The King's Own Royal Border Regiment
Encyclopedia
The King's Own Royal Border Regiment was an infantry
regiment
of the British Army
, part of the King's Division
. It was formed in 1959 through the amalgamation of two other regiments:
In 2004, as part of the restructuring of the infantry, it was announced that the King's Own Royal Border Regiment would amalgamate with the King's Regiment
and the Queen's Lancashire Regiment
to form the new Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's Lancashire and Border)
. The new regiment was formed on 1 July 2006, with the KORBR forming the 3rd Battalion.
The regiment's earliest forebears were the 4th, or Kings Own Regiment of Foot, formed in 1680 as the 2nd Tangier Regiment
, the fourth Foot regiment in seniority in the British Army.
The 34th (Cumberland)
and 55th (Westmorland)
Regiments of Foot were formed later in 1705 and 1755, respectively. In 1881 they amalgamated to form the Border Regiment, a fearsome force of Cumbrians who fought in the Battle of Arnhem
in 1944 and were well-represented in the bitter war across Burma, as featured in the book Quartered Safe Out Here by George MacDonald Fraser
.
The 1959 amalgamated regiment preserved traditions of the previous three regiments (4th, 34th and 55th). Every October 28, the regiment would celebrate "Arroyo Day" by parading the French drums captured during the Peninsular War
in 1811. They had been taken intact in the Battle of Arroyo dos Molinos
from the French 34e Régiment de Ligne.
The regiment saw a great deal of service in Ulster
during the troubles
in Northern Ireland
, fitting in four residential (2-year) tours in the province before the first ceasefire in 1994 (not counting numerous 4 and 6 month tours in between). The regiment was twice awarded the Wilkinson's Sword of Peace for work in both Derry
and Bosnia
(where it served twice)
The Regiment's final act was to serve in Iraq in 2005-6. It re-badged as The Duke Of Lancaster's Regiment in June 2006, merging with the other regiments of North West England
. The new name reflects the fact that the new Regiment embodies the old regiments recruiting areas of Cumbria
, Lancashire
, Manchester
and Liverpool
, all of which make up the ancient Duchy of Lancaster
. The Duke of Lancaster, incidentally, is Her Majesty The Queen
.
The fountains of all knowledge about the Regiment are the curators of the King's Own Museum (Peter Donnelly, Lancaster) and the Regimental Museum
(Stuart Eastwood or Tony Goddard Carlisle Castle
).
NB: The KORBR was the only infantry regiment from the Cumbria
area of England. However, the television series Soldier Soldier
featured a fictional regiment from the region, The Cumbrians (Duke of Rutland's Own), which, under Options for Change
, amalgamated with the King's Fusiliers.
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
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 King's Division
King's Division
The King's Division is a British Army command, training and administrative apparatus designated for infantry regiments in the North of England. The King's Division was formed in 1968 with the union of the Lancastrian Brigade, Yorkshire Brigade and North Irish Brigade...
. It was formed in 1959 through the amalgamation of two other regiments:
- The King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster)
- The Border Regiment
In 2004, as part of the restructuring of the infantry, it was announced that the King's Own Royal Border Regiment would amalgamate with the King's Regiment
The King's Regiment
The King's Regiment, officially abbreviated as KINGS, was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the King's Division. It was formed on 1 September 1958 by the amalgamation of The King's Regiment which had been raised in 1685 and The Manchester Regiment which traced its history to 1758...
and 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...
to form the new Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's Lancashire and Border)
Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's Lancashire and Border)
The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment is an infantry regiment of the line within the British Army. It recruits throughout the North West of England...
. The new regiment was formed on 1 July 2006, with the KORBR forming the 3rd Battalion.
The regiment's earliest forebears were the 4th, or Kings Own Regiment of Foot, formed in 1680 as the 2nd Tangier Regiment
2nd Tangier Regiment
The 2nd Tangier Regiment was raised by the Charles FitzCharles, 1st Earl of Plymouth in 1680.Part of the Standing army of King Charles II, the regiment's intended role was to help to garrison the Colony of Tangier, but that was evacuated four years later....
, the fourth Foot regiment in seniority in the British Army.
