Royal Yorkshire Regiment
Royal Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot) | |
---|---|
1 August Quebec Day 13 September Alma Day 20 September | |
Engagements | |
Commanders | |
Colonel of the Regiment | Major General Zachary Stenning |
Abbreviation | R YORKS |
The Royal Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot) (abbreviated R YORKS) is an
Formation
The regiment's formation was announced on 16 December 2004 by
- 1st Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own) (previously: 1st Battalion, Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire)
- 2nd Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards) (previously: 1st Battalion, Green Howards)
- 3rd Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment (Duke of Wellington's) (previously: 1st Battalion, The Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding)
- 4th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment (previously: Prince of Wales's Own company of The East and West Riding Regiment, Green Howards company from the Tyne-Tees Regiment and two companies of The Duke of Wellington's Regiment from The East and West Riding Regiment), all formerly titled and known as The Yorkshire Volunteers.
The regiment was officially formed on 6 June 2006.
The Duke of York was appointed as Colonel-in-Chief and the 8th Duke of Wellington as Deputy Colonel-in-Chief, by the Queen.[7]
The four battalions of the regiment were presented with new Queens and Regimental Colours at a parade in Imphal Barracks, York, to replace the antecedent regiments' former colours, on 18 June 2010. The 'honorary' set of colours carried by the 3rd Battalion (Duke of Wellington's) was paraded by the battalion. The new colours of all four battalions were later paraded through the streets of York from
As part of the
However, on 25 January 2013 the Colonel of the Regiment, Major General Graham Binns, announced instead a change in the order of battle: the 2nd Battalion was merged into the 1st and 3rd Battalions; the 1st Battalion was then renumbered as the 2nd Battalion and the 3rd Battalion was renumbered as the 1st Battalion. He also announced that they would dispense with the antecedent regiments' historical titles.[10]
On 13 January 2022, the Duke of York returned his military affiliation with the regiment to the Queen.[11]
On 6 April 2023, The Yorkshire Regiment was granted Royal status with immediate effect by King Charles III, changing the regiment's name to the "Royal Yorkshire Regiment".[12]
History
Iraq 2006–2007
The deployment of 1 YORKS (Prince of Wales's Own) Battle Group to
Afghanistan 2007–2008
The 2nd Battalion (Green Howards) of the regiment were deployed to the
The 2nd Battalion (Green Howards) returned to their barracks in
Kosovo 2008–2009
B Company Group of 1st Battalion (Prince of Wales Own) deployed for six-months on Op OCULUS(K) as the last UK Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance Task Force (ISR TF). They presided over the immediate aftermath of the Kosovo's declaration of independence.[21]
Iraq 2008–2009
In November 2008, elements of the 1st Battalion (Prince of Wales's Own) redeployed to Iraq on Op Telic 13. In May 2009, 'A Company' of the 1st Battalion (Prince of Wales Own) handed over their Iraq British military HQ protection duties, in Baghdad, to Alma Company of the 3rd Battalion (Duke of Wellington's). Alma Company were subsequently amongst the last British soldiers to leave Iraq at the end of July 2009.[22]
Afghanistan 2009–2010
Over 130 members of the 3rd Battalion (Duke of Wellington's) deployed in July 2009 as Battle Casualty Replacements to various other British regiments in Helmand Province. Burma Company of the 3rd Battalion (Duke of Wellington's) deployed to Afghanistan in August 2009 and were then followed by members of Corunna Company. 18-year-old Pte Jonathon Young, of Burma Company, was killed by an Improvised explosive device in Sangin, on Thursday 20 August, three weeks after arriving in Afghanistan. A serjeant, from the 2nd Battalion The Rifles, 29-year-old Serjeant Paul McAleese, was killed when he went to the assistance of Pte Young.[23]
On 1 February 2010, 22-year-old Corporal Liam Riley, of
The 2nd Battalion (Green Howards), plus 60 members of the 4th Battalion, deployed with
On 23 June 2010, 26-year-old Lance Corporal David Ramsden of
Afghanistan 2011–2012
