Mercian Regiment
Mercian Regiment (Cheshire, Worcesters and Foresters, and Staffords) | |
---|---|
4th Battalion - Wolverhampton | |
Nickname(s) | The Heart of England's Infantry |
Motto(s) | "Stand Firm Strike Hard" |
March | Wha Wadna Fecht for Charlie/Under the Double Eagle (Quick)[2] Stand Firm and Strike Hard (Slow) |
Mascot(s) | Ram (Lance Corporal Derby XXXII) |
Engagements |
|
Commanders | |
Colonel-in-Chief | The Prince of Wales |
Colonel of the Regiment | Lieutenant General Ian Cave |
Insignia | |
Tactical Recognition Flash | |
Arm Badge | Stafford Knot and Glider From Staffordshire Regiment |
Abbreviation | MERCIAN MERC |
The Mercian Regiment (Cheshire, Worcesters and Foresters, and Staffords) 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.[3]
History
The regiment's formation was announced on 16 December 2004 by the then
The antecedent regiments were, The 1st Battalion,
The regiment originally had 3
The regiment was deployed to Afghanistan (Herrick 6, Herrick 10, Herrick 12, Herrick 14, Herrick 15, Herrick 17 and Herrick 19) and to Iraq (Telic 11).[11]
In 2017 the regiment moved to the King's Division.[12]
Structure
Regimental Headquarters
The regimental headquarters is situated at DMS Whittington in Lichfield, with outstations in Chester and Nottingham.[13]
1st Battalion
The 1st Battalion has deployed on five operational tours since its formation in 2007, one to Iraq, two to Afghanistan, one to Ukraine, and one to Estonia. It is an armoured infantry battalion, part of the 12th Armoured Brigade Combat Team[14] based at Bulford Camp, England.[15][16][17]
4th Battalion
The
Regimental Distinctions
The regiment's cap badge is a double headed Mercian Eagle with
In 2012, following the announcement that the 3rd Battalion (ex-Staffordshire Regiment) was to be disbanded, a proposal was submitted to the Army to have the name of the Mercian Regiment changed to reflect its entire lineage and maintain the Staffords name.[21] In July 2014, this proposal was approved, and the regiment was renamed as The Mercian Regiment (Cheshire, Worcesters and Foresters, and Staffords).[22]
Mascot
"Derby", a
In December 2017 Private Derby XXXII was presented to the Regiment[26] by the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire at Chatsworth House.[27] Private Derby was received by Brigadier Williams, OBE, Colonel of the Regiment.[28]
Private Derby led the Tamworth Carnival in 2019.[29] According to his handlers this was the longest March Private Derby has done to date.[30]
The regiment also maintains loose links through its Regimental Headquarters with the former mascot of the Staffordshire Regiment, Watchman, who now carries out his duties as part of the Staffordshire Regiment Association.[31]
Dress
Various "Golden Threads", representing the traditions of predecessor units, are incorporated in the Mercian Regiment's uniform:
- Arm badge: a gold wire Stafford knot and glider badge with a backing of "Brown Holland" material on a black felt patch from the Staffordshire Regiment[32]
- Collar badge: oak leaves and acorn from the Cheshire Regiment combined with the motto Firm from the Worcestershire Regiment[32]
- Facing colour: buff, from the Cheshire Regiment. To be worn on full dress uniform, mess dress and as piping on No.1 dress shoulder straps.[32]
- Sword frog on the Sam Browne Belt comes from the Worcestershire Regiment[33]
- Officer's rank badges will be coloured bronze/gun metal, from the North Staffordshire Regiment[32]
- Warrant officers' and NCO's rank badges: Black backing from Staffordshire Regiment.[32]
- Cap badge backing: A square Lincoln green cloth backing worn behind the cap badge on the beret, from the Sherwood Foresters[32]
- Lanyards: Originally, each battalion wore a distinctively coloured lanyard on No.2 dress: red cerise for the 1st battalion, Lincoln green for the 2nd, black for the 3rd and Mercian blue for the 4th. A regimental pattern with twists of cerise, buff and green was worn by those who were extra-regimentally employed: this multi-coloured lanyard is now worn by all in the regiment.[32]
- Tactical Recognition Flashes: The regiment's TRF is a 3 vertical striped diamond with cerise on the left, buff in the middle and Lincoln green on the right. Each Battalion also has their own, the 1st and 2nd Battalions use their antecedent regiment's flashes, buff and cerise for the 1st and cerise and Lincoln green for the 2nd. The 3rd battalion has a black diamond with the Stafford knot and the 4th Battalion has a blue diamond with the Mercian Eagle on it.[32]
- Regimental Side Hat: black with buff inner crease and green piping and peak. The cap badge is in silver and gold wire embroidery.[32]
- Pullover: Buff, worn by officers and WOs, from the Cheshire Regiment.[32]
- Stable Belt: Buff, from the Cheshire Regiment, with a bronze locket bearing the cap badge in brass.[32]
Band
The Band of the Mercian Regiment is the regimental
On the 1 June 2019, the Mercian Regiment Band led the Tamworth carnival though the town. According to the musicians this was the longest march the band had done to date.[35]
On the 10 October 2019, Mercian Band Bugler Msn Wykes performed the Last Post and Rouse at the National Memorial Arboretum.[36] He then also performed the Last Post and Rouse at the War memorial in St Editha's Church Tamworth, Tamworth being the historical capital of Mercia.[37]
Regimental Museums
The Mercian Regiment supports four museums that hold collections of the Mercian Regiment and its antecedent regiments:
- The Museum of the Mercian Regiment (WFR Collection) in Nottingham.
