British Army

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Not to be confused with English Army or Scots Army.

British Army

Badge of the British Army

Logo since 2018
Founded1 January 1660; 364 years ago (1660-01-01)[1][2][note 1]
Country
TypeArmy
RoleLand warfare
Size
Part ofBritish Armed Forces
MarchList of marches of the British Army
EquipmentList of equipment of the British Army
Websitearmy.mod.uk Edit this at Wikidata
Commanders
Commander-in-ChiefKing Charles III
Chief of the General StaffGeneral Sir Patrick Sanders[5]
Deputy Chief of the General StaffLieutenant General Dame Sharon Nesmith[6]
Army Sergeant MajorWarrant Officer Class 1 Paul Carney
Insignia
War flag
Non-ceremonial flag
Flag of the British Army
British Army
of the British Armed Forces
Components
Administration
Overseas
Personnel
Equipment
History
Location
United Kingdom portal

The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Naval Service and the Royal Air Force. As of 1 January 2024, the British Army comprises 75,166 regular full-time personnel, 4,062 Gurkhas, 26,244 volunteer reserve personnel and 4,557 "other personnel", for a total of 110,029.[7]

The modern British Army traces back to 1707, with antecedents in the

Claim of Right Act 1689 require parliamentary consent for the Crown to maintain a peacetime standing army.[11] Therefore, Parliament approves the army by passing an Armed Forces Act at least once every five years. The army is administered by the Ministry of Defence and commanded by the Chief of the General Staff.[12]

The British Army, composed primarily of cavalry and infantry, was originally one of two Regular Forces within the British military (those parts of the British Armed Forces tasked with land warfare, as opposed to the naval forces),

Royal Sappers and Miners) of the Board of Ordnance, which along with the originally civilian Commissariat Department, stores and supply departments, as well as barracks and other departments were absorbed into the British Army when the Board of Ordnance was abolished in 1855. Various other civilian departments of the board were absorbed into the War Office.[14][15][16]

The British Army has seen action in major wars between the world's great powers, including the Seven Years' War, the American Revolutionary War, the Napoleonic Wars, the Crimean War and the First and Second World Wars. Britain's victories in most of these decisive wars allowed it to influence world events and establish itself as one of the world's leading military and economic powers.[17][18] Since the end of the Cold War, the British Army has been deployed to a number of conflict zones, often as part of an expeditionary force, a coalition force or part of a United Nations peacekeeping operation.[19]

History

Main article: History of the British Army

Formation

Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell
Lord General Thomas Fairfax, the first commander of the New Model Army

Until the

later Middle Ages until the English Civil War, when a foreign expeditionary force was needed, such as the one that Henry V of England took to France and that fought at the Battle of Agincourt (1415), the army, a professional one, was raised for the duration of the expedition.[21]

During the English Civil War, the members of the

Congregational) in theology, to whom they reported. The second action was legislation for the creation of a Parliamentary-funded army, commanded by Lord General Thomas Fairfax, which became known as the New Model Army (originally phrased "new-modelled Army").[22]

While this proved to be a war-winning formula, the New Model Army, being organised and politically active, went on to dominate the politics of the

Whig Party element recoiled from allowing a standing army to continue with the agreed-upon rights and privileges under the return of a king.[23] The militia acts of 1661 and 1662 prevented local authorities from calling up militia and oppressing their own local opponents. Calling up the militia was possible only if the king and local elites agreed to do so.[24]

Claim of Right Act 1689, although the monarch continued to influence aspects of army administration until at least the end of the 19th century.[30]

After the Restoration, King Charles II pulled together four regiments of infantry and cavalry, calling them his guards, at a cost of £122,000 from his general budget. This became the foundation of the permanent English Army. By 1685, it had grown to number 7,500 soldiers in marching regiments, and 1,400 men permanently stationed in garrisons. A

Roman Catholic).[31] Later in 1689, William III to solidify his and Mary's hold on the monarchy, expanded the new English army to 74,000, and then a few years later to 94,000 in 1694. Parliament was very nervous and reduced the cadre to 7000 in 1697. Scotland and Ireland had theoretically separate military establishments, but they were unofficially merged with the English Crown force.[32][33]

Winston S. Churchill, later famous Prime Minister during World War II
.

