The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment (29th/45th Foot) (WFR) | |
---|---|
Active | 1970–2007 |
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Branch | British Army |
Type | Infantry |
Role | Light Infantry |
Size | One battalion |
Part of | Prince of Wales' Division |
Garrison/HQ | 1st Battalion - London |
Nickname(s) | Woofers |
Motto(s) | Firm |
March | Quick: Young May Moon & The Royal Windsor Slow: "Duchess of Kent" |
Mascot(s) | Ram named Private Derby |
Engagements | See honours list |
Commanders | |
Last Colonel-in-Chief | The Princess Royal, KG, KT, GCVO |
Colonel of the Regiment | Colonel Jonathan Rupert Maunsell Hackett, CBE |
The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment (29th/45th Foot) (abbreviated as WFR) was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. The regiment served as the county regiment for Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Worcestershire. [1]
The regiment was formed in 1970 through the amalgamation of the Worcestershire Regiment and the Sherwood Foresters. [2] The regiment was based at Battlesbury Barracks in Warminster and undertook a tour in Northern Ireland in 1972 during the Troubles. It moved to Berlin later that year and to Shackleton Barracks at Ballykelly in 1974 before returning to Meanee Barracks in Colchester in 1976. After a further tour in Northern Ireland in 1977 the regiment moved to Peninsula Barracks at Hemer in 1979. [2]
The regiment undertook another tour in Northern Ireland in 1982 before moving back to Battlesbury Barracks in Warminster in 1984 and relocating to Oakington Barracks in Cambridge in 1986, completing a 6 month tour with the British Contingent of the United Nations Force In Cyprus (UNFICYP) from June to December 1987, and then to Lisanelly Barracks in Omagh in 1989. [2]
After a deployment to Cyprus in 1991 - this time as a British Forces Cyprus Residential Infantry Battalion - the regiment moved to Lucknow Barracks at Tidworth in 1993 from where elements of the regiment were deployed to Bosnia in 1996 and 1998. [2] The regiment undertook an operational tour in Afghanistan as part of Operation Herrick in 2004 [2] and then moved to Cavalry Barracks, Hounslow as a public duties battalion in July 2005. [2]
In 2004, as a part of the reorganisation of the infantry, it was announced that the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment would be amalgamated with the Cheshire Regiment and the Staffordshire Regiment to form the new Mercian Regiment. In August 2007, the regiment became the 2nd Battalion, The Mercian Regiment. [3]
The structure of the regiment was as follows: [4]
The regimental quick march of the regiment was an arrangement of "Young May Moon" and "Royal Windsor". The slow march was "Duchess of Kent". The regiment also maintained two unofficial marches: "I'm Ninety Five" and "The Derby Ram". [1]
The regimental bugle call 'The Spanish' is played before formal Mess Nights to notify officers to assemble was started by the 45th (Nottinghamshire) (Sherwood Foresters) Regiment of Foot. This tradition started during the Peninsular War when the bugle call was used to call local Spanish nuns to bring meals to the officers' mess. The tradition has continued into the 2nd Battalion, Mercian Regiment. [1]
The regimental ram was known as Corporal Derby. [9] The ram was the 28th ram to act as mascot for the regiment and its predecessor regiments. The first ram was captured by the 95th (Derbyshire) Regiment of Foot at the Siege of Kotah in 1858. [9] Since 1912 successive Dukes of Devonshire have traditionally selected a Swaledale Ram from their Chatsworth Park flock and presented it to the regiment. [9] The ram had its own regimental number (28), was paid £3.75 per day, and drew his own rations. [9]
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The Staffordshire Regiment (Prince of Wales') (or simply "Staffords" for short) was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. The regiment was formed in 1959 by the amalgamation of the South Staffordshire Regiment and the North Staffordshire Regiment (Prince of Wales'), and in 2007 was amalgamated with the Cheshire Regiment and the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment to become the 3rd Battalion, Mercian Regiment.
Options for Change was a restructuring of the British Armed Forces in summer 1990 after the end of the Cold War.
The Mercian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the British Army, which is recruited from five of the counties that formed the ancient kingdom of Mercia. Known as 'The Heart of England's Infantry', it was formed on 1 September 2007 by the amalgamation of three existing regiments. The Regiment has had fifteen operational deployments since its formation.
The Cheshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. The 22nd Regiment of Foot was raised by the Henry Howard, 7th Duke of Norfolk in 1689 and was able to boast an independent existence of over 300 years. The regiment was expanded in 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms by the linking of the 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment of Foot and the militia and rifle volunteers of Cheshire. The title 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment continued to be used within the regiment.
The Grey and Simcoe Foresters is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces. Within the Canadian Army, it is part of the 4th Canadian Division's 31 Canadian Brigade Group. Due to the restructuring of the British Army, The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment was amalgamated into The Mercian Regiment, as its 2nd Battalion, leaving The Grey and Simcoe Foresters as the only remaining unit in the Commonwealth of Nations known to be distinctly designated as a regiment of Foresters.
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The 36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1701. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot to form the Worcestershire Regiment in 1881. Its lineage is continued today by the Mercian Regiment.
The Worcestershire Regiment was a line infantry regiment in the British Army, formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot and the 36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot. The regiment fought in many conflicts, including both the First and Second World Wars, until 1970, when it was amalgamated with the Sherwood Foresters to form the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment. In September 2007, the regiment amalgamated with the Cheshire Regiment and the Staffordshire Regiment to form the Mercian Regiment.
The Mercian Brigade was an administrative formation of the British Army from 1948 to 1964. The Brigade administered the infantry regiments from the area of England between the Trent, Mersey and Severn rivers that roughly corresponded to the ancient kingdom of Mercia.
The 98th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army. It was originally raised in 1824 as the 98th Regiment of Foot, before assuming the title of the 98th Regiment of Foot in 1876. Later, in 1881, following the Childers Reforms of the British Army, the regiment was amalgamated with the 64th Regiment of Foot to become the Prince of Wales's Regiment. As the 64th Foot was senior to the 98th, the 98th became the 2nd Battalion in the new regiment. Throughout the course of the regiment's existence it served mostly overseas in South Africa, China and India.
Norton Barracks is a former military installation in Norton, Worcestershire. The keep is a Grade II listed building.
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The 4th (Volunteer) Battalion, The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters was a former territorial infantry battalion that existed for a short time towards the end of the Cold War. Following reductions to the Territorial Army (TA) in 1992, the battalion was disbanded with elements helping to form RHQ & HQ Sqn of 37 Signal Regiment, and 96 Signal Squadron. This squadron was then reduced to a signal troop in 2009, but continues to exist as part of 48 Signal Squadron.
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The Mercian Volunteers was a Territorial Army infantry regiment of the British Army, in existence from 1967 to 1988. Upon formation, it consisted of a singular battalion, however it later raised a second in 1975.