Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment
Encyclopedia
"PWRR" redirects here. For the railroad with these reporting marks, see Portland and Western Railroad
.
The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires) (PWRR, known as 'The Tigers') is the senior English line infantry
regiment
of the British Army
, part of the Queen's Division
. It was formed in 1992 by the amalgamation of The Queen's Regiment
and The Royal Hampshire Regiment and holds the earliest battle honour
in the British Army (Tangier, 1662) which was not awarded until 1784.
Through its ancestry via the Queen's Regiment to the Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)
, the PWRR is the most senior English line infantry regiment. The current regiment was named in honour of Diana, Princess of Wales
.
The PWRR is the county regiment of the following (it also recruits in London):
Upon its creation, HRH The Princess of Wales and HM The Queen of Denmark were Allied Colonels-in-Chief of the PWRR. When the Princess divorced HRH The Prince of Wales, she resigned as Colonel-in-chief and the Queen of Denmark
has remained its Colonel-in-Chief since.
The regimental headquarters (RHQ) is in Canterbury, whilst the regiment itself comprises
three battalions:
There is also a single Territorial Army company, B (Queen's) Company of the London Regiment
.
.
The regiment's 2nd Battalion moved from Alexander Barracks, Dhekelia after two years in Cyprus
to Woolwich
Garrison, London
, to take up a Public Duties
role as of August 2010 with the battalions corps of drums performing at Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace and now attaining the role of the best corps of drums in the British Army today. Prior to Cyprus
, 2PWRR were based in Ballykelly
, Northern Ireland
, the last resident battalion deployed in this role under Operation Banner
.
Elements of both regular battalions were recently deployed to Afghanistan. Other elements of 1 PWRR were deployed to Iraq, where they helped train the Iraqi National Army and oversaw the withdrawal of UK Forces from Basra. Members of the 3rd Battalion were deployed to both theatres alongside their regular colleagues.
1st Battalion are due to be deployed to Afghanistan in August 2011, while 2nd Battalion will be deployed in 2013 for their 3rd tour.
, Dover
, Kent
. Exhibits trace the regiment's history, and include displays of photographs, paintings, weapons, badges, medals, uniforms and regimental regalia.
, two CGCs
, ten Military Cross
es, and seventeen were Mentioned in Despatches, making the regiment the most highly decorated serving regiment in the British Army at that time.
Lance Corporal Johnson Beharry
of the 1st Battalion, PWRR was awarded the Victoria Cross
for his actions during his unit's deployment to Al-Amarah, near Basrah.
Whilst attached to the 1st Battalion, Michelle Norris
of the Royal Army Medical Corps
became the first woman to be awarded the Military Cross
following her actions on June 11, 2006.
Lance Corporal Eric Danquah of the 1st battalion,PWRR was awarded the Joint Commanders Commendation for his actions during his units deployment to IRAQ Al-Amara
, near Basrah.
). Queen Margrethe II
was previously the Colonel-in-Chief of the Queen's Regiment, continuing a tradition in her family dating back to the appointment of King Frederick VIII
as the Colonel-in-Chief of The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)
, one of the ancestor regiments of the PWRR, in 1906.
- 49th (Sault Ste Marie) Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery - The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada
- The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment
- 1st Battalion, Royal New Brunswick Regiment (Carleton and York)
- The Essex and Kent Scottish Regiment
- The Royal New South Wales Regiment
- The Royal Western Australia Regiment - University of New South Wales Regiment
- The Canterbury, and Nelson-Marlborough and West Coast Regiment
- The Wellington West Coast and Taranaki Regiment
- 12th, 14th, 15th, and 17th Battalions, The Punjab Regiment
- HMS Excellent
- Le 35e Régiment d'Infanterie - Bond of Friendship - Den Kongelige Livgarde
- Bond of Friendship
Portland and Western Railroad
The Portland and Western Railroad is a Class II railroad serving the U.S. state of Oregon, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of shortline and regional railroad holding company Genesee & Wyoming Inc...
.
The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires) (PWRR, known as 'The Tigers') is the senior English line infantry
Line infantry
Line infantry is a type of infantry which composed the basis of European land armies from the middle of the 17th century to the middle of the 19th century....
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...
