British Army incremental infantry companies
The British Army primarily divides its infantry into regiments, which are subdivided into battalions. However, for various reasons, since the end of the Second World War it has also maintained companies that are independent of a particular battalion or regiment.
Disbanded battalions[]
In the 1960s, a policy began to be implemented intended to move the infantry away from collections of regiments made up of just single battalions, towards what came to be known as "large regiments", made up of a number of battalions, which would be formed by the amalgamation of several existing regiments.[1] Between 1964 and 1968, a total of six of these multi-battalion regiments were formed, before a policy change saw the process halted. As part of this however, there were additional plans to reduce the size of the infantry, through the disbanding or amalgamation of individual battalions. Again however, after the first round of disbandings and amalgamations, the policy was halted, with those battalions intended for removal instead reduced in size to a single company.[2][3] A total of seven battalions had units reduced in this way:
- 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards - in March 1971, the 2nd Battalion was placed in suspended animation, with 2nd Battalion Company formed to take on its traditions. Additionally, two further companies, F Company and S Company, were also used to reinforce other Foot Guards battalions. The 2nd Battalion was reformed in January 1972.[4][5]
- 4th Battalion, The Queen's Regiment - the 4th Battalion was disbanded in December 1970, with Albuhera Company retained until it too was disbanded in November 1973.[6][7]
- 4th Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment - the 4th Battalion was disbanded in October 1970, with Tiger Company retained until it was disbanded in July 1975.[8][9]
- 1st Battalion, The Royal Hampshire Regiment - the 1st Battalion had been planned to be amalgamated with the Gloucestershire Regiment, until that plan was halted, with instead the Royal Hampshire Regiment being reduced to Minden Company in August 1970. The 1st Battalion was eventually reformed in January 1972.[10][11]
- 1st Battalion, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's) - the 1st Battalion was one of three single battalion regiments that elected to disband rather than amalgamate. While the other two were eventually disbanded in 1968, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders were instead reduced to Balaklava Company in January 1971. Twelve months later, in January 1972, the 1st Battalion was reformed.[12][13]
- 3rd Battalion, The Royal Green Jackets - the 3rd Battalion was disbanded in September 1970, with R Company retained. The battalion was subsequently re-established in January 1972.[14][15]
- 2nd Battalion, 2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles) - the 2nd Battalion was intended for amalgamation with the 1st Battalion in September 1970, but was instead retained as a separate company, with the battalion re-established in 1972.[16][17]
A number of the incremental companies were posted to various locations overseas during their existence. Three were posted on roulement tours to Gibraltar as part of the local British Garrison - Balaklava Company, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders between May and November 1971; Minden Company, Royal Hampshire Regiment between November 1971 and January 1972; and Tiger Company, Royal Anglian Regiment between December 1971 and May 1972. All three served alongside the 1st Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, which was the resident infantry battalion in the territory during that period.[18] Tiger Company was also posted on a roulement tour of Northern Ireland between March and July 1974. Two of the three incremental companies formed following the suspension of 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards also undertook operational taskings, with F Company attached to the 1st Battalion, Irish Guards between October 1970 and January 1972 during that unit's posting as a resident infantry battalion in Hong Kong,[19] while S Company formed the resident infantry unit in British Honduras from January to August 1971 before returning to the UK for attachment to 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards. A further operational posting came between October 1970 and May 1971 when R Company, Royal Green Jackets was attached to the UNFICYP forces in Cyprus.
Aside from operational taskings, some of the incremental companies were retained for various duties at home. 2nd Battalion Company, Scots Guards was stationed in Edinburgh throughout its existence from March 1971 to January 1972, where it undertook public duties, as well as recruitment and training tasks, which included service as OPFOR during an exercise undertaken in Scotland by 24 Airportable Brigade.[20] Tiger Company, Royal Anglian Regiment also saw two periods as the Demonstration Infantry Company, providing OPFOR duties, at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. These were between October 1970 and November 1971 (when it also undertook the same task for the Mons Officer Cadet School), and between July 1974 and July 1975. Interspersed between its various taskings, Tiger Company was reduced to a cadre between September 1972 and November 1973, serving as a training unit at the Junior Soldiers Wing in Canterbury. Albuhera Company, Queen's Regiment was utilised as a recruiting team throughout its existence between January 1971 and November 1973.