In October 2011, 500 members of the 1st Battalion (Prince of Wales Own) were deployed to Helmand province in Afghanistan for a six-month tour in support of the 20th Armoured Brigade, their first deployment to Afghanistan as a complete battalion.[30] The battalion was split up for the deployment, with A Company working with 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, B and C Companies with the Danish Army, and the Brigade Headquarters providing staff for Headquarters Task Force Helmand. 1 YORKS soldiers formed the Brigade Reconnaissance Force with members of 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards.[30] Soldiers from 1st Battalion were reported to have been involved in 'high tempo' patrol operations alongside the Afghanistan police force.[31] B Company serving as part of the Danish Battle Group in the Nahr-e Saraj (North) area of operations, patrolled aggressively into several contested areas. On 1 December 2011 the Battalion was involved in a dawn raid on a suspected IED factory.[32] On 1 January 2012 Private John King was killed in an explosion while on a foot patrol in Nahr-e Saraj,[33] on 27 January Lance Corporal Gajbahadur Gurung of the Royal Gurkha Rifles was killed while serving with 1 YORKS in the Nahr-e Saraj district.[34]
On 6 March 2012, six members of Corunna company, 3rd Battalion (Duke of Wellington's) were killed in the Lashkar Gah Durai region after their Warrior Armoured vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device.[35]
On 29 April 2012, the 3 YORKS Battle Group took over responsibility of Nahr-e Saraj (South), Helmand province from the 5th Battalion, the Rifles. On the 3 June 2012 Private Gregg Thomas Stone of Burma Company, 3 YORKS was killed in Nahr-e Saraj during an operation to apprehend a group of insurgents who had abducted a member of the Afghan Police.[36] On 15 September 2012, Sergeant Gareth Thursby and Private Thomas Wroe of the 3rd Battalion were killed in Nahr-e Saraj by a rogue Afghan police officer.[37]
Kenya 2013
In February 2013, 16 soldiers serving with the reconnaissance platoon of 1st Battalion (Prince of Wales Own), staged a mutiny whilst on a training exercise in Kenya. Led by Corporal Anthony Brown, they staged a sit down strike in front of 1,000 people. Each soldier refused to stand up when individually commanded to do so. As they went through their drills, a ringleader shouted 'sit down' and the dissenters dropped to ground. Commanders ordered each man in turn to stand up but were ignored. The soldiers had clashed with their newly appointed commanding officers whom they accused of excessive drinking, complaining they were "being led by muppets".[38] At courts martial, in December 2013, the soldiers pleaded guilty to disobeying a lawful command. Cpl Brown was sentenced to 60 days imprisonment and a dishonourable discharge. The prosecutor, Col. Clive Whitwham, said: 'There was a feeling they were not being appreciated, that they were not being well managed. 'The platoon was said to have worked well in Afghanistan. There was said to have been a perception that they had got a little too big for their boots.' The soldiers defence Jonathan Lynch, said: 'This is not a case of inflated egos but a case of mismanagement.' Two lance corporals were reduced to the rank of private, with 60 days imprisonment and the Private soldiers were each given 40 days imprisonment.[39][38]
Regimental Battalion changes, July 2013
The 3rd Battalion (Duke of Wellington's) laid up its Regulation Colours on 20 July 2013, at Halifax Minster, following a series of 'Freedom Parades' during the preceding week.[40] On 25 July there was a parade at the 3rd Battalion barracks, in Warminster, the Colonel in Chief, the Duke of York, exchanged the Colours between the Battalions.[41][42][43]
Iraq 2014
In October 2014 the UK
Experimental unit
Following the Army 2020 Refine, 2 YORKS was converted to an 'Enhanced Light Force Battalion',[45] part of a 120 million pound three-year programme. The battalion will help spearhead the British Army's transformation into the 'Future Soldier' programme relating to the Light Infantry.[46][47] 1 YORKS continues to convert to the Boxer MIV, and then form part of the new 'Experimentation Battlegroup'.[46]
Current battalion roles
1st Battalion
The 1st Battalion (abbreviated 1 R YORKS), is based at Catterick Garrison. The battalion is a light mechanised infantry battalion deployed as part of 7th Light Mechanised Brigade Combat Team.[48]
2nd Battalion
The 2nd Battalion (2 R YORKS), is based in Dale Barracks, Chester. The battalion is the British Army’s 'Experimentation Battalion', involved with trialing future light infantry equipment and tactics under the Land Warfare Centre.[46]
4th Battalion
The
Regimental museum
The York Army Museum (for the Royal Dragoon Guards, Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire and the Royal Yorkshire Regiment) is based at the Tower Street drill hall in York.[50]
Yorkshire Regiment beer
On
York Medal
Each year, the regiment awards the
Freedom awards
Freedoms awarded to the Royal Yorkshire Regiment (including those carried through from the antecedent regiments) include the following:[54]
- Cities: Bradford, Kingston-upon-Hull, Leeds, Sheffield, York and Wakefield.
- Towns and districts: Barnsley, Beverley (East Riding of Yorkshire), Bridlington (East Riding of Yorkshire), Halifax (Calderdale), Harrogate, Huddersfield (Kirklees), Keighley, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Richmond, Rotherham, Scarborough, Skipton (Craven District), Stockton on Tees and Warminster.
