The Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment (Berkshire and Wiltshire)
Encyclopedia
The Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment (Berkshire and Wiltshire) was an infantry
regiment
of the British Army
.
. The first posting for the First Battalion (1 DERR) was in Tidworth
, Wiltshire
and it was from there in June 1960 B Company arrived in the Bahamas to augment the garrison
unit in the Caribbean, the Royal Hampshire Regiment
. The following year, ethnic violence in British Guiana
saw the DERR send a company to assist in the re-establishment of order. In December 1962 the Regiment arrived in Malta
for a deployment that would last just over 3-years. While based there, the Regiment deployed to Cyprus
in February 1964, a month before the establishment of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus
(UNIFICYP), returning to Malta in April though the Regiment did see subsequently deployments in Cyprus. Malta became independent from the British Empire
on 21 September and the Regiment took part in the occasion. In January 1966 the Regiment arrived in Minden
, West Germany
as part of the British Army of the Rhine
(BAOR) on a three-year posting. In West Germany they formed part of the 11th Infantry Brigade. From that location they trained in Libya
, Norway, and France. The Regiment went to Catterick
in June 1969 and the Regiment's sub-units saw deployments to the Central American colony of British Honduras
. In addition they trained in Canada and Malaysia. In August 1969 'C' Company, 1 DERR were sent to Derry
as reinforcements for 1 Queens at the start of the troubles
. They remained in Northern Ireland
until December. The following year 'B' Company were dispatched to Belfast
in support of 1st Royal Scots. In 1971 the complete Battalion deployed to Derry.
From 1969 the Regiment deployed to Northern Ireland during a period of turmoil in that was known as "The Troubles". The Regiment would see extensive service in Northern Ireland during their existence, unndertaking many tours-of-duty and, in the process, losing six men. The DERR briefly returned to Catterick after its tour of Northern Ireland before heading for West Berlin
, an enclave surrounded by Communist East Germany, joining the Berlin Brigade
. One of the Regiment's duties included guarding the last remaining prisoner at Spandau Prison
, Rudolf Hess
. From Berlin they went to West Germany and France. In 1975, having been on a two-year posting to Ballykinler
, Northern Ireland, the Regiment moved to Shoeburyness
, Essex. In August the Regiment deployed to Cyprus on an Emergency Tour, returning in February 1976. It subsequently became the Infantry Demonstration Battalion. In August 1978 the Regiment arrived in Osnabrück
, West Germany, joining the BAOR and would remain there, with the exception of a tour of NI in 1979, until 1983, when it moved back home, being based in Canterbury
.
In 1984 the DERR was presented with new Colours by its Colonel-in-Chief, the Duke of Edinburgh
. In December it joined the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus, returning home in June 1985. In February 1988, having been on another lengthy tour-of-duty in Northern Ireland, the Regiment was posted to Hong Kong
, joining its garrison on a two-year deployment, undertaking internal security duties which included patrolling the border with the People's Republic of China
to prevent illegal immigration into Hong Kong
.
Their last tour-of-duty in Northern Ireland came in March 1993, and during their deployment the Regiment lost two men. 1 DERR returned to their base in Catterick in September. The Regiment's existence came to an end the following year, on 27 July 1994, when it amalgamated with the 1st Battalion, The Gloucestershire Regiment
, to form the 1st Battalion, The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment. The Regiment has since been amalgamated once again, merging with The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment (D and D), The Light Infantry (LI) and The Royal Green Jackets (RGJ) to form The Rifles. 1 DERR and 1 D and D have formed 1st Battalion The Rifles (1 Rifles); they take precedence over other battalions within The Rifles as the 1st Battalion due to the seniority of the former Devonshire Regiment (11th of Foot). 1 Rifles is now part of 3 Commando Brigade.
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
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
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...
.
