British Army

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British Army

Components
British Army
Territorial Army
List of current regiments
Structure of the British Army
Administration
HQ Land Command
HQ Adjutant-General
HQ Northern Ireland
Overseas Deployments
British Forces Germany
British Forces Cyprus
British Forces Gibraltar
British Garrison Brunei
Equipment
British military rifles
Modern Equipment
History
History of the British Army
Timeline of the British Army
Personnel
List of senior officers
Officer rank insignia
Other ranks rank insignia

The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with unification of the governments and armed forces of England and Scotland into the United Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated regiments that had already existed in England and Scotland and was controlled by the War Office from London. As of April, 2007, the British Army includes roughly 110,580 regular personnel and 38,460 Territorial Army members. The full time element of the British Army has also been referred to as the Regular Army since the creation of the reservist Territorial Army. The British Army is deployed in many of the world's war zones as part of a fighting force and in United Nations peacekeeping forces.

In contrast to the Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force, the British Army does not include "Royal" in its title, because of its roots as a collection of disparate units, many of which do bear the "Royal" prefix, such as the Royal Artillery and the Royal Engineers.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Recent and current conflicts
o 2.1 Persian Gulf War
o 2.2 Balkans conflicts
o 2.3 Afghanistan
o 2.4 Iraq War
o 2.5 Northern Ireland
* 3 Tommy Atkins and other nicknames
* 4 Today's Army
o 4.1 Statistics
o 4.2 Current deployments
+ 4.2.1 'High Intensity' Operations
+ 4.2.2 'Low-Intensity' Operations
+ 4.2.3 Training Operations
* 5 Equipment
* 6 Formation and structure
o 6.1 Aviation components
* 7 Special forces
* 8 Recruitment
* 9 Oath of allegiance
* 10 Training establishments
* 11 Flags and ensigns
* 12 Ranks, specialisms and insignia
* 13 Royal Navy and RAF infantry units
* 14 Overseas Territories Military Units
* 15 See also
* 16 External links
* 17 Footnotes

[edit] History

Main article: History of the British Army
The Battle of Waterloo, one of the greatest victories in British military history
The Battle of Waterloo, one of the greatest victories in British military history

The British Army came into being with the merger of the Scottish Army and the Welsh/English Army, following the unification of the two countries' parliaments and the creation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. Although England had made many earlier claims to sovereignty in Scotland, there had been no unified British state prior to that time (other than a brief period during which the Roman province of Britain had achieved political independence-although even that had failed to establish complete control over the north of the island). The new British Army incorporated existing English and Scottish regiments, and was controlled from London.

From roughly 1763 until at least 1945, the United Kingdom was one of the leading military and economic powers of the world. The British Empire expanded in this time to include colonies, protectorates, and Dominions throughout the Americas, Africa, Asia and Australasia. Although the Royal Navy is widely regarded as having been vital for the rise of Empire, and British dominance of the world, the British Army played important roles in colonisation. First, the British Army including garrisoning the colonies, capturing strategically important territories and participating in actions to pacify colonial borders, support allied governments, suppress Britain's rivals, and protect against foreign powers and hostile natives. Second, the troops also helped capture strategically important territories for the British, allowing the British Empire to expand throughout the globe. The Army also involved itself in numerous wars meant to pacify the borders, or to prop-up friendly governments, and thereby keep other, competitive, empires away from the British Empire's borders. Among these actions were the Seven Years' War, the American War of Independence, the Napoleonic Wars, the First and Second Opium Wars, the Boxer Rebellion, the New Zealand Wars, the Indian Mutiny, the First and Second Boer Wars, the Fenian raids, the Anglo-Irish War, its serial interventions into Afghanistan (which were meant to maintain a friendly buffer state between British India and the Russian Empire), and the Crimean War (to keep the Russian Empire at a safe distance by coming to Turkey's aid).

As had its predecessor, the English Army, in building the Empire, the British Army fought Spain, France, and the Netherlands for supremacy in North America and the West Indies. It also battled many Native American nations and groups, including the many disgruntled former allies who launched Pontiac's War in response to the wave of British settlers that flooded over the Appalachians following the defeat of France in the Seven Years' War. The British Government's attempt to mollify the Natives by delineating the Appalachians as the westward limit for European settlement was a significant motivator of the American colonies in launching the secessionist American War of Independence. The British Army fought American colonists and their Native and French allies in that war.