By late 1971, the British Army's commitment to Northern Ireland was such that it was having difficulty meeting other obligations, most particularly to NATO. As a consequence, the government elected to raise an additional four infantry battalions in an effort to meet its commitments both to the security situation in Northern Ireland and ensure that the British Army of the Rhine was not impeded.[21] In January 1972, the four battalions were raised from four of the existing incremental companies:[22][23]
- 1st Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders - reformed at Ritchie Camp, Kirknewton
- 1st Battalion, Royal Hampshire Regiment - reformed at Roman Barracks, Colchester
- 3rd Battalion, Royal Green Jackets - reformed at Horseshoe Barracks, Shoeburyness
- 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards - reformed at Redford Barracks, Edinburgh
After their reformation, between July 1972 and November 1974, the four battalions conducted a total of nine operational roulement tours of Northern Ireland, with a company of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders also deployed in March 1973 to act as security during the 1973 referendum alongside a company of the 2nd Battalion, Grenadier Guards.[22][23]
Additionally, the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Gurkha Rifles (2/2 GR) was reformed in Hong Kong as part of a stabilisation of the size of the Brigade of Gurkhas at five infantry battalions - under the late 1960s defence cuts it had been planned to reduce this down to four battalions.[24] The obligations faced by the infantry led to an alteration of this proposal, with three battalions of Gurkhas stationed in Hong Kong and one in Brunei, together with the regular posting of a Gurkha battalion to the United Kingdom for the first time.[25] 2/2 GR was initially stationed in Hong Kong on its reformation, before moving to Queen Elizabeth Barracks, Church Crookham in 1975.[17]
Public duties[]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0e/Commonwealth_Heads_of_Government_Meeting_MOD_45164083.jpg/220px-Commonwealth_Heads_of_Government_Meeting_MOD_45164083.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/Guard_outside_Edinburgh_Castle.jpg/220px-Guard_outside_Edinburgh_Castle.jpg)
The British Army maintains a total of four incremental companies to serve as permanent public duties units in London and Edinburgh. Of these, three are from regiments of foot guards, with the fourth from a line infantry regiment.
Foot Guards[]
The Guards Division of the British Army contains a total of five battalions, one from each of the five regiments of Foot Guards. However, before the Options for Change defence review in 1992, there were eight battalions:[26]
- 1st and 2nd Battalions, Grenadier Guards
- 1st and 2nd Battalions, Coldstream Guards
- 1st and 2nd Battalions, Scots Guards
- 1st Battalion, Irish Guards
- 1st Battalion, Welsh Guards
The cuts made to the infantry under Options for Change included three battalions of Guards. However, rather than disbanding them, the 2nd Battalions of each of the first three regiments were placed in "suspended animation" - although they would not be active, they would still be listed on the Army Roll, and could be reactivated should they be needed. In order to maintain the traditions of each battalion, and to keep custody of the colours, three companies were kept active, one to represent each battalion:
- No 2 Company, 2nd Battalion Grenadier Guards (renamed Nijmegen Company for the battle honour won by the 2nd (Armoured) Battalion in 1944)[27]
- No 7 Company, 2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards[28]
- F Company, 2nd Battalion Scots Guards[4]
These three units were based permanently at Chelsea Barracks in London on public duties until Chelsea Barracks was sold off by the army. They represent the suspended battalions at significant events, such as Trooping the Colour, and receive the battalion's new colours whenever they are presented. As such, each company is an independent unit of their regiment, separate from the operational battalions. In 2010, with the closure of Chelsea Barracks, the three companies were moved and are now permanently based at Wellington Barracks.[29] A large majority of new guardsmen completing the Combat Infantry Course at the Infantry Training Centre and going to either the Grenadier, Coldstream or Scots Guards will be sent first to the incremental company for between six and nine months, where they will be able to receive further training before they are then posted to the regiment's operational battalion.[29][23]
Although neither the Grenadier or Coldstream Guards had previously had incremental companies formed from their 2nd battalions, between March 1971 and January 1972 the 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards was reduced to a single company as a result of defence cuts. Additionally, F Company was also retained to serve as a reinforcement unit attached to the Irish Guards.[5] Options for Change also saw the retention of a second company from the Grenadier Guards, when Inkerman Company was transferred from the 2nd Battalion to the 1st Battalion, being renamed as Left Flank Company in the process.[23]
Line Infantry[]
As part of the Army 2020 reforms outlined by the Strategic Defence and Security Review, an additional public duties incremental company was formed in 2013 through the reduction of the 5th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (formerly the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) to company strength to serve as a public duties unit in Scotland. As of 2022, this unit, Balaklava Company (named for the battle honour won by the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in 1854), is based at Redford Barracks, Edinburgh.[30] This was the second time that this battalion had been reduced to a company, following its predecessor's reduction from 1st Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders to Balaklava Company between January 1971 and January 1972.[12]
Brigade of Gurkhas[]
The Brigade of Gurkhas, a formation of units made up almost entirely by Gurkhas from Nepal, have formed a number of independent companies over the course of their time as part of the British Army.
