Royal Bermuda Regiment
Royal Bermuda Regiment | ||
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Colonel-in-Chief The Duchess of Gloucester | | |
Honorary Colonel | Col. David Gibbons |
The Royal Bermuda Regiment (RBR) is the home defence unit of the
History
The two original units, the mostly black
Following the First World War, the British Government's policy of austerity resulted in a substantial reduction of the regular army, including reducing the regular infantry in Bermuda and removing the Royal Artillery and the Royal Engineers Fortress companies from Bermuda in 1928, with the local reserve units shouldering more responsibility. This resulted in the Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps being re-organised on territorial lines in 1921. Those other ranks who chose to continue serving were re-attested, committing to terms of service which meant they could no longer quit the corps with fourteen days notice. The name of the corps was not modified to reflect the change, however.[5] Militia soldiers were already engaged for terms of service, and the Bermuda Militia Artillery was not similarly re-organised until 1928 (its name, also, was not modified to reflect the change).[4] The Bermuda Volunteer Engineers was created as a unit to operate the search lights at coastal artillery batteries in June 1931 (previously, the third act of 1892 had authorised the creation of a militia unit to assist the Royal Engineers company tasked with maintaining and operating Bermuda's submarine mining defences, but this unit had not been raised),[6] while the Bermuda Militia Infantry was raised in October 1939, originally relieving the Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps of the task of protecting St David's Battery from attack by enemy landing parties, but taking on new roles as it expanded to a strength of two companies, with the infantry defence of the colony being split between the regular infantry (by then a detachment of 4th Battalion, Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders),[7][8][9] the Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps and the Bermuda Militia Infantry.[10][5]
A contingent of volunteers for overseas service from the Bermuda Militia Artillery (one officer), Bermuda Volunteer Engineers (four sappers), and Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps (sixteen officers and other ranks) was sent to Britain in June, 1940, where the contingent members separated to join their parent corps (Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, and the Lincolnshire regiment, respectively). With the regular garrison having been drastically reduced due to post-First World War economic austerity by the British Government, concern over further weakening the garrison meant the local-service units, which had been embodied for full-time service for the duration of the war, were barred from sending further contingents abroad until 1943, by which time the threat of enemy attacks on Bermuda and its strategic defence infrastructure had greatly diminished and the United States Army and United states Marine Corps had garrisoned the colony. Following this, a contingent of volunteers from the Bermuda Militia Artillery and Bermuda Militia Infantry was attached to the
After the war the Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps was belatedly renamed the Bermuda Rifles.[3] The Bermuda Militia Artillery, however, was not renamed. Following the closure of the Royal Navy's dockyard commenced in 1951 (a process that lasted until 1958, leaving only a small naval base, HMS Malabar, within the former dockyard),[12] the military garrison, which had existed primarily to protect the Royal Navy base, was also closed.[13][14]
The Bermuda Militia Artillery and the Bermuda Rifles amalgamated to form the Bermuda Regiment on 1 September 1965.
On 1 September 2015,
Badge
The badge of the Royal Bermuda Regiment combines elements from those of the
The full badge, as displayed on the Colours, features two crossed cannons creating an X behind a Maltese cross (the symbol of rifle regiments in the British Army, and used on the white metal BVRC badge), set on a circular shield with "THE BERMUDA REGIMENT" inscribed around it, and the whole enclosed within a wreath and surmounted by the Crown.
The cap badge is bi-metal – all brass, except a white metal Maltese cross, which is set inside the wheel of a cannon (taken from the badge of the Royal Artillery), with a half-wreath about the lower hemisphere of the badge. Flashes, and other colour marks used on dress and elsewhere (such as backgrounds on signs about Warwick Camp) are blue and red, reflecting the colours of the Royal Artillery, but the stable belt (issued only to permanent staff, officers and senior ranks) worn is rifle green, with black edges, referring to the colours used by the BVRC.[21]
Dress
The dress uniform itself is closer to the old Royal Artillery pattern, and to the
The combat uniform is now the British Army Multi-Terrain Pattern, which replaced the Soldier 95 uniform of the previous decade beginning in 2012. For much of the Regiment's history, its dress included a mixed collection of British uniform items. As with its predecessors, the Royal Bermuda Regiment has a tradition of wearing temperate uniforms (including combat jackets and pullovers) for much of the year; and tropical uniforms during the summer months. This is a result of the peculiar climate of Bermuda, which is chilly, wet, and windy during the winter, and can reach 30 °C (86 °F) during the summer with high humidity.
