The Royal Gibraltar Regiment is part of

British Forces Gibraltar British Forces Gibraltar is the British Armed Forces stationed in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. Gibraltar is used primarily as a training area, thanks to its good climate and rocky terrain, and as a stopover for aircraft and ships ...

for the

British overseas territory The British Overseas Territories (BOTs), also known as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs), are fourteen territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom. They are the last remnants of the former Br ...

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = "Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gibr ...

. It was formed in 1958 from the Gibraltar Defence Force as an

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

unit, with an integrated

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during si ...

troop A troop is a military sub-subunit, originally a small formation of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron. In many armies a troop is the equivalent element to the infantry section or platoon. Exceptions are the US Cavalry and the King's Tr ...

. The regiment is included in the British Army as a defence engagement force. In 1999, the regiment was granted the Royal title. The regiment recruits from Gibraltar, the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and the Commonwealth.

History

18th century

The earliest verifiable historical evidence of local civilians enrolled to defend Gibraltar dates to 24 June 1720 and, by 1755, an armed organisation of local men were mounting guard on the picket line from Bayside to Devil's Tower to prevent soldiers from the garrison deserting across to the enemy. These men were known as the Genoese Guard and were disbanded at the end of the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754 ...

. During the

Great Siege of Gibraltar The Great Siege of Gibraltar was an unsuccessful attempt by Spain and France to capture Gibraltar from the British during the War of the American Revolution. It was the largest battle in the war by number of combatants. The American war had e ...

, 160 local labourers volunteered to take part in the action during the night of 26/27 November 1781. They were tasked with following the advancing troops and assist in the dismantling and demolition of the Spanish batteries, magazines and trenches.

19th century

During the Sudan Campaign 100 local men were deployed by the commissariat as transport drivers, known as '' Los Carreteros Del Rey (The King's Cart Drivers)''. The expedition was involved in several battles with the Dervishes. During a parade held in Gibraltar, the cart drivers were awarded the Egyptian War Medal with a clasp bearing the title 'Suakin 1885'.

20th century

During the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the So ...

, in 1900, a group of Gibraltarians offered to ''form a Local Corps of Volunteers''. The suggestion was made that some of the Volunteers might be organised as a Rifle Corps. However, the war was over before the Corps was formed.

World War I

During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, a group of local rowing club members volunteered to take up arms. Such was the interest that soon some 400 Gibraltarians joined. One of their tasks was to act as stretcher bearers for the many casualties arriving on

hospital ships A hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating medical treatment facility or hospital. Most are operated by the military forces (mostly navies) of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or near war zones. I ...

from

Gallipoli The Gallipoli peninsula (; tr, Gelibolu Yarımadası; grc, Χερσόνησος της Καλλίπολης, ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles s ...

. The wounded were taken to the

Royal Naval Hospital Gibraltar The Royal Naval Hospital Gibraltar (RNH Gibraltar), formerly the British Military Hospital Gibraltar (BMH Gibraltar), was a military hospital founded c. 1903 to provide healthcare for British military personnel and local sailors. The facility, ...

and a number of temporary hospitals. The volunteers obtained recognition from the Governor, General Sir

Herbert Miles Lieutenant General Sir Herbert Scott Gould Miles, (31 July 1850 – 6 May 1926) was a senior British Army officer. He was Quartermaster-General to the Forces from 1908 to 1912, and Governor of Gibraltar from 1913 until 1918 during the First Worl ...

, on 3 July 1915. Addressing the volunteers at

Wellington Front Wellington Front is a fortification in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It was built in 1840 on a site established by the Spanish in 1618. History Wellington Front is a long stretch of curtain wall that forms part of the Line Wall ...

, the Governor said that the Corps had "come into being not because of any official demand but as a result of their patriotic fervour and of their love and respect for the Crown". The Corps was based at

Orange Bastion The Orange Bastion is one of the many bastions in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar, which served to protect it against its many sieges. It is located along the Line Wall Curtain and was built to protect Gibraltar Harbour against enemy ...

, with the Headquarters on the ground floor of what is now

City Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...

. Later, the group moved to Wellington Front. The volunteers were divided into four rifle companies, A, B, C and D: each was commanded by a captain, with two subalterns, one Sergeant Major, four Sergeants, eight Corporals, two buglers and about 80 men. The first commanding officer was Major G B Roberts of the

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is head ...

. During the war, the Corps provided reinforcement to assist in the defence of the Rock. The Corps was disbanded on 1 February 1920.

World War II

In 1938, the Governor, General Sir Edmund Ironside, formed a Territorial Artillery unit to help man the anti-aircraft guns on Gibraltar. The Volunteers paraded for the first time on 28 April 1939. Just before the outbreak of the war, more volunteers were called for and men were allocated to the 4th and 27th Coast Batteries of the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

as well as to the

Royal Signals The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals – abbreviated to R SIGNALS or R SIGS) is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. Signals units are among the first into action, providing the battlefield communi ...