Gurkha Demonstration companies[]
The Brigade of Gurkhas has provided units to serve in the OPFOR role at various British Army training establishments since the early 1970s - the first of these to be formed was Gurkha Demonstration Company (Sittang), which was established at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1972.[31] A second demonstration company, Gurkha Demonstration Company (Mandalay), was formed at the Infantry Battle School in 1980,[32] while a third, Gurkha Company (Tavoleto) was formed through the renaming of the Training Support Company, together with the plan to have it manned exclusively by Gurkhas, at the Land Warfare Centre in 2018.[33]
Gurkha reinforcement companies[]
In the 1990s, it became apparent that some regular infantry battalions were suffering manpower issues, while at the same time the Brigade of Gurkhas was over-manned. Therefore, a decision was taken to use the excess manpower from the Gurkhas to augment under strength infantry battalions through the establishment of reinforcement companies that would wear the cap badge of the Royal Gurkha Rifles, but be attached to other regiments. A total of five infantry battalions received Gurkha companies between 1994 and 2004:[34]
- 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment[35][36] - C Company (1994-2001)
- 1st Battalion, The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment)[35][37] - B Company (1996-2001)1
- 1st Battalion, The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires)[35][38] - Gurkha Company (1996-1999)
- 1st Battalion, The Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling), 83rd, 87th and Ulster Defence Regiment)[39][40] - D (Gurkha) Company (1998-2003)
- 1st Battalion, The Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons)[39][41] - A (Gallipoli) Company (2001-2004)1
1: The company attached to the Royal Scots transferred to the Highlanders in 2001.
The Gurkha companies operated as fully integrated elements of their parent units, and saw deployments alongside both the Parachute Regiment and the Royal Irish Regiment to Sierra Leone as part of Operation Palliser in 2000, as well as deployments to Bosnia in 1999 with the Parachute Regiment and to Iraq with the Royal Irish as part of Operation Telic in 2003. The only time that the Gurkhas were not deployed with their parent battalion was in the event of a tour of Northern Ireland as part of Operation Banner - British government policy prevented them from serving in Northern Ireland.[42] So, in the event of the parent battalion undertaking a tour of Northern Ireland, the Gurkha company would need to be detached for duty elsewhere. This occurred when the Royal Scots were deployed on two roulement tours, with B Company instead deployed to Bosnia as part of Operation Resolute.[43][37] Both the Parachute Regiment and the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment also deployed to Northern Ireland during the periods they were reinforced by Gurkha companies.[36][38]
Although the last of the reinforcement companies, attached to 1st Battalion, The Highlanders, was disbanded in 2004, a new batch of units was formed from 2008, again as a result of manpower shortages in the infantry.[44] This eventually saw three new reinforcement companies formed - one of these was attached to 2nd Battalion, The Royal Gurkha Rifles, while the other two formed part of other regiments:[45]
- 1st Battalion, The Mercian Regiment - G (Tobruk) Company (2009-2012)[46]
- 1st Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot) - D (Delhi) Company (2009-2012)[47]
As with previous reinforcement units, the new companies were fully integrated elements of their parent battalions, deploying on a number of occasions as part of Operation Herrick to Afghanistan.[48][47]
In 2019, the government announced the formation of a new third battalion of the Royal Gurkha Rifles, intended for use as part of the Specialised Infantry Group, a formation intended to operate in the training and mentoring role with the armed forces of other nations.[49] On 31 January 2020, the new battalion was officially formed with the formation of its first sub-unit, A (Coriano) Company.[50] However, in 2021 a new defence review reversed the decision to form a new battalion, with instead a number of individual companies to be formed intended to support and reinforce the army where needed. A second new company, F (Falklands) Company, was formed on 18 November 2021, attached to 2nd Battalion, The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment.[51]
Airborne forces[]
The British Army's airborne forces have, since the end of the Second World War, operated two independent company sized units for specialist tasks.