For many years, and unusually for an infantry unit, the regiment wore the Denison parachute smock which it inherited from its predecessors, only adopting the 1968 pattern DPM combat jacket in the 1980s (which it issued into the new millennium, although the 1968 uniform actually became obsolete with Regular British Army regiments in the 1980s). At the time of amalgamation, the basic combat uniform worn under the Denison was composed of the Second World War-era green tropical shirt and trousers, ankle boots and puttees. Carrying equipment was initially the 1937 Pattern. By the early 1980s, these uniform items had been replaced by the green lightweight trousers, green shirt and sweater, 1968 Pattern combat jacket, high boots (otherwise identical to the old ankle boot), and the 1958 Pattern carrying equipment. Green shirts and lightweight combat trousers began to be supplemented by DPM tropical uniforms in the 1980s, and by the mid-1990s had been entirely replaced by them (although the green kit, like the Denison smocks, was handed down to the Regiment's Junior Leaders and to the Bermuda Cadet Corps, which continued to wear it). The tropical DPM uniform (worn in colder weather with the '68 Pattern Combat Jacket and the green pullover) was fully adopted by 1994, and continued to be issued for some time after its replacement in Britain by the Soldier 95 uniform. The beret worn is the dark blue one worn by the Royal Artillery and by various British Army units not authorised to wear distinctive colours of their own.
Little use is made of
Ranks
Ranks are as follows:[22]
Rank group | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | Officer cadet | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Royal Bermuda Regiment | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lieutenant colonel
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Major
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Captain | Lieutenant | Second lieutenant
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Officer cadet
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Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Royal Bermuda Regiment | No insignia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Warrant officer class 1
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Warrant officer class 2
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Colour Sergeant
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Sergeant | Corporal | Lance corporal | Private |
Organisation
Leadership
As Bermuda is a
On its formation, the regiment's Honorary Colonel was
Manpower
The Regiment's original strength was about 400, including all ranks. Following discipline problems during an exercise in the West Indies, a report on the unit was commissioned from
Structure
With the end of conscription, it is no longer possible to maintain a dedicated Training Company in which recruits spend their first year. Recruits now spend three months, after their two-week initial training, being trained under Training Wing before being posted to one of the Companies. The current (2022) establishment[24] is:
- Regimental Headquarters
- A Company (rifle company: Operational Support Units (OSU's), Boat Troop, the Regiment Police, the Operational Support Divers (OSD) and the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Section which form the Joint Service EOD unit with the Bermuda Police Service)
- B Company (rifle company: Humanitarian and Disaster Relief and ceremonial duties)
- Logistics Company
- Training Wing
- Coast Guard
One of the units amalgamated into the Royal Bermuda Regiment, the BMA, was nominally an artillery unit, although it had converted to the infantry role in 1953. Other than a ceremonial Gun Troop, equipped with two
Conscription
Conscription was based on a random lottery of men through the ages of 18 to 23, with exemptions granted to Police and Prison officers, members of the British regular forces (or men who have served for two years), church ministers, prisoners or those judged to be of "unsound mind". Temporary deferment was granted for full-time students (attending either the
Both Bermudians and non-Bermudians criticised conscription for its alleged sexism and similarity to slavery (a sensitive issue given the historic background of Bermuda), and this has been noted in the British Parliament.[26][27][28] It received support from the community, however, and was hailed for causing interaction between social and racial groups.
At its height, three-quarters of the strength of the Bermuda Regiment was made up of conscripts, although many soldiers, whether they initially volunteered or were conscripted, elected to re-engage annually after their initial three years and two months term of service was completed, with some serving for decades (such as WO2 Bernard Pitman, who retired in 2013 after forty years of service).[29]
In 2018, the House of Assembly of Bermuda voted to abolish conscription, effective of 1 July 2018.[30][31]
Recent assessments
Towards the end of 2005, the regiment took part in a fitness for role exercise, this time in the form of an inspection by the
Royal Bermuda Regiment Junior Leaders and the Bermuda Cadet Corps
The Bermuda Regiment operated its own Junior Leaders programme for many years, until it was absorbed into the separate Bermuda Cadet Corps in the 1990s. The Junior Leaders had been part of the Bermuda Regiment, wearing the same cap badge and operating from Warwick Camp, whereas the Bermuda Cadet Corp was a separate organisation, operating through the island's secondary schools (having been reformed from the old Cadet Corps in 1965, at the same time as the amalgamation of the BMA and Bermuda Rifles).
