Regimental Nicknames and Traditions of the British Army — John Shaqi
Regimental Nicknames and Traditions of the British ArmyAnonymous
History
Regimental Nicknames and Traditions of the British Army
Anonymous
Great Britain. Army
There are many interesting peculiarities connected with uniforms or
accoutrements. The Kilmarnock bonnets worn by the Royal Scots and
King's Own Scottish Borderers, which were designed and issued for wear
after the South African War, are quite distinctive, as also are the
chacos of the Scottish Rifles and Highland Light Infantry, the former
having a plume in front and the latter a ball. The Queen's Royal West
Surrey Regiment is the only regiment in the Army wearing a sacred
emblem as a badge, while the Buffs (East Kent Regiment) claim to have a
far more ancient lineage than any other English regiment.
ANIMAL BADGES
The King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment wears the Lion of England
for a badge, and it is interesting to note that many other regiments
go to the animal kingdom for their crests, the Royal Warwickshire
Regiment wearing an antelope as a badge; the King's Liverpool
Regiment, West Yorkshire Regiment and Royal West Kent Regiment, a
horse; the Buffs, the Scottish Rifles, Royal Berkshire Regiment, North
Staffordshire Regiment and York and Lancaster Regiment, a dragon; the
Gordon Highlanders, Royal Munster Fusiliers, Royal Dublin Fusiliers,
Leicestershire Regiment and Hampshire Regiment, a tiger; the West
Riding Regiment, Connaught Rangers, Seaforth Highlanders, and the
Highland Light Infantry, an elephant; the Royal Irish Fusiliers,
an eagle; the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, a cat; and the
Bedfordshire Regiment, a stag.
QUICK STEPPING INFANTRY
The Light Infantry regiments wear a bugle or French horn as part of
their badge, and together with Rifle regiments march with a much
quicker step than do other infantry regiments. The regulation pace is
120 to the minute, but Rifle and Light Infantry regiments step much
quicker, 140 to 160, except when marching with other troops, then their
pace is that laid down for the army generally. They have bugle bands
instead of drum and fife bands.
The Northumberland Fusiliers are the only regiment to celebrate St.
George's Day, and are looked upon as the representative English
infantry regiment in the British Army and their crest of St. George and
the Dragon is unique.
All Fusilier regiments wear sealskin fusilier caps with distinctive
plumes, and a grenade as a badge. The Royal Fusiliers is best known
as the City of London Regiment, and has some peculiar privileges in
consequence, one of these being the right to march through the City
of London with fixed bayonets, colours flying, and drums beating,
without first obtaining the permission of the Lord Mayor and Aldermen.
This privilege is shared by the Buffs, the Grenadier Guards and Royal
Marines only.
The Norfolk Regiment has a curious crest, being the figure of Britannia
as it used to appear on the copper coinage, and is the only regiment
not having a Royal title, of which His Majesty is Colonel-in-Chief. The
Lincolnshire Regiment was for some years after being raised the only
British regiment of infantry to wear blue coats.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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