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.
History
As a result of the Defence Review, it was announced that the 1st Battalion, Royal Lincolnshire Regiment and the 1st Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment were to merge with the title 2nd East Anglian Regiment (Royal Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire). On 20 August 1959 it was announced that approval had been given to include the name of Duchess of Gloucester in the regiment's title.[1]
The regiment was formed on 1 June 1960,[2] at Watchet, Somerset.[3] A formation parade was held on 10 July.[4] The regiment moved to Osnabrück, Germany, in 1961, where new colours were presented by the colonel-in-chief in the following year.[5]
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.[6] The regiment's stable belt combined the colours of those of the two predecessors, dark blue with a buff and dark red stripe.[7] The regiment's No.1 Dress uniform was dark blue with scarlet piping and the regimental facing colour was blue.[8]
Battle honours
The 2nd East Anglians inherited the battle honours of its two predecessor regiments. The following were chosen to be displayed on the colours:[8]
Regimental Colour
Blenheim
Ramillies
Oudenarde
Malplaquet
Louisburg
Quebec, 1759
Martinique, 1762
Havannah
Martinique, 1794
Maida
Douro
Talavera
Albuhera
Badajoz
Salamanca
Vittoria
Pyrenees
Nivelle
Orthes
Toulouse
Peninsula
Sobraon
New Zealand
Mooltan
Goojerat
Punjaub
Sevastopol
Lucknow
South Africa, 1879
Tirah
Atbara
Khartoum
Modder River
Paardeburg
South Africa, 1899-1902
Queen's Colour
Mons
Marne, 1914
Aisne, 1914'18
Messines, 1914, '17, '18
Ypres, 1914,'15,'17
Neuve Chapelle
Loos
Somme, 1916,'18
Arras, 1917'18
Lys
Hindenburg Line
Epéhy
Suvla
Gaza
Dunkirk, 1940
Normandy Landing
Fontenay le Pesnil
Antwerp-Turnhout Canal
Rhineland
North Africa 1942-43
Salerno
Garigliano Crossing
Anzio
Cassino II
Gothic Line
Italy 1943-45
Ngakyedauk Pass
Imphal
Myinmu Bridgehead
Burma, 1943–45
The centre badge for the regimental colours was Below a sprig of three maple leaves each charged with a fleur-de-lys, the Sphinx upon a plinth inscribed "Egypt" .[8] The maple leaves and fleurs-de-lis were the badge of the Northamptonshire Regiment, signifying the regiment's service in Quebec in 1758-9 while the sphinx was a badge of the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment.[9]
In the lower two corners of the regimental colour were the cypher of the Duchess of Gloucester and the castle and key of Gibraltar with the dates 'Gibraltar 1779-83' and the motto 'Montis Insignia Calpe'.[8]
References
^Changed title for new regiment, The Times, August 21, 1959