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For the period ensuing to the beginning of the First Wold War, the Colonels of the Regiment were as follows: 1814.07.23 Gen.Sir Moore Disney, KCB POLICING THE EMPIRE For the next six years, the 15 th were on home duty, spending time between England and Ireland. In 1827, they were transferred to Canada once more, where they remained until 1840, from whence they returned again the Britain for another five years of home duty. Then, in 1845, for the first time in their history, the Regiment was sent to the eastern part of the Empire, to Ceylon, now called Sri Lanka, where they remained until 1855. The Indian mainland was about to erupt into the carnage of the Mutiny from 1857 to 8, but the East Yorks. by then were based in Ireland. In Europe, France had allied itself with Britain and the Ottoman Empire of Turkey against Russian expansionism. Conflict ensued, called the Crimean War, fought principally in the Black Sea, the Crimean Peninsula in particular, and the Baltic Sea, where naval bombardments seemed to be the order of the day! Again the East Yorks. were not called upon, as the war was fought between the years 1854, when they were still in the east, and 1856, when they had been used to bolster home defence. The following six years were spent consecutively in Ireland, Gibraltar, England, the Channel Islands, and Ireland again, after which, in 1862, they were returned once more to Canada. In 1868 they were moved again to the West Indies, and after spending a year or so at Bermuda, they found themselves back in Ireland by 1870. The regiment’s time in Bermuda is well recorded: Ensign William Gaskin died at Boaz Island in 1868 and was buried at the Naval Cemetery at Ireland Island. Two Sergeants, one drummer, and 13 Privates also lost died and were buried in one of the Bermuda military graveyards. Additionally, Assistant Surgeon John Dennis Healy died at St. George's on June 19th and was buried there. To make up for these losses a draft of 102 men (Chris's ancestor included) under Captain Moffatt arrived from the Depot at Chatham on October 24, 1868 on HMS Simoom with their supplies. 1869 began with a similar deployment as before. On March 14, 1869 command transferred to Major Wilson. A command from Horse Guards, on April 27, 1869 reduced battalion strength by 2 ensigns and 100 privates. The establishment was then fixed on May 14 as 10 Service Companies and 2 Depot Companies of Service Companies, 3 Field Officers, 10 Captains, 12 Lieutenants, 8 Ensigns, 5 Staff Officers, 9 Staff Sergeants, 40 Sergeants, 21 Drummers, and 600 Privates. In the Depot Companies were 2 Captains, 2 Lieutenants, 10 Sergeants, 4 Drummers, and 100 Privates. In January, 1869 F Company went from Boaz to Camp at Warwick where it was employed on the new Military road and later in the construction of a rifle range. In May, A, C, and G Companies on Boaz Island and Ireland Island were relieved by the 61st Regiment and proceeded to headquarters. K company relieved B Company at Paynter's Vale. D, E, and H Companies from HQ and I Company from Boaz Island relieved the 61st at Knapton Hill and were employed on the South Military Road. Major Wilkinson took command on return from leave on October 14,1869. C and D Companies were broken up on May 1, 1870. A company went to Paynter's Vale on May 7 to fill in for the broken up C Company. Colonel Grierson retook command on May 24, 1870. The Battalion left Bermuda on HMS Orontes on June 12, 1870. It disembarked at Kingstown, Ireland, on December 28 December 1870 and went to Birr .” For the next fourteen years the 1 st/15 th was based at various locations within the United Kingdom. Notable changes occurred in this period as a result of army reforms: The starting point was a Royal Commission in 1858, established in the aftermath of the Crimean War, under Jonathan Peel, the Secretary of State for War. In addition to the obvious instances of incompetence and misadministration, it was evident that the provision of an army of only 25,000 in the Crimea had stripped Britain of almost every trained soldier. The lesson was reinforced by the Indian Mutiny, which once again required almost the entire usable British Army to suppress. The Commission reported in 1862, but few of its lessons were immediately implemented. The main obstacle had been objections by the defunct British East India Company and its executors, who wished to maintain their own military establishment, and by "die-hards", senior officers who opposed almost any reform on principle. Cardwell pushed through his reforms in spite of opposition from such officers. He introduced an Army Enlistment Act (1870), restricting recruitment to an initial maximum of twelve years. This replaced enlistment for life, which had produced a large number of soldiers too old and debilitated by disease and climate to serve in the field. Then he passed the comprehensive Regularization of the Forces Act (1871). Under a localisation scheme, the country was divided in 66 Brigade Districts (later renamed to Regimental Districts), based on county boundaries and