The British army was heavily involved in the Napoleonic Wars in which the army served in Spain, across Europe, and in North Africa. The war between the British and French Empires stretched around the world. The British Army finally came to defeat Napoleon at one of Britain's greatest military victories at the battle of Waterloo.
The Battle of Rorke's Drift in which 11 VCs were awarded to British troops
The Battle of Rorke's Drift in which 11 VCs were awarded to British troops

Under Oliver Cromwell, the English Army had been active in the conquest, and the settlement, of Ireland since the 1650s. The Cromwellian campaign was characterised by its uncompromising treatment of the Irish towns (most notably Drogheda) that had supported the Royalists during the English Civil War. It (and subsequently, the British Army) have been almost continuously involved in Ireland ever since, primarily in suppressing numerous Irish revolts and campaigns for self-determination. It was faced with the prospect of battling Anglo-Irish and Ulster Scots settlers in Ireland, who alongside their Irish countrymen had raised their own volunteer army and threatened to emulate the American colonists if their conditions (primarily concerning home rule and freedom of trade) were not met. The British Army found itself fighting Irish rebels, both Protestant and Catholic, primarily in Ulster and Leinster (Wolfe Tone's United Irishmen) in the 1798 rebellion.

In addition to battling the armies of other European Empires' (and of its former colonies, the United States, in the American War of 1812,) in the battle for global supremacy, the British Army fought the Chinese in the First and Second Opium Wars, and the Boxer Rebellion; Māori tribes in the first of the New Zealand Wars; Indian princely forces and British East India Company mutineers in the Indian Mutiny; the Boers in the First and Second Boer Wars; Irish Fenians in Canada during the Fenian raids; and Irish separatists in the Anglo-Irish War.

Following William and Mary's accession to the throne, England involved itself in the War of the Grand Alliance primarily to prevent a French invasion restoring Mary's father, James II. Following the 1707 union of England and Scotland, and then the 1801 creation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, British foreign policy, on the continent, was to contain expansion by its competitor powers such as France and Spain. The territorial ambitions of the French led to the War of the Spanish Succession and the Napoleonic Wars. Russian activity led to the Crimean War.

The vastly increasing demands of imperial expansion, and the inadequacies and inefficiencies of the underfunded, post-Napoleonic Wars British Army, and of the Militia, Yeomanry, and Volunteer Force, led to the Cardwell Reforms of the late 19th century, which gave the British Army its modern shape, and redefined its regimental system.
British Mark One Tank during World War I
British Mark One Tank during World War I

Great Britain's dominance of the world had been challenged by numerous other powers, notably Germany. The UK was allied with France (by the Entente Cordiale) and Russia, and when the First World War broke out in 1914, the British Army sent the British Expeditionary Force to France and Belgium to prevent Germany from occupying these countries. The War would be the most devastating in British military history, with near 800,000 men killed and over 2 million wounded. In the early part of the war, the professional force of the BEF was decimated and, by turns, a volunteer (and then conscripted) force replaced it. Major battles included the Battle of the Somme. Advances in technology saw British advent of the tank and advances in aircraft design which were to be decisive in future battles. Trench warfare dominated strategy, and the use of chemical and poison gases added to the devastation.

In 1939, the Second World War broke out with the German invasion of Poland. British assurances to the Polish led the British Empire to declare war on Germany. Again an Expeditionary Force was sent to France, only to be hastily evacuated as the German forces swept through the Low Countries and across France in 1940. Only the Dunkirk evacuations saved the entire Expeditionary Force from capture. Later, however, the British would have success defeating the Italians and Germans at the Battle of El Alamein in North Africa, and in the D-Day invasions of Normandy. In the Far East, the British Army battled the Japanese in Burma. World War II saw the British army develop its Commando units including the Special Air Service. During the war the British army was one of the major fighting forces on the side of the allies.

After the end of World War II, the British Empire declined with the independence of India, and other colonies in Africa and Asia. Accordingly the strength of the British military was reduced, in recognition of Britain's reduced role in world affairs. However, a large deployment of British troops remained in Germany, facing the threat of Soviet invasion. The Cold War saw massive technological advances in warfare, and the Army saw more technologically advanced weapons systems installed.

Despite the decline of the British Empire, the Army was still deployed around the world, fighting in the Korean War, the Suez crisis of 1956, and colonial wars in Oman and Malaysia. In 1982 the British Army, alongside the Royal Marines, helped to recapture the Falkland Islands during the Falklands War against Argentina.