Royal Army Service Corps The Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) was a corps of the British Army responsible for land, coastal and lake transport, air despatch, barracks administration, the Army Fire Service, staffing headquarters' units, supply of food, water, fuel and do ...

and

Royal Army Medical Corps The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all Army personnel and their families, in war and in peace. The RAMC, the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, the Royal Army Dental Corps ...

. On 2 September 1939, the Gibraltar Defence Force was mobilised. The Heavy Anti Aircraft section was attached to 19 AA Battery Royal Artillery and deployed with two 3 inch guns to the Admiralty oil tanks, on the east side of the Rock. They fired their first shots in anger on 7 July 1940 and from then on they were often in action against

Vichy French Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its ter ...

and

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

planes, engaging

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

planes later in the war. They shot down their first enemy aircraft on the night of 20 August 1940. The entry in the unit's War Diary reads as follows: Early in 1944, the force was reconstituted under the Defence Force Ordinance 1943. The majority of volunteers were placed on the reserve list, with other sections disbanded.

Post war

On 30 August 1958, the permanent cadre and the reserve of the Gibraltar Defence Force was formed into the Gibraltar Regiment. The regiment then had a dual role, being organised as an infantry battalion with four rifle companies and an artillery troop manning the coastal guns. This organisation was to remain in force until 1971. With the departure of the last gunner unit in 1958, the regiment was issued with four 25 pounder (88 mm) guns and took over the responsibilities of firing Royal Gun

Salute A salute is usually a formal hand gesture or other action used to display respect in military situations. Salutes are primarily associated with the military and law enforcement, but many civilian organizations, such as Girl Guides, Boy Sco ...

s. On 25 September 1971, the regiment was presented with its first colours. At a ceremony held at the Grand Parade, the Governor, Admiral of the Fleet Sir Varyl Begg, presented the regiment with its colours on behalf of

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

. On the same day, the regiment was granted the

Freedom of the City The Freedom of the City (or Borough in some parts of the UK) is an honour bestowed by a municipality upon a valued member of the community, or upon a visiting celebrity or dignitary. Arising from the medieval practice of granting respected ...

of Gibraltar by the Mayor of Gibraltar, Alfred Vazquez, during a ceremony outside the

House of Assembly House of Assembly is a name given to the legislature or lower house of a bicameral parliament. In some countries this may be at a subnational level. Historically, in British Crown colonies A Crown colony or royal colony was a colony adm ...

. The artillery battery was named Thomson's Battery on 15 September 1973 in honour of the late Sir Willie Thomson OBE JP; and, in December 1975, Thomson's Battery was issued with three 105mm L5 Pack Howitzers. Following

Operation Corporate The Falklands War ( es, link=no, Guerra de las Malvinas) was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British Overseas Territories, British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland I ...

, the Ministry of Defence decided, in line with its policy of modernisation and commonality of equipment, to re-equip the regiment with new weapons. In late 1982, six 105mm

L118 light gun The L118 light gun is a 105 mm towed howitzer. It was originally designed and produced in England for the British Army in the 1970s. It has since been widely exported. The L119 and the United States Army's M119 are variants that use a different ...

s guns replaced the three howitzers and eight Blowpipe surface-to-air missile units replaced the four L40/70 AA Guns. On 1 April 1991, the regiment was reorganised into an all-infantry unit and took over the duties of the resident infantry battalion. The re-roled regiment consisted of a headquarters company (Thomson's Bty), a

military band A military band is a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind and percussion instruments. The conductor of a band commonly bears the ti ...

and three rifle companies of which G and I companies were regular and B Company (and the band) consisted of TA soldiers. On 1 July 1998, the

Duke of Kent Duke of Kent is a title that has been created several times in the peerages of Great Britain and the United Kingdom, most recently as a royal dukedom for the fourth son of King George V. Since 1942, the title has been held by Prince Edwar ...

presented the regiment with its new colours.

21st century

The regiment has supplied officers and men for the conflicts in Northern Ireland, Sierra Leone, Bosnia, Kosovo,

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is borde ...

and

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

. It is in these theatres that members of the regiment have been decorated with two

Bronze Star The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. W ...

s and a

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries. The MC ...

. The Royal Gibraltar Regiment signed up to the

Armed Forces Act 2011 The Armed Forces Act 2011 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It part of a series of Acts to provide a legislative framework for the UK Armed Forces. Apart from giving the armed forces the legal authority to exist for another fi ...

to bring it in line with

British Armed Forces The British Armed Forces, also known as His Majesty's Armed Forces, are the military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests, s ...

. It was signed by

Governor of Gibraltar The governor of Gibraltar is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The governor is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the British government. The role of the governor is to act as the ...

Ed Davis (Royal Marines officer) Lieutenant General Edward Grant Martin Davis, (born 13 February 1963) is a former senior Royal Marines officer. He was Commandant General Royal Marines from December 2011 to June 2014, and the Deputy Commander of NATO's Allied Land Command i ...

on board in 2018 along with

Fabian Picardo Fabian Raymond Picardo (born 18 February 1972) is a Gibraltarian politician and barrister serving as Chief Minister of Gibraltar and Leader of the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party since 2011. At the 2015 and 2019 Gibraltar general elections, P ...

and

Armed Forces Minister The minister of state for the armed forces is a mid