By the time of the 1707

Scots Greys were designated the 4th Dragoons because there were three English regiments raised prior to 1688 when the Scots Greys were first placed in the English establishment. In 1713, when a new board of general officers was convened to decide the rank of several regiments, the seniority of the Scots Greys was reassessed and based on their June 1685 entry into England. At that time there was only one English regiment of dragoons, and the Scots Greys eventually received the British Army rank of 2nd Dragoons.[35]

British Empire (1700–1914)

Main articles: British Army during the American Revolutionary War, British Army during the Napoleonic Wars, and British Army during the Victorian Era

After 1700, British continental policy was to contain expansion by competing powers such as France and Spain. Although Spain was the dominant global power during the previous two centuries and the chief threat to England's early trans-Atlantic colonial ambitions, its influence was now waning. The territorial ambitions of the French, however, led to the War of the Spanish Succession[36] and the later Napoleonic Wars.[37]

Although the

British India and the Russian Empire)[49] and the Crimean War (to keep the Russian Empire to the north on the Black Sea at a safe distance by aiding the Ottoman Empire).[50] Like the English Army, the British Army fought the kingdoms of Spain, France (including the First French Empire) and the Netherlands (Dutch Republic) for supremacy in North America and the West Indies. With native and provincial and colonial assistance, the Army conquered New France in the French and Indian War (North American theatre) of the parallel Seven Years' War[39] and suppressed a Native / Indian North Americans uprising in Pontiac's War around the Great Lakes.[51] The British Army was defeated in the American Revolutionary War, losing the Thirteen Colonies but retaining The Canadas and The Maritimes as in British North America, including Bermuda (originally part of the Colony of Virginia, and which had been originally strongly sympathetic to the American colonial rebels early in the war).[52]

Halifax, Nova Scotia and Bermuda were to become Imperial fortresses (although Bermuda, being safer from attack over water and impervious to attack overland, quickly became the most important in British North America), along with Malta and Gibraltar, providing bases in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea for Royal Navy squadrons to control the oceans and trade routes, and heavily garrisoned by the British Army both for defence of the bases and to provide mobile military forces to work with the Navy in amphibious operations throughout their regions.[53][54][55][56][57]

Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle of Waterloo

The British Army was heavily involved in the

Field Marshal von Blücher finally defeated Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815.[58]

The English were involved politically and militarily in Ireland. The campaign of English republican Protector

United Irishmen) in the 1798 rebellion.[59]

Painting of the Battle of Rorke's Drift, with a building burning
In the 1879 Battle of Rorke's Drift, a small British force repelled an attack by overwhelming Zulu forces; eleven Victoria Crosses were awarded for its defence.

In addition to battling the armies of other European empires (and its former colonies, the United States, in the

Volunteer Force after the Napoleonic Wars led to series of reforms following the failures of the Crimean War.[61]

Inspired by the successes of the

forces that were auxiliary to the British Army (or Regular Force), but not originally part of it: the Yeomanry, Militia (or Constitutional Force) and Volunteer Force. These were consequently also referred to as Auxiliary Forces or Local Forces.[62]

The late-19th-century

regimental system.[63] The 1907 Haldane Reforms created the Territorial Force as the army's volunteer reserve component, merging and reorganising the Volunteer Force, Militia and Yeomanry.[64]

World Wars (1914–1945)

Main articles: British Army during the First World War and British Army during the Second World War
Mark I tank; the guidance wheels behind the main body were later scrapped as unnecessary. Armoured vehicles of the era required considerable infantry and artillery support. (Photo by Ernest Brooks
)
Bagpiper leading a line of soldiers though thigh-high growth
Led by their piper, men of the 7th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders (part of the 46th (Highland) Brigade), advance through Normandy during Operation Epsom on 26 June 1944

Great Britain was challenged by other powers, primarily the

Austro-Hungarian Empire).[65]

When the First World War broke out in August 1914 the British Army sent the

Gallipoli, an unsuccessful attempt to capture Constantinople and secure a sea route to Russia.[67]

The First World War was the most devastating in British military history, with nearly 800,000 men killed and over two million wounded. Early in the war, the BEF was virtually destroyed and was replaced first by volunteers and then by a conscript force. Major battles included those at the Somme and Passchendaele.[68] Advances in technology saw the advent of the tank[69] (and the creation of the Royal Tank Regiment) and advances in aircraft design (and the creation of the Royal Flying Corps) which would be decisive in future battles.[70] Trench warfare dominated Western Front strategy for most of the war, and the use of chemical weapons (disabling and poison gases) added to the devastation.[71]

The

German Army's invasion of Poland.[72] British assurances to the Poles led the British Empire to declare war on Germany. As in the First World War, a relatively small BEF was sent to France[72] but then hastily evacuated from Dunkirk as the German forces swept through the Low Countries and across France in May 1940.[73]

After the British Army recovered from its earlier defeats, it defeated the Germans and Italians at the

Burma Campaign and regained the British Far Eastern colonial possessions.[77]

Postcolonial era (1945–2000)

1945 Order of Precedence of the British Army

After the Second World War the British Army was significantly reduced in size, although

decolonisation begin with the partition and independence
of India and Pakistan, followed by the independence of British colonies in Africa and Asia.