population density. Then he merged single battalion regiments into two-battalion regiments, both sharing a Depot and associated recruiting area. One battalion would serve overseas, while the other was garrisoned at home for training. The Militia of that area then (usually) became the third battalion. In addition the sale of commissions was abolished, as were the subaltern ranks of cavalry Cornet and infantry Ensign, replaced with Second Lieutenant. Cardwell also reformed the administration of the War Office, preventing infighting and bickering between the various departments and abolishing the separate administration of the Reserves and Volunteers. The defence policy of Canada, Australia and New Zealand was devolved to those dominions. These reforms started to turn British forces into an effective Imperial force. A change of government put Cardwell out of office in 1874, but his reforms stayed in place despite attempts from the Regular Army to abolish them and return to the comfortable and familiar old post-1815 situation .” Subsequent to those sweeping reforms were those of War Minister Childers: “The Childers Reforms were undertaken by Secretary of State for War Hugh Childers in 1881. They were a continuation of the earlier Cardwell reforms. In 1 May 1881 he drafted General Order 41, which created a network of four-battalion Regular regiments in England, Scotland and Wales, and five-battalion regiments in Ireland. Each of these regiments was linked by headquarters location and territorial name to its `Regimental District'. From 1881 regimental seniority numbers were officially abolished and battalions came to be known by their number within the regiment and the Regimental District name. Unofficially, the regiments were still referred to by their numbers by their officers and men, as tradition and a point of pride, and several regiments ("The Buffs", The Cameron Highlanders, "The Black Watch", etc.) lobbied to keep their distinct names as part of their battalion titles. An attempt was also made to have the facings of uniforms standardised: British and Welsh regiments would have white facings, Irish regiments would get green facings, Scottish regiments would have yellow facings, and Royal regiments would have dark blue facings. There were also attempts to assimilate regimental insignia and remove "tribal" uniform distinctions. This was less successful, as regimental tribalism and tradition forced a national outcry. ” Officially therefore by 1881, the Regiment was then known simply as the East Yorkshire Regiment, and their traditional yellow facings had been exchanged for a universal white instead. Other changes in uniform were also taking effect. Ten years earlier as has been mentioned, there was ‘unrest’ in India. In 1857, a new type of cartridge was introduced by the army for use by Indian troops. In the collective wisdom of the military authorities, the new cartridge was greased with either pig or cow fat. As is know to almost everyone world-wide, pig fat was unclean to the Muslim sepoys and cow fat was sacred to Hindu sepoys. The loading of the new cartridges required them to be bitten by all using them. It was not; rather it should not therefore come as a surprise when Indian troops took very great exception to the introduction, and when it is considered that there were then approximately 233,000 sepoys under arms, it showed an astonishing lack of foresight. Subsequent lack of decision by the authorities and agitation by the disaffected eventually led to mutiny. The prospect of nearly a quarter of a million mutineers rampaging through the country rightly panicked the authorities as the massacres began. The first was at Meerut on the 10 th May 1857, and as the unrest rapidly spread throughout India, the British government decided that a massive u[grading of the regular army was needed. It was for this that a second battalion of the 15 th East Yorkshire Regiment was formed in 1858, as were many other similar 2 nd battalions throughout the army. The 2 nd/15 th however did not leave British shores for India until 1875. During the intervening years the Second battalion spent its time on Imperial duties with a four year tour in Malta, from 1859 to 1863. They were then transferred to Gibraltar for a further five years, after which another two years were spent in Ireland before spending a further five years on the Channel Islands from 1870 to 1875. The long regimental association between the men of East Yorkshire and the Indian Sub-Continent began at this time, and perhaps as controversially, continues to this day. AFGHANISTAN The reign of the Durrani line ended in 1818, and no predominant ruler emerged until Dost Muhammad became emir in 1826. During his rule the status of Afghanistan became an international problem, as Britain and Russia contested for influence in central Asia. Aiming to control access to the northern approaches to India, the British tried to replace Dost Muhammad with a former emir, subordinate to them. This policy caused the first Afghan War (1838–42) between the British and the Afghans. Dost Muhammad was at first deposed