| Grenadier Guards | |
|---|---|
 Regimental badge of the Grenadier Guards[a] | |
| Active | 1656–present |
| Country |  England(1660–1707)  Great Britain(1707–1800)  United Kingdom(1801–present) |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Role | 1st Battalion –Light Infantry/Public Duties Nijmegen Company –Public Duties |
| Size | Onebattalion – 558 personnel[1] One independentcompany Onereserve company |
| Part of | Guards and Parachute Division |
| Garrison/HQ | RHQ –London 1st Battalion –Aldershot Nijmegen Company –London Ypres Company –Kingston upon Thames |
| Nickname | The Tow Rows |
| Mottos | French:Honi soit qui mal y pense "Shame be to him who thinks evil of it." |
| March | Quick: "The British Grenadiers" Slow: "Scipio" |
| Engagements | Oudenarde Waterloo Alma Inkerman Sevastopol Omdurman Ypres Battle of the Bulge Cyprus Emergency Malayan Emergency |
| Commanders | |
| Colonel-in-Chief | King Charles III |
| Colonel of the Regiment | Queen Camilla |
| Insignia | |
| Tactical recognition flash |  |
| Plume | White Left side ofbearskin cap |
| Collar badge | Grenade |
| Shoulder badge | Royal Cypher |
| Abbreviation | GREN GDS |
The Grenadier Guards (GREN GDS), with full official title "The 1st or Grenadier Regiment of Foot Guards", is the most seniorinfantryregiment of theBritish Army, being at the top of the Infantry Order of Precedence. It can trace its lineage back to 1656 whenLord Wentworth's Regiment was raised inBruges to protect the exiledCharles II.[2] In 1665, this regiment was combined withJohn Russell's Regiment of Guards to form the current regiment, known as the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards. Since then, the regiment has filled both a ceremonial and protective role as well as an operational one. In 1900, the regiment provided acadre of personnel to form theIrish Guards; in 1915 it also provided the basis of theWelsh Guards upon their formation.
The regiment's early history saw it take part in numerous conflicts including theWar of the Spanish Succession, theWar of the Austrian Succession, theSeven Years' War, and theNapoleonic Wars; at the end of this period the regiment was granted the "Grenadier" designation by a Royal Proclamation. During theVictorian era, the regiment took part in theCrimean War, theAnglo-Egyptian War, theMahdist War, and theSecond Boer War.
During theFirst World War, the Grenadier Guards was expanded from threebattalions to five, of which four served on theWestern Front, while later during theSecond World War, six battalions were raised, and several were converted to an armoured role as part of theGuards Armoured Division. These units fought inFrance,North-West Europe,North Africa andItaly.
After the Second World War the regiment was reduced first to three battalions, then to two, and finally to one battalion in the mid-1990s. Major deployments during this time have included operations inPalestine,Malaya,Cyprus,Northern Ireland, theGulf War,Afghanistan andIraq.
The Grenadier Guards trace their lineage back to 1656,[4] whenLord Wentworth's Regiment was raised from gentlemen of theHonourable Artillery Company by the then heir to the throne, Prince Charles (later KingCharles II), inBruges, in theSpanish Netherlands (present-day Belgium), where it formed a part of the exiled King's bodyguard.[5] A few years later, a similar regiment known asJohn Russell's Regiment of Guards was formed.[6] In 1665, these two regiments were combined to form the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards, consisting of 24companies of men.[6] Throughout the 18th century, the regiment took part in a number of campaigns including theWar of Spanish Succession, theWar of Austrian Succession and theSeven Years' War.[7] At the end of theNapoleonic Wars, the regiment gained the name "Grenadier" in July 1815 following a Royal Proclamation.[8]
During the Victorian era, the regiment took part in theCrimean War, participating in the fighting atthe Alma river,Inkerman, andSevastopol.[9] For their involvement in the Crimean War, four members of the 3rd Battalion received theVictoria Cross.[10] Later the regiment fought atBattle of Tel el-Kebir during theAnglo-Egyptian War in 1882, and then theMahdist War inSudan, both during the 1885Suakin Expedition and in 1898, at theBattle of Omdurman.[10]
During theSecond Boer War, the 2nd and 3rd battalions were deployed to South Africa, where they took part in a number of battles including theBattle of Modder River and theBattle of Belmont, as well as a number of smaller actions.[11]
In 1900, seventy-five men from the regiment were used to raise a fourth Guards regiment, known as theIrish Guards in honour of the role that Irish regiments had played in the fighting in South Africa.[12]
At the outbreak of theFirst World War in August 1914, the regiment consisted of three battalions[13] and the regiment's commanding officer was ColonelHenry Streatfeild.[14] With the commencement of hostilities, the regiment raised a service battalion, the 4th Battalion, and a reserve battalion, known as the 5th (Reserve) Battalion, which was used to carry out ceremonial duties in London and Windsor during the war.[13]
The 2nd Battalion of the regiment was sent toFrance in August,[15] and the 1st Battalion followed to Belgium in October. They took part in the early stages of the fighting during the period known as "Race to the Sea", during which time they were involved significantly at theFirst Battle of Ypres.[16]
In February 1915, a fifth Guards regiment was raised, known as theWelsh Guards.[12] In recognition of the significant contribution Welshmen had made to the Grenadier Guards, the regiment transferred five officers and 634 other ranks to the newly formed unit.[17]