In the three decades following 1969, the Army was heavily deployed in Northern Ireland, to support the Royal Ulster Constabulary (later the Police Service of Northern Ireland) in their conflict with loyalist and republican paramilitary groups, called Operation Banner. The locally-recruited Ulster Defence Regiment was formed, later becoming the Royal Irish Regiment in 1992. Over 700 soldiers were killed during the Troubles. Following the IRA ceasefires between 1994 and 1996 and since 1997, demilitarisation has taken place as part of the peace process, much reducing the military presence in the area. On June 25th 2007, the Second Battalion Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment vacated the Army complex at Bessbrook Mill in Armagh. This is part of the 'normalisation' programme in Northern Ireland in response to the IRA's declared end to its activities.

As with its return to Afghanistan, following the 2001 Al Qaeda terrorist attacks in the USA, the British Army's current return to Iraq in Operation Telic reflects a tradition of interceding in the region which included the Mesopotamian Campaign of the Great War, the Anglo-Iraq War of 1941 (the first Gulf War), and the Gulf War fought to liberate Kuwait (referred to as Operation Granby).

[edit] Recent and current conflicts

[edit] Persian Gulf War

Main article: Operation Granby

The ending of the Cold War saw a 40% cut in manpower. Despite this, the Army has been deployed in an increasingly global role. In 1991, the United Kingdom was the second largest contributor (after the USA) to the coalition force that fought Iraq in the Persian Gulf War. The nation supplied just under 50,000 personnel and was the nation put in control of Kuwait after it was liberated.

[edit] Balkans conflicts

Main article: Yugoslav wars

The British Army was deployed to Yugoslavia in 1992. Initially this force formed part of the United Nations Protection Force. In 1995 command was transferred to IFOR and then to SFOR. Currently troops are under the command of EUFOR. Over 10,000 troops were sent. In 1999 British forces under the command of SFOR were sent to Kosovo during the conflict there. Command was subsequently transferred to KFOR.

[edit] Afghanistan

Main article: 2001-present war in Afghanistan

In 2001 The 3rd Division Signal Regiment were deployed in Kabul, Afghanistan to assist in the liberation of the troubled capital. The Royal Marines 3 Commando Brigade also swept the Afghan mountains but this force is part of the Royal Navy. The British Armed forces are currently in charge of NATO forces in the nation. The British Army is today concentrating on fighting Taliban forces and bringing security to Helmand province under NATO control.

[edit] Iraq War

Main article: Iraq War

In 2003, the United Kingdom was the only other major contributor to the United States-led invasion of Iraq. There was great disagreement amongst the populace but the government voted for the conflict, with the result of sending over 45,000 army personnel to the region. The British Army is still the major coalition presence in the city of Basra and the Southern regions of Iraq. The British Army is not currently at war, but this is a conflict against groups acting within Iraq. The British Army's main duty in Iraq is peace-keeping.

[edit] Northern Ireland

Main article: Operation Banner

The British Army was initially deployed in Northern Ireland to prevent sectarian attacks on Catholic communities and keep order in the wake of Catholic rioting and was under Operation Banner between 1969 and 2007 in support of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) and its successor, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).[1] There has been a steady reduction in the number of troops deployed in Northern Ireland since the Good Friday Agreement was signed in 1998. In 2005, after the Provisional Irish Republican Army announced an end to armed conflict in Northern Ireland, it was revealed that the British Army would dismantle posts in the province and withdraw many troops and restore troop levels to that of a peace time garrison. Officially Operation Banner ended on 1 August 2007 after 38 years, making it the longest military operation in the history of the British Army.

[edit] Tommy Atkins and other nicknames

A long established nickname for a British soldier has been 'Tommy Atkins' or 'Tommy' for short. The origins are obscure but most probably derive from a specimen army form circulated by the Adjutant-General Sir Harry Calvert to all units in 1815 where the blanks had been filled in with the particulars of a Private Thomas Atkins, No 6 Company, 23rd Regiment of Foot. Present day English soldiers are often referred to as 'Toms' or just 'Tom' (The Scots equivalent being 'Jock'). Outside the services soldiers are generally known as 'Squaddies' by the British popular press. The British Army magazine Soldier has a regular cartoon strip, 'Tom', featuring the everyday life of a British soldier.