- The Staffordshire Regiment Museum in Whittington, Staffordshire.
- The Cheshire Military Museum in Chester.
- The Mercian Regiment Museum (Worcester) in Worcester.
Regimental Colonels
- 2007–2008: Maj Gen. C. G. S. Hughes CBE
- 2008–2013: Brig. Andrew Sharpe OBE[38]
- 2013–2018: Brig. Andrew P. Williams OBE[38]
- 2018–present: Lieutenant General Ian J. Cave CB[39]
Lineage
1880[40] | 1881 Childers Reforms[40] | 1921 Name changes | 1957 Defence White Paper | 1966 Defence White Paper | 1990 Options for Change | 2003 Delivering Security in a Changing World |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
22nd (Cheshire) Regiment of Foot
|
The Cheshire Regiment
|
The Mercian Regiment
| ||||
29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot | The Worcestershire Regiment
|
The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment
| ||||
36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot | ||||||
45th (Nottinghamshire) (Sherwood Foresters) Regiment of Foot | The Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment)
| |||||
95th (Derbyshire) Regiment of Foot | ||||||
38th (1st Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot | The South Staffordshire Regiment
|
The Staffordshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's)
| ||||
80th (Staffordshire Volunteers) Regiment of Foot
| ||||||
64th (2nd Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot | The Prince of Wales's (North Staffordshire Regiment)
|
The North Staffordshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's)
| ||||
98th (Prince of Wales's) Regiment of Foot |
Alliances
All of the previous alliances of the three individual regiments were carried over into the Mercian Regiment.
- Antigua and Barbuda - Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force. Allied regiment.
- Australia - 8/7th The Royal Victoria Regiment. Allied regiment.
- Royal 22e Régiment. Allied regiment.
- The Grey and Simcoe Foresters. Allied regiment.
- Canada - The Cape Breton Highlanders. Allied regiment.
- Jamaica - The Jamaica Regiment. Allied regiment.
- Pakistan - 13th Battalion, The Punjab Regiment. Allied regiment.
- Pakistan - 7th Battalion, The Baloch Regiment. Allied regiment.
- India - 5th Battalion (Napiers), Rajputana Rifles. Affiliated regiment.
- 14th Prince of Wales's Own Scinde HorseAffiliated regiment.
- India - Madras Engineer Group. Affiliated regiment.
- United Kingdom - N Battery (The Eagle Troop). Affiliated regiment.
- Royal Navy - HMS Albion. Other affiliation.
- England - The Worshipful Company of Bowyers. Other affiliation.
- France - Régiment de marche du Tchad. Bond of friendship.
Freedoms
The regiment has received the Freedom of several locations throughout its history; these include:[41]
- 1 September 2007: Dudley Metropolitan Borough.
- 1 September 2007: Lichfield.
- 1 September 2007: Stafford.
- 1 September 2007: Stockport. Originally granted to the Cheshire Regiment on 16 October 1969.
- 1 September 2007: Wolverhampton.
- 1 September 2007: Worcester. Originally granted to the Worcestershire Regiment on 15 April 1950.
- 12 September 2007: Derby.
- 14 September 2007: Tamworth.
- 4 October 2007: Erewash. Originally granted to the Worcestershire Regiment in 1951, then to the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment in 1970.
- 15 October 2007: Nottingham. Originally granted to the Sherwood Foresters Regiment on 22 October 1945, then to the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment on 28 February 1970.
- 12 December 2007: Chesterfield. Originally granted to the Sherwood Foresters Regiment in 1946, then to the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment in 1970.
- 18 December 2007: High Peak.
- 18 December 2007: Mansfield.
- 20 February 2008: Newark.
- 12 March 2008: Bassetlaw.
- 12 March 2008: Kidderminster. Originally granted to the Worcestershire Regiment in 1952, then to the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment in 1989.
- 14 March 2008: Dudley.
- 26 March 2008: Chester.
- 4 September 2008: Macclesfield.
- 5 November 2008: Crewe and Nantwich.
- Ellesmere Port & Neston.
- 16 February 2009: Newcastle-under-Lyme.
- 17 February 2009: Walsall.
- 18 February 2009: Sandwell.
- Burton-on-Trent.
- 21 February 2009: Stoke-on-Trent.
- 25 March 2009: Congleton.
- 18 May 2009: Redditch.
- 26 November 2009: Derbyshire Dales.
- 2009: Wirral. Originally granted to the Cheshire Regiment in 1996.
