Active 20 April 1993– Branch British Army Role Army Reserve | Allegiance United Kingdom Type Infantry Size Battalion | |
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The London Regiment is an infantry regiment in the British Army, part of the Army Reserve. The regiment saw distinguished service in World War I and was disbanded after the war in 1938, shortly before World War II, when most of its battalions were converted to other roles or transferred elsewhere. However, the regiment was raised again in 1993 and continues an existence in the present day.
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History
It was first formed in 1908 in order to regiment the 26 Volunteer Force battalions in the newly formed County of London, each battalion having a distinctive uniform.
Now part of the Territorial Force, the London Regiment expanded to 88 battalions in the First World War. Of these, 49 battalions saw action in the trenches of the Western Front in France and Flanders, six saw action in the Gallipoli Campaign, 12 saw action at Salonika, 14 saw action against the Turks in Palestine, and one saw action in Waziristan and Afghanistan.
The London Regiment was reformed in the Territorial Army in the 1920s but ceased to exist in 1938 and the battalions were all transferred to regular infantry regiments, the Royal Artillery and the Royal Engineers. For example, the 10th London Regiment (Hackney) was transferred to the corps of the Royal Berkshire Regiment (Princess Charlotte of Wales's), becoming the 5th (Hackney) Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment.
The London Regiment was reformed in 1992 through the regimentation of most of the remaining successors of the original regiment (except the Artists Rifles). It is the only reserve infantry battalion in London District and consists of an HQ and four rifle companies. They are:
Two companies of the Royal Green Jackets, F Company and G Company, formed part of the regiment between 1998 and 2004.
In May 2004 Messines company, which was made up from an HQ and two platoons from across the London Regiment deployed to Iraq.
Following the restructuring of the British Army in 2004, it was announced that the Guards Division would gain a TA battalion. This saw the London Regiment retaining its name and multi-badge structure, while transferring from the Queen's Division to the Guards Division. The two RGJ companies were transferred to the Royal Rifle Volunteers in preparation for the formation of The Rifles in 2007.
Original London Regiment battalions
The London battalions formed the London District, which consisted principally of the 1st and 2nd London Divisions.
Battle honours
Battle honours for the First World War were awarded to the individual battalions in 1924.