1st Foot Guards (Grenadier Guards)

[Wes]

Regimental Officer of the King's Royal Regiment of Guards (1660)

The Formation of the Regiment King Charles II was in exile and England lay under the military dictatorship of Cromwell, the Lord Protector. In May of that year the King formed his Royal Regiment of Guards at Bruges, under the Colonelcy of Lord Wentworth. The Regiment was first recruited from the loyal men who had followed their King into exile rather than live under tyranny, and their reward came in 1660 when the King was restored to his throne. After the Restoration, a second Royal Regiment of Guards was formed in England under the Colonelcy of Colonel John Russell. In 1665, following Lord Wentworth's death, both Regiments were incorporated into a single Regiment with twenty-four Companies, whose royal badges or devices, given by King Charles II, are still emblazoned on its Colours. The Regiment, later termed "The First Regiment of Foot Guards", and now called "The First or Grenadier Regiment of Foot Guards", has fought in almost every major campaign of the British Army from that time until our own. Under the last two Stuart Kings it fought against the Moors at Tangiers, and in America, and even took part as Marines in the naval wars against the Dutch. Wars of the Spanish Succession In the Wars of the Spanish Succession, the 1st Guards served under a commander who had joined the King's Company of the Regiment as an Ensign in 1667. His name was John Churchill, first Duke of Marlborough who was Colonel of the Regiment and who, with his brilliant victories of Blenheim (1704), Ramillies (1706), Oudenarde (1708) and Malplaquet (1709), established his reputation as one of the greatest soldiers of all time. The 1st Guards took part in his famous march from the Low Countries to the Danube in 1704, and when the British stormed the fortified heights of the Schellenberg before Blenheim, the Regiment led the assault. In the long series of wars against France - then the chief military power of Europe - that covered fifty-six of the 126 years between 1689 and 1815, the 1st Guards played their part. They fought at Dettingen and Fontenoy, where the superb steadiness of their advance under a murderous cannonade won the admiration of both armies. Rigid attention to detail, flawless perfection of uniform and equipment and a discipline of steel were the hard school in which the tempered metal of the Regiment was made for the service of the State. Yet running through that tradition of discipline, of harsh punishments, of undeviating rule, ran a vein of poetry, of humour, of loyalty to comrade, of sense of belonging to something greater than any individual, something undying and profound. And the letters and diaries of men of the Regiment of those days bear witness to it.

French Revolutionary Wars During the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, the 1st Guards were among the first British troops to land in Europe, crossing to Holland in 1793. Driven from the Continent two years later, they returned in 1799 when another British Army attempted, though in vain, to liberate Holland. In the autumn and winter of 1808 they took part in Sir John Moore's classic march and counter-march against Napoleon in Northern Spain and, when under the terrible hardships encountered on the retreat across the wild Galician mountains the tattered, footsore troops, tested almost beyond endurance, showed signs of collapse, the 1st Foot Guards, with their splendid marching discipline, lost fewer men by sickness and desertion than any other unit in the Army. Subsequently they took part in the battle of Corunna and when Sir John Moore fell mortally wounded in the hour of victory it was men of the 1st Foot Guards who bore him, dying, from the field. Next year, they fought again in Spain under one of the great Captains of history, an officer also destined to become Colonel of the Regiment, Arthur Wellesley, first Duke of Wellington. Under Wellesley, they took part in the desperate engagements of the Peninsular War. When, after the victorious peace that followed, Napoleon escaped from Elba and re-entered Paris, the Regiment returned to the Low Countries. In the middle of June 1815 the Emperor struck at the British and Prussian forces north of the Meuse, seeking to separate them and destroy them severally.

The Death of Sir John Moore at the Battle of Corunna (16th January 1809)

The 1st Regiment of Foot Guards at the Battle of Waterloo (18th June 1815)

The Battle of Waterloo After a fierce encounter at Quatre Bras on June 16th, 1815, in which the 3rd Battalion suffered heavy casualties, Wellington's Army withdrew to Waterloo and, on Sunday June 18th, was fought the battle in which the Regiment gained its present title and undying fame. During the morning the light companies of the Guards defended the farm of Hougoumont, the light companies of the 1st Guards being withdrawn later to join their battalions - the 2nd and 3rd Battalions. At evening these two battalions, together forming the 1st Brigade, were in position behind the ridge which gave shelter to the Army. At this point Napoleon directed his final assault with fresh troops - the Imperial Guard, which had hitherto been maintained in reserve. That assault was utterly defeated, and, in honour of their defeat of the Grenadiers of the French Imperial Guard, the 1st Guards were made a Regiment of Grenadiers and given the title of First or Grenadier Regiment of Foot Guards which they bear to this day. The Grenade was adopted as a badge and the Bearskin Cap was worn after Waterloo.