but, after an Afghan revolt in Kabul, was restored. In 1857, Dost Muhammad signed an alliance with the British. He died in 1863 and was succeeded, after familial fighting, by his third son, Sher Ali. As the Russians acquired territory bordering on the Amu Darya, Sher Ali and the British quarreled, and the second Afghan War began (1878). Sher Ali died in 1879. His successor, Yakub Khan, ceded the Khyber Pass and other areas to the British, and after a British envoy was murdered the British occupied Kabul. Eventually Abd ar-Rahman Khan was recognized (1880) as emir. In the following years Afghanistan's borders were more precisely defined. “In 1875, the ruling prince of Afghanistan welcomed at Kabul, his capital, a Russian envoy, but refused to receive a British mission. In consequence of this, the 2 nd Afghan War broke out.” The Russians presence in the area had a dual purpose, firstly to un-stabilise the region then considered to be under British influence; and secondly, to attempt to gain for Russia a means of access by other means than the Black Sea. This problem of geography had been problematic for a very long time even then, but such access, had it been allowed to happen by the British, would have achieved the first objective for the Russians, and therefore could not have been allowed to happen. The tribal leaders of the region welcomed this division between their national neighbours and in modern parlance, played both ends against the middle. In reality they wanted interference from neither party, wanting only to be left to their own devices, with a little border raiding thrown in, as was their tradition. Consequently a British force in three columns, commanded by Sir Frederick Roberts, marched into Afghanistan, captured the frontier forts and passes and defeated the army of the prince. After placing what the British believed a puppet ruler on the throne and leaving behind a Governmental official, Sir Louis Cavagnari, with a small detachment of the Corps of Guides, believing “their safety guaranteed by the Treaty and the word of the Amir, the small Mission left for Kabul in July 1879. The British Residency was in the Bala Hissar. On the 3rd September 1879, without warning, Afghan soldiers attacked the Residency and were joined by the civilian population. Urgent messages were sent to the Amir, claiming protection. The messages were ignored. 4 Britons and 69 Indian troops faced countless thousands of Afghan soldiers and civilians. The Indian troops were 21 Guides Cavalry and 48 Guides Infantry. (The Guides were an elite Regiment of the Indian Army) ”…….. “Soon Cavagnari, Jenkyns and Kelly were dead. Hamilton and his Guides fought desperately, even charging out of the Residency to bayonet the crews of artillery brought against them. During one of these attacks Lieutenant Hamilton was killed. The Residency was set on fire and the buidlings started to collapse. As the sun went down that evening, the few remaining Guides were commanded by Jemadar Jewand Singh (Guides Cavalry). All day the Afghans called upon the Guides to surrender, promising them their lives. The Guides rejected this offer and after 12 hours of fighting the few remaining men fixed bayonets and charged out to their deaths. Over 600 Afghan dead bore witness to the heroic resistance of this small force.” The duplicity of the Afghans was seen as a mortal insult by the British authorities, and within a very short space of time, another force was ordered back into the country, again under the command of Roberts, who marched from Kurram and Kandahar to retake Kabul. Afghan forces were encountered and defeated at the battle of Charasia, and Kabul was successfully occupied by the 12 th of October. As more recent invaders have discovered however, occupation of the country does not and did not mean the defeat of the people. By June 1880, the Afghans had raised another army of about 25,000 men which then proceeded to advance towards Kandahar. The British officer in charge there sent a mixed force of Indian and British troops numbering about 2,500 men to oppose them. It was a disaster waiting to happen, and for the British, it did happen. At the Battle of Maiwand, the British force was annihilated. The defeat left Kandahar under severe threat, so Roberts marched his 10,000 men more than 300 miles over mountainous terrain which took twenty-two days to complete. Not only did he arrive in time to prevent the loss of Kandahar, he was also able to bring the Afghan army to battle on the 1 st of September, 1880, defeating them utterly. The East Yorkshires were not involved in any of this, but it is necessary to explain the background of how the 2 nd Battalion acquired its nick-name. click on image for larger view In March 1880, the 2 nd Battalion of the East Yorkshire Regiment was moved up to Karachi where they took over the protection duties for part of the lines of communication between Karachi and Quetta. When the news of the Maiwand debacle reached Karachi, a relief column was hastily mustered under the command of Major-General Phayre, and the 2 nd/15 th was ordered to join the column.