No. 1 (Guards) Independent Parachute Company[]
No. 1 (Guards) Independent Parachute Company was formed in 1948 as the remaining element of 1st (Guards) Parachute Battalion, No. 1 (Guards) Independent Parachute Company served as part of 16 Parachute Brigade, which was the British Army's sole remaining post-war airborne formation. Manned exclusively by soldiers from the Household Cavalry and Brigade of Guards, the company was quickly tasked as 16 Parachute Brigade's pathfinder unit, and saw extensive service on operations until it was disbanded in 1975.[52] Both the role and the history of No. 1 (Guards) Independent Parachute Company were perpetuated by the formation of separate platoons; in 1985, a new Pathfinder Platoon was established as part of the Parachute Regiment within 5 Airborne Brigade, while in the late 1990s a platoon within B Company of 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment was designated as 6 (Guards) Platoon, manned exclusively by men recruited from the Guards Division and Household Cavalry.[53]
Gurkha Independent Parachute Company[]
In 1963, a new company sized unit of the Brigade of Gurkhas, the Gurkha Independent Parachute Company, was formed to serve as part of 17th Gurkha Division, the formation operating in Malaysia. The new Gurkha Independent Parachute Company was formed from volunteers from the infantry regiments and corps units of the Brigade of Gurkhas, and was primarily tasked with airfield seizure, although during its time in Malaysia it operated in a variety of roles, from conventional infantry to special reconnaissance. When the British Army left Malaysia and the Brigade of Gurkhas was deployed to Hong Kong in 1971, the Gurkha Independent Parachute Company was disbanded.[54]
References[]
- ^ Bigger infantry regiments planned by War Office, The Times, 16 March 1962
- ^ Lord Carrington, Secretary of State for Defence (28 October 1970). "Defence". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). United Kingdom: House of Lords. col. 114.
- ^ Ian Gilmour, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Army (29 October 1970). "Army Units (Rundown)". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). United Kingdom: House of Commons. col. 405.
- ^ a b "History". Scots Guards Association. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
- ^ a b "Scots Guards". British Army units from 1945 on. 2015. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
- ^ "4 Queens" (PDF). Soldiers of the Queen's 1966-1992. 2013. pp. 14–16. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
- ^ "Queen's Regiment". British Army units from 1945 on. 2015. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
- ^ "On Tiger Company" (PDF). Castle: Journal of the Royal Anglian Regiment. 1975. p. 12. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
- ^ "Royal Anglian Regiment". British Army units from 1945 on. 2015. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
- ^ "A Brief History" (PDF). A Guide to the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment. p. 27. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
- ^ "Hampshire Regiment". British Army units from 1945 on. 2015. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
- ^ a b "1st Battalion The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Balaklava Company 1971". The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders History from 1945 to 1971. 28 January 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
- ^ "Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders". British Army units from 1945 on. 2015. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
- ^ "The Royal Green Jackets: The Formation and Origins of the Regiment" (PDF). greenjackets-net.org.uk. Royal Green Jackets Association. February 2009. p. 31. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 April 2016. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
- ^ "Royal Green Jackets". British Army units from 1945 on. 2015. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
- ^ "A Short History". Sirmoor Rifles Regimental Association. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- ^ a b "2nd Gurkha Rifles". British Army units from 1945 on. 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- ^ "Royal Regiment of Fusiliers". British Army units from 1945 on. 2015. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
- ^ "Irish Guards". British Army units from 1945 on. 2015. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
- ^ Naylor, Murray (1995). Among Friends: The Scots Guards, 1956–1993. London: Leo Cooper. p. 96. ISBN 0850524555.
- ^ Lord Balniel, Minister of State for Defence (21 October 1971). "Northern Ireland". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). United Kingdom: House of Commons. col. 875.
