History

As a consequence of defence cuts in the late 1950s, the Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)

2nd (The Queen's Royal) Regiment of Foot

The Queen's Royal Regiment was a regiment of the English and later British Army from 1661 to 1959. It was the senior English line infantry regiment of the British Army, behind only the Royal Scots in the British Army line infantry order of precedence...

 and the East Surrey Regiment

East Surrey Regiment

The East Surrey Regiment was a regiment in the British Army formed in 1881 from the amalgamation of the 31st Regiment of Foot and the 70th Regiment of Foot...

 were amalgamated on 14 October 1959 to form the 1st Battalion, Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment.

In 1959 the 1st Battalion 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...

 and the following year arrived in the British bases 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....

, while a detachment was sent to Cyprus. In 1961 the 1st Queen's Surreys was sent to 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...

 -- now part of the Yemen

Yemen

The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....

. In 1962 the regiment joined the 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...

 garrison, remaining there on a 2-year posting before heading for Münster

Münster

Münster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...

, 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....

 in 1964 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).

In 1966 the regiment's short existence came to an end when it, along with the three other remaining regiments of the Home Counties Brigade

Home Counties Brigade

The Home Counties Brigade was an administrative formation of the British Army from 1948 to 1968. The Brigade administered the regular infantry battalions of the Home Counties of south east England....

, was amalgamated to form The Queen's Regiment

The Queen's Regiment

The Queen's Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1966 through the amalgamation of the four regiments of the Home Counties Division...

, one of the new 'large' regiments that were formed in the 1960s.

Territorials

When the regiment was formed, the Territorial Army battalion

Battalion

A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...

s of the merging regiments continued to use their former titles. However, in 1961, a reduction in the size of the TA lead to the formation of 3rd and 4th Queen's Surreys:

• 3rd Battalion (TA) was formed of units affiliated to the Queen’s Royal Regiment: the 5th and 6th Battalions and the 565th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery
  Royal Artillery
  The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
  
   (the successor to 4th Battalion). Its headquarters were in Guildford.
• 4th Battalion (TA) was formed from former battalions of the East Surrey Regiment: the 6th East Surreys and the 23rd London Regiment. The battalion headquarters were in Kingston on Thames.

The two territorial battalions were disbanded in 1967, with their successor units in the Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve (TAVR) being "A" Company (Queen's Surreys) of the 5th (Volunteer) Battalion, The Queen's Regiment and the 6th (Territorial) Battalion, The Queen's Regiment (Queen's Surreys).

Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment Museum

The regiment's museum is located at Clandon Park

Clandon Park

Clandon Park is an 18th century Palladian mansion in West Clandon just outside Guildford, Surrey, in the United Kingdom. It has been a National Trust property since 1956....

, a historic house operated by the National Trust

National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty

The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...

 in West Clandon

West Clandon

West Clandon is a village in Surrey, England. It is within 4 miles of the M25 and the A3. Nearby villages include Send, Ripley, Ockham, East and West Horsley. Local towns are Woking and Guildford....

  Exhibits include uniforms, medals, weapons, regalia, photographs and memorabilia.

The regiment's archives and library are located at the Surrey History Centre in Woking

Woking

Woking is a large town and civil parish that shares its name with the surrounding local government district, located in the west of Surrey, UK. It is part of the Greater London Urban Area and the London commuter belt, with frequent trains and a journey time of 24 minutes to Waterloo station....

.

Other information

• Alliances:
  • The Queen's York Rangers (1st American Regiment) -- Canada
    Canada
    Canada 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...
    
     (1959–1966)
  • The South Alberta Light Horse
    The South Alberta Light Horse
    The South Alberta Light Horse, or SALH, is an armoured reconnaissance unit of the Canadian Forces Army Reserve based in Medicine Hat and Edmonton, Alberta...
    
     -- Canada (1959–1966)
  • 2nd Infantry Battalion (The City of Newcastle Regiment) -- Australia
    Australia
    Australia , 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...
    
     (1959-60)
  • Royal New South Wales Regiment
    Royal New South Wales Regiment
    The Royal New South Wales Regiment is a reserve infantry regiment of the Australian Army based in the state of New South Wales. The regiment consists of four battalions:-Organisation:*1st/19th Battalion*2nd/17th Battalion*4th/3rd Battalion...
    
     -- Australia (1960–1966)
  • The Northern Rhodesian Regiment (1959–1964)

External links

• Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment - official site
• Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment Museum