Ghana Regiment

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Ghana Regiment of Infantry
Active1879–Present
Country 
Takoradi
3rd Battalion – Sunyani
4th Battalion – Kumasi
5th BattalionAccra
6th Battalion – Tamale
EngagementsWorld War I

World War II

  • East African Campaign
  • Burma Campaign
United Nations Mission in Liberia
Commanders
Colonel-in-ChiefPresident of Ghana

The Ghana Regiment is an infantry regiment that forms the main fighting element of the Ghanaian Army (GA).

History

The regiment was formed in 1879 as the Gold Coast Constabulary, from personnel of the Hausa Constabulary of Southern Nigeria, to perform internal security and police duties in the British colony of the Gold Coast. In this guise, the regiment earned its first battle honour as part of the Ashanti campaign.[1]

The Gold Coast Constabulary was renamed in 1901 as the Gold Coast Regiment, following the foundation of the

24th Gold Coast Brigade,[2] and the 2nd (West Africa) Infantry Brigade.[1] The age of soldiers enlisted into the military could vary greatly between 7 and 50 years, whereas the majority (90 per cent) was between 18 and 30 years.[3]

In 1957, the Gold Coast became the first sub-Saharan nation to be granted independence from Great Britain. In 1959, the Gold Coast Military Forces, including the Gold Coast Regiment, were withdrawn from the Royal West African Frontier Force. With the country's change of name to Ghana, the regiment was renamed the Ghana Regiment.[1]

Present form

Today, the regiment forms the bulk of the Ghanaian Army, with a total of six battalions, divided equally between the army's two

UN
deployments and joint-operations.

Battle honours

Alhaji Grunshi fired the first British shot of the First World War
  • Ashantee 1873–18741, Ashanti 1900
  • The Great War
(5 battalions): Narungombe, East Africa 1916–18, Kamina, Duala, Cameroons 1914–16
  • The
    Second World War
Wal Garis, El Wak, Juba, Bulo Erillo, Gelib, Alessandra, Wadara,
Abyssinia 1940–41
, North Arakan, Kaladan, Tinma, Mayu Valley, Myohaung, Arakan Beaches, Kangaw, Taungup, Burma 1943–45

1. Awarded for service of Hausa Constabulary.

See also

Alliances

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Combat Supprt [sic] Arms". Gaf.mil.gh. Ghana Armed Forces. Retrieved 2014-04-26.
  2. ^ Haywood, Brigadier F. A. S.; Clarke, Colonel A., eds. (1 January 1964). The History of the Royal West African Frontier Force. Aldershot, UK: Gale and Polden Ltd. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  3. ^ Baten, Jörg; Austin, Gareth; Moradi, Alexander (1 January 2007). Exploring the Evolution of Living Standards in Ghana, 1880–2000: An Anthropometric Approach (Report). Vol. III – via ResearchGate.