The column eventually reached Kandahar by the end of September after travelling over 240 miles in very demanding conditions. The determination and fortitude of the 2 nd battalion was – perhaps un-officially – rewarded with the sobriquet of the “Iron-footed Bastards”! So costly had the march proved however by way of casualties that the battalion had to be sent back to India in November. Although the 2 nd Battalion had not actually taken part in much of the fighting, their contribution was considered enough for them to be awarded the Battle Honour of AFGHANISTAN 1879-1880. The 2 nd battalion of the East Yorkshire Regiment continued to serve in India until 1888, during which period the acquired the rather sarcastic nick-name of the “Poona Guards”. They were returned home to Britain for five years before spending another five in Ireland. The 1 st Battalion meanwhile, on home duty in 1884, were subsequently sent to Gibraltar for a two year tour of duty, returning to their old stamping ground of the West Indies in 1887, where they remained until 1888. Later the same year, they were sent to South Africa where they remained for five years. Then, in 1893, they were moved to the opposite end of Africa, to Egypt, remaining there until being transferred to India in 1895 where they remained until 1902. THE BOER WARS South Africa’s white population in the late 19 th century was composed of two main factions, THOSE OF British stock and those of Dutch origin who were known as Boers. The British were in control of the southern Cape Colony and Natal, whilst the Boers held power in the Transvaal and the Orange Free State. From the 1850’s there had been discontent between them, and between various internal Boer factions as well, but the discovery of gold and diamond reserves in the Boer states polarised the factions yet further and precipitated the conflict to come. The British leaders in South Africa, Cecil Rhodes in particular, thought that the vast reserves of wealth then newly discovered should be in British control. Antipathy metamorphasised into aggression as the politics of the situation grew more and more complicated. Eventually, in October 1899, the Boers were goaded into attacking the British states, their fast moving columns inflicting some of the worst defeats on British regular soldiers in their histories. The scale of those defeats, in the eyes of the War Office in London, warranted a full scale mobilisation of the army. Troops were mustered from all parts of the Empire, and many of the home regiments too were prepared for the move south. The 2 nd/15 th was ordered to join with the 16 th Brigade which was gathering at Aldershot. One company however was refurbished as mounted infantry as part of a much larger concentration formed to counter the fighting style of the Boers. Subsequently the company joined the 5 th Mounted Infantry (see the photograph of Private John Evans, Trooper, Mounted Infantry, 2 nd Battalion the East Yorkshire Regiment). By the time the 2 nd Battalion had reached South Africa in the first week of April 1900 many of the earlier British reverses had been rectified by the inspired leadership of Lord Roberts, the same from the 2 nd Battalions Afghan days. They were joined to the 8 th Division then commanded by General Leslie Rundle, and over the following two months took part in engagements at Dewetsdorp, Thaba N'chu, and Koranna Spruit, during which time were lost among others: KEY - Lieutenant John Reynard - 2/East Yorkshire Regt. LUARD - Captain Henry Arthur - 2/East Yorkshire Regt. For the next two years the battalion was kept busy protecting lines of communication, garrison duties and other less “glorious” work, in effect they were doing what most soldiers have to do on campaign, they were working hard. Further reinforcements arrived in South Africa from volunteer battalions raised at ‘Home’, and in 1902, the 3 rd Militia Battalion of the East Yorkshire Regiment joined them.
ON Christmas Day, 1901, twenty-five miles from a small settlement called, ironically, Bethlehem, 160 men of the East Yorks. were helping to defend one of the block-house line-heads at a farm called Tweefontein. The East Yorkshires were camped at the head itself and 400 yeomanry with two light field guns, were camped up a 200 feet high hill, which commanded the convoy road. Further down the road as a detachment of 270 Grenadier Guardsmen and 60 Mounted Infantry with a single field gun. In support, 13 miles away, was a regiment of Imperial Light Horse. This meant in total there were 1,300 men guarding the line-head, it was perhaps unfortunate that they were separated into four distinct units. At 2 o’clock that Christmas morning, 700 Boers under the command of one of their most elusive leaders, Christiaan Rudolph de Wet, attacked the head prior to breaking free from the line. They could have attacked any one of the British detachments camped close