The Corps Warrant, which is the official list of which bodies of the British Military (not to be confused with naval) Forces were to be considered Corps of the British Army for the purposes of the Army Act, the Reserve Forces Act, 1882, and the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act, 1907, had not been updated since 1926 (Army Order 49 of 1926), although amendments had been made up to and including Army Order 67 of 1950. A new Corps Warrant was declared in 1951.

Although the British Army was a major participant in

Kenya[83] and Malaya.[84] In 1982, the British Army and the Royal Marines helped liberate the Falkland Islands during the conflict with Argentina after that country's invasion of the British territory.[85]

In the three decades following 1969, the army was heavily deployed in

Royal Irish Regiment in 1992 before it was disbanded in 2006. Over 700 soldiers were killed during the Troubles. Following the 1994–1996 IRA ceasefires and since 1997, demilitarisation has been part of the peace process and the military presence has been reduced.[87] On 25 June 2007 the 2nd Battalion of the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment left the army complex in Bessbrook, County Armagh, ending the longest operation in British Army history.[88]

Persian Gulf War

Main articles: Gulf War and Operation Granby
An armoured personnel carrier flying the Union Jack
British APC passing by wrecked and abandoned vehicles along the "Highway of Death" in 1991.

The British Army contributed 50,000 troops to the coalition which fought Iraq in the Persian Gulf War,[89] and British forces controlled Kuwait after its liberation. Forty-seven British military personnel died during the war.[90]

Balkan conflicts

British Army vehicles in a staging area before being deployed to Bosnia
Main article: Yugoslav Wars

The army was deployed to former Yugoslavia in 1992. Initially part of the United Nations Protection Force,[91] in 1995 its command was transferred to the Implementation Force (IFOR) and then to the Stabilisation Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina (SFOR);[92] the commitment rose to over 10,000 troops. In 1999, British forces under SFOR command were sent to Kosovo and the contingent increased to 19,000 troops.[93] Between early 1993 and June 2010, 72 British military personnel died during operations in the former Yugoslavian countries of Bosnia, Kosovo and Macedonia.[94]

The Troubles

Although there have been permanent garrisons in Northern Ireland throughout its history, the British Army was deployed as a peacekeeping force from 1969 to 2007 in Operation Banner.[95] Initially, this was (in the wake of unionist attacks on nationalist communities in Derry[96] and Belfast)[97] to prevent further loyalist attacks on Catholic communities; it developed into support of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) and its successor, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) against the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA).[98] Under the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, there was a gradual reduction in the number of soldiers deployed.[99] In 2005, after the PIRA declared a ceasefire, the British Army dismantled posts, withdrew many troops and restored troop levels to those of a peacetime garrison.[100]

Operation Banner ended at midnight on 31 July 2007 after about 38 years of continuous deployment, the longest in British Army history.[101] According to an internal document released in 2007, the British Army had failed to defeat the IRA but made it impossible for them to win by violence. Operation Helvetic replaced Operation Banner in 2007, maintaining fewer service personnel in a more-benign environment.[101][102] Of the 300,000 troops who served in Northern Ireland since 1969, there were 763 British military personnel killed[103] and 306 killed by the British military, mostly civilians.[104] An estimated 100 soldiers committed suicide during Operation Banner or soon afterwards and a similar number died in accidents. A total of 6,116 were wounded.[105]

Sierra Leone

Main article: British military intervention in the Sierra Leone Civil War

The British Army deployed to Sierra Leone for

West African Ebola virus epidemic.[106]

Recent history (2000–present)

War in Afghanistan

Main article: War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
Armed soldiers in and around a military vehicle
Royal Anglian Regiment in Helmand Province

In November 2001, as part of

Camp Bastion on 26 October 2014,[111] but the British Army maintained a deployment in Afghanistan as part of Operation Toral.[112]

Following an announcement by the US Government of the end of their operations in the Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence announced in April 2021 that British forces would withdraw from the country by 11 September 2021.[113] It was later reported that all UK troops would be out by early July.[114] Following the collapse of the Afghan Army, and the completion of the withdrawal of civilians, all British troops had left by the end of August 2021.[115]

Iraq War

Main articles:
Operation Telic
81mm mortar south of Basra

In 2003, the United Kingdom was a major contributor to the

Islamic State (ISIL).[118]

Recent military aid

Main articles:
Military Aid to the Civil Authorities

The British Army maintains a standing liability to support the civil authorities in certain circumstances, usually in either niche capabilities (e.g. explosive ordnance removal) or in general support of the civil authorities when their capacity is exceeded.[119][120] In recent years this has been seen as army personnel supporting the civil authorities in the face of the 2001 United Kingdom foot-and-mouth outbreak, the 2002 firefighters strike, widespread flooding in 2005, 2007, 2009, 2013 and 2014, Operation Temperer following the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017 and, most recently, Operation Rescript during the COVID-19 pandemic.[121][122]