- 26 January 2010: Amber Valley.
- 22 September 2010: Gedling.
- 14 October 2010: Cheshire East.
- 20 October 2010: Reading.
- 11 November 2010: South Derbyshire.
- 2010: Southwell.
- 20 January 2011: Bromsgrove.
- 29 March 2011: Wychavon.
- 7 November 2012: Cannock Chase.
- 21 May 2013: Tameside.
- 2014: Sandbach.
- 17 February 2015: Crewe.[42]
- Unknown: Halton Originally granted to the Cheshire Regiment on 13 July 1989.
Order of precedence
References
- ^ a b c "Army – Question for Ministry of Defence". p. 1. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- ^ "Regimental Quick March - The Mercian Regiment". www.safemusic.co.uk.
- ^ "The Mercian Regiment". The Mercian Regimental Charity. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
- ^ "In detail: army restructuring plans". BBC. 16 December 2004. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
- ^ "Mercian Regiment". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
- ^ "Army Loses 17 Major Units In Defence Cuts". Sky News. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
- ^ "Mercian Regiment: Final marches for disbanded battalion". BBC News. 24 June 2014. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
- ^ "3 Mercian disbanded". Ministry of Defence. Archived from the original on 11 February 2010. Retrieved 19 November 2011.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Mercian Regiment". The Mercian Regimental Charity. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
- ^ "Defence Secretary oral statement on the Defence Command Paper". GOV.UK. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
- ^ "Mercian Regiment". British Army units 1945 on. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
- ^ "The Mercian Regiment Newsletter August 2017" (PDF). Bowyers. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
- ^ "Regimental Headquarters". Retrieved 24 February 2021.
- ^ "British Army Website".
- ^ "1 Mercian". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
- ^ "4th Mechanised Brigade". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
- ^ "Army 2020" (PDF). p. 7. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
- ^ "4 Mercian". The Mercian Regimental Charity. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
- ^ "News". 15 March 2016. Archived from the original on 17 December 2008 – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
- ^ "Regimental Customs and Traditions". The Mercian Regiment. 2009. Archived from the original on 17 August 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2009.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "MoD to look at Staffords endorsement". BBC News. BBC. 10 November 2012. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
- ^ "New regiment will now keep its links to the area". Burton Mail. 3 July 2014. Archived from the original on 20 July 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
- ^ "Derby XXX – a British Army ram promoted to Lance Corporal as regimental mascot – dies". Western Morning News. 4 December 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
- ^ "Mercian Regiment announces new Private Derby XXXI". BBC. 20 February 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
- ^ "Ram mascot of Mercian regiment, Private Derby XXXI, dies after illness". Nottingham Post. 3 September 2013. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
- ^ Video of Private Derby being presented to Regiment, JAMedia-UK, 12 May 2019, archived from the original on 12 December 2021, retrieved 24 July 2019
- ^ Video interview with Duke and Duchess of Devonshire at Chatsworth, JAMedia-UK, 27 May 2019, archived from the original on 12 December 2021, retrieved 24 July 2019
- ^ Brigadier Williams OBE, Mercian Regiment discussing Private Derby, JAMedia-UK, 27 May 2019, archived from the original on 12 December 2021, retrieved 24 July 2019
- ^ Video of Private Derby leading Tamworth Carnival 2019 JAMedia-UK (2 June 2019), Mercians Take Salute Tamworth 2019, archived from the original on 12 December 2021, retrieved 24 July 2019
- ^ Interview with Private Derby's handlers, JAMedia-UK, 2 June 2019, archived from the original on 12 December 2021, retrieved 24 July 2019
- ^ "Stand Firm Strike Hard - 2 MERCIAN". www.stand-firm-strike-hard.org.uk. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Dress Regulations for the Mercian Regiment" (PDF). Ministry of Defence. June 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
- ^ "Regimental customs and traditions". The Museum of the Mercian Regiment. Archived from the original on 6 August 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
- ^ "Buxton Military Tattoo - The Band of The Mercian Regiment". Buxtontattoo.org.uk. 1 September 2007. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
- ^ "2019 Tamworth Carnival: The Band of The Mercian Regiment lead the Carnival". jamedia.uk. 1 June 2019. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
- ^ "Msn. Wykes of The Band of The Mercian Regiment Playing Last Post and Rouse at the NMA". jamedia.uk. 10 October 2019. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
- ^ "Msn. Wykes of The Band of The Mercian Regiment Playing Last Post and Rouse atSt Editha's Church Tamworth". jamedia.uk. 10 October 2019. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
- ^ a b "Mercian Regiment receives new Colours". GOV.UK. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
- ^ "Lasting tribute to Tamworth soldiers killed in Iraq". Birmingham Mail. 28 June 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
- ^ a b The London Gazette, Page 3300-3301 (1 July 1881). "Childers Reform". No. 24992. Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Regimental Freedoms". The Mercian Regimental Charity. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
- ^ "Mercian Regiment Awarded Freedom of Crewe". Forces News. 18 February 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2024.