to the head, but luckily for the East Yorks. they chose to attack the yeomanry camp on the hill, who were quickly overwhelmed and massacred. The Boers had quickly taken a position overlooking the British camp and from there they fired mercilessly into the tents of the sleeping men below. Despite attempts by various officers and S.N.C.O.’s the camp was taken and 289 yeoman were killed, wounded or taken prisoner. “The prisoners, over two hundred in number, were hurried away by the Boers, who seemed under the immediate eye of De Wet to have behaved with exemplary humanity to the wounded. The captives were taken by forced marches to the Basuto border, where they were turned adrift, half clad and without food. By devious ways and after many adventures, they all made their way back again to the British lines. It was well for De Wet that he had shown such promptness in getting away, for within three hours of the end of the action the two regiments of Imperial Horse appeared upon the scene, having travelled seventeen miles in the time. Already, however, the rearguard of the Boers was disappearing into the fastness of the Langberg, where all pursuit was vain . “
Those heady days known as Edwardian, the time of Art Nouveau and Titanic, saw some sort of exhilarating catharsis of the old and out-moded, can perhaps be summed up from examples from the regimental diary of the time exemplified perhaps by this from 1905: Similarly: ** A ‘feu de joie’ (French: "fire of joy") is a gun salute, described as a "running fire of guns", on unique or recurring occasions of public rejoicing of nation and/or ruling dynasty. Private John Evans, Regimental Number 5817 Contemporary military documents and papers from this period were very kindly loaned to me by Mr. J. Edgar. They belonged to his Grandfather, John Evans, who served with the Regiment between 9 th August 1898 and the 8 th August 1910. Amongst the papers was Army Form B50, which had the sub-title, The Small Book. This canvas bound volume was meant to be kept by each soldier as a record of his service, and a reminder of his duties. This is laid out quite clearly on page 3 of the book wherein it says under ‘General Observations’: “The Soldier’s number, name, and corps should be distinctly written on the cover of this book, and he is to communicate to his friends his regimental number, and to acquaint them that all inquiries which they make after him, whether addressed to the Regiment or to the War Office. Pages 4 and 5 contain the personal details of the soldier and his next of kin, whilst the following pages, from 6 through to 20 contain assorted advice which should prove useful to the soldier. Included in this section is the procedure for complaint by soldiers; notes from the Army Act concerning the duties and discipline expected of a soldier; penal fines and stoppages; recognition of the ranks of commissioned officers; the duties of guards and out-posts; the prevention of sore feet; and instructions for the cleaning of uniforms, equipment and weapons. Much of the remainder of the book is taken up with the allotted rations under different conditions, and Army Form B243, which was the Form of Will No. 1. John Evans was enlisted into the 2 nd Battalion the East Yorkshire Regiment at St. George’s Barracks, Chelsea, he was then sent to the depot at Beverley, East Yorkshire. After a tour of Ireland, the Battalion was mobilised for transportation to South Africa. John Evans was selected for service in the Mounted Infantry with whom he served in the Transvaal and the Orange Free State under the command of General Alderson. During this time c1900, he had his photograph taken wearing the field service dress of the Mounted Infantry, note the bush-hat and spurs, see below. After his unit returned to England in 1903, John Evans was selected as the smartest soldier in his regiment and in 1904 posed for another photograph, which was to be used as a recruiting aid. The original hand tinted picture remains with his family, but this scan is an almost perfect reproduction. After twelve years with the Colours, John Evans left the Regiment in 1910, but as a member of the Reserve, was recalled for active service in 1914. he saw action at Ypres, Hill 60, and Loos. Late in 1915, the Battalion was brigaded with the 28 th Division in Egypt before moving on to Salonica. He survived the war and was eventually discharged on the 22 nd may 1919. his decorations include: Queen Victoria’s South Africa War Medal and three clasps; King Edward’s South African War Medal and two clasps; 1914-15 Star; War Medal; and the Victory Medal. From the many papers preserved by his family, I have selected for inclusion here two letters of recommendation, the first shows the letter-head of Victoria Barracks, Beverley; and the second shows the regimental crest, both are dated 1910; and finally there is his certificate of demobilisation, dated 1919.
