Where did the Somerset Light Infantry fight in WW2?
The 4th Battalion The Somerset Light Infantry took part in the campaign for North West Europe as part of the 43rd Wessex Division. In March 1945 the Battalion participated in the assault on the Rhine and then crossed into Germany.
What units are light infantry?
Light infantry now stands for those units of soldiers who have no attached tank units or armored personnel carriers, and fewer artillery pieces and helicopters than the heavy, mechanized infantry divisions. Once transported, they will tend to walk to war, rather than ride to it.
Where is the Light Infantry based?
| The Light Infantry | |
|---|---|
| Garrison/HQ | 1st Battalion – Paderborn, Germany 2nd Battalion – Edinburgh |
| Motto(s) | Aucto Splendore Resurgo, Cede Nullis, Faithful |
| March | Quick – Light Infantry Double Past – Keel Row |
| Anniversaries | Salamanca (22 July) |
What was the last British regiment to leave India?
The 1st Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry
28 February 1948 – The 1st Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry becomes the last British regiment to leave India.
How many men are in a light infantry battalion?
Light Infantry battalions – 560. Specialised Infantry Battalions – 267.
What is the UK’s oldest military?
The Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is traditionally the oldest part of the British armed forces, founded during the reign of Henry VIII, and so is known as the ‘Senior Service’.
Who is the oldest Regiment in the British Army?
The Coldstream Guards
The Coldstream Guards is the oldest continuously serving regiment in the Army, with origins that date back to the English Civil War.
Where did the 1st Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry fight?
In 1919, 1st Battalion began four years in Ireland, while 2nd Battalion fought during the Third Afghan War (1919). It left India in 1926, moving to the Sudan for a year before spending the rest of the inter-war period in England. 1st Battalion spent the late 1920s and 1930s in Egypt, Hong Kong and India.
Why was the Somerset Light Infantry named after Prince Albert?
In recognition of the latter service, Queen Victoria renamed the regiment after her husband, Prince Albert. The regiment landed in the Crimea in 1854, serving at Sevastopol. Three years later, it returned to the subcontinent during the Indian Mutiny (1857-59). In 1858, a 2nd Battalion was raised.
When did the Somerset Light Infantry return to Spain?
In 1706, its men were formed into a new dragoon regiment in the field. The colonel and 30 officers were sent home to re-raise the regiment as an infantry unit. This returned to Spain until 1711, fighting at Almanza (1707) and La Caya (1709).
When did the light infantry go to India?
In 1822, the regiment, now re-equipping as light infantry, set sail for its first Indian posting. This lasted 23 years and involved service during the First Burma War (1824-26), as well as the storming of Ghazni (1839) and the three-month defence of Jalalabad (1841-42) during the First Afghan War (1839-42).