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Queen's Division

The Queen's Division is a British Army training and administrative apparatus for infantry regiments from the East & South of England, and Gibraltar.

Queen's Division
Active1968–present
Country United Kingdom
Branch British Army
TypeAdministrative Command

Formation

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The Queen's Division was formed in 1968 with the regimentation of the Home Counties Brigade, Fusilier Brigade and East Anglian Brigade, followed by the union of the new regiments. The depot was established at Bassingbourn Barracks in Cambridgeshire.[1]

Cold War

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During the Cold War, the Queen's Division saw a massive expansion. Below the list of units belonging to the division with disbandment dates or transfer dates where needed:[2]

Following the reorganisation of the TA in 1999, the Queen's Division was reduced to just six regular battalions (two in each regiment) and just three TA battalions (one in each).[2]

Modern day

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Because the Queen's Division already contained large regiments from the previous round of amalgamations in the 1960s, it was the only one of the five line infantry divisions to be unaffected by the restructuring announced in 2004.[7]

However, in 2022 the infantry was reorganised, which saw two regiments from the north of England attached.[8] The Queen's Division therefore now comprises the following infantry battalions:[9]

The current Colonel Commandant is Lieutenant General Douglas Chalmers.[10][needs update]

Bands

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Before the formation of the Corps of Army Music in 1994, each battalion of the Queen's Division, except for the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers maintained a band. These included the following:[11]

Regular Army

  • Band of the 1st Battalion, Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (formed by amalgamation of the 1 and 2 QUEENS bands)[12]
  • Band of the 2nd Battalion, Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (formed by redesignation of R HAMPS band (Note: 3 QUEENS didn't have a band following reductions in 1984)[12])[13]
  • Duke of Kent's Band of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers[14]
  • Saint George's Band of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers[14]
  • Band of the 1st Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment[15]
  • Band of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment[15]
  • Band of the 3rd Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment[15]

Territorial Army

  • Kohima Band of the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment – 5 PWRR[16] (formed by redesignation of the Band of the Queen's Regiment – overseen by 5 QUEENS[17])
  • Warwickshire Band of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers – 5 RF[14]
  • Northumbria Band of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers – 6 RF[14]
  • Band of the Royal Anglian Regiment – 5 R ANGLIAN[15]

Following the reductions, all above bands were reduced to the Normandy Band of the Queen's Division (Bands of the RRF) and the Minden Band of the Queen's Division (Bands of the PWRR and R ANGLIANs[15]).[14][2][11]

Following reductions to the Corps of Army Music, the Band of the Queen's Division was formed through amalgamation of the two former bands in 2007, but later disbanded in 2018.[14] CAMUS was reorganised in 2019 with the band reforming, itself now part of British Army Band Catterick.[18]

In addition, since 1992 the Royal Gibraltar Regiment maintains a Band and Corps of Drums.

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The Royal Gibraltar Regiment
 
The Minden Band parading in Cyprus.
 
The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment on parade
 
Soldiers of the Royal Anglian Regiment in Afghanistan
 
Soldiers of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers

References

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  1. ^ "Gibraltar Barracks". Suffolk Regiment Museum. Archived from the original on 5 May 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d "Queen's Division [UK]". 28 December 2007. Archived from the original on 28 December 2007. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d SOHB 1988, p. 602.
  4. ^ "The Queen's Regiment (UK)". 27 January 2008. Archived from the original on 27 January 2008. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  5. ^ "The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers [UK]". 13 December 2007. Archived from the original on 13 December 2007. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  6. ^ "The Royal Anglian Regiment [UK]". 13 December 2007. Archived from the original on 13 December 2007. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  7. ^ "Future Structure of the Army". Ministry of Defence. 16 December 2004. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  8. ^ "On exercise with the Army's newly reorganised Queen's Division". Forces News. 28 February 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  9. ^ Heyman, p. 89
  10. ^ "No. 63516". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 November 2021. p. 19475.
  11. ^ a b "Corps of Army Music [UK]". 28 December 2007. Archived from the original on 28 December 2007. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  12. ^ a b "Associated Marches of The Queen's Regiment". www.queensroyalsurreys.org.uk. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  13. ^ "The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment". www.queensroyalsurreys.org.uk. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  14. ^ a b c d e f RRF Regimental Handbook, pp. 14–15.
  15. ^ a b c d e "The Band of the Royal Anglian Regiment". www.army.mod.uk. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  16. ^ "PWRR - 'The Tigers' - The Kohima Band". 15 September 2006. Archived from the original on 11 February 2003. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  17. ^ "Music Associated With The Territorial Army Battalions". www.queensroyalsurreys.org.uk. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  18. ^ "A Reshape of British Army Bands in 2019". Retrieved 20 July 2020.

Sources

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