A short time later, permission was received for the formation of theGuards Division, the brainchild of Field MarshalLord Kitchener, and on 18 August 1915, the division, under the command of Major GeneralThe Earl of Cavan of the regiment, came into existence, consisting of three brigades, each with four battalions.[12][18] Following this the four service battalions of the regiment fought in a number of significant battles includingLoos,the Somme,Cambrai,Arras and theHindenburg Line.[19]
Following theArmistice with Germany in November 1918, the regiment returned to just three battalions, which were used in a variety of roles, serving at home in the United Kingdom, as well as in France, Turkey and Egypt.[20]
Seven members of the Grenadier Guards received the Victoria Cross during the First World War.[11]
During theSecond World War, the regiment was expanded to six service battalions, with the re-raising of the 4th Battalion, and the establishment of the 5th and 6th Battalions.[21] The Grenadier Guards' first involvement in the war came in the early stages of the fighting when all three regular battalions were sent to France in late 1939 as part of theBritish Expeditionary Force (BEF).[22] The 1st and 2nd Battalions were serving in the7th Guards Brigade, which also included the 1st Battalion,Coldstream Guards, and were part of the3rd Infantry Division, led byMajor GeneralBernard Montgomery. The 3rd Battalion was in the1st Guards Brigade attached to the1st Infantry Division, commanded by Major GeneralHarold Alexander.[23] As the BEF was pushed back by the German blitzkrieg during the battles ofFrance andDunkirk, these battalions played a considerable role in maintaining the British Army's reputation during the withdrawal phase of the campaign before being themselvesevacuated from Dunkirk.[22] After this, they returned to the United Kingdom, where they undertook defensive duties in anticipation of a possibleGerman invasion. Between October 1940 and October 1941, the regiment raised the 4th, 5th, and 6th Battalions.[24] Later, in the summer of 1941, there was a need to increase the number of armoured and motorised units in the British Army and as a result many infantry battalions were converted into armoured regiments; the 2nd and 4th Battalions were re-equipped with tanks, while the 1st Battalion was motorised.[25] The 1st and 2nd (Armoured) Battalions were part of the5th Guards Armoured Brigade, attached to theGuards Armoured Division,[26] and the 4th Battalion was part of the6th Guards Tank Brigade Group. They subsequently served in theNorth West Europe Campaign of 1944–45, taking part in several actions, including theBattle for Caen, particularly inOperation Goodwood, as well asOperation Market Garden, theBattle of the Bulge andOperation Veritable.[27]
The 3rd, 5th and 6th Battalions served in theNorth African Campaign and in the final stages of theTunisia Campaign, under command of theBritish First Army, where they fought significant battles in theMedjez-el-Bab and along theMareth Line. The battalions took part in theItalian Campaign atSalerno,Monte Camino,Anzio,Monte Cassino, and along theGothic Line.[22][28] The 3rd Battalion, still with the 1st Guards Brigade, was attached to the78thBattleaxe Infantry Division for two months in Tunisia until it was exchanged for the38th (Irish) Brigade and became part of the6th Armoured Division, where it would remain for the rest of the war.[29] The 5th Battalion was part of24th Guards Brigade and served with the 1st Division during the Battle of Anzio. After suffering devastating casualties, the brigade was relieved in March 1944 .[30] The 6th Battalion served with the22nd Guards Brigade, later redesignated 201st Guards Motor Brigade, until late 1944 when the battalion was disbanded due to an acute shortage of Guards replacements.[31] During the course of the conflict, two men of the regiment were awarded theVictoria Cross. They wereLance CorporalHarry Nicholls of the 3rd Battalion, during theBattle of Dunkirk, and MajorWilliam Sidney of the 5th Battalion during theBattle of Anzio in March 1944.[32][33]
In June 1945, following the end of hostilities, the 2nd and 4th Battalions gave up their tanks and returned to an infantry role.[34] The regiment returned to three battalions at this time, with the 4th and 5th Battalions being disbanded along with the 6th, which had been removed from the order of battle before the end of the war.[35] Initially, the regiment was employed on occupation duties in Germany; however, the 3rd Battalion was deployed shortly afterwards toPalestine, where it attempted to keep the peace until May 1948, when it was replaced by the 1st Battalion. Further deployments came toMalaya in 1948,[36]Tripoli in 1951 andCyprus in 1956.[37] In 1960, shortly after returning from Cyprus, the 3rd Battalion paraded for the last time[38] and was subsequently placed in suspended animation. In order to maintain the battalion's customs and traditions, one of its companies, The Inkerman Company, was incorporated into the 1st Battalion.[39]
Since the mid-1960s, the 1st and 2nd Battalions have been deployed toAfrica,South America andNorthern Ireland where they undertook peacekeeping duties. They also undertook duties as part of theNATO force stationed in Germany during theCold War.[40] In 1991, the 1st Battalion, which had been serving in Germany, was deployed to the Middle East, where it took part in thePersian Gulf War mounted inWarrior armoured personnel carriers, before returning for a six-month tour of Northern Ireland.[39]