- ^ a b "5th March to 17th March 1973". 1st Battalion The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders: History from 1945 to 1971. 25 February 2015. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
- ^ a b c d "2nd Battalion Grenadier Guards". British Army units from 1945 on. 2015. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
- ^ James Boyden, Under-Secretary of State for Defence for the Army (22 May 1969). "Gurkha Brigade". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). United Kingdom: House of Commons. col. 821.
- ^ "History". British Gurkha Welfare Society. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- ^ Brooke-Holland, Louisa; Rutherford, Tom (2012), Army 2020 (PDF), London: House of Commons Library, p. 30, retrieved 21 May 2020
- ^ "Nijmegen Company". Grenadier Guards Regimental Association. 2016. Archived from the original on 29 March 2016. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
- ^ "A very brief history of the Coldstream Guards". Grenadier Guards Regimental Association. 2011. Archived from the original on 13 October 2011. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
- ^ a b "Regiments". The Household Division. 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
- ^ "Royal Regiment of Scotland - Our locations". Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom). Retrieved 4 June 2018.
- ^ "1972-3 Gurkhas in Brecon & Sandhurst". Ayo Gorkhali!. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
- ^ "Gurkha Company Mandalay Drawdown Parade". The Gurkha Brigade Association. 13 January 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
- ^ "Gurkha Company (Tavoleto) Warminster Parade". The Gurkha Brigade Association. 31 August 2018. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
- ^ Parker, John (2013). The Gurkhas. London: Headline Publishing. p. 70. ISBN 9781472202604.
- ^ a b c Nicholas Soames, Minister of State for the Armed Forces (12 November 1996). "Gurkha Troops". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). United Kingdom: House of Commons. col. 113.
- ^ a b "2nd Bn Parachute Regiment". British Army units from 1945 on. 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
- ^ a b "Royal Scots". British Army units from 1945 on. 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
- ^ a b "Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment". British Army units from 1945 on. 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
- ^ a b Adam Ingram, Minister of State for the Armed Forces (11 May 2001). "Gurkhas". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 374. United Kingdom: House of Commons.
- ^ "Royal Irish Regiment". British Army units from 1945 on. 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
- ^ "Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons)". British Army units from 1945 on. 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
- ^ Taylor, Claire (12 June 2009). "Gurkhas: Terms and Conditions of Service" (PDF). UK Parliament. House of Commons Library. p. 4. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
- ^ "Post World War 2". Royal Scots Regimental Trust. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
- ^ Harding, Thomas (19 January 2009). "Army calls in Gurkhas to plug front line gaps due to manning crisis". Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
- ^ Bill Rammell, Minister of State for the Armed Forces (5 November 2009). "Armed Forces: Training". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). United Kingdom: House of Commons. col. 115.
- ^ "Editorial" (PDF). The Kukri: The Journal of the Brigade of Gurkhas. The Gurkha Brigade Association. 2008. p. 7. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
- ^ a b "OP HERRICK 15 - C Company / D (Delhi) Company (GRC 3) 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment" (PDF). The Kukri: The Journal of the Brigade of Gurkhas. The Gurkha Brigade Association. 2012. p. 24. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
- ^ Aucott, N (2011). "G (Tobruk) Company 1 MERCIAN: Op HERRICK 12 - Operations in a Multi-National Environment" (PDF). Kukri: The Journal of the Brigade of Gurkhas. Upavon: Brigade of Gurkhas. p. 39. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- ^ "New specialist Gurkha battalion established". Ministry of Defence. 14 March 2019. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
- ^ "On Fri 31 Jan 20, a parade was held to mark the reformation of A Company, Third Battalion, The Royal Gurkha Rifles (3 RGR)". Facebook. Royal Gurkha Rifles. 5 February 2020. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ "F (Falklands) Company, Formation Parade 18th November 2021". Gurkha Brigade Association. Brigade of Gurkhas. 30 November 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ "No. 1 (Guards) Independent Parachute Company". Paradata. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
- ^ "Overview of Guardsmen in the Airborne Role". Guards Parachute Association. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
- ^ "Gurkha Independent Parachute Company". Paradata. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
External links[]
- British ceremonial units
- Guards Division (United Kingdom)
- Royal Regiment of Scotland
- Brigade of Gurkhas
- Infantry units and formations of the British Army