1st Green Jackets (43rd and 52nd)

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1st Green Jackets (43rd and 52nd)
Active7 November 1958–1 January 1966
Country United Kingdom
Branch British Army
SizeRegiment

The 1st Green Jackets (43rd and 52nd) was an

Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation and West Berlin. The regiment formed part of the Green Jackets Brigade and in 1963 was redesignated as a rifle regiment
.

History

The regiment was formed following

Battle honours of the 1st Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, 43rd and 52nd.[4] The regiment's depot was at Peninsula Barracks, Winchester, Hampshire.[5] Bushfield Camp, near Winchester, was used as a temporary depot from 1961 to April 1964.[6]

Cyprus

The 1st Green Jackets (43rd and 52nd), commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Martin, took part in operations against EOKA terrorists during the Cyprus Emergency.[7] The regiment was based at Buckingham Camp at Polemidhia, near Limassol[3] and was deployed mainly in the Limassol area.[8] Major Peter Gerahty was second-in-command of the regiment in Cyprus. Captain, later General Sir Robert Pascoe also served with the 1st Green Jackets (43rd and 52nd) during the Cyprus Emergency.[3][9] Following a farewell parade the 1st Green Jackets (43rd and 52nd) returned to the UK on HMT Dunera in May 1959.[3]

United Kingdom

The regiment was based at

Queen Elizabeth II which was commanded by Captain Edward Jones.[14] Major Dennis Fox was involved in the production of the 1962 film The Longest Day and members of the regiment took part as extras in the film.[15]

Far East

In April 1962, the 1st Green Jackets (43rd and 52nd) sailed from Southampton to Penang on the troopship SS Nevasa.[16] The regiment was the first unit to be posted to the Far East without any National Servicemen, following the end of conscription in 1961.[17] Following deployment to the Far East the 1st Green Jackets (43rd and 52nd) took part in Jungle warfare training and small exercises.[18]

On 9 December 1962, the 1st Green Jackets (43rd and 52nd) led by Lieutenant Colonel

NCOs with collecting troops from Jalan Gajah and other parts of the island; many troops were out of the barracks as it was a Sunday.[18] The regiment moved from Penang on 9 December 1962 by 19.00hrs within 6 hours notice.[18] First driving through the night to Kuala Lumpur which they reached early the following day; the regiment then continued to Singapore and arrived there by nightfall.[24] The regiment had been informed that they were moving to Singapore to relieve the 1st Battalion, Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons). Following the 640-mile Journey[25] 1st Green Jackets (43rd and 52nd) were then told by the Military Police to drive straight to the docks where they boarded the cruiser HMS Tiger[18] and received orders for the regiment's deployment.[24] The mobilisation of the regiment, move to Singapore and embarkation on HMS Tiger were all completed within 34 hours.[26]

The ship sailed for Borneo on 11 December at 22.45hrs; sailing across the

Miri, Sarawak, south of the border with Brunei, at dawn on 12 December 1962[27] and also in the capture of Bekenu, 30 miles south of Miri,[28] which commenced on 13 December 09.45hrs. 1st Green Jackets were also deployed to capture Niah, in Sarawak, approximately 40 miles south-west of Miri and towards the South China sea coast.[29] HMS Tiger continued to Labuan where the remainder of 1st Green Jackets and vehicles disembarked.[30] Following the capture of Bekenu and Niah, HMS Albion's helicopters were used to transport troops into positions to prevent rebels using escape routes along rivers into the hinterland.[26] 1st Green Jackets were flown to Seria and took part in operations between Seria and Tutong.[30] The regiment returned to Minden Barracks, Penang, in April 1963.[31]

The regiment was redesignated as a

D-Day, 6 June 1944, before the main Normandy landings began.[33][16] The 1st Green Jackets (43rd and 52nd) second operational tour in the Far East was from August 1963 to mid December 1963 and troops having sailed on HMS Albion were deployed via Labuan to Brunei and Sarawak.[16]

In January 1964, the 1st Green Jackets (43rd and 52nd) became the spearhead battalion to support the Borneo Territories and Lieutenant Colonel

RAF who used Whirlwind and Belvedere helicopters and was deployed over 40 miles along the border with Indonesia and the regiment defended against many enemy attacks.[35] In July 1964, the Colonel Commandant, General Sir Gerald Lathbury visited the regiment at Semengo Camp, Kuching and at the regiment's forward operating bases.[36] The regiment returned to Penang at the end of October 1964.[37] The 1st Green Jackets (43rd and 52nd) was the only British Army unit to complete three operational tours in the area and was deployed throughout the North Borneo and Sarawak territories.[34] In December 1964 the regiment left Penang for the UK.[38]

West Berlin

The regiment deployed to

Second World War.[42][43]