The Crimean War During the Crimean War, the 3rd Battalion formed part of Lord Raglan's Army, which stormed the heights above the River Alma and besieged the Russian fortress of Sebastopol. During the early part of that grim siege was fought, in November 1854, the battle of Inkerman. The defence of the Sandbag Battery in the fog against overwhelming odds is one of the epics of British military history. On that day the Brigade of Guards, of which the 3rd Battalion of the Grenadier Guards formed part, lost half its officers and men, but not a single prisoner or an inch of ground. The Grenadier Guards fought at Tel-el-Kebir and in the Boer War, proving the worth of discipline and esprit de corps in the era of khaki, machine guns and open order as they had done under the old dispensation of muskets and scarlet and gold.

3rd Battalion, Grenadier Guards after the Battle of Inkerman (5th November 1854)

Soldiers of the Grenadier Guards await orders to ship out (1914).

The Great War In the first Great War of 1914-18, they fought in nearly all the principle battles of the Western Front. At First Ypres all but four officers and 200 men of the 1st Battalion and 4 officers and 140 men of the 2nd fell in action. The regiment won the battle honour 'Ypres' twice; firstly in 1914 and then again in 1917. During this war a 4th Battalion was formed for the first time and covered itself with glory in the critical fighting in the spring of 1918. The Marne, the Aisne, Ypres, Loos, the Somme, Cambrai, Arras, Hazebrouck and the Hindenburgh Line are inscribed on the Colours of the Regiment, commemorating its part in the bloodiest war of our history. Before the final victory was won and Britain's new Armies broke the German Imperial Army, 12,000 casualties had been suffered by the Regiment. The rank of Guardsman replaced that of Private in all Guards Regiments in 1919, an honour awarded by the King in recognition of their great effort during the War.

World War II In 1939 the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions again returned to the Continent, forming part of the British Expeditionary Force under Lord Gort, himself a Grenadier. During the retreat of 1940, the traditional discipline of the Regiment stood the test as it had done at First Ypres, Corunna and Waterloo.Two of its Battalions fought in the Division commanded by Major General, later Field Marshal, Montgomery, and another in that commanded by Major General, later Field Marshal, Alexander. At Dunkirk, which the Regiment had garrisoned under Charles II, it took part in the defences of the perimeter, under cover of which the embarkation of the Army was made. In the course of that year the 4th Battalion was re-formed, and in 1941 two further Battalions, the 5th and 6th, were raised. The Regiment was represented in the Eighth Army's famous advance to Tunisia, taking part in the battle of Mareth, where the 6th Battalion, the first to meet the enemy after the evacuation of Dunkirk, suffered heavy casualties but won the respect of friend and foe alike. The 3rd and 5th Battalions shared in the invasion of North Africa; all three Battalions were engaged in the invasion of Italy and the Italian campaign, the 5th Battalion forming part of the force that landed at Anzio. Meanwhile, in England, the 2nd and 4th Battalions had been converted to armour, and the 2nd Battalion, with the 1st Battalion, which had become a Motor Battalion, served in the Guards Armoured Division under the command of Major General Allan Adair, another Grenadier, and later to become Colonel of the Regiment. The 4th Battalion formed part of the 6th Guards Tank Brigade. These three Battalions fought in the battles of Normandy and across France and Germany. In September 1944 the 1st and 2nd Battalions entered Brussels and on September 20th, tanks of the 2nd Battalion and troops of the 1st Battalion crossed the Nijmegen Bridge. Finally in 1945 the Army entered Germany.

Winston Churchill inspects a unit of the Grenadier Guards equipped with Bren Gun Carriers. (13th October 1940)

British Soldiers from 1st Battalion, The Grenadier Guards, during a patrol from Midan Bazi, Helmand Province, Southern Afghanistan (June 2012)

The Grenadier Guards in Modern Warfare In the Gulf war of 1991, the 1st Battalion went from the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) to fight in their Warrior armoured personnel carriers. They then returned to London to Troop their Colour on the Queen's Birthday Parade in 1992, before going to South Armagh for a six-month operational tour in Northern Ireland. They then carried out operational tours in the Falkland Isles and a two-year operational tour in Northern Ireland. In 1998 they trained in the United States of America, were on operations in Northern Ireland in 1999, conducted training in Canada in 2000 and Norway in 2001, served in Northern Ireland in 2001 and were in Canada again in 2002. They trained in Kenya and served in the Falklands in 2003. In the winter of 2004/05 they deployed to Bosnia on peace keeping duties and in 2006 were on operations in Iraq. The Regiment now consists of the 1st Battalion whose Left Flank Company, the 'Inkerman Company', retains the inherited privileges of the 3rd Battalion. Number 3 Company was reformed for the deployment to Afghanistan. The 2nd Battalion was placed in suspended animation in 1994, but the traditions and the Colours of the Battalion are carried by the Nijmegen Company, the incremental Company, which carries the name of the battle honour won by the 2nd Battalion in 1944. 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards recently returned from Op Herrick 17 and are currently not deployed in theatre. Since the beginning of the Operation in 2002 there have been 15 casualties from the Grenadier Guards and we aim to remember their sacrifice. During the Regiment's long history, seventy nine battle honours have been awarded, thirteen members of the Regiment have won the Victoria Cross and one the George Cross.