In 2012, due to financial constraints, the Bermuda Cadet Corps was disbanded and replaced by the resurrected Bermuda Regiment Junior Leaders.[33][34][35][36] Many of the Bermuda Regiment's officers, warrant officers and NCOs began their service in the Junior Leaders, including former Commanding Officers, Lieutenant-Colonel Brian Gonsalves[37] and Lieutenant-Colonel David Curley.
A bill was tabled in the House of Assembly of Bermuda in 2015 to formalise the organisation of the Royal Bermuda Regiment's Junior Leaders.[38]
Operations
The primary role of the regiment has recently become disaster relief. Other roles include ceremonial duties, and supporting the Bermuda police department in internal security issues (both in the forms of riot-control and anti-terrorism). In 2001, following the
The Bermuda Regiment successfully deployed a platoon of internal security trained soldiers to Barbados in 2007. There they took part in forming the security infrastructure for the WCC Cricket World Cup. They worked alongside soldiers from Barbados, Guyana, India and South Africa, in ensuring a secure environment for the Super 8 series of matches. Although little has been made of this deployment, this was the first time since the First World War that a formed unit from Bermuda has deployed overseas for an operation other than disaster relief (the Second World War drafts from the BMA, BVRC, and BVE were all absorbed into other units, and the cadre of officers and NCOs sent to Belize in the 1980s were attached to a battalion of the Royal Anglians).
The Bermuda Regiment also provided a cordon at the
The regiment also performs a wide variety of community service operations, and is involved in many cultural events on the island, especially in parades.
Overseas connections
During the
in 1908 (renamed the Territorial Army after the First World War), the many former Volunteer Rifle Corps became numbered battalions of British (Regular) Army regiments, with the regular regiments adopting paternal roles by providing the part-time units with loaned officers, warrant officers and NCOs, and taking other steps to give them the benefit of their experience. Although the Territorial Force, like the Volunteer Force, was tasked only with home defence, and its soldiers could not originally be compelled to take part in overseas campaigns, the Territorials would send drafts of volunteers to the Regular battalions during wartime, or (once the restriction on sending Territorials overseas without their consent was lifted) the entire TA battalion might be sent. The role the Lincolnshire Regiment adopted with the BVRC was similar to that it played with its own TA battalions, although the BVRC remained a separate unit.The BVRC again provided two drafts to the Lincolns during the
Throughout the Bermuda Regiment's history, the Royal Anglians have provided it with its
The Lincolnshire Regiment was also affiliated to
Members of the ceremonial Gun Troop carry out occasional ceremonial training with the
Corps Warrant
In late 2001, the Bermuda Regiment and the Royal Gibraltar Regiment were presented with Corps Warrants dated 21 February 2000.
In 2017, the Corps Warrant ceased on the 30 July. A new Corps Warrant which included the Royal Bermuda Regiment was confirmed as a Corps of the British Army and took effect 1 August 2017 and was signed at St. James Court by Her Majesty's Command dated 17 July 2017.[19]
The 2017 Corp Warrant notes that the competition of Corps composition 'The under mentioned bodies of the [British] Army comprising Regular Forces, Army Reserves, Regular Reserve, including any raised hereafter and any local units overseas: of which the Royal Bermuda Regiment was listed with the composition note; All units and personnel of The Royal Bermuda Regiment.'[19]
Other
The Bermuda Regiment also developed a relationship with the
Following the increased usage of those bases, after 2001, by US forces preparing for deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan, the Bermuda Regiment briefly moved the location for its annual camps to Florida, where it was developing a relationship with the Florida National Guard, although it subsequently recommenced the use of Camp Lejeune.
