Somerset and Cornwall Light Infantry
Encyclopedia
The Somerset and Cornwall Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army
.
It was formed in 1959 by the merger of two regiments: The Somerset Light Infantry (Prince Albert's)
and The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry. Immediately before amalgamation the 1st Battalions of these regiments were stationed at Warminster
and Osnabrück
respectively.
The 1st Battalion The Somerset and Cornwall Light Infantry served at Osnabrück until June 1961, when it moved to Gibraltar
. Gibraltar Day is now celebrated annually on 6 October as the Regimental Day of Somerset and Cornwall Light Infantry.
The regiment brought colours and insignia from its parent regiments: the Royal Blue Facings and Royal Bugle Cords of the Somerset Light Infantry, the red patch commemorating the red feathers of the Light Company of the 46th Foot (later the 2nd Battalion the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry) and the privilege of wearing the sash knotted on the right side, a unique distinction usually associated with the gallantry of the 13th Foot at Culloden. The green head-dress, whistle cord and No 1 Dress Uniform are common to all Light Infantry Regiments. The parent Regiments were raised: in 1685 as Huntingdon's Foot, in 1702, as Fox's Marines, and in 1740 as the 57th (later renumbered 46th) (1st and 2nd Battalions The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry).
In 1968 it was amalgamated with the three other regiments of the Light Infantry Brigade
to form The Light Infantry
.
The Regimental Colour
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...
.
It was formed in 1959 by the merger of two regiments: The Somerset Light Infantry (Prince Albert's)
The Somerset Light Infantry (Prince Albert's)
The Somerset Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army, which served under various titles from 1685 to 1959. Its lineage is continued today by The Rifles.-Formation:...
and The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry. Immediately before amalgamation the 1st Battalions of these regiments were stationed at Warminster
Warminster
Warminster is a town in western Wiltshire, England, by-passed by the A36, and near Frome and Westbury. It has a population of about 17,000. The River Were runs through the town and can be seen running through the middle of the town park. The Minster Church of St Denys sits on the River Were...
and 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...
respectively.
The 1st Battalion The Somerset and Cornwall Light Infantry served at Osnabrück until June 1961, when it moved to Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
. Gibraltar Day is now celebrated annually on 6 October as the Regimental Day of Somerset and Cornwall Light Infantry.
The regiment brought colours and insignia from its parent regiments: the Royal Blue Facings and Royal Bugle Cords of the Somerset Light Infantry, the red patch commemorating the red feathers of the Light Company of the 46th Foot (later the 2nd Battalion the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry) and the privilege of wearing the sash knotted on the right side, a unique distinction usually associated with the gallantry of the 13th Foot at Culloden. The green head-dress, whistle cord and No 1 Dress Uniform are common to all Light Infantry Regiments. The parent Regiments were raised: in 1685 as Huntingdon's Foot, in 1702, as Fox's Marines, and in 1740 as the 57th (later renumbered 46th) (1st and 2nd Battalions The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry).
In 1968 it was amalgamated with the three other regiments of the Light Infantry Brigade
Light Infantry Brigade
The Light Infantry Brigade was an administrative formation of the British Army from 1948 to 1968. The Brigade administered the regular English light infantry regiments....
to form The Light Infantry
The Light Infantry
The Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Light Division. It was formed on 10 July 1968 as a "large regiment" by the amalgamation of the four remaining light infantry regiments of the Light Infantry Brigade:...
.
Battle honours
The Queens Colour- Mons - Marne, 1914, 18 - Aisne, 1914 - Ypres, 1915, 17, 18 - Somme, 1916, 18 - Albert, 1916, 18 - Arras, 1917, 18 - Passchendale - Cambrai, 1917, 18 - Hindenburg Line - Sambre - Doiran, 1917, 18 - Gaza - Palestine, 1917 - 18 - Tigris, 1916.
- Hill 112 - Mont Pincon - Nederrijn - Geilenkirchen - Rhineland - Rhine - North West Europe, 1940, 44-45 Gazala - Medjez Plain - Cassino II - Incontro - Cosina Canal Crossing - Italy, 1944-45 - North Arakan - Ngakyedauk Pass
The Regimental Colour
- A Bugle Horn stringed ensigned with a Mural Crown all in Silver. The Sphinx superscribed "Egypt". A Mural Crown superscribed "Jellalabad" Gibraltar, 1704-5 - Dettingen - St. Lucia,1778 - Dominica - Rolica - Vimiera - Corunna - Martinique, 1809 - Salamanca - Pyrenees - Nivelle - Nive Orthes - Peninsula - Waterloo - Ava - Ghuznee, 1839 - Afghanistan, 1839 - Cabool, 1842 - Mooltan - Goojerat - Punjab - Sevastopol - Lucknow - South Africa - 1878-9 - Tel-el-Kebir - Egypt, 1882 - Nile, 1884-85 - Burma, 1885-87 - Paardeberg - Relief of Ladysmith - South Africa 1899-1902 - Afghanistan, 1919.