Eastern Europe

Since 2016, the British Army has maintained a presence in Eastern Europe in support of the

2014 Russian annexation of Crimea. The British Army leads a multinational armoured battlegroup in Estonia under Operation Cabrit and contributes troops to another military battle group in Poland.[123]

Between 2015 and 2022, the British Army deployed Short Term Training Teams (STTTs) to Ukraine under Operation Orbital to help train the Armed Forces of Ukraine against further Russian aggression.[124] This operation was succeeded by Operation Interflex in July 2022.[125]

Modern army

Personnel

The Blues and Royals Trooping the Colour in 2013

The British Army has been a volunteer force since national service ended during the 1960s.[78] Since the creation of the part-time, reserve Territorial Force in 1908 (renamed the Army Reserve in 2014), the full-time British Army has been known as the Regular Army. In July 2020 there were just over 78,800 Regulars, with a target strength of 82,000, and just over 30,000 Army Reservists, with a target strength of 30,000.[126] All former Regular Army personnel may also be recalled to duty in exceptional circumstances during the 6-year period following completion of their Regular service, which creates an additional force known as the Regular Reserve.[127]

The table below illustrates British Army personnel figures from 1710 to 2020.

British Army strength[143][144]

(1707–1810)
(1810–1921)
(1930– Present)
Year Regular Army Year Regular Army Year Regular Army Army Reserve Total
1710 68,000 1820 93,000 1930 188,000 —
1720 20,000 1830 89,000 1945 2,930,000 Included in Regular 3,120,000
1730 17,000 1838 89,000 1950 364,000 83,000 447,000
1740 46,000 1840 94,000 1960 258,000 120,000 387,000
1750 79,000 1850 99,000 1970 174,000 80,000 256,000
1760 65,000 1860 236,000 1980 159,000 63,000 222,000
1770 24,000 1870 185,000 1990 153,000 73,000 226,000
1780 35,000 1880 165,000 2000 110,000 45,000 155,000
1790 17,000 1890 210,000 2010 109,000 29,000 142,000
1800 80,000 1900 302,000 2015 87,000 25,000 119,000
1810 99,000 1918 3,838,000 2020 79,000 30,000 116,000

Equipment

Main article: List of equipment of the British Army

Infantry

The British Army's basic weapon is the 5.56 mm

L403A1, an AR-pattern rifle also used by the Royal Marines.[147]

Some soldiers are equipped with the 7.62mm

AW50F, all manufactured by Accuracy International.[150] The British Army utilises the Glock 17 as its side arm.[146]

Anti tank guided weapons include the Javelin, the medium range anti-tank guided weapon replacement for Milan, with overfly and direct attack modes of operation, and the NLAW. The Next-generation Light Anti-tank Weapon (NLAW) is the first, non-expert, short-range, anti-tank missile that rapidly knocks out any main battle tank in just one shot by striking it from above.[151]

Armour

The army's

Supacat "Jackal" MWMIK and Coyote tactical support vehicle for reconnaissance and fire support.[156]

Artillery

The army has three main artillery systems: the

Starstreak HVM (high-velocity missile) launched by a single soldier or from a Stormer HVM vehicle-mounted launcher.[163]

Protected mobility

Where armour is not required or mobility and speed are favoured the British Army utilises protected patrol vehicles, such as the Panther variant of the Iveco LMV, the Foxhound, and variants of the Cougar family (such as the Ridgeback, Husky and Mastiff).[164] For day-to-day utility work the army commonly uses the Land Rover Wolf, which is based on the Land Rover Defender.[165]

Engineers, utility and signals

Specialist engineering vehicles include bomb-disposal robots such as the T7 Multi-Mission Robotic System and the modern variants of the Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers, including the Titan bridge-layer, Trojan Armoured-engineer vehicle, Terrier Armoured Digger and Python Minefield Breaching System.[166] Day-to-day utility work uses a series of support vehicles, including six-, nine- and fifteen-tonne MAN trucks, Oshkosh heavy-equipment transporters (HET), close-support tankers, quad bikes and ambulances.[167][168] Tactical communication uses the Bowman radio system, and operational or strategic communication is controlled by the Royal Corps of Signals.[169]

Aviation

The

Eurocopter AS 365N Dauphin is used for special operations aviation.[174] The army operates two unmanned aerial vehicles ('UAV's) in a surveillance role: the small Lockheed Martin Desert Hawk III and the larger Thales Watchkeeper WK450.[175][176]

