infantry gaining a new battalion through the amalgamation of two other regiments, and both gaining a TA battalion. However, on 24 November 2005, the Ministry of Defence announced that the four regiments would amalgamate into a single five-battalion regiment. The Rifles was formed on 1 February 2007 by the amalgamation of the four Light Infantry and Rifle Regiments of the Light Division:

The two existing battalions each of the Light Infantry and the Royal Green Jackets were renamed, while the single battalions of the DDLI and the RGBWLI were merged into one battalion. This brought the whole of the Light Division under a single cap badge.

On formation, The Rifles became the county regiment of the following counties:

As a rifle regiment, a private soldier in The Rifles is known as a Rifleman and Serjeant is spelt in the archaic fashion; the regiment wears a Rifle green beret. A number of golden threads have been brought into the new regiment from each of its founder regiments:

In addition, the new regiment's "Double Past" march (the music used when marching past at the double) is an amalgam of the Light Infantry's (Keel Row) and the Royal Green Jackets' (Road to the Isles).

Organisation

The new regiment has 5 regular and 2 Territorial Army battalions:

In addition to the seven battalions above, a further two companies are also cap badged as The Rifles but are attached to other TA infantry Battalions:

Approximately one third of all cadets now wear The Rifles cap badge. There is only one single Combined Cadet Force unit that still carries the RGJ cap badge and that is the London Oratory School CCF, London, England.

Following the restructuring of the infantry and the end of the arms plot, the new regiment's five regular battalions will have fixed roles:

The 1st Battalion formed on 25 December 2007 in Alma Barracks, Catterick Garrison (the same place where the RGBW formed in 1994) as part of 52 Infantry Brigade. In August that year, the Battalion moved again to its permanent home of Beachley Barracks at Chepstow still under 52 Brigade, whose HQ had departed for Afghanistan. From 1 April 2008 however, it was permanently attached to 3 Commando Brigade, where it will serve as one of the brigade's four manoeuvre battalions/units alongside the three commandos of the Royal Marines.

HRH The Duchess of Cornwall visited the 4th Battalion in July 2008. From early 2008 until summer 2010 the commanding officer was Lieutenant-Colonel Rupert Jones, son of Lt-Col "H" Jones VC.

Territorial Army locations:

HRH The Duke of Edinburgh (ex-Colonel-in-Chief, RGBWLI) is the new regiment's Colonel-in-Chief, but each battalion has its own Royal Colonel:

The Band and Bugles

The Rifles maintains a single regular regimental band, the Band and Bugles of The Rifles. This was formed by renaming the Band and Bugles of the Light Division, which in itself was an amalgamation of four separate bands:

In addition, the two TA Battalions maintain their own bands:

There are also a number of Cadet Force Bands including The Corunna Band & Bugles of Oxfordshire (The Rifles) Army Cadet Force and The Borneo band of Durham Army Cadet Force, as well as the Peninsula Band and Bugles of the Cornwall Army Cadet Force Battalion (The Rifles) and the Wiltshire Army Cadet Force trowbridge Band and Bugles. More recently E (The Rifles) Company (Yorkshire N&W) ACF have formed a Bugle & Drum section - Minden Bugles & Drums. Bands also exist in Combined Cadet Forces including the Band and Bugles of The Thomas Hardye School, and The Band and Drums of Adams' Grammar School CCF. For a number of years from just after the Second World war until the early 80's Kings College Taunton in Taunton Somerset had a Combined Cadet Force Drum and Bugle Corps with the CCF associated with the Somerset Light Infantry. In the period 1968-1970, the Drum & Bugle Corps had a particularly active period beating retreat in place such as Honiton Barracks (then home of one of the Light Infantry Battalions), in Ottery St Mary, in Sidmouth and in Taunton itself where for two years it was given permission to form up and then marched from Kings Taunton to the St Mary Magdalenr Church in the centre of Taunton Town centre to participate in the Annual Remembrance day services where it was one of the bands that let the parade. The Drum & Bugle corps consisted of 12 side drummers, two Tenor Drums, A Bass Drum, a Cymbals player and 12 Buglers.

Alliances

Although no list of regimental alliances has been announced as yet, using the large regiments that have formed already as examples, it can be assumed that all of the current alliances of the four individual regiments will be carried into the Rifles.

Battle honours

The following battle honours are a representation of the total honours awarded to the regiments which formed The Rifles. These are inscribed on the regiment's belt badge:

Order of precedence

Lineage

Video links