, part of the Queen's Division
Queen's Division
The Queen's Division is a British Army command, training and administrative apparatus designated for has the regiments from the east of England and the remaining regiment of Fusiliers. The Queen's Division was formed in 1968 with the regimentation of the Home Counties Brigade, Fusilier Brigade and...
. It was formed in 1992 by the amalgamation of 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...
and The Royal Hampshire Regiment and holds the earliest battle honour
Battle honour
A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags , uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible....
in the British Army (Tangier, 1662) which was not awarded until 1784.
Through its ancestry via the Queen's Regiment to the Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)
Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)
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...
, the PWRR is the most senior English line infantry regiment. The current regiment was named in honour of Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
.
The PWRR is the county regiment of the following (it also recruits in London):
- SurreySurreySurrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
- KentKentKent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
- SussexSussexSussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
- HampshireHampshireHampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
- MiddlesexMiddlesexMiddlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
- Isle of WightIsle of WightThe 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...
- Channel IslandsChannel IslandsThe Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
Upon its creation, HRH The Princess of Wales and HM The Queen of Denmark were Allied Colonels-in-Chief of the PWRR. When the Princess divorced HRH The Prince of Wales, she resigned as Colonel-in-chief and the Queen of Denmark
Margrethe II of Denmark
Margrethe II is the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of Denmark. In 1972 she became the first female monarch of Denmark since Margaret I, ruler of the Scandinavian countries in 1375-1412 during the Kalmar Union.-Early life:...
has remained its Colonel-in-Chief since.
The regimental headquarters (RHQ) is in Canterbury, whilst the regiment itself comprises
three battalions:
- 1st Battalion — Armoured Infantry (20th Armoured Brigade)
- 2nd Battalion — Light RoleLight infantryTraditionally light infantry were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, harassing and delaying the enemy advance. Light infantry was distinct from medium, heavy or line infantry. Heavy infantry were dedicated primarily to fighting in tight...
(London DistrictLondon District (British Army)London District is the name given by the British Army to the area of operations encompassing the Greater London area. Established in 1870 as Home District, it was re-formed in 1905 as London District to be an independent district within the larger command structure of the army, and has remained so...
) - 3rd Battalion — Territorial Army Infantry (2 (South East) Brigade)
There is also a single Territorial Army company, B (Queen's) Company of the London Regiment
London Regiment
The London Regiment is a Territorial Army regiment in the British Army. It was first formed in 1908 in order to regiment the various Volunteer Force battalions in the newly formed County of London, each battalion having a distinctive uniform. The Volunteer Force was merged with the Yeomanry in 1908...
.
Recent and future postings
The regiment's 1st Battalion served a seven-month tour of Iraq in 2004 with a second tour following in 2006. Many of the operations carried out by the battalion during the first tour were named after stations on the London UndergroundLondon Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
.
The regiment's 2nd Battalion moved from Alexander Barracks, Dhekelia after two years in 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...
to Woolwich
Woolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
Garrison, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, to take up a Public Duties
Public duties
Public duties are performed by military personnel, and usually have a ceremonial or historic significance rather than an overtly operational role.-Germany:...
role as of August 2010 with the battalions corps of drums performing at Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace and now attaining the role of the best corps of drums in the British Army today. Prior 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...
, 2PWRR were based in Ballykelly
Ballykelly
Ballykelly is a village and townland in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It lies west of Limavady on the main Derry to Limavady A2 road and is east of Derry. It is designated as a Large Village and in 2001 the population of Ballykelly was 1,827...
, 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...
, the last resident battalion deployed in this role under Operation Banner
Operation Banner
Operation Banner was the operational name for the British Armed Forces' operation in Northern Ireland from August 1969 to July 2007. It was initially deployed at the request of the Unionist government of Northern Ireland to support the Royal Ulster Constabulary . After the 1998 Belfast Agreement,...
.
Elements of both regular battalions were recently deployed to Afghanistan. Other elements of 1 PWRR were deployed to Iraq, where they helped train the Iraqi National Army and oversaw the withdrawal of UK Forces from Basra. Members of the 3rd Battalion were deployed to both theatres alongside their regular colleagues.
1st Battalion are due to be deployed to Afghanistan in August 2011, while 2nd Battalion will be deployed in 2013 for their 3rd tour.
Princess of Wales Royal Regiment Museum
The Princess of Wales Royal Regiment Museum is located in Dover CastleDover Castle
Dover Castle is a medieval castle in the town of the same name in the English county of Kent. It was founded in the 12th century and has been described as the "Key to England" due to its defensive significance throughout history...
, Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. Exhibits trace the regiment's history, and include displays of photographs, paintings, weapons, badges, medals, uniforms and regimental regalia.
Victoria Cross and other decorations
The regiment as a whole has attained fifty-seven Victoria Cross awards.21st Century
A total of thirty-seven medals and awards were awarded to the regiments 1st Battalion for their service during operations in Iraq in 2004, including a Victoria CrossVictoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, two CGCs
Conspicuous Gallantry Cross
The Conspicuous Gallantry Cross is a second level military decoration of the United Kingdom armed forces. Created in 1993 and first awarded in 1995, it was instituted after a review of the British honours system to remove distinctions of rank in the awarding of gallantry decorations...
, ten Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
es, and seventeen were Mentioned in Despatches, making the regiment the most highly decorated serving regiment in the British Army at that time.
Lance Corporal Johnson Beharry
Johnson Beharry
Lance Corporal Johnson Gideon Beharry VC of the 1st Battalion, Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, is a British Army soldier who, on 18 March 2005, was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest military decoration for valour in the British and Commonwealth armed forces, for twice saving members of...
of the 1st Battalion, PWRR was awarded the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
for his actions during his unit's deployment to Al-Amarah, near Basrah.
Whilst attached to the 1st Battalion, Michelle Norris
Michelle Norris
Michelle Suzanne Claire “Chuck” Norris MC, RAMC is a British lance corporal and medic noted for heroism in the 2003 Iraq conflict.-Early life:Norris was born at Stourbridge, West Midlands, England.-Military career:...
of the Royal Army Medical Corps
Royal Army Medical Corps
The Royal Army Medical Corps is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all British Army personnel and their families in war and in peace...
became the first woman to be awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
following her actions on June 11, 2006.
Lance Corporal Eric Danquah of the 1st battalion,PWRR was awarded the Joint Commanders Commendation for his actions during his units deployment to IRAQ Al-Amara
Al-Amara
Al-Amara is a prominent neighborhood in the old city of Damascus located a few meters away from The Grand Mosque of Damascus.-History:Damascus prides itself on being the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. The history of Damascus goes back well into 8000 BC. In every corner of its...
, near Basrah.
Danish connection
The PWRR is one of only two regiments in the British Army that has a foreign monarch as its Colonel-in-Chief (the other is The Light DragoonsThe Light Dragoons
The Light Dragoons is a cavalry regiment in the British Army.It was formed in 1992 from the amalgamation of two regiments, the 13th/18th Royal Hussars and the 15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars becoming the first dragoon regiment in the British Army for over twenty years.-Present day:The Light...
). Queen Margrethe II
Margrethe II of Denmark
Margrethe II is the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of Denmark. In 1972 she became the first female monarch of Denmark since Margaret I, ruler of the Scandinavian countries in 1375-1412 during the Kalmar Union.-Early life:...
was previously the Colonel-in-Chief of the Queen's Regiment, continuing a tradition in her family dating back to the appointment of King Frederick VIII
Frederick VIII of Denmark
Frederick VIII was King of Denmark from 1906 to 1912.-Early life:Frederick was born on 3 June 1843 in the Yellow Palace in Copenhagen as Prince Frederick of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, a junior male line of the House of Oldenburg descended from Christian III of Denmark and who had...
as the Colonel-in-Chief of The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)
The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)
The Buffs , formerly the 3rd Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army until 1961. It had a history dating back to 1572 and was one of the oldest regiments in the British Army being third in order of precedence...
, one of the ancestor regiments of the PWRR, in 1906.
Battle honours
- (combined battle honours of The Queen's Regiment, and The Royal Hampshire Regiment, with the following emblazoned:)
- The Regimental Colours1: Tangier 1662-80, Namur 1695, Gibraltar 1704-5, Blenheim, Ramillies, Oudenarde, Malplaquet, Dettingen, Minden, Louisburg, Guadeloupe 1759, Quebec 1759, Belleisle, Tournay, Barrosa, Martinique 1762, Seringapatam, Maida, Corunna, Talavera, Albuhera, Almaraz, Vittoria, Peninsula, Punniar, Moodkee, Sobraon, Inkerman, Sevastopol, Lucknow, Taku Forts, Pekin 1860, New Zealand, Afghanistan 1879-80, Nile 1884-85, Burma 1885-87, Relief of Ladysmith, Paardeberg, South Africa 1899-1902, Korea 1950-51
- The Queen's Colours: MonsBattle of MonsThe Battle of Mons was the first major action of the British Expeditionary Force in the First World War. It was a subsidiary action of the Battle of the Frontiers, in which the Allies clashed with Germany on the French borders. At Mons, the British army attempted to hold the line of the...