Current deployments

Low-intensity operations

Location Date Details
Iraq Since 2014 Operation Shader: The UK has a leading role in the 67-member Global Coalition committed to defeating ISIL. The coalition includes Iraq, European nations and the US. British soldiers are not in a combat role in Iraq but are on the ground with coalition partners providing training and equipment to Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) and Kurdish Security Forces (KSF). There were approximately 400 military personnel in Iraq in 2020.[177]
Cyprus Since 1964 Operation Tosca: There were 275 troops deployed as part of the UNFICYP in 2016.[178]
Estonia Since 2017 NATO Enhanced Forward Presence: The British Army deploys approximately 900 troops to Estonia and 150 to Poland as part of its commitment to NATO.[179]
Africa Since 2019 The British Army maintains several short-term military training teams to help build the capacity of national military forces, ensuring a number of states across Africa can respond appropriately and proportionally to the security threats they face, including terrorism, the illegal wildlife trade, violations of human rights and emerging humanitarian crises.[142]

Permanent overseas postings

Location Date Details
Belize 1949 British Army Training and Support Unit Belize: The British Army has maintained a presence in Belize since its independence. Currently the British Army Training Support Unit in Belize enables close country and tropical environment training to troops from the UK and international partners.[180]
Bermuda 1701
Aide-de-Camp to the Governor of Bermuda (today normally a Captain from the Royal Bermuda Regiment employed full-time for the duration of the appointment) were withdrawn. Home defence has been provided by the Royal Bermuda Regiment since formed by the 1965 amalgamation of the BMA and Bermuda Rifles.[182]
Brunei 1962
Omar Ali Saifuddin III. Training Team Brunei (TTB) is the Army's jungle-warfare school, and a small number of garrison troops support the battalion. 7 Flight AAC formerly provided helicopter support to the Gurkha battalion and TTB[183] but its role has since been assumed by No. 1563 Flight RAF
.
Canada 1972
Canadian Forces under agreement with the government of Canada. British forces conduct regular, major armoured training exercises every year, with helicopter support provided by 29 (BATUS) Flight AAC.[184][185]
Cyprus 1960 2 resident infantry battalions,
Sovereign Base Areas on Cyprus after the rest of the island's independence, which are forward bases for deployments to the Middle East. Principal facilities are Alexander Barracks at Dhekelia and Salamanca Barracks at Episkopi.[186]
Falkland Islands 1982 Part of
British Forces South Atlantic Islands: After the 1982 conflict, the UK established a garrison on the Falkland Islands, consisting of naval, land and air elements. The British Army contribution consists of an infantry company group, a Royal Artillery Battery and an Engineer Squadron.[187]
Gibraltar 1704 Part of British Forces Gibraltar: The Army has had a presence in Gibraltar for more than 300 years. The people of Gibraltar took up arms as the Gibraltar Volunteer Corps from 1915 to 1920 and again as the Gibraltar Defence Force shortly before the outbreak of WW2. This force later became the Royal Gibraltar Regiment, which remains as the only formed Army unit in Gibraltar.[188]
Kenya 2010 British Army Training Unit Kenya: The army has a training centre in Kenya. BATUK is a permanent training support unit based mainly in Nanyuki, 200 km north of Nairobi. BATUK provides demanding training to exercising units preparing to deploy on operations or assume high-readiness tasks. BATUK consists of around 100 permanent staff and reinforcing short tour cohort of another 280 personnel. Under an agreement with the Kenyan Government, up to six infantry battalions per year carry out eight-week exercises in Kenya.[142] There are also Royal Engineer exercises, which carry out civil engineering projects, and medical deployments, which provide primary health care assistance to the civilian community., under an agreement with the Kenyan government, which provides training facilities for 3 infantry battalions per year.[189]
Oman 2019 Omani-British Joint Training Area: A training area for combined arms battlegroup training, jointly maintained with the Royal Army of Oman.[190]

Structure

Arms of the British Army
Combat Arms
Combat Support Arms
Combat Services
Main articles: for the current organization and for the Future Soldier organization

Home Command, each commanded by a lieutenant general.[191] These two Commands serve distinct purposes and are divided into a structure of divisions and brigades, which themselves consist of a complex mix of smaller units such as Battalions. British Army units are either full-time 'Regular' units, or part-time Army Reserve units.[192]

Field Army

Main article: Field Army (United Kingdom)

Led by

Commander Field Army, the Field Army is responsible for generating and preparing forces for current and contingency operations. The Field Army comprises:[191]

Home Command

Main article: Home Command (British Army)

Home Command is the British Army's supporting command; a generating, recruiting and training force that supports the Field Army and delivers UK resilience.[191] It comprises

  • Army Personnel Centre, which deals with personnel issues and liaises with outside agencies.[193]
  • Army Personnel Services Group, which supports personnel administration[191]
  • Army Recruiting and Initial Training Command, which is responsible for all recruiting and training of Officers and Soldiers.[191]
  • London District Command, which is the main headquarters for all British Army units within the M25 corridor of London. It also provides for London's ceremonial events as well as supporting operational deployments overseas.[194]
  • Regional Command, which enables the delivery of a secure home front that sustains the Army, notably helping to coordinate the British Army's support to the civil authorities, overseeing the British Army's Welfare Service, and delivering the British Army's civil engagement mission.[195]
  • Standing Joint Command, which coordinates defence's contribution to UK resilience operations in support of other government departments.[196]

