2nd East Anglian Regiment

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 2nd East Anglian Regiment (Duchess of Gloucester's Own Royal Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire) was a short-lived infantry regiment of the British Army from 1960 to 1964. Its lineage is continued by the Royal Anglian Regiment.

The regiment was formed as part of the Defence Review announced in 1957. This saw the six regular battalions in the East Anglian Brigade reduced to three by amalgamation in pairs in 1958 - 1961.

Under the 1957 scheme, the first battalions of the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment and the Northamptonshire Regiment were to merge with the title 2nd East Anglian Regiment (Royal Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire). On August 20, 1959 it was announced that approval had been given to include the name of Duchess of Gloucester in the regiment's title.^[1] The Duchess had been colonel-in-chief of the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment since 1937.

The regiment was formed on June 1, 1960, ^[2] at Watchet, Somerset. A formation parade was held on July 10.^[3] The regiment moved to Osnabruck, Germany, in 1961, where new colours were presented by the colonel-in-chief in the following year.^[4]

On September 1, 1964 the 1st, 2nd and 3rd East Anglian Regiments and the Royal Leicestershire Regiment were amalgamated to form a new "large regiment" known as The Royal Anglian Regiment'. The 2nd East Anglians were redesignated as the 2nd Battalion (Duchess of Gloucester's Own Royal Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire) of the new regiment. From 1968 battalion subtitles were omitted.

[edit] Badges and dress distinctions

All battalions of the East Anglian Brigade wore a common cap badge, with each unit having a distinctive collar badge, coloured lanyard and stable belt. The 2nd East Anglian Regiment wore a collar badge combining elements of the insignia of the two merged regiments: a sphinx and the battle honour Talavera for the Royal Lincolns and Northamptons respectively. A black lanyard, inherited from the Northamptonshire Regiment, was worn.^[5] The regiment's stable belt combined the colours of those of the two predecessors, dark blue with a buff and dark red stripe.^[6]

[edit] References

^ Changed title for new regiment, The Times, August 21, 1959
^ Army Order 29/1960
^ Formation parade of new unit. Duchess of Gloucester's length of service, The Times, July 11, 1960
^ The bulletin of the Military Historical Society, Special Issue No.1, London, 1968
^ Symbols and Badges (Royal Anglian Regiment Museum)
^ 2nd East Anglian Regiment (Stable Belts of the British Army)