The regiment also holds the distinction of having the freedom of Erquinghem-Lys, France, which was passed on from the freedom awarded to the 3rd Battalion (Duke of Wellington's) in November 2005.[55] The Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding) were also awarded the Freedom of Mossley, on 8 July 1967.[56]
On 3 August 2009,
On 8 September 2013 the regiment was given the Freedom of Barnoldswick, Lancashire during a rededication ceremony of the town's war memorial, when 46 new names from the two world wars were added.[58]
The regiment was awarded the Freedom of Warminster, Wiltshire on its return from Afghanistan following their homecoming parade on 30 November 2012.[59]
Battle honours
Including those inherited from preceding units:
- Martinique 1762, Havannah
- American War of Independence
- Martinique 1794and 1809
- Tournay, Belle Isle
- Delhi 1803, Leswaree, Deig
- Seringapatam
- Corunna, Nive, Peninsula, Guadaloupe 1810, Waterloo
- Jat War 1825–26
- Siege of Bhurtpore 1825–26 (Bharatpur)
- Sevastopol, Abyssinia
- New Zealand,
- Archangel 1918.
- Otta, 44).
- The Hook 1953, Korean War 1952–53 (Theatre Honour)
- Iraq 2003 (Theatre Honour)
Infantry regiments are permitted to display 43 battle honours from the two world wars on the Queen's Colour and 46 honours from other conflicts on the Regimental Colour. Upon amalgamation, the Yorkshire Regiment had to choose from the total list of honours of its three antecedents which honours would be displayed on its new colours. The chosen honours were:
- Queen's Colour
- Mons; Marne 1914, 18; Aisne 1914, 18; Armentieres 1914; Ypres 1914, 15, 17, 18; Hill 60; Loos; Somme 1916, 18; Arras 1917, 18; Cambrai 1917, 18; Lys; Tardenois; Selle; Valenciennes; Piave; Vittoria Veneto; Doiran 1917; Suvla; Gallipoli 1915; Norway 1940; Dunkirk; St Valery en Caux; Normandy Landing; Odon; Fontenay le Pesnil; Schaddenhof; NW Europe 1940, 44–45; Keren; Gazala; El Alamein; Mareth; Akarit; Djebel Bou Aoukaz 1943; Sicily 1943; Minturno; Anzio; Monte Ceco; Sittang 1942, 45; Pegu 1942; Defence of Sinweya; Imphal; Meiktila; Burma 1942–45
- Regimental Colour
- Namur 1695; Blenheim; Ramillies; Oudenarde; Malplaquet; Dettingen; Louisburg; Quebec 1759; Bellisle; Martinique 1762; Havannah; St Lucia 1778; Martinique 1794, 1809; Tournay; Mysore; Seringapatam; Ally Ghur; Delhi 1803; Leswarree; Dieg; Corunna; Guadaloupe 1810; Java; Nive; Peninsula; Waterloo; Bhurtpore; Alma; Inkerman; Sevastopol; New Zealand; Abyssinia; Afghanistan 1879–80; Tirah; Relief of Kimberley; Paardeburg; Relief of Ladysmith; South Africa 1899–1902; Afghanistan 1919; Korea 1952–53; The Hook 1953; Iraq 2003
In addition to the displayed honours, the regimental colours also display four emblems from the antecedents regiments:
- White Horse of Hanover– displayed top right; from the Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire
- Star of Brunswick – displayed bottom left; from Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire
- Dannebrog Cross – displayed bottom right; from the Green Howards
- Elephant & Howdah – displayed bottom centre; from the Duke of Wellington's Regiment
The Battalion's
Alliances
- The Rocky Mountain Rangers
- The Queen's York Rangers (1st American Regiment) (RCAC)
- The Royal Montreal Regiment
- The Royal New Brunswick Regiment (Carlton and York)
- Les Voltigeurs de Québec
- Pakistan – 10th Battalion, Baloch Regiment
- Falkland Islands – The Falkland Islands Defence Force
- Hans Majestet Kongens Garde(Bond of Friendship)
- Royal Navy – HMS York (until 2012)
- Royal Navy – HMS Richmond
- Royal Navy – HMS Iron Duke[61]
Order of precedence
Lineage
1880[62] | 1881 Childers Reforms[62] | 1921 Name changes | 1957 Defence White Paper | 1966 Defence White Paper | 1990 Options for Change | 2003 Delivering Security in a Changing World |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
14th (Buckinghamshire) (Prince of Wales's Own) Regiment of Foot
|
The Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment)
|
Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire | Royal Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot) | |||
15th (York, East Riding) Regiment of Foot
|
The East Yorkshire Regiment (The Duke of York's Own)
| |||||
19th (1st York, North Riding) (Princess of Wales's Own) Regiment of Foot
|
Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own (Yorkshire Regiment)
|
Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment)
| ||||
33rd (Duke of Wellington's) Regiment of Foot
|
The Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment)
|
The Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding) | ||||
76th Regiment of Foot |
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