2nd East Anglian Regiment
Encyclopedia
The 2nd East Anglian Regiment (Duchess of Gloucester's Own Royal Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire) was a short-lived infantry
regiment of the British Army
from 1960 to 1964. Its lineage is continued by the Royal Anglian Regiment
.
The regiment was formed as part of the Defence Review
announced in 1957. This saw the six regular battalions in the East Anglian Brigade
reduced to three by amalgamation in pairs in 1958 - 1961.
Under the 1957 scheme, the first battalions of the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment and the Northamptonshire Regiment were to merge with the title 2nd East Anglian Regiment (Royal Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire). On August 20, 1959 it was announced that approval had been given to include the name of Duchess of Gloucester
in the regiment's title. The Duchess had been colonel-in-chief of the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment since 1937.
The regiment was formed on June 1, 1960, at Watchet
, Somerset
. A formation parade was held on July 10. The regiment moved to Osnabrück
, Germany, in 1961, where new colours were presented by the colonel-in-chief in the following year.
On September 1, 1964 the 1st
, 2nd and 3rd East Anglian Regiment
s and the Royal Leicestershire Regiment
were amalgamated to form a new "large regiment" known as The Royal Anglian Regiment. The 2nd East Anglians were redesignated as the 2nd Battalion (Duchess of Gloucester's Own Royal Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire) of the new regiment. From 1968 battalion subtitles were omitted.
. The 2nd East Anglian Regiment wore a collar badge combining elements of the insignia of the two merged regiments: a sphinx
and the battle honour Talavera for the Royal Lincolns and Northamptons respectively. A black lanyard, inherited from the Northamptonshire Regiment, was worn. The regiment's stable belt combined the colours of those of the two predecessors, dark blue with a buff and dark red stripe.
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
regiment of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
from 1960 to 1964. Its lineage is continued by the Royal Anglian Regiment
Royal Anglian Regiment
The Royal Anglian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division.The regiment was formed on 1 September 1964 as the first of the new large infantry regiments, through the amalgamation of the four regiments of the East Anglian Brigade.* 1st Battalion from the...
.
The regiment was formed as part of the Defence Review
1957 Defence White Paper
The 1957 White Paper on Defence was a British white paper setting forth the perceived future of the British military. It had profound effects on all aspects of the defence industry but probably the most affected was the British aircraft industry...
announced in 1957. This saw the six regular battalions in the East Anglian Brigade
East Anglian Brigade
The East Anglian Brigade was an administrative formation of the British Army from 1948 to 1968. The Brigade administered the regular infantry regiments of eastern England....
reduced to three by amalgamation in pairs in 1958 - 1961.
Under the 1957 scheme, the first battalions of the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment and the Northamptonshire Regiment were to merge with the title 2nd East Anglian Regiment (Royal Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire). On August 20, 1959 it was announced that approval had been given to include the name of Duchess of Gloucester
Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester
Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester was a member of the British Royal Family, the wife and then widow of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, the third son of George V and Queen Mary.The daughter of the 7th Duke of Buccleuch & Queensberry, Scotland’s largest landowner, her brothers Walter and...
in the regiment's title. The Duchess had been colonel-in-chief of the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment since 1937.
The regiment was formed on June 1, 1960, at Watchet
Watchet
Watchet is a harbour town and civil parish in the English county of Somerset, with an approximate population of 4,400. It is situated west of Bridgwater, north-west of Taunton, and east of Minehead. The parish includes the hamlet of Beggearn Huish...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
. A formation parade was held on July 10. The regiment moved to Osnabrück
Osnabrück
Osnabrück is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, some 80 km NNE of Dortmund, 45 km NE of Münster, and some 100 km due west of Hanover. It lies in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest...
, Germany, in 1961, where new colours were presented by the colonel-in-chief in the following year.
On September 1, 1964 the 1st
1st East Anglian Regiment
The 1st East Anglian Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army.As a result of defence cuts implemented in the late 1950s, the 1st Battalion, The Royal Norfolk Regiment and the 1st Battalion, The Suffolk Regiment amalgamated on 29 August 1959 to form the 1st Battalion, 1st East Anglian...
, 2nd and 3rd East Anglian Regiment
3rd East Anglian Regiment
The 3rd East Anglian Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army. It was formed on 2 June 1958 by the amalgamation of the 1st Battalion, The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment and the 1st Battalion, The Essex Regiment....
s and the Royal Leicestershire Regiment
Royal Leicestershire Regiment
The Royal Leicestershire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, with a history going back to 1688. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated into The Royal Anglian Regiment in 1964.-1688 - 1881:...
were amalgamated to form a new "large regiment" known as The Royal Anglian Regiment. The 2nd East Anglians were redesignated as the 2nd Battalion (Duchess of Gloucester's Own Royal Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire) of the new regiment. From 1968 battalion subtitles were omitted.
Badges and dress distinctions
All battalions of the East Anglian Brigade wore a common cap badge, with each unit having a distinctive collar badge, coloured lanyard and stable beltStable belt
A stable belt is an item of uniform used in the armed forces of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries. Stable belts or similar derivatives are also worn by the armed forced of other nations such as Denmark....
. The 2nd East Anglian Regiment wore a collar badge combining elements of the insignia of the two merged regiments: a sphinx
Sphinx
A sphinx is a mythical creature with a lion's body and a human head or a cat head.The sphinx, in Greek tradition, has the haunches of a lion, the wings of a great bird, and the face of a woman. She is mythicised as treacherous and merciless...
and the battle honour Talavera for the Royal Lincolns and Northamptons respectively. A black lanyard, inherited from the Northamptonshire Regiment, was worn. The regiment's stable belt combined the colours of those of the two predecessors, dark blue with a buff and dark red stripe.