The 34th (Cumberland)
34th (Cumberland) Regiment of Foot
The 34th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1702 and amalgamated with the 55th Regiment of Foot, into The Border Regiment in 1881.-Early 18th century :...
and 55th (Westmorland)
55th Regiment of Foot
The 55th Regiment of Foot was a British Army infantry regiment which existed from 1755 to 1881. After 1782 it had a county designation added, becoming known as the 55th Regiment of Foot. or simply the Westmorland Regiment...
Regiments of Foot were formed later in 1705 and 1755, respectively. In 1881 they amalgamated to form the Border Regiment, a fearsome force of Cumbrians who fought in the Battle of Arnhem
Battle of Arnhem
The Battle of Arnhem was a famous Second World War military engagement fought in and around the Dutch towns of Arnhem, Oosterbeek, Wolfheze, Driel and the surrounding countryside from 17–26 September 1944....
in 1944 and were well-represented in the bitter war across Burma, as featured in the book Quartered Safe Out Here by George MacDonald Fraser
George MacDonald Fraser
George MacDonald Fraser, OBE was an English-born author of Scottish descent, who wrote both historical novels and non-fiction books, as well as several screenplays.-Early life and military career:...
.
The 1959 amalgamated regiment preserved traditions of the previous three regiments (4th, 34th and 55th). Every October 28, the regiment would celebrate "Arroyo Day" by parading the French drums captured during the Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
in 1811. They had been taken intact in the Battle of Arroyo dos Molinos
Battle of Arroyo dos Molinos
The Battle of Arroyo dos Molinos took place on 28 October 1811 during the Peninsula War. An allied force under General Rowland Hill trapped and defeated, a French force under General Jean-Baptiste Girard, forcing the latter's dismissal by the Emperor Napoleon...
from the French 34e Régiment de Ligne.
The regiment saw a great deal of service in Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
during the troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
in 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...
, fitting in four residential (2-year) tours in the province before the first ceasefire in 1994 (not counting numerous 4 and 6 month tours in between). The regiment was twice awarded the Wilkinson's Sword of Peace for work in both Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
and Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
(where it served twice)
The Regiment's final act was to serve in Iraq in 2005-6. It re-badged as The Duke Of Lancaster's Regiment in June 2006, merging with the other regiments of North West England
North West England
North West England, informally known as The North West, is one of the nine official regions of England.North West England had a 2006 estimated population of 6,853,201 the third most populated region after London and the South East...
. The new name reflects the fact that the new Regiment embodies the old regiments recruiting areas of Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
and Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, all of which make up the ancient Duchy of Lancaster
Duchy of Lancaster
The Duchy of Lancaster is one of the two royal duchies in England, the other being the Duchy of Cornwall. It is held in trust for the Sovereign, and is used to provide income for the use of the British monarch...
. The Duke of Lancaster, incidentally, is Her Majesty The Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
.
The fountains of all knowledge about the Regiment are the curators of the King's Own Museum (Peter Donnelly, Lancaster) and the Regimental Museum
(Stuart Eastwood or Tony Goddard Carlisle Castle
Carlisle Castle
Carlisle Castle is situated in Carlisle, in the English county of Cumbria, near the ruins of Hadrian's Wall. The castle is over 900 years old and has been the scene of many historical episodes in British history. Given the proximity of Carlisle to the border between England and Scotland, it...
).
NB: The KORBR was the only infantry regiment from the Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
area of England. However, the television series Soldier Soldier
Soldier Soldier
Soldier Soldier is a British television drama series. The title comes from a traditional song of the same name.Produced by Central Television and broadcast on the ITV network, it ran for a total of seven series and 82 episodes from 1991 to 1997...
featured a fictional regiment from the region, The Cumbrians (Duke of Rutland's Own), which, under Options for Change
Options for Change
Options for Change was a restructuring of the British Armed Forces in 1990, aimed at cutting defence spending following the end of the Cold War....
, amalgamated with the King's Fusiliers.
External links
- King's Own Royal Border Regiment at regiments.org
- Get in Get Out and Get Away - Memoirs of a National Serviceman who served with the KORBR in the Cameroons
- Regimental Museum
The official website of the King's Own Royal Regiment Museum, Lancaster, United Kingdom.
Further reading
Eastwood Stuart (2006) Lion and Dragons An Illustrated History of The King's Own Royal Border Regiment 1959-2006 ISBN 1-85794-279-5 or click on