Prince of Wales' Division
Encyclopedia
The Prince of Wales's Division is a British Army
command, training and administrative apparatus designated for all land force units in the West of England
and Wales
. The Prince of Wales's Division was formed in 1968 with the union of the Mercian Brigade
, Welsh Brigade
and Wessex Brigade
. As of 2006, the Prince of Wales's Division comprises seven infantry battalions:
In addition, the Prince of Wales's Division also maintains a single regular band, the Band of the Prince of Wales's Division. This was formed in 2006 through the amalgamation of two former divisional bands, the Clive Band and the Lucknow Band.
Under the restructuring announced in 2004, the Prince of Wales's Division has been reorganized into two large regiments:
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...
command, training and administrative apparatus designated for all land force units in the West of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. The Prince of Wales's Division was formed in 1968 with the union of the Mercian Brigade
Mercian Brigade
The Mercian Brigade was an administrative formation of the British Army from 1948 to 1964. The Brigade administered the regular infantry from the area of England between the Trent, Mersey and Severn rivers that roughly corresponded to the ancient kingdom of Mercia.After the Second World War the...
, Welsh Brigade
Welsh Brigade
The Welsh Brigade was an administrative formation of the British Army from 1948 to 1964. The Brigade administered the regular Welsh infantry regiments.After the Second World War the British Army had fourteen infantry depots, each bearing a letter...
and Wessex Brigade
Wessex Brigade
The Wessex Brigade was an administrative formation of the British Army from 1948 to 1968. The Brigade administered the regular infantry battalions of the Wessex area of south and south west England....
. As of 2006, the Prince of Wales's Division comprises seven infantry battalions:
- Regular Army Units
- 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions, The Mercian RegimentMercian RegimentThe Mercian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed by the amalgamation of three existing regiments on 1 September 2007.The regiment has three regular army battalion's and one Territorial Army or reserve battalion...
- 1st and 2nd Battalions, The Royal WelshRoyal WelshThe Royal Welsh was formed on St David's Day, 1 March 2006. It is one of the new large infantry regiments of the British Army, and the regiment's formation was announced on 16 December 2004 by Geoff Hoon and General Sir Mike Jackson as part of the restructuring of the infantry.-Formation:The...
- 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions, The Mercian Regiment
- Territorial Army Units
- 4th Battalion, The Mercian Regiment
- 3rd Battalion, The Royal Welsh
In addition, the Prince of Wales's Division also maintains a single regular band, the Band of the Prince of Wales's Division. This was formed in 2006 through the amalgamation of two former divisional bands, the Clive Band and the Lucknow Band.
Under the restructuring announced in 2004, the Prince of Wales's Division has been reorganized into two large regiments:
- Royal WelshRoyal WelshThe Royal Welsh was formed on St David's Day, 1 March 2006. It is one of the new large infantry regiments of the British Army, and the regiment's formation was announced on 16 December 2004 by Geoff Hoon and General Sir Mike Jackson as part of the restructuring of the infantry.-Formation:The...
- formed on 1 March 2006 by amalgamation of the 1st Battalion, Royal Welch FusiliersRoyal Welch FusiliersThe Royal Welch Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. It was founded in 1689 to oppose James II and the imminent war with France...
, 1st Battalion, Royal Regiment of Wales (24th/41st Foot)Royal Regiment of WalesThe Royal Regiment of Wales was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. It was formed in 1969 by the amalgamation of The South Wales Borderers and The Welch Regiment....
and the Royal Welsh RegimentRoyal Welsh RegimentThe Royal Welsh Regiment was an infantry regiment of the Territorial Army in the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1999 as part of the restructuring of the TA by the amalgamation of the two Welsh TA battalions:*3rd Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers...
. - Mercian RegimentMercian RegimentThe Mercian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed by the amalgamation of three existing regiments on 1 September 2007.The regiment has three regular army battalion's and one Territorial Army or reserve battalion...
- formed on 1 September 2007 by amalgamation of the 1st Battalion, 22nd (Cheshire) RegimentCheshire RegimentThe Cheshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division.The regiment was created in 1881 as part of the Childers reforms by the linking of the 22nd Regiment of Foot and the militia and rifle volunteers of Cheshire...
, 1st Battalion, Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment (29th/45th Foot)Worcestershire and Sherwood ForestersThe Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division...
, 1st Battalion, Staffordshire Regiment (The Prince of Wales's) and the West Midlands RegimentWest Midlands RegimentThe West Midlands Regiment was a British Territorial Army regiment from 1998 to 2007.The regiment was formed on April 5, 1988 by the amalgamation of four territorial infantry battalions:*3rd Battalion, Staffordshire Regiment...
.
Past Units
- 1st Battalion, The 22nd (Cheshire) RegimentCheshire RegimentThe Cheshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division.The regiment was created in 1881 as part of the Childers reforms by the linking of the 22nd Regiment of Foot and the militia and rifle volunteers of Cheshire...
- (1688-2007) - 1st Battalion, The Royal Welch FusiliersRoyal Welch FusiliersThe Royal Welch Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. It was founded in 1689 to oppose James II and the imminent war with France...
- (1688-2006) - 1st Battalion, The South Wales Borderers - (1689-1969)
- 1st Battalion, The Gloucestershire Regiment - (1881-1994)
- 1st Battalion, The Worcestershire RegimentWorcestershire RegimentThe Worcestershire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 29th Regiment of Foot and the 36th Regiment of Foot....
- (1881-1970) - 1st Battalion, The Royal Hampshire RegimentRoyal Hampshire RegimentThe 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:...
- (1881-1992) - 1st Battalion, The Welch RegimentWelch RegimentThe Welch Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1969.-History:It was formed as the Welsh Regiment during the Childers Reforms of 1881, by the amalgamation of the 41st Regiment of Foot and the 69th Regiment of Foot...
- (1881-1969) - 1st Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment) - (1881-1970)
- 1st Battalion, The Devonshire and Dorset RegimentDevonshire and Dorset RegimentThe Devonshire and Dorset Regiment, usually just known as the Devon and Dorsets, was an infantry regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1958 by the amalgamation of two county regiments:*The Devonshire Regiment*The Dorset Regiment...
- (1958-2005) - 1st Battalion, The Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment (Berkshire and Wiltshire) - (1959-1994)
- 1st Battalion, The Staffordshire Regiment (The Prince of Wales's) - (1959-2007)
- 1st Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Wales (24th/41st Foot)Royal Regiment of WalesThe Royal Regiment of Wales was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. It was formed in 1969 by the amalgamation of The South Wales Borderers and The Welch Regiment....
- (1969-2006) - 1st Battalion, The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment (29th/45th Foot)Worcestershire and Sherwood ForestersThe Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division...
- (1970-2007) - 1st Battalion, The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment - (1994-2005)