Junior officers in the army are generally known as 'Ruperts' by the Other ranks. This nickname is believed to be derived from the children's comic book character Rupert Bear who epitomises traditional public school values (see "Inside the British Army" by Antony Beevor ISBN 071134658)

The term 'Pongo' or 'Perce' is often used by Sailors and Royal Marines to refer to soldiers. It is not considered complimentary.

[edit] Today's Army

[edit] Statistics
The Challenger 2, the British Army's Main Battle Tank
The Challenger 2, the British Army's Main Battle Tank
British Army statistics[2]
Personnel (Regular Army) 107,730
Personnel (Territorial Army) 38,460
Main Battle Tanks 386 Challenger 2
Infantry fighting vehicles 667 Warrior (789 purchased)
APCs and CVR(T)s 3,230–4,000+
Land Rover Wolf 15,000
Pinzgauer 2,000
Utility Trucks 2,300
Artillery pieces and mortar 2,896
Air Defence 337
Aircraft 300+

[edit] Current deployments

[edit] 'High Intensity' Operations
Country Dates Deployment Details
Afghanistan 2001– 7,000 troops British troops have been based in Afghanistan since the US-led invasion there in 2001. Currently, under Operation Herrick, the Army maintains a battalion in Kabul and most of a brigade in the southern province of Helmand.
Iraq 2003– 5,000 troops As part of Operation Telic (Gulf War 2), the British Army participated in the invasion of Iraq. Following the decision for continued security operations, the UK commands the Multi-National Division (South-East) with a headquarters unit, National Support Element, and a combat brigade (at the moment 1 Mechanised Brigade), along with troops from Italy, Norway, Romania, Denmark, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Portugal and Lithuania. A large number of Territorial Army soldiers have been deployed for a variety of tasks, both as individuals serving and as formed units. Troop numbers are gradually decreasing, though the UK Government does not have a timetable for a full withdrawal.

[edit] 'Low-Intensity' Operations
Country Dates Deployment Details
Cyprus 1960– Two resident infantry battalions, Royal Engineers, 16 Flight Army Air Corps and Joint Service Signals Unit at Ayios Nikolaos as a part of British Forces Cyprus The UK retains two Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus after the island's independence. The bases serve as forward bases for deployments in the Middle East. British forces are also deployed separately with UN peacekeeping forces on the island.
Falkland Islands 1982– An infantry company group and an Engineers Squadron Previously a platoon-sized Royal Marines Naval Party served as garrison. After 1982 the garrison was enlarged, and bolstered with an RAF base.
Gibraltar 1704– One infantry battalion, Joint Provost and Security Unit as a part of British Forces Gibraltar British Army garrison is provided by an indigenous regiment, the Royal Gibraltar Regiment, which has been on the Army regular establishment since the last British regiment left in 1991.
Kosovo 1999 300 troops After the Kosovo War in 1999, the British Army led the NATO deployment in Kosovo to restore peace to the province. Since then, the UK has withdrawn some forces, as other nations provided troops.
Rest of the Middle East 1990 3,700 troops Since the Gulf War in 1991, the UK has had a considerable military presence in the Middle East. Besides Iraq, there are also an additional 3,500 troops in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, as well as regular training missions in Oman.
Sierra Leone 1999 About 100 troops The British Army were deployed to Sierra Leone, a former British colony, in 1999 to aid the government in quelling violent uprisings by militiamen, under United Nations resolutions. Troops ( Royal Marines ) remain in the region to provide military support and training to the Sierra Leone government.

[edit] Training Operations
Country Dates Deployment Details
Belize 1981– British Army Training and Support Unit Belize and 25 Flight Army Air Corps British troops have been based in Belize since the country gained independence from the UK in 1981. Until 1994 Belize's neighbour, Guatemala claimed the territory, and British troops were based in Belize to provide a deterrent force
Brunei 1962– One battalion from the Royal Gurkha Rifles, British Garrison, Training Team Brunei (TTB) and 7 Flight Army Air Corps A Gurkha battalion has been maintained in Brunei since the Brunei Revolt in 1962 at the request of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin III. The Training Team Brunei (TTB) is the Army's jungle warfare school, while the small number of garrison troops support the battalion. 7 Flight Army Air Corps provides helicopter support to both the Gurkha battalion and the TTB.
Canada 1972– British Army Training Unit Suffield and 29 (BATUS) Flight Army Air Corps Training centre in the Alberta prairie. Conducts regular, major armoured training exercises every year with helicopter support provided by 29 (BATUS) Flight AAC.
Germany 1945– 1st (UK) Armoured Division as part of British Forces Germany and 12 Flight Army Air Corps British forces remained in Germany after the end of World War II. Forces declined considerably after the end of the Cold War, although the lack of accommodation in the UK means forces will continue to be based in Germany.
Kenya British Army Training and Liaison Staff Kenya The Army has a training centre in Kenya, under agreement with the Kenyan government. It provides training facilities for three infantry battalions per year