The Bermuda Regiment took part in its first exercise overseas in 1968, when twenty-eight personnel were deployed to
The Bermuda Regiment's training in the US, Jamaica and Canada is self-contained, rarely involving local units, but friendly relationships have been developed with both the US Marine Corps, and the
Over the last decade, a relationship has also been developed with the Royal Gibraltar Regiment, and small detachments sent with that regiment on its annual training deployments to Morocco.[50] In 2007, for the first time, the annual camp was held in England, with detachments training at the Cinque Ports Training Area (CPTA); part of the Defence Training Estate (DTE) South-East, near Dover.[51][52]
As the new
Alliances
- The Royal Anglian Regiment
- The Lincoln and Welland Regiment
- Jamaica – The Jamaica Defence Force
Commanding officers
The commanding officer of the Bermuda Regiment (as also the quartermaster, training officer, the staff officer (UK Loan Service), the adjutant, the aide-de-camp, and the regimental sergeant major) is a full-time position, requiring those appointed to the role to take leave of their civilian employments. Originally, there was a four-year limit to the term of a commanding officer, which could be extended if required. Following Lieutenant-Colonel Gavin A. Shorto's six years in the office, a three-year appointment was made the norm. The commanding officer is normally chosen from among the
Equipment
The BMA and Bermuda Rifles had re-equipped from the .303 inch
During the 1950s, the British forces had been pressured into dropping the .280 British sub-calibre round and EM-2 rifle that had been intended to replace respectively .303 inch ammunition and the No. 4 rifle, adopting instead the American 7.62mm ammunition as NATO standard and the SLR, which was a variant of the Belgian FN FAL.[66] Despite forcing the adoption of the 7.62mm round by NATO, the US re-equipped during the Vietnam War with the M16 rifle, chambered for the 5.56×45mm M193 sub-calibre ammunition.[67][68] Dissatisfaction with the 7.62mm round led NATO to seek a replacement during the 1970s, and the Belgian SS109 variant of the American M193 was adopted as 5.56mm NATO.[69] Although it had also been intended to establish a NATO standard rifle, this did not materialise and different countries developed their own small arms.
The Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield Lock had actually begun work in 1969 on a family of weapons mechanically based on the ArmaLite AR-18, but chambered for a 4.85 × 49mm cartridge and with a bullpup configuration similar to the EM-2. This design was rechambered for the 5.56mm NATO and re-designated the SA80 (Small Arms for the 1980s). The family included two basic weapons: the XL64E5 rifle (also called the Enfield Individual Weapon) and a light support weapon known as the XL65E4 light machine gun (which were to be standardised as the L85A1 rifle and L86A1 Light-Support Weapon). The SA80 would remain stuck in development, however, until 1987, when the L85A1 and L86A1 began replacing respectively the SLR and the GPMG (together with the remaining Brens, which had been retained for jungle use and re-chambered for 7.62mm) in the British armed forces. Re-equipment was slow, and many second-line units were still equipped with the older weapons during the 1990 to 1991 Gulf War.
The Bermuda Regiment decided not to wait for the SA80 and replaced the SLR with the American-made Ruger Mini-14 self-loading (in American parlance, "semi automatic") rifle in 1983. The GPMG was retained in the light-, as well as the medium-, machine gun role. The Ruger has a 20-round detachable box magazine and can be fitted with a US M7 bayonet. The original wooden stocks were replaced with Choate black plastic stocks by 1992 and no further modifications have been made since.[70] Small numbers of the SA80 (L85A1 and L85A2) were held from about 1990 specifically for familiarisation training. This was necessary as large numbers of personnel must attend courses (for training, commissioning, or qualification) in Britain, and many serve on active duty attachments (particularly with the Royal Anglian Regiment), and needed to already be knowledgeable of the standard rifle.
A replacement for the aging Rugers was sought at the end of the Century, with small numbers of the German Heckler & Koch G36 and the American Colt M4 (a carbine variant of the M16) obtained for trials, following which the G36 had been selected as a replacement for the Ruger and the Uzi sub-machine gun. However, budgetary issues delayed the acquisition of the G36, which also became surrounded by controversy in Germany over reported inaccuracy in warm temperatures.[71] The Ruger was instead replaced by the L85A2 version of the SA80 rifle, with 400 having been delivered in August, 2015. The Ruger was phased out completely by the Recruit Camp of January, 2016.