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In 2002, the 1st Battalion deployed as part of asOperation Herrick inAfghanistan, and in 2003, it deployed as part ofOperation Telic inIraq.[41]
As of 2014, recruits to theGuards Division go through a gruelling thirty-week training programme at theInfantry Training Centre (ITC). The training is two weeks longer than the training for the Regularline infantry regiments of the British Army; the extra training, carried out throughout the course, is devoted to drill and ceremonies.[42]
In 2012, Lance CorporalJames Ashworth of the Grenadier Guards was awarded theVictoria Cross posthumously for bravery inHelmand Province,Afghanistan.[43]
In 2020, during theCOVID-19 pandemic, members of the regiment helped assist theNHS for testing of COVID-19 patients, and provided checkpoints throughout London in collaboration with theRoyal Anglian Regiment.[44]
The 1st Foot Guards has received 78battle honours,[45] gained for its involvement in a number of conflicts including:
In 1994, under theOptions for Change reforms, the Grenadier Guards was reduced to a single battalion. The 2nd Battalion was put into 'suspended animation', and itscolours passed for safekeeping to a newly formedindependent company, which was named"Nijmegen Company".[41] As a result of this, the regiment was reduced to its current composition: one full battalion, the 1st Battalion, consisting of three rifle companies (The King's Company, No. 2 Company and The Inkerman Company), a support company and a headquarters company, and one independent company, Nijmegen Company, based atWellington Barracks, London.[41]The Queen, as Colonel-in-Chief, presented new colours to Nijmegen Company in 2013.[46]
Following theIntegrated Review, G (Guards) Company,London Regiment based atKingston upon Thames,[47] re-badged and became Ypres Company, Grenadier Guards.[48]
TheKing's Company (orQueen's Company when the monarch is female, orSovereign's Company in general) of the Grenadier Guards is the premier ceremonial unit of the regiment and one of the oldest bodies of troops in the British Army. It traditionally provides thepallbearers for all deceased monarchs,[49] most recently at theState funeral of Elizabeth II in 2022. They played a role in theCoronation of Charles III and Camilla, with a colour party being present inWestminster Abbey. All soldiers within the company are over the height of six feet (1.8m).[50]
The Company does not have a company commander, as the monarch assigns executive authority for the daily administration to a trusted subject, who holds the title of "Captain-Lieutenant" (or simply shortened to "The Captain"), who actually holds the rank of Major. Since the company's inception in 1656, there have been 367 Captains over time leading the Company on the Sovereigns' behalf.[51] The company Royal Standard is gifted by the monarch and is now paraded only in the Sovereign's presence. In 1656, King Charles II issued the first colour to the company and every monarch since has presented their company with their own royal standard just once in their reign, with the exception of King George II, whose colour was, in 1709, was shot to pieces at theBattle of Malplaquet, and subsequently replaced the following year. In April 2023, King Charles III presented a new Royal standard bearing his cypher and crown to the King's Company.[52]
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King Edward VII assumed the colonelcy-in-chief of the regiment on his accession, and subsequent monarchs have also been colonel-in-chief.
The following is a list of individuals who have served in the role of colonel of the regiment:[56]
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For many years each Foot Guards regiment was commanded by a Colonel (called, for historical reasons, the Lieutenant Colonel). In the 1980s, the army having reduced in size, the role was judged no longer to justify the appointment of a full colonel, so in 1986 a Lieutenant Colonel was appointed; but in 1989 the appointment of full-time officers to command each regiment ceased.[57] Instead, a senior serving or recently retired officer (of at least the rank of colonel) is appointed asRegimental Lieutenant Colonel; the Regimental Lieutenant Colonel oversees the 'regimental affairs' of the regiment.[58]
The Regimental Lieutenant Colonels have included:[59][60]
TheGrenadier Guards Regimental Slow March is themarch "Scipio",[49] from the operaScipione byGeorge Frideric Handel, inspired by the exploits of theRoman GeneralScipio Africanus. The first performance ofScipione was in 1726. Handel actually composed the eponymous slow march for the First Guards, presenting it to the regiment before he added it to the score of the opera.[114] The Quick March is "The British Grenadiers".[49]
Full dress uniform of the Grenadier Guards worn on ceremonial occasions as in theHousehold Division includes a tall and heavyfur cap, calledbearskin[115] with a white plume worn on the left side of the bearskin, properly called ahackle.[116]
Royal Navy –HMSIllustrious (until 2014) Royal Navy –HMSQueen Elizabeth[117]
Canada –The Canadian Grenadier Guards[118]
Australia –1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
City of London –Worshipful Company of Ironmongers[117]| Lineage | |
| 1st Regiment of Foot Guards (later Grenadier Guards) | TheRoyal Regiment of Guards |
| John Russell's Regiment of Guards | |
The Grenadier Guards is the most senior regiment of the Infantry in the British Army[119]
| Preceded by First in Order of Precedence | Infantry Order of Precedence | Succeeded by |
Footnotes
Citations
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