[edit] Equipment

Main article: Modern equipment of the British Army

Warrior IFV
Warrior IFV
The Land Rover Wolf, the backbone of the British Army
The Land Rover Wolf, the backbone of the British Army

The basic infantry weapons of the British Army are the SA-80 assault rifle family, with several variants such as the L86A2 Light Support Weapon and the short stock variant, issued to tank crews. The general issue sidearm is the Browning L9A1, though a search is currently underway to find a replacement for the L9A1. Support fire is provided by the Minimi light machine gun and the L7 GPMG; indirect fire by 51 and 81 mm Mortar, as well as the UGL, mounted under the barrel of the SA80 rifle. Sniper rifles used include the L96A1 7.62 mm, the L115A1 and the AW50F, all produced by Accuracy International. In addition, some units use the L82A1 .50 calibre Barrett sniper rifle.

The British Army commonly uses the Land Rover Wolf and Land Rover Defender; with the Challenger 2 as its Main Battle Tank. The Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicle is the primary APC, although many variants of the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) are used, as well as the Saxon APC and FV430 series.

The Army uses three main artillery systems; the MLRS, which debuted in Operation Granby and has a range of 30 km: the AS-90, a self-propelled howitzer, and the L118, a 105 mm towed gun-howitzer, used primarily by lighter units and in support of the Royal Marines

The Rapier FSC Missile System is the Army's primary battlefield air defence system, widely deployed since the Falklands War; and the Starstreak HVM is a surface-to-air missile, launched either by a single soldier or from a vehicle-mounted launcher. The Starstreak fills a similar role to the American FIM-92 Stinger

The Army Air Corps (AAC) provide direct aviation support for the Army, although the RAF also assist in this role. The primary attack helicopter is the Westland WAH-64 Apache; a license-built, modified version of the AH-64 Apache that will replace the Westland Lynx AH7 in the anti-tank role. The Westland Lynx performs several roles including tactical transport, armed escort, reconnaissance and evacuation. It used to also offer the anti-tank warfare roll; it could carry eight TOW anti-tank missiles. The Tow missile system fit, for the Lynx was withdrawn from service by the MOD in December 2005, after the coming in to service of the WAH-64 Apache.

The Bell 212 is used as a specialist utility and transport helicopter, with a crew of two and a transport capacity of twelve troops.

The Westland Gazelle helicopter is a light helicopter, primarily used for battlefield scouting and control of artillery and aircraft.

The Agusta A109 is used for Special Operations Aviation, along with the Gazelle.

The Britten-Norman Islander is a light aircraft used for airborne reconnaissance and command, primarily in Northern Ireland.
Firearms
L85A2 5.56 mm IW
L86A2 5.56 mm LSW
L110A1 5.56 mm LMG
L9A1 Browning
L7A2 7.62 mm GPMG
L96A1 7.62 mm
L115A1 8.6 mm LRR

Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFV)
FV4043 Challenger 2 MBT
Warrior IFV
CVR(T)
FV432 APC

Artillery Systems
AS-90 155 mm Self-Propelled Gun
MLRS
L118 Light Gun
Rapier FSC Missile System
Starstreak HVM
L121 Field Howitzer
Cobra Artillery Location Radar
Aircraft
Apache AH.Mk.1
Gazelle AH.Mk.1
Lynx AH.Mk.7
Bell 212
Britten-Norman Islander
Agusta A109

Logistics Vehicles
DROPS
Land Rover (TUL/TUM)
ATMP

Information & Communication systems (ICS)
MSTAR
Bowman
Skynet 5
Spyglass Thermal Imager

[edit] Formation and structure
British Army Arms and Services

Combat Arms
Royal Armoured Corps
Infantry

Guards Division
Scottish Division
King's Division
Queen's Division
Prince of Wales' Division
Royal Irish Regiment
Parachute Regiment
Brigade of Gurkhas
The Rifles