Rifles and shotguns
- L85A2SA-80 selective-fire rifle (Standard issue to riflemen as of January 2016)
- Mini-14GB/20 self-loading rifle with Choate stock (standard issue to riflemen from 1983 to January 2016)
- L1A1Self-Loading Rifle (standard issue to riflemen from 1965 to 1983, but stocks still held)
- Heckler & Koch G36 (selected to replace the Uzi as second-tier weapon, issued to specialist companies i.e. Boat Troop and OSU)
- Colt M4 (stocks obtained for trials to determine replacement for Mini-14 and Uzi)
- L42A1 sniper-rifle (a 7.62mm variant of the Lee–Enfield No. 4)
- Mossberg 500 shotgun
- Greener shotgun (obsolete, but stocks still held)
Pistols and submachine guns
Machine guns
- FN MAG General-purpose machine gun, used in light role only
Internal Security (IS)
- ARWEN 37 riot weapon
- Federal Riot Gun (replaced by the ARWEN 37)
Artillery
- Ordnance QF 25-Pounder Field Gun
- Ordnance SBML 2-inch mortar
Vehicles
- Toyota Land Cruiser J70
- Mitsubishi L 300 van
- Ford 350 Ambulance
- UD 2300DH truck
- Toyota Dyna truck
- Toyota HiAce van
- Toyota LiteAce Minivan
Boats
- Dell Quay Dory Mk. 1 boats
- 18 foot Rigid Raider boats
- Halmatic RHIB boats
Radio
Gallery
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Bermuda Regiment Soldiers armed with Mini-14s on OPs in Barbados for Cricket World Cup 2007
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The Royal Bermuda Regiment Band
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ANon-Commissioned Officersof the Bermuda Regiment.
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The main gate of Warwick Camp, as it appears today, from the South Shore Road (formerly The Military Road).
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A platoon of the Training Company of the Bermuda Regiment, at Warwick Camp, during Recruit Camp 1993
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Bermuda Regiment Corporal's Mess at Warwick Camp.
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Bermuda Regiment soldiers play football on the parade ground of Warwick Camp.
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25-Pounder (88 mm) field gunof the Bermuda Regiment's ceremonial Gun Troop.
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Bermuda Regiment Regimental Policeman in January, 1994
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A motorboat of the Bermuda Regiment Boat Troop moves out of theGreat Sound, past the HMD, Bermuda, on Ireland Island.
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An NCO ofThe Lincoln and Welland Regiment attached to a rifle company of the affiliated Bermuda Regiment training in Jamaica, 1996.
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Jamaica Defence Force soldier with a sergeant of the Bermuda Regiment in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica.
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An NCO of the Bermuda Regiment armed with aGeneral Purpose Machine Gun, aboard a Rigid Raider.
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Mossberg 500 shotgun and Federal Riot Gun of the Bermuda Regiment
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A Bermuda RegimentCamp Lejeunein 1994.
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Bermuda Regiment & Bermuda Police Service boats in July 2011
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Bermuda Regiment Medics and US Navy Corspmen at USMCB Camp Lejeune in May 2011
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Cpl. Erikon C. Rosamond (left) of the US Marines and Royal Bermuda Regiment soldiers at Camp Lejeune in 2013
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Royal Bermuda Regiment Guns and Assault Pioneers Platoon soldiers and a US Marine discuss training at Camp Lejeune in 2013.
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Guns and Assault Pioneers Platoon train with a US Marine at US Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in 2013
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Royal Bermuda Regiment soldiers attend a funeral at St. James' Church in Somerset in August, 2016
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Royal Bermuda Regiment soldiers undergoing Junior Non-Commissioned Officer training at USMC Camp Lejeune in May 2018
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Junior Non-Commissioned Officers Cadre train at Camp Lejeune in 2018
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Junior Non-Commissioned Officers Cadre soldiers train at Camp Lejeune in 2018
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Junior Non-Commissioned Officers Cadre soldier training at Camp Lejeune in 2018
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Royal Bermuda Regiment shoot at Stonebay Rifle Range, USMCB Camp Lejeune on 12 May, 2021.
See also
- Cayman Islands Regiment
- Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment
- Royal Gibraltar Regiment
- Falkland Islands Defence Force
- Royal Montserrat Defence Force
- British Army Training and Support Unit Belize
- Overseas military bases of the United Kingdom
Order of precedence
References
- ^ a b "Royal Bermuda Regiment". www.gov.bm.
- ^ "Territorial Army – definition of Territorial Army in English from the Oxford dictionary". Archived from the original on 12 July 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f "History". The Royal Bermuda Regiment. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
- ^ a b Maurice-Jones, DSO, RA, Colonel KW (1959). History of The Coast Artillery in the British Army. UK: Royal Artillery Institution.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ ISBN 0969651716.
- Bermuda Maritime Museum.