History
It was formed on 9 June 1959 after defence cuts implemented in the late 1950s saw the amalgamation of The Royal Berkshire Regiment (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) and The Wiltshire Regiment (Duke of Edinburgh's), forming The Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment (Berkshire and Wiltshire) (DERR). The Regiment was amalgamated at Albany Barrack, Isle of WightIsle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
. The first posting for the First Battalion (1 DERR) was in Tidworth
Tidworth
Tidworth is a town in south-east Wiltshire, England with a growing civilian population. Situated at the eastern edge of Salisbury Plain, it is approximately 10 miles west of Andover, 12 miles south of Marlborough, 24 miles south of Swindon, 15 miles north by north-east of Salisbury and 6 miles east...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
and it was from there in June 1960 B Company arrived in the Bahamas to augment the garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
unit in the Caribbean, the Royal Hampshire Regiment
Royal Hampshire Regiment
The Royal Hampshire Regiment was a British Army line infantry regiment from 1881 to 1992. Its lineage is continued today by the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment.-Formation and antecedents:...
. The following year, ethnic violence in British Guiana
British Guiana
British Guiana was the name of the British colony on the northern coast of South America, now the independent nation of Guyana.The area was originally settled by the Dutch at the start of the 17th century as the colonies of Essequibo, Demerara, and Berbice...
saw the DERR send a company to assist in the re-establishment of order. In December 1962 the Regiment arrived in Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
for a deployment that would last just over 3-years. While based there, the Regiment deployed to Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
in February 1964, a month before the establishment of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus
United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus
The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus was established in 1964 to prevent a recurrence of fighting between the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots and to contribute to the maintenance and restoration of law and order and a return to normal conditions...
(UNIFICYP), returning to Malta in April though the Regiment did see subsequently deployments in Cyprus. Malta became independent from the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
on 21 September and the Regiment took part in the occasion. In January 1966 the Regiment arrived in Minden
Minden
Minden is a town of about 83,000 inhabitants in the north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The town extends along both sides of the river Weser. It is the capital of the Kreis of Minden-Lübbecke, which is part of the region of Detmold. Minden is the historic political centre of the...
, West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
as part of the British Army of the Rhine
British Army of the Rhine
There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine . Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War, and the other after the Second World War.-1919–1929:...
(BAOR) on a three-year posting. In West Germany they formed part of the 11th Infantry Brigade. From that location they trained in Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, Norway, and France. The Regiment went to Catterick
Catterick Garrison
Catterick Garrison is a major Army base located in Northern England. It is the largest British Army garrison in the world with a population of around 12,000, plus a large temporary population of soldiers, and is larger than its older neighbour...
in June 1969 and the Regiment's sub-units saw deployments to the Central American colony of British Honduras
British Honduras
British Honduras was a British colony that is now the independent nation of Belize.First colonised by Spaniards in the 17th century, the territory on the east coast of Central America, south of Mexico, became a British crown colony from 1862 until 1964, when it became self-governing. Belize became...
. In addition they trained in Canada and Malaysia. In August 1969 'C' Company, 1 DERR were sent to Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
as reinforcements for 1 Queens at the start of the troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
. They remained in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
until December. The following year 'B' Company were dispatched to Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
in support of 1st Royal Scots. In 1971 the complete Battalion deployed to Derry.
From 1969 the Regiment deployed to Northern Ireland during a period of turmoil in that was known as "The Troubles". The Regiment would see extensive service in Northern Ireland during their existence, unndertaking many tours-of-duty and, in the process, losing six men. The DERR briefly returned to Catterick after its tour of Northern Ireland before heading for West Berlin
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
, an enclave surrounded by Communist East Germany, joining the Berlin Brigade
Berlin Brigade
After the end of World War II, under the conditions of the Yalta and Potsdam agreements, Allied forces occupied West Berlin. This occupation lasted throughout the Cold War...
. One of the Regiment's duties included guarding the last remaining prisoner at Spandau Prison
Spandau Prison
Spandau Prison was a prison situated in the borough of Spandau in western Berlin, constructed in 1876 and demolished in 1987 after the death of its last prisoner, Rudolf Hess, to prevent it from becoming a neo-Nazi shrine. The prison was near, though not part of, the Renaissance-era Spandau Citadel...