Army Air Corps
Special Air Service Regiment
Combat Support Arms
Royal Regiment of Artillery
Corps of Royal Engineers
Royal Corps of Signals
Intelligence Corps
Combat Services
Royal Army Chaplains Department
Royal Logistic Corps
Army Medical Services

Royal Army Medical Corps
Royal Army Dental Corps
Royal Army Veterinary Corps
Queen Alexandra's Royal
Army Nursing Corps

Corps of Royal Electrical and
Mechanical Engineers
Adjutant General's Corps

Army Legal Services Branch
Royal Military Police
Military Provost Staff Corps

Small Arms School Corps
Army Physical Training Corps
General Service Corps
Corps of Army Music

See main article: Structure of the British Army

The structure of the British Army is complex, due to the different origins of its various constituent parts. It is broadly split into the Regular Army (full-time soldiers and units) and the Territorial Army (part-time soldiers and units).

In terms of its military structure it has two parallel organisations, one administrative and one operational.

Administrative:

Corps, which is a grouping by common function, such as Royal Corps of Signals.

* Divisions administrating all military units, both Regular and TA, within a geographical area.
o Brigade in a non fighting capacity
+ Regiment, which is a grouping of battalions most commonly found in the Infantry. It is also the correct name for the Corps sized grouping of Artillery regiments.

Operational: The three major commands are Land Command, Headquarters Adjutant General, and Headquarters Northern Ireland.

Corps made up of two or more Divisions (now unlikely to be deployed as a purely national formation due to the size of the British Army)

* Division made up of two or three Brigades with an HQ element and support troops. Commanded by a major-general
o Brigade made up of three Battalions an HQ element and associated support troops. Commanded by a brigadier
+ Battalion of about 700 soldiers, made up of five companies commanded by a lieutenant-colonel

or:

* Battlegroup. This is a mixed formation of armour, infantry, artillery, engineers and support units, and its structure is task specific. It is formed around the core of either an armoured regiment or infantry battalion, and has other units added or removed from it as necessary. A battlegroup will typically consist of between 600 and 700 soldiers under the command of a lt. colonel.
o Company of about 100 soldiers, typically in three platoons, commanded by a major.
+ Platoon of about 30 soldiers, commanded by a second lieutenant or lieutenant.
# Section of about 8 to 10 soldiers, commanded by a corporal.

A number of elements of the British Army use alternative terms for Battalion, Company and Platoon. These include the Royal Armoured Corps,Corps of Royal Engineers, Royal Logistics Corps, and the Royal Corps of Signals who use Regiment(Battalion), Squadron(Company) and Troop(Platoon). The Royal Artillery are unique in using the term Regiment in place of both Corps and Battalion, they also replace Company with Battery and Platoon with Troop.

[edit] Aviation components

The British Army co-operates heavily with the Royal Air Force for air support but the army also has its own Army Air Corps.

The AAC has in its arsenal:

* Westland Apache Helicopters
* Westland Lynx Helicopters
* Westland Gazelle Helicopters
* Bell 212 Helicopters
* Britten-Norman Islander Aircraft
* Agusta A109

[edit] Special forces

Main article: United Kingdom Special Forces

The British army contributes two of the three special forces formations within the United Kingdom Special Forces Command; the Special Air Service Regiment and the Special Reconnaissance Regiment.

The most famous formation is the Special Air Service Regiment. Formed in 1941, the SAS is considered the role model for many other special force regiments in the world [citation needed].

The SAS comprises one regular Regiment and two Territorial Army Regiments and is headquartered at Duke of York Barracks, London.

The regular regiment, 22 SAS Regiment has its headquarters and depot located in Hereford and consists of five squadrons: A, B, D, G and Reserve and a training wing. The regiment has battlespace roles in deep reconnaissance, target identification and indication and target destruction and denial. In its Counter Terrorism role it is seen as one of the prime anti-terrorist, hostage rescue and target capture units in the world.

The two reserve SAS regiments; 21 SAS Regiment and 23 SAS Regiment have a more limited role, focusing on the battlespace, with tasks including Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols and Combat Search and Rescue; rather than Counter-Terrorism.

The Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR) which was formed in 2005, from existing assets, undertakes close reconnaissance and special surveillance tasks.