Special Forces

Emblem of a winged sword with the motto, "Who dares, wins"
SAS cap badge

The British Army contributes two of the three special forces formations to the United Kingdom Special Forces directorate: the Special Air Service (SAS) and Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR).[197] The SAS consists of one regular and two reserve regiments.[198] The regular regiment, 22 SAS, has its headquarters at Stirling Lines, Credenhill, Herefordshire. It consists of 5 squadrons (A, B, D, G and Reserve) and a training wing.[199] 22 SAS is supported by 2 reserve regiments, 21 SAS and 23 SAS, which collectively form the Special Air Service (Reserve) (SAS [R]), who in 2020 were transferred back under the command of Director of Special Forces after previously being under the command of the 1st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Brigade.[200] The SRR, formed in 2005, performs close reconnaissance and special surveillance tasks.[197] The Special Forces Support Group, under the operational control of the Director of Special Forces, provides operational manoeuvring support to the United Kingdom Special Forces.[201]

Colonial units

1939 Dominion and Colonial Regiments

The British Army historically included many units from what are now separate

Colonial militias defended colonies single-handedly at first against indigenous peoples and European competitors. Once the standing English Army, later the British Army, came into existence and began to garrison the colonies, the colonial militias fought side by side with it in a number of wars, including the Seven Years' War. Some of the colonial militias rebelled during the American War of Independence. The militia fought alongside the regular British Army (and native allies) in defending British North America from their former countrymen during the War of 1812.[202]

Camp Lejeune
in 2018

Locally raised units in strategically located Imperial fortress colonies (including: Nova Scotia before the Canadian Confederation; Bermuda – which was treated as part of The Maritimes under the Commander-in-Chief at Nova Scotia until Canadian Confederation; Gibraltar; and Malta) and the Channel Islands were generally maintained from army funds and more fully integrated into the British Army as evident from their appearances in British Army lists, unlike units such as the King's African Rifles.[203]

The larger colonies (Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, etc.) mostly achieved Commonwealth Dominion status before or after the First World War and were granted full legislative independence in 1931. While remaining within the British Empire, this placed their governments on a par with the British government, and hence their military units comprised separate armies (e.g. the Australian Army), although Canada retained the term "militia" for its military forces until the Second World War. From the 1940s, these dominions and many colonies chose full independence, usually becoming Commonwealth realms (as member states of the Commonwealth are known today).[204][205]

Units raised in

Legislatures, as was the case with British Hong Kong) that are part of the British realm remain under British Government control. As the territorial governments are delegated responsibility only for internal government, the UK Government, as the government of the Sovereign state, retains responsibility for national security and the defence of the fourteen remaining British Overseas Territories,[206]
of which six have locally raised regiments:

Levels of Command

The structure of the British Army beneath the level of Divisions and Brigades is also hierarchical and command is based on rank. The table below details how many units within the British Army are structured, although there can be considerable variation between individual units:[191]

Type of unit Division Brigade Battlegroup Battalion, Regiment Company, Squadron, Battery Platoon or Troop Section Fire team
Contains 3 brigades 3–5 battalions (battlegroups) Combined arms unit 4–6 companies 3 platoons 3 sections 2 fire teams 4 individuals
Personnel 10,000 5,000 700–1,000 720 120 30 8–10 4
Commanded by
Maj-Gen
 Brig
Lt Col
 Lt Col Major
2nd Lt
 Cpl LCpl

Whilst many units are organised as Battalions or Regiments administratively, the most common fighting unit is the combined arms unit known as a Battlegroup. This is formed around a combat unit and supported by units (or sub-units) from other capabilities. An example of a battlegroup would be two companies of armoured infantry (e.g. from the 1st Battalion of the Mercian Regiment), one squadron of heavy armour (e.g. A Squadron of the Royal Tank Regiment), a company of engineers (e.g. B Company of the 22nd Engineer Regiment), a Battery of artillery (e.g. D Battery of the 1st Regiment of the Royal Horse Artillery) and smaller attachments from medical, logistic and intelligence units. Typically organised and commanded by a battlegroup headquarters and named after the unit which provided the most combat units, in this example, it would be the 1 Mercian Battlegroup. This creates a self-sustaining mixed formation of armour, infantry, artillery, engineers and support units, commanded by a lieutenant colonel.[214]

Recruitment

Main article: Recruitment in the British Army
World War I recruiting poster, with Lord Kitchener pointing at the viewer
One of the most recognisable recruiting posters of the British Army; from World War I, with Lord Kitchener