- ^ King Carol Arrives In Bermuda Dublin Issue. Bermuda: British Pathé. 29 May 1941. 1115.33.
King Carol and Madame Lupescu of Rumania seek refuge in Bermuda. Description. Title reads: "King Carol in Bermuda". Bermuda. Various shots of King Carol of Rumania and Madame Lupescu arrive at port and disembark from ship separately. Madame Lupescu waves back towards the ship. Various shots of King Carol posing for press photographers and newsreel cameramen at their hotel. Various shots of Madame Lupescu on terrace of hotel with two Pekinese dogs. King Carol has escaped from his home country due to war. Note: alternative spelling of Romania / Roumania.
- ^ "CHANGES IN STRENGTH OF THE LOCAL COMMAND". The Royal Gazette. City of Hamilton, Pembroke, Bermuda. 30 August 1940.
It is learned from Command Orders that Major D. R. G. Cameron, Brigade Major, has been struck off the strength of the Bermuda Command with effect from Tuesday, and that Captain R. F. Arden-Close, K.S.L.I., has assumed the duties of Brigade Major. Struck off the strength of the Bermuda Command are the under-mentioned officers of the Detachment, Winnipeg Grenadiers; Major G. Trist, Captain J. A. Norris, Lieut. N. O. Bardal and Lieut. F. N. Symes. The following officers of the detachment, 4 Camerons, have been taken on the strength of the Command: Major A. Murray, Captain D. B. Mitchell, 2/Lt. R. L. Gibson, 2/Lt. D. H. Burns, 2/Lt. L. MacDonald, 2/Lt. A. Sinclair and 2/Lt. A. C. McAslam. Also taken on the strength of the Command is Lieut. J. R. Faulkener, Army Dental Corps.
- ^ "MILITARY WEDDING AT CATHEDRAL YESTERDAY: Miss Audrey H. C. Wilson Weds Lieut. D. H. Burns". The Royal Gazette. City of Hamilton, Pembroke, Bermuda. 20 March 1942.
A brilliant wedding ceremony was solemnised at the Cathedral yesterday afternoon at 5.30 o'clock when Miss Audrey Hunt Chute Wilson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Murray Franklln Wilson of "Westcliffe," Fairylands, became the bride of Lieut. Donald Henry Burns, 4th.Battalion, The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Donald Burns of Birkenhead, Cheshire, England. A large crowd thronged the church, while hundreds of people were lined up on both sides of the street. Yesterday's ceremony was one of the largest military weddings in these Islands so far this year- His Lordship the Bishop of Bermuda officiated, assisted by the Venerable Archdeacon H. Marriott, Rector of Paget Parish. At the conclusion of the ceremony the Bridal party was met at the western exit of the Cathedral by two pipers of the Cameron Highlanders, who piped them to the horseless carriage on Church Street, after which the carriage was drawn through the principal streets of Hamilton by a group of Cameron Highlanders led by the pipers. The bride, who was given in marriage by her father, looked charming in a gown of brocaded white satin with long veil. She carried a bouquet of calla lilies. The bride was attended by her cousin, Miss Carol Burrows, as maid of honour and by Miss Natalie Conyers and Miss Lee Wadson as bridesmaids. Flower girls were the Misses Ann Walker and Helene Harnett. The maid of honour was attired in a gown of rose taffeta and she carried a bouquet of purple larkspur with pink gerbera. The bridesmaids wore dresses of turquoise blue taffeta and each carried bouquets of purple larkspur with different tones of stock. The flower girls wore frocks of mauve taffeta and carried old fashioned bouquets of violets and pink roses. Lieut, Edward Cameron, 4th. Batt., the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders was the best man, the ushers being Captain Faulkner, Lieut. J. Stirling, Lieut. Rex Graham and 2nd Lieut. M. Watson. The service was choral, Miss Susan Oatham singing "O Perfect Love." Mr. John Bridge was the organist. Noted among the congregation in the Cathedral during the ceremony were Brigadier H. D. Maconochie, M.C., Officer Commanding, British Troops at Bermuda, Major C. W. R. Hill, O. C. Det. 4th. Batt. Cameron Highlanders, Major O'Connor, G.S.O. 2 at Bermuda Command, Captain F. W. Jefferies, Staff Captain, Bermuda Command, Lieut. Paul Curtis, Seaforth Highlanders, brother officers of the Bridegroom and also officers of local units attached to the Command. After the ceremony, the bridal couple received congratulations from their many friends at a reception held at "Westcliffe," Fairylands, home of the bride's parents. Both Lieut. Burns and his bride are well known in these Islands.