Formed around 1st Battalion the Parachute Regiment, with attached Royal Marines and RAF Regiment assets, the Special Forces Support Group are under the Operational Control of Director Special Forces to provide Infantry support to the elements of United Kingdom Special Forces

[edit] Recruitment

The Army mainly recruits within the United Kingdom, and normally has a recruitment target of around 25,000 soldiers per year.

Low unemployment in Britain has resulted in the Army having difficulty in meeting its target, and in the early years of the 21st century there has been a marked increase in the number of recruits from other (mostly Commonwealth) countries, who as of mid-2004 comprised approximately 7.5% of the Army's total strength. By 2005 this number had risen to almost 10%.

There were 6,460 foreign soldiers from 54 countries in the Army (not counting over 3,000 Nepalese Gurkhas). After Nepal, the nation with most citizens in the British Army is Fiji, with 1,965, followed by Jamaica with 975; soldiers also come from more prosperous countries such as Australia and South Africa (650) (However, recent proposals by the South African government may in future bar South African citizens from serving within the militaries of foreign states. The British government has appealed against this move). The Caribbean island of St Lucia, which has a population of just over 150,000, provides 220 soldiers.[3]

The minimum recruitment age is 16 years (but only after the end of GCSEs), although soldiers may not serve on operations below 18 years; the maximum recruitment age was raised in January 2007 from 26 to 33 years. The normal term of engagement is 22 years.[4]

There has been a strong and continuing tradition of recruiting from Ireland including what is now the Republic of Ireland. Almost 150,000 Irish soldiers fought in the First World War; 49,000 died. More than 60,000 Irishmen, more than from Northern Ireland, also saw action in the Second World War; like their compatriots in the Great War, all were volunteers. There were more than 400 men serving from the Republic in 2003.[5]

[edit] Oath of allegiance
Troops of the Grenadier Guards on guard at Buckingham Palace, Various army regiments supply troops to guard the Royal residences
Troops of the Grenadier Guards on guard at Buckingham Palace, Various army regiments supply troops to guard the Royal residences

All soldiers must take an oath of allegiance upon joining the Army, a process known as "attestation". Those who believe in God use the following words:
“ I swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, her heirs and successors and that I will as in duty bound honestly and faithfully defend Her Majesty, her heirs and successors in person, crown and dignity against all enemies and will observe and obey all orders of Her Majesty, her heirs and successors and of the generals and officers set over me. [1] ”

Others replace the words "swear by Almighty God" with "solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm".

[edit] Training establishments

[[2]]

ATR Bassingbourn
ATR Winchester
ATR Pirbright
ITC Catterick
ATR Lichfield
AFC Harrogate
Regional Training Centres
Tri Service Police College
Welbeck Defence Sixth Form College
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS)

[edit] Flags and ensigns
Flag Ratio: 3:5. The official flag of the Army.
Flag Ratio: 3:5. The official flag of the Army.
The non-ceremonial flag of the British Army. Sometimes the word "Army" in gold letters appears below the badge.
The non-ceremonial flag of the British Army. Sometimes the word "Army" in gold letters appears below the badge.

The British Army does not have its own specific ensign, unlike the Royal Navy, which uses the White Ensign, and the RAF, which uses the Royal Air Force Ensign. Instead, the Army has different flags and ensigns, for the entire army and the different regiments and corps. The official flag of the Army as a whole is the Union Flag, flown in ratio 3:5. A non-ceremonial flag also exists, which is used at recruiting events, military events and exhibitions. Whilst at war, the Union Flag is always used, and this flag represents the Army on the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London (the UK's memorial to war dead). A British Army ensign also exists for vessels commanded by a commissioned officer, the Blue Ensign defaced with the Army badge. Army Vessels are operated by the Maritime element of the RLC.

Each line regiment (which does not include the Rifle Regiments) also has its own flags, known as the Colours - the Regimental Colour and the Queen's Colour. These colours have been taken into battle in the past and give pride to the regiment. There is great variation in the designs of different regimental colours. Typically the colour has the regiment's badge in the centre.

[edit] Ranks, specialisms and insignia
NATO Code OF-10 OF-9 OF-8 OF-7 OF-6 OF-5 OF-4 OF-3 OF-2 OF-1 OF-D- Student Officer
Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom
Edit No Equivalent
Field Marshal1 General Lieutenant General Major General Brigadier Colonel Lieutenant Colonel Major Captain Lieutenant Second Lieutenant Officer Cadet
Abbreviation FM Gen. Lt-Gen. Maj-Gen. Brig. Col. Lt-Col. Maj. Capt. Lt. 2nd Lt.