, Retreat from Mons, Aisne 1914, Ypres 1914 '15 '17 '18, Hill 60, Festubert 1915, Somme 1916 '18, Albert 1916 '18, Arras 1917 '18, Cambrai 1917 '18, Hindenburg Line, Italy 1917-18, Doiran 1917-18, Landing at Helles, Gaza, Jerusalem, Palestine 1917-18, Kut al Amara 1915 '17, Mesopotamia 1915-18, North West Frontier India 1915 1916-17, Dunkirk 1940, Normandy Landing, Caen, Rhine, North-West Europe 1944-45, Abyssinia 1941, El Alamein, Tebourba Gap, Hunt's Gap, Longstop Hill 1943, North Africa 1940-43, Sicily 1943, Salerno, Anzio, Cassino, Gothic Line, Italy 1943-45, Malta 1940-42, Malaya 1941-42, Hong Kong, Defence of Kohima, Burma 1943-45
- 1. also emblazoned:
- The Naval Crown superscribed "1st June 1794" - from the Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)
- The Sphinx superscribed "Egypt" - from the Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) & Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment
- The Royal Tiger superscribed "India" - from the Royal Hampshire Regiment
Alliances
- The Queen's York Rangers (1st American Regiment) - The South Alberta Light HorseThe 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...
- 49th (Sault Ste Marie) Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery - The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada
The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada
The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada is a militia regiment within the Canadian Forces, based in Toronto, Ontario. The regiment is part of Land Force Central Area's 32 Canadian Brigade Group. It is the only Primary Reserve regiment in Canada to have a parachute role. The regiment consists of the reserve...
- The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment
The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment
The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces. The regiment is headquartered in Belleville, Ontario, with companies in Peterborough and Cobourg....
- 1st Battalion, Royal New Brunswick Regiment (Carleton and York)
The Royal New Brunswick Regiment
The Royal New Brunswick Regiment is a reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces based in New Brunswick. It consists of two battalions, both of which are part of 37 Canadian Brigade Group. The regiment as it is now, was formed in 1954 by the amalgamation of the Carleton and York Regiment,...
- The Essex and Kent Scottish Regiment
- The 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...
- The Royal Western Australia Regiment - University of New South Wales Regiment
University of New South Wales Regiment
The University of New South Wales Regiment is an officer training regiment of the Australian Army Reserve.-Unit history:The University of New South Wales Regiment was originally founded as the New South Wales University of Technology Regiment in 1952. Army Headquarters approval to form the unit...
- The Canterbury, and Nelson-Marlborough and West Coast Regiment
Canterbury, and Nelson-Marlborough and West Coast Regiment
The Canterbury, and Nelson-Marlborough and West Coast Regiment is a Territorial Force unit of the New Zealand Army. It was formed in 1964 during the reorganisation of the army by the amalgamation of two separate regiments:...
- The Wellington West Coast and Taranaki Regiment
Wellington West Coast and Taranaki Regiment
The Wellington West Coast and Taranaki Regiment is a Territorial Force unit of the New Zealand Army. It was originally formed in 1948 by the amalgamation of two separate regiments:...
- 12th, 14th, 15th, and 17th Battalions, The Punjab Regiment
Punjab 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...
- HMS Excellent
- Le 35e Régiment d'Infanterie - Bond of Friendship - Den Kongelige Livgarde
Den Kongelige Livgarde
The Royal Life Guards is an infantry regiment of the Danish Army, founded in 1658 by King Frederik III. It serves in two roles: as a front line combat unit, and as a guard/ceremonial unit to the Danish monarchy...
- Bond of Friendship
External links
- Official site
- British Army Locations from 1945 British Army Locations from 1945
- Princess of Wales Royal Regiment Museum - museum information
- Princess of Wales Royal Regiment Museum - local tourism information
- 6/7 PWRR Regimental Association