The British Army primarily recruits from within the United Kingdom, but accept applications from all British citizens. It also accepts applications from Irish citizens and Commonwealth citizens, with certain restrictions.[215] Since 2018 the British Army has been an equal-opportunity employer (with some legal exceptions due to medical standards), and does not discriminate based on race, religion or sexual orientation.[216] Applicants for the Regular Army must be a minimum age of 16, although soldiers under 18 may not serve in operations, and the maximum age is 36. Applicants for the Army Reserve must be a minimum of 17 years and 9 months, and a maximum age of 43. Different age limits apply for Officers and those in some specialist roles. Applicants must also meet several other requirements, notably regarding medical health, physical fitness, past-criminal convictions, education, and regarding any tattoos and piercings.[215]

Soldiers and officers in the Regular Army now enlist for an initial period of 12 years, with options to extend if they meet certain requirements. Soldiers and officers are normally required to serve for a minimum of 4 years from date of enlistment and must give 12 months' notice before leaving; soldiers who joined before the age of 18 years old are normally required to serve for a minimum of 6 years.[217]

Oath of allegiance

All soldiers and commissioned officers must take an oath of allegiance upon joining the Army, a process known as attestation. Those who wish to swear by God use the following words:[10]

I, [soldier's or commissioned officer's name], swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to

crown and dignity against all enemies and will observe and obey all orders of His Majesty, his heirs, and successors and of the generals and officers set over me.[218]

Others replace the words "swear by Almighty God" with "solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm".[10]

Training

Red-brick buildings with large windows
New College buildings at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
See also:
initial military training, to bring all personnel to a similar standard in basic military skills, which is known as Phase 1 training. They then undertake further specialist trade-training for their specific Regiment or Corps, known as Phase 2 training. After completing Phase 1 training a soldier is counted against the Army's trained strength, and upon completion of Phase 2 are counted against the Army's fully trained trade strength.[219]

Soldiers under the age of 17 and 6 months will complete Phase 1 training at the

Army Training Regiment, Winchester, and then complete Phase 2 training at different locations depending on their specialism.[219] Officers conduct their initial training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS),[221] before also completing their Phase 2 training at multiple different locations.[219]

Flags and ensigns

See also: Regulation Colours

The British Army's official flag is the

colours—normally a Regimental Colour and a King's Colour (the Union Jack). Historically these were carried into battle as a rallying point for the soldiers and were closely guarded. In modern units the colours are often prominently displayed, decorated with battle honours, and act as a focal point for Regimental pride.[223] A soldier re-joining a regiment (upon recall from the reserve) is described as re-called to the Colours.[224]

Ranks and insignia

Main articles: British Army officer rank insignia and British Army other ranks rank insignia
British Army officer rank insignia
NATO rank scale OF-10 OF-9 OF-8 OF-7 OF-6 OF-5 OF-4 OF-3 OF-2 OF-1 OF(D)
United Kingdom Epaulette rank insignia
Rank:[225]
Field marshal[note 2]
 General Lieutenant-general
Major-general
 Brigadier Colonel Lieutenant colonel Major Captain Lieutenant Second lieutenant Officer cadet
Abbreviation: FM Gen Lt Gen Maj Gen Brig Col Lt Col Maj Capt Lt 2Lt OCdt
British Army other rank insignia
NATO Code OR-9 OR-8 OR-7 OR-6 OR-5 OR-4 OR-3 OR-2 OR-1
United Kingdom Rank Insignia (
View
) 		Warrant Officer class 1 Staff Sergeant Sergeant Corporal Lance corporal No insignia
Rank Title:[226]
Warrant Officer class 1
Warrant Officer class 2
Colour Sergeant
 Sergeant Corporal Lance corporal Private (or equivalent)
Abbreviation: WO1 WO2 SSgt/CSgt Sgt Cpl LCpl Pte

Most ranks across the British Army are known by the same name regardless of which Regiment they are in. However, the Household Cavalry call many ranks by different names, the Royal Artillery refer to Corporals as Bombardiers, the Rifles spell Sergeant as Serjeant,[227] and Private soldiers are known by a wide variety of titles; notably trooper, gunner, guardsman, kingsman, sapper, signaller, fusilier, craftsman and rifleman dependant on the Regiment they belong to.[228] These names do not affect a soldier's pay or role.[229]

Reserve forces

Main article: Army Reserve (United Kingdom)

The oldest of the Reserve Forces was the Militia Force (also referred to as the Constitutional Force),[230][231][232][233] which (in the Kingdom of England, prior to 1707) was originally the main military defensive force (there otherwise were originally only Royal bodyguards, including the Yeomen Warders and the Yeomen of the Guard, with armies raised only temporarily for expeditions overseas), made up of civilians embodied for annual training or emergencies, which had used various schemes of compulsory service during different periods of its long existence. From the 1850s it recruited volunteers who engaged for terms of service. The Militia was originally an all-infantry force, though Militia coastal artillery, field artillery, and engineers units were introduced from the 1850s,[234] organised at the city or county level, and members were not required to serve outside of their recruitment area, although the area within which militia units in Britain could be posted was increased to anywhere in the Britain during the Eighteenth Century.