* 1 Now an honorary or wartime rank only.

NATO Code OR-9 OR-8 OR-7 OR-6 OR-5 OR-4 OR-3 OR-2 OR-1
Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom
Edit No
Insignia
Warrant Officer Class One (Conductor) Warrant Officer Class One Warrant Officer Class Two (Quartermaster Sergeant) Warrant Officer Class Two (Sergeant Major) Staff Sergeant/
Colour Sergeant Sergeant Corporal/
Bombardier Lance-Corporal/
Lance-Bombardier Private/regimental equivalent

Every regiment and corps has its own distinctive insignia, such as cap badge, beret and stable belt.

Throughout the army there are many official specialisms. They do not affect rank, but they do affect pay bands.
Band 2 Specialisms: Band 3 Specialisms:
Bandsman Survey Technician
Farrier Lab Technician
Driver Tank Transporter Registered General Nurse
Radar Operator Telcom Op (Special)
Meteorologist Aircraft Technician
Bomb Disposal Engineer SAS Soldier
Telcom Op (Linguist)
Operator Special Intelligence
Construction Materials Technician
Gun Fitter
Driver Specialist
Vehicle Electrician
Armoured Engineer

[edit] Royal Navy and RAF infantry units

The other armed services have their own infantry units which are not part of the British Army. The Royal Marines are amphibious light infantry forming part of the Royal Navy, and the Royal Air Force has the RAF Regiment used for airfield defence, force protection duties and Forward Air Control.

[edit] Overseas Territories Military Units

Numerous military units were raised historically in British territories, including self-governing and Crown colonies, and protectorates. Few of these have appeared on the Army List, and their relationship to the British Army has been ambiguous. Whereas Dominions, such as Canada and Australia, raised their own armies, Crown possessions (like the Channel Islands), and colonies (now called Overseas Territories) were, and are, legally part of the UK, and their defence remains the responsibility of the National (i.e., United Kingdom) government. All military forces of overseas territories are, therefore, under the direct command of the UK Government, via the local Governor and Commander-In-Chief. Many of the units in colonies, or former colonies, were also actually formed at the behest of the UK Government as it sought to reduce the deployment of the British Army on garrison around the world at the latter end of the 19th century. Today, three overseas territories retain locally-raised military units, Bermuda, Gibraltar, and the Falkland Islands. The units are patterned on the British Army, are subject to review by the Ministry of Defence, and are ultimately under the control of the British government, not the local governments of the territories (though day-to-day control may be delegated to Ministers of the territorial governments). Despite this, the units may have no tasking or funding from the MOD, and are generally raised under acts of the territorial assemblies.

* Bermuda Regiment
* Royal Gibraltar Regiment
* Falkland Islands Defence Force

[edit] See also
British Army Portal

* List of British Army Regiments (2008)
* Ministry of Defence
* Redcoat
* Territorial Army
* Volunteer Army
* British military history
* British Army Casualties during Operation TELIC
* Royal Navy
* Royal Air Force
* United Kingdom Special Forces
* Modern equipment and uniform of the British Army
* UK topics
* Army Rugby Union
* Eastbourne Redoubt Holds collections of The Royal Sussex Regiment, The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars (see also The Queen's Royal Hussars) and the Sussex Combined Services.
* Victoria Cross

[edit] External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
British Army

* British Army Website
* The British War Memorial Project
* The National Archives of Scotland: Doing research. Guides. Military records.


* Regiments and Corps of the British Army: An Introductory Overview Regiments.Org.

* British Armed Forces

* British Light Infantry Regiments

* The British Army in the Great War
* The British Army Rumour Service - an unofficial site for news, gossip and discussion.
* UK Military News & Information Portal
* British Army during the Napoleonic Wars
* Tom Wall, New Statesman, 6 December 2004, "Our boy soldiers"
* Royal Engineers Museum - Royal Engineers History
* Britain's Small Wars The History of British Military Conflicts since 1945
* Redoubt Fortress MuseumHolds collections of The Royal Sussex Regiment, The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars (see also The Queen's Royal Hussars) and the Sussex Combined Services.
* Eastbourne Redoubt
* Women in the british armed forces
* The Royal Sussex Regimental Association [3]