- ^ "Guardian of the Eastern approaches". Royal Gazette. 30 January 2014. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
- ^ "OVERSEAS CONTINGENT IS INSPECTED AT PROSPECT: O.C British Troops Praises Unit On Training Results". The Royal Gazette. City of Hamilton, Pembroke, Bermuda. 13 March 1944.
A ceremonial parade and inspection of the Bermuda Command Training Battalion by Brigadier the Hon. H. D. Maconochie, M.C, Officer Commanding British Troops, Bermuda, was carried out on the Parade Ground, Prospect, at-10.15 on Saturday morning. The Parade, under the command of Major R. M. Jefferis, Leicestershire Regiment, G.S.O. II, Bermuda Command, was witnessed by a large gathering of civilians who had been attracted by the sound of the Band. The Brigadier, attended by Captain J. G. Barber, Irish Guards, G.S.O. III, Bermuda Command, was accompanied by Lieut.-Col. J. C. Astwood as Officer Commanding the Battalion. Major D. H. Brabner, R.A., D.A.A. & Q.M.G., Bermuda, and Major Ian Buchanan, Liverpool Scottish, who has been assisting in fieldcraft and battle training, were also-present. On the arrival of the Officer Commanding British Troops the parade was brought to attention and presented arms, upon which the band played the customary bars of the "General Salute". Subsequently the parade was Inspected by the Brigadier, the band playing the "Review March". Upon completion of the inspection the Training Battalion marched past the saluting base in column of route, the band playing an appropriate march. Later the Battalion reassembled by Companies on the parade ground and was photographed. An inspection of quarters and sleeping accommodation was then made by the Brigadier. At the conclusion of the inspection, Brigadier Maconochie expressed his satisfaction with the general improvement in the smartness and military bearing of the personnel. Though there was still room for improvement, he said he considered that in four weeks training great credit was due to the Officers, N.C.O's. and men for their standard of efficiency. The attainment of this high standard was only made possible by the keenness and cooperation of all ranks. Continuing, the Brigadier declared that the morale of the unit was obviously extremely high. There seemed little doubt that when the contingent went overseas from this Island and eventually met the enemy, they would do credit to the Colony. The population of the Island need have no qualms that they would not uphold the fine traditions of fighting efficiency which had always been attributed to Bermudians whenever they had been called upon by the Empire to rally to the colours, he added.
- ^ "Royal Navy, including HMS Affray, 1951–1960". naval-history.net. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
- ^ "United Kingdom Garrison, Bermuda (Withdrawal)". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). House of Commons. 22 May 1957. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
- ^ "Britain announces closure of Malabar". The Royal Gazette. City of Hamilton, Pembroke, Bermuda. 17 December 1993. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
- ^ "Amalgamation". Bermuda Regiment. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
- ^ THE MONTHLY ARMY LIST, JANUARY, 1937. Corrected to 30th December, 1936. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office (now Her Majesty's Stationery Office). 1937. p. xvii.
27 Militia units in Bermuda, Channel Islands and Malta (c).
- ^ THE ARMY LIST, APRIL, 1951. Corrected to 15th March, 1951. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office (now Her Majesty's Stationery Office). 1951. p. xv.
41 Militia units in Bermuda and The Channel Islands (d).
- ^ "Special forces regiment created". 5 April 2005 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
- ^ a b c d "The Queen's regulations for the army 1975 (amendment number 37)". GOV.UK.
- ^ "Regiment gets 'Royal' name change as gift – The Royal Gazette:Bermuda News". The Royal Gazette. 2 September 2015. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
- ^ "BERMUDA". stablebelts.co.uk. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
- ^ "Pay, resources and benefits". Royal Bermuda Regiment. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
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All the Territories have a UK-appointed Governor, who generally holds responsibility for managing the Territory's external affairs, defence and internal security like the police, and often the power to make or veto laws.......As a matter of constitutional law, the UK Parliament has unlimited power to legislate for the Territories. However, passing legislation for the Territories is rare.
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- ^ Berlin, Reuters in (22 April 2015). "German military to stop using gun 'that can't shoot straight when hot'". The Guardian.
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has generic name (help)
External links
- Official website
- Royal Bermuda Regiment - Government of Bermuda