[Wes]

Senior Officers Colonel Wes Lieutenant Colonel Qazmania Major   Junior Officers Captain Gibbo Lieutenant Nekoboi

Non Commissioned Officers Regimental Sergeant Major Luka Sergeant Major Roan Colour Sergeant Rekute Sergeant Balch Sergeant Zamza

Enlisted LCpl. Jamie LCpl. Octavian Grd. Press Grd. Johyy Grd. Miker Grd. Wolfy Grd. Admiral Grd. Wiggins Grd. Norman Pte. Tust Pte. PureCraft Pte. FacePalm Pte. Bob Pte. TheGreek Rct. Njugah Rct. Anzedosh Rct. Probrofighter Rct. Hazza

Senior Officers Colonel [Col] Lieutenant Colonel [LtCol] Major [Maj] Junior Officers Captain [Capt] Lieutenant [Lt] Ensign [Ens] Non Commissioned Officers Regimental Sergeant Major [RSM] Sergeant Major [SgtM] Colour Sergeant [CSgt] Sergeant [Sgt] Corporal [Cpl] Enlisted Lance Corporal [LCpl] Guard [Grd] Private [Pte] Cadet [Cdt] Recruit [Rct]

 

The Grenadier Guards recruit any experience level from across the world - all that is required is that you are able to understand English well, are able to use Teamspeak 3 and want to improve both yourself and the regiment. The regiment itself is based on the concept of having fun whilst playing this game, but rules are always necessary. The main rules are as follows: 1. This is a game, the whole point of it is to have fun. Just know where the line is and don't take stuff over the top. 2. Banter is encouraged between our soldiers, but once again - know the line and don't cross it. Keep it within the regiment, as other people may take it the wrong way. 3. Unless you inform an officer, you are expected to turn up to trainings and line battles. We don't mind if you simply don't want to play tonight or you're playing another game, just let us know so that we have a rough idea of what numbers the Regiment can field. As mentioned in rule 1 - this is a game and we're all here to have fun. Nobody is going to force people to play. 4. Finally, applicants are expected to have some level of maturity. We don't mind what your age is, as long as you are aware that one of our pet hates is immature people who always take the joke too far or constantly ignore orders. We are not in desperate need of members, so we are more than happy to release members who cause too much trouble.

If you're still reading this and think that you've got what it takes to make it as a Guardsman, then post the following in the thread below:

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Code

[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Steam ID (Or a link to your profile page):[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Nationality:[/b]
[b]Experience in the game before:[/b] (This wont affect your application, I just want to get an idea)
[b]Do you understand the rules of the Regiment?[/b]

[#LionCarry]

Good luck!

[Wes]

Thanks! We'll need it with so many good regiments around!

[LukaFiXxX]

Name:1st_Guard_Luka
Steam ID (Or a link to your profile page):https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198053418323/
Age:16
Nationality:Slovenia
Experience in the game before: (This wont affect your application, I just want to get an idea)77y Pfc,27th_Insk_Art_Bmdr later 3rdKGL_Art_Cpt,39th_Col,5Brg_MajGen.
Do you understand the rules of the Regiment?Yes sir

[Oxford_]

Good Luck from a fellow British Foot Guard Reg

[Wes]

Name:1st_Guard_Luka
Steam ID (Or a link to your profile page):https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198053418323/
Age:16
Nationality:Slovenia
Experience in the game before: (This wont affect your application, I just want to get an idea)77y Pfc,27th_Insk_Art_Bmdr later 3rdKGL_Art_Cpt,39th_Col,5Brg_MajGen.
Do you understand the rules of the Regiment?Yes sir

Accepted Welcome to the Regiment Luka!

[Wes]

Thanks Oxford!

[Henri]

Name:1st_Guard_Wolf
Steam ID (Or a link to your profile page):https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198038506240
Age:15
Nationality:Cider Drinker(Somerset aka England)
Experience in the game before: (This wont affect your application, I just want to get an idea)70thArty 2ndLt, 1stCSG Drum, 6thC Arty 2ndLt ,5thBrg 68th Maj 75th Pvt
Do you understand the rules of the Regiment?Yep

[Wes]

Name:1st_Guard_Wolf
Steam ID (Or a link to your profile page):https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198038506240
Age:15
Nationality:Cider Drinker(Somerset aka England)
Experience in the game before: (This wont affect your application, I just want to get an idea)70thArty 2ndLt, 1stCSG Drum, 6thC Arty 2ndLt ,5thBrg 68th Maj 75th Pvt
Do you understand the rules of the Regiment?Yep

Accepted Welcome to the Regiment Wolf!

[Gojkov]

Best of luck!

[Wes]

Thanks Gojkov!

[Mac Aaron]

Good Luck !

[Syntax]

Best of luck!

[Marks]

I've seen this thread before/something similar, welcome back & Good luck