INTO THE MEAT GRINDER They said it would be over by Christmas; they said it was the war to end all wars; they said many things, but they lied. On the 4 August 1914, Britain and her Empire declared war on Germany and Austria-Hungary. The men of East Yorkshire were as quick as any others when they were called to the Colours, providing by 1918 a full twenty one battalions, who between them earned an array of honours almost beyond comprehension: Having learnt so much from the previous conflict, Europe once again embroiled the world in war, and similarly in the years between 1939 and 1945, the men of East Yorkshire came when called upon to earn more honours: It can be said that the men of East Yorkshire have served their country and their colours from America to Burma; from the north to the south of Africa; and right across Europe, everywhere they have been they have left behind some of them. Many are in known graves, as many perhaps have none. It therefore seems appropriate to quote the following lines: If I should die, think only this of me: And think, this heart, all evil shed away, The Soldier by Rupert Brooke A quotation from Kipling says: “…….East is east and west is west, and never the twain shall meet,” but in 1958 they did. After two hundred and seventy three years of faithful and loyal service, the East Yorkshire Regiment was amalgamated with the West Yorkshire Regiment thereby forming the Prince of Wales Own Regiment of Yorkshire. The traditional marches of the East Yorks. included THE YORSHIRE LASS; THREE QUICK STEPS (18 th century); and VON ENGLAND, the slow-march. These old tunes are/were then occasionally played at regimental functions together with those of the old West Yorks., and have therefore not entirely faded away. THE PRESENT and FUTURE THE YORKSHIRE REGIMENT - Yorkshire's Infantry Regiment consists of three Regular Army Battalions (1st, 2nd and 3rd) and one Territorial Army Battalion (the 4th) (Reserve Force). The Regiment's home is Yorkshire and Cleveland up to the River Tees and recruits Officers and Soldiers with a strong sense of unity and high sporting prowess from Yorkshire, the United Kingdom and Commonwealth Countries. The Regiment is founded on over three-hundred years of Yorkshire warrior tradition and united by common values, history and home. It represents all that is best in the Army, in professionalism, in role, on operations, for career, for sport and for family. It is the best because its soldiers are the best. ETHOS - The ethos of The Yorkshire Regiment reflects a sense of belonging to Yorkshire and the common Yorkshire values of honesty, fairness, grit and pride. The Regiment is a strong, inclusive and meritocratic family that draws from the best military traditions of the forebear regiments. REGIMENTAL MOTTO - 'Fortune Favours the Brave' REGIMENTAL JOURNAL - The Yorkshire Regiment Journal, published twice yearly (April and October) REGIMENTAL DAY - D Day (6th June) VICTORIA CROSSES AWARDED - 41 BATTLE HONOURS - 280: the first in Namur 1695 and the most recent in Iraq 2003. COLOURS - The Yorkshire Regiment continues to carry a unique stand of Honourary Colours presented to the 76th Regiment. New colours for each battalion will be presented within the next five years. CAP BADGE - A combination of parts of the antecedent Regiment's cap badges. The white rose from The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire, the Lion Rampant (part of the Duke of Wellington's crest) from The Duke of Wellington's Regiment, and the Brunswick green backing from The Green Howards. REGIMENTAL MARCH - Ca Ira In some ways this consolidation of Yorkshire’s several Riding regiments into a single cohesive unit equal to modern day warfare can be seen as preserving the historical heritages of those former regiments. “General Sir Richard Dannatt's comments, at the launch of the Yorkshire Regiment, explain well what we feel about the link between the modern Regiment and its antecedent components” [Major Retd. M. Sullivan told www.yorkshirehistory.com] Speaking briefly prior to the inauguration of the new regimental cap badge General Dannat said [transcript as provided by Major Sullivan]: “My Lord, Ladies and Gentlemen, As the senior serving Yorkshire Soldier may I welcome you to this evenings ceremony during which we will shortly display the cap badge of the new Yorkshire Regiment for the first time. The new Yorkshire Regiment of three regular battalions, one territorial battalion and over 50 detachments of the Army Cadet Force will indeed be a Regiment of truly Yorkshire dimensions. It will be the largest county regiment in the Army’s order of battle as befits the largest historic county within England. The Regiment will reflect the honesty, the fairness, grit and pride we all associate with Yorkshire. The histories of the Prince of Wales’s Own Regiment of Yorkshire, the Green Howards, the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment and The East and West Riding Regiment will not end on the 6th of June next year, when the four Regiments merge, but the golden thread of these histories will continue within the new Yorkshire Regiment. When these young soldiers here wear this new cap badge for the first time on the 6th of June next year, they will do so with pride and optimism for the future, confident that they are carrying on the fine traditions and proud histories of those who have gone before them. Time does not standstill and the opportunities of the future beckon. May I commend to you the new cap badge of the Yorkshire Regiment and the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the infantry in Yorkshire .” There can I think be no better way to conclude this short history of the 15 th than by looking towards the future. The words of General Dannat summarise very well how the new regimental structure will preserve those all important elements of the past that are so important the British army’s regimental system, a system that has served the nation so well for the last 350 years, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future, it is after all, his job to know these things!
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Designed by Richard Hayton 2006 |
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