In September 1965, Lieutenant Colonel, later Brigadier Oliver Pratt, who had been commissioned into the

Kings Royal Rifle Corps prior to taking over command of the regiment. Lieutenant Colonel Oliver Pratt was to be the last Commanding Officer of the 1st Green Jackets (43rd and 52nd) and the first Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion The Royal Green Jackets.[44]

On 1 January 1966, whilst in West Berlin, the regiment amalgamated with the two other regiments of the Green Jackets Brigade to form the three battalion Royal Green Jackets, the 1st Green Jackets (43rd and 52nd) becoming the 1st Battalion The Royal Green Jackets.[1]

On 25 July 1992 the battalion was disbanded at Osnabrück. The 2nd Battalion, Royal Green Jackets based at Omagh was renamed the 1st Battalion and the 3rd Battalion based at Dover was renamed the 2nd Battalion. On 1 February 2007, the 1st Battalion The Royal Green Jackets became the 2nd Battalion, The Rifles.[45][46][47]

Regimental museum

The regimental collection is held by the Royal Green Jackets (Rifles) Museum which is based at Peninsula Barracks in Winchester.[48]

Colonel Commandants

Commanding officers

References

  1. ^ a b "The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry". Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 3 March 2007. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  2. ^ a b "1st Green Jackets (43rd and 52nd)". British Army units 1945 on. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Cyprus 13" (PDF). Royal Green Jackets. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 February 2017. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  4. ^ The Gorget 1964, p. 4
  5. ISBN 9780850524222
    .
  6. ^ The Gorget 1964 p. 5.
  7. ^ Colonel Sir Andrew Martin memorial service 23 April 1994.
  8. ^ Allen, p 139
  9. ^ RGJ In Memoriam Board
  10. ^ "Obituary: General Sir Anthony Read". Daily Telegraph. 27 September 2000. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  11. ^ "Obituary: Colonel John Tillett". The Daily Telegraph. 27 January 2015. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  12. ^ "Michael Harbottle: Obituary". The Independent. 14 May 1997. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  13. ^ Pascoe, General Sir Robert (16 January 2015). "Tribute to Colonel John Tillett" (PDF). Green Jackets. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 December 2016. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  14. ^ a b Draper, p. 16.
  15. ISBN 978-0786458929
    .
  16. ^ a b c The Gorget. Journal of the 1st Green Jackets (43rd and 52nd) 1964, p. 10.
  17. ^ Allen, p. 76.
  18. ^ a b c d "Recording: Stevenson, John". Imperial War Museum. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  19. ^ "General Sir Walter Walker". The Telegraph. 13 August 2001. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  20. ^ "General Sir Walter Walker". The Guardian. 14 August 2001. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  21. ^ "Obituary: Colonel David Wood". The Daily Telegraph. 27 April 2009. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  22. ^ a b "Obituary: General Sir David Mostyn". The Telegraph. 29 January 2007. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  23. ^ Allen, p. 76
  24. ^ a b Allen, p 76.
  25. ^ a b Van Der Bijl, p. 129
  26. ^ a b "The Resolution of the Brunei Emergency 1962" (PDF). Lightbobs. 1 January 2013. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  27. ^ Van Der Bijl, p. 147
  28. ^ Allen, p 68.
  29. ^ Van Der Bijl, p. 162
  30. ^ a b Van Der Bijl, p. 159
  31. ^ Allen p 81.
  32. ^ The Chronicle of 1st Green Jackets, 43rd and 52nd 1963 (1964)
  33. ^ "On this day: 24 June". Light Bobs. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  34. ^ a b The Gorget. 1964, p. 8.
  35. ^ The Gorget. 1964, p. 9.
  36. ^ The Gorget 1964, p 12.
  37. ^ The Gorget 1964, p. 9.
  38. ^ The Gorget 1964, p 11.
  39. ^ "Montgomery Barracks". BAOR Locations. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  40. ^ "State visit to the federal republic of Germany". Royal Collection. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  41. ^ a b "The Berlin Wall" (PDF). The Green Machine. July 2002. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  42. ^ "BAOR Locations". Retrieved 14 July 2017.
  43. ^ "From Berlin, British Military Train Chugs Into History". Joc.com. 5 June 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
  44. ^ Royal Green Jackets In Memoriam Board.
  45. ^ "Hansard: Restructuring of the Army - Statement by Secretary of State for Defence on 23 July 1991". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 23 July 1991. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  46. ^ "Disbandment of 1/RGJ". Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  47. ^ "Royal Green Jackets". British Army units 1945 on. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
  48. ^ "Royal Green Jackets (Rifles) Museum". Visit Winchester. Retrieved 7 June 2018.

Sources

Further reading
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