The Queen's Division is a British Army training and administrative apparatus for infantry regiments from the east and south of England and the remaining regiment of Fusiliers.
History
The Queen's Division was formed in 1968 with the regimentation of the Home Counties Brigade, Fusilier Brigade and East Anglian Brigade, followed by the union of the new regiments. The depot was established at Bassingbourn Barracks in Cambridgeshire.[1]
Because the Queen's Division already contained large regiments from the previous round of amalgamations in the 1960s, it was the only one of the five line infantry divisions to be unaffected by the restructuring announced in 2004.[2]
- Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshire)
- Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
- Royal Anglian Regiment
The Queen's Division therefore now comprises the following infantry battalions:[3]
- Regular Army Units
- 1st and 2nd Battalions, Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshire)
- 1st Battalion Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
- 1st and 2nd Battalions, Royal Anglian Regiment
- Army Reserve Units
- 3rd and 4th Battalions, Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshire)
- 5th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
- 3rd Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment
In addition, the Queen's Division has responsibility for the Royal Gibraltar Regiment.[4] The Queen's Division also maintainsa single divisional band titled the Band of the Queen's Division, which is a component band of British Army Bands Colchester.[5] This was formed in 2006 by the amalgamation of two former divisional bands, the Minden Band (recalling the Battle of Minden) and the Normandy Band (recalling D-Day).[6]
) The Royal Gibraltar Regiment | ) The Minden Band parading in Cyprus. |
Past Units
Past units include:[7]
- 1st Battalion, The Queen's Regiment (1966–1992)
- 2nd Battalion, The Queen's Regiment (1966–1992)
- 3rd Battalion, The Queen's Regiment (1966–1992)
- 4th Battalion, The Queen's Regiment (1966–1973)
- 5th Battalion, The Queen's Regiment (1967–1992)
- 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (1968–2014)
- 3rd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (1968–1992)
- 4th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (1968–1969)
- 3rd Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment (1964–1992)
- 4th Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment (1964–1975)
- 5th Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment (1967–1992)
Gallery
) The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment on parade | ) Soldiers of the Royal Anglian Regiment in Afghanistan | ) Soldiers of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers |
References
- ^ "Gibraltar Barracks". Suffolk Regiment Museum. Archived from the original on 5 May 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
- ^ "Future Structure of the Army". Ministry of Defence. 16 December 2004. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
- ^ Heyman, p. 89
- ^ Royal Gibraltar Regiment Archived 23 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "British Army Bands in 2019". 4 November 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
- ^ "The Band of The Queen's Division". Retrieved 5 May 2014.
- ^ Whitaker's Almanack 1969
Sources
- Heyman, Charles (2012). The British Army: A Pocket Guide, 2012–2013. Pen & Sword. ISBN 9781848841079.