, Rudolf Hess
Rudolf Hess
Rudolf Walter Richard Hess was a prominent Nazi politician who was Adolf Hitler's deputy in the Nazi Party during the 1930s and early 1940s...
. From Berlin they went to West Germany and France. In 1975, having been on a two-year posting to Ballykinler
Ballykinler
Ballykinler or Ballykinlar is a village in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies 12 kilometres south west of Downpatrick, in the parish of Tyrella and Dundrum. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 348 people. It is within the Down District Council area.It is a linear settlement running...
, Northern Ireland, the Regiment moved to Shoeburyness
Shoeburyness
Shoeburyness is a town in southeast Essex, England, situated at the mouth of the river Thames Estuary. It is within the borough of Southend-on-Sea, and is situated at the far east of the borough, around east of Southend town centre...
, Essex. In August the Regiment deployed to Cyprus on an Emergency Tour, returning in February 1976. It subsequently became the Infantry Demonstration Battalion. In August 1978 the Regiment arrived in 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...
, West Germany, joining the BAOR and would remain there, with the exception of a tour of NI in 1979, until 1983, when it moved back home, being based in Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
.
In 1984 the DERR was presented with new Colours by its Colonel-in-Chief, the Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
. In December it joined the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus, returning home in June 1985. In February 1988, having been on another lengthy tour-of-duty in Northern Ireland, the Regiment was posted to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, joining its garrison on a two-year deployment, undertaking internal security duties which included patrolling the border with the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
to prevent illegal immigration into Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
.
Their last tour-of-duty in Northern Ireland came in March 1993, and during their deployment the Regiment lost two men. 1 DERR returned to their base in Catterick in September. The Regiment's existence came to an end the following year, on 27 July 1994, when it amalgamated with the 1st Battalion, The Gloucestershire Regiment
The Gloucestershire Regiment
The Gloucestershire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army. Nicknamed "The Glorious Glosters", the regiment carried more battle honours on their regimental colours than any other British Army line regiment.-Origins and early history:...
, to form the 1st Battalion, The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment. The Regiment has since been amalgamated once again, merging with The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment (D and D), The Light Infantry (LI) and The Royal Green Jackets (RGJ) to form The Rifles. 1 DERR and 1 D and D have formed 1st Battalion The Rifles (1 Rifles); they take precedence over other battalions within The Rifles as the 1st Battalion due to the seniority of the former Devonshire Regiment (11th of Foot). 1 Rifles is now part of 3 Commando Brigade.
Other information
Nickname 'The Farmers Boys'- Colonel-in-Chief: HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of EdinburghPrince Philip, Duke of EdinburghPrince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
- Anniversaries: MaiwandBattle of MaiwandThe Battle of Maiwand in 1880 was one of the principal battles of the Second Anglo-Afghan War. Under the leadership of Malalai Anaa, the legendary woman of Afghanistan, the Afghan followers of Ayub Khan defeated the British Army in one of the rare nineteenth-century victories of an Asian force...
(27 July), FerozeshahBattle of FerozeshahThe Battle of Ferozeshah was fought on 21 December and 22 December 1845 between the British and the Sikhs, at the village of Ferozeshah in Punjab. The British were led by Sir Hugh Gough and Governor-General Sir Henry Hardinge, while the Sikhs were led by Lal Singh.The British emerged victorious,...
(21 December), (Battle of TofrekBattle of TofrekThe Battle of Tofrek was fought between the British forces under the leadership of General Gerald Graham and General John McNeil, against the Mahdist forces led by Osman Digna in the deserts of eastern Sudan.-Details:...
22 March 1885) - Marches:
- Quick: The Farmers Boy
- Slow: Auld Robin Grey
- Alliances:
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-- Pakistan
- The Lincoln and Welland Regiment