The Lancashire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Volunteers)
Encyclopedia
The Lancashire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Volunteers) was an infantry regiment of the British Army
.
It was formed, as a consequence of defence cuts implemented in the late 1950s
, by the amalgamation of the 1st Battalion, The East Lancashire Regiment and 1st Battalion, The South Lancashire Regiment (The Prince of Wales's Volunteers)
on 1 July 1958, forming the 1st Battalion, The Lancashire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Volunteers).
The Regiment was first based in Hong Kong
where both of its predecessor regiments had been based when they amalgamated. In 1961 the Regiment arrived in Hilden
, West Germany
as part of the British Army of the Rhine
. The Regiment arrived in Swaziland
in late 1964, shortly after Swaziland's first-ever elections. The Regiment remained in that country until early the following year when it returned to Britain, being based in Catterick
.
In 1967 the Lancashires arrived in Aden
in the Middle East
a number of months before Aden gained independence from the British Empire
. The Regiment saw active involvement in the efforts to quell the numerous guerillas, some of which were Egyptian-backed, and sustained a number of casualties in the process. During their tour of Aden the Regiment accumulated the largest amount of operational awards given to units that participated in the Aden Crisis. The Regiment left Aden two months before it gained its independence on 30 November. In 1968 the Regiment was posted to the garrison in Malta
. The following year the Lancashires again returned home to the UK.
On 25 March 1970, after a relatively brief existence, the Regiment was amalgamated with the 1st Battalion, The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire), to form the 1st Battalion, The Queen's Lancashire Regiment
.
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, as a consequence of defence cuts implemented in the late 1950s
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...
, by the amalgamation of the 1st Battalion, The East Lancashire Regiment and 1st Battalion, The South Lancashire Regiment (The Prince of Wales's Volunteers)
The South Lancashire Regiment (The Prince of Wales's Volunteers)
The South Lancashire Regiment was a regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1958. It was formed as part of the Childers reforms as the Prince of Wales's Volunteers Regiment by the amalgamation of the 40th Regiment of Foot and the 82nd Regiment of Foot...
on 1 July 1958, forming the 1st Battalion, The Lancashire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Volunteers).
The Regiment was first based in 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...
where both of its predecessor regiments had been based when they amalgamated. In 1961 the Regiment arrived in Hilden
Hilden
Hilden is a city in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is situated in the District of Mettmann, west of Solingen and east of Düsseldorf on the right side of the Rhine. It is a middle sized industrial town with a forest and numerous attractions....
, 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:...
. The Regiment arrived in Swaziland
Swaziland
Swaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...
in late 1964, shortly after Swaziland's first-ever elections. The Regiment remained in that country until early the following year when it returned to Britain, being based in 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 1967 the Lancashires arrived in Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
a number of months before Aden gained independence 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...
. The Regiment saw active involvement in the efforts to quell the numerous guerillas, some of which were Egyptian-backed, and sustained a number of casualties in the process. During their tour of Aden the Regiment accumulated the largest amount of operational awards given to units that participated in the Aden Crisis. The Regiment left Aden two months before it gained its independence on 30 November. In 1968 the Regiment was posted to the garrison 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...
. The following year the Lancashires again returned home to the UK.
On 25 March 1970, after a relatively brief existence, the Regiment was amalgamated with the 1st Battalion, The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire), to form the 1st Battalion, The Queen's Lancashire Regiment
Queen's Lancashire Regiment
The Queen's Lancashire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the King's Division...
.
Other information
- Alliances:
- The Princess of Wales' Own RegimentThe Princess of Wales' Own RegimentThe Princess of Wales' Own Regiment is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces.The regiment was created on 16 January 1863 as the 14th Battalion Volunteer Militia Rifles of Canada from the amalgamation of Kingston, Ontario’s seven independent rifle companies...
— CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
(1958-1970) - The West Novia Scotia Regiment — Canada (1958-1970)
- 40th Infantry Battalion (The Derwent Regiment) — AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
(1958-1960) - The Royal Tasmania Regiment — Australia (1967-1970)
- The Hawkes Bay Regiment — New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
- 8th Battalion, The Punjab RegimentPunjab Regiment (Pakistan)The Punjab Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Pakistan Army. The modern regiment was formed in 1956 from an amalgamation of the 1st Punjab Regiment, 14th Punjab Regiment, 15th Punjab Regiment and 16th Punjab Regiment...
— PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
- The Princess of Wales' Own Regiment