Volunteer Force units were also frequently raised during wartime and disbanded upon peace. This was re-established as a permanent (i.e., in war and peace) part of the Reserve Forces in 1859. It differed from the Militia in a number of ways, most particularly in that volunteers did not commit to a term service, and were able to resign with fourteen days notice (except while embodied). As volunteer soldiers were originally expected to fund the cost of their own equipment, few tended to come from the labouring class among whom the Militia primarily recruited.[235][236]

The Yeomanry Force was made up of mounted units, organised similarly to the Volunteer Force, first raised during the two decades of war with France that followed the French Revolution. As with the Volunteers, members of the Yeomanry were expected to foot much of the cost of their own equipment, including their horses, and the make-up of the units tended to be from more affluent classes.[237][238]

Although Militia regiments were linked with British Army regiments during the course of the Napoleonic Wars to feed volunteers for service abroad into the regular army, and volunteers from the Reserve Forces served abroad either individually or in contingents, service companies, or battalions in a succession of conflicts from the Crimean War to the Second Boer War, personnel did not normally move between forces unless re-attested as a member of the new force, and units did not normally move from the Reserve Forces to become part of the Regular Forces, or vice versa. There were exceptions, however, as with the New Brunswick Regiment of Fencible Infantry, raised in 1803, which became the 104th (New Brunswick) Regiment of Foot when it was transferred to the British Army on 13 September 1810.[239]

Another type of reserve force was created during the period between the French Revolution and the end of the Napoleonic Wars. Called Fencibles, these were disbanded after the Napoleonic Wars and not raised again, although the Royal Malta Fencible Regiment, later the Royal Malta Fencible Artillery, existed from 1815 until the 1880s when it became the Royal Malta Artillery,[240] and the Royal New Zealand Fencible Corps was formed in 1846.[241][242]

The Reserve Forces were raised locally (in Britain, under the control of

Mutiny Act did not apply to members of the Reserve Forces. The Reserve Forces within the British Isles were increasingly integrated with the British Army through a succession of reforms (beginning with the Cardwell Reforms) of the British military forces over the last two decades of the Nineteenth Century and the early years of the Twentieth Century, whereby the Reserve Forces units mostly lost their own identities and became numbered Militia or Volunteer battalions of regular British Army corps or regiments.[243]

In 1908, the Yeomanry and Volunteer Force were merged to create the

Canadian confederation; Bermuda; Gibraltar; and Malta).[247][248][249]

The Bermuda Militia Artillery, Bermuda Militia Infantry, Bermuda Volunteer Engineers, and the Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps,[250][234] by example were paid for by the War Office and considered part of the British Army, with their officers appearing in the Army List unlike those of many other colonial units deemed auxiliaries. Today, the British Army is the only Home British military force, including the various other forces it has absorbed, though British military units organised on Territorial Army lines remain in British Overseas Territories that are still not considered formally part of the British Army, with only the Royal Gibraltar Regiment and the Royal Bermuda Regiment (an amalgam of the old Bermuda Militia Artillery and Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps) appearing on the British Army order-of-precedence and in the Army List, as well as on the Corps Warrant (the official list of those British military forces that are considered corps of the British Army).[251][252][253][254][255][256][257][258]

Uniforms

Further information: Uniforms of the British Army

The British Army uniform has sixteen categories, ranging from ceremonial uniforms to combat dress to evening wear. No. 8 Dress, the day-to-day uniform, is known as "Personal Clothing System – Combat Uniform" (PCS-CU)[259] and consists of a Multi-Terrain Pattern (MTP) windproof smock, a lightweight jacket and trousers with ancillary items such as thermals and waterproofs.[260] The army has introduced tactical recognition flashes (TRFs); worn on the right arm of a combat uniform, the insignia denotes the wearer's regiment or corps.[261] In addition to working dress, the army has a number of parade uniforms for ceremonial and non-ceremonial occasions. The most-commonly-seen uniforms are No.1 Dress (full ceremonial, seen at formal occasions such as at the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace) and No.2 Dress (Service Dress), a brown khaki uniform worn for non-ceremonial parades.[260][262]

Working headdress is typically a beret, whose colour indicates its wearer's type of regiment. Beret colours are:[263]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ English/Scottish parliamentary control 1689, British parliamentary control 1707.[3]
  2. ^ The rank of Field Marshal has become an honorary/ceremonial rank; the last active officer to be promoted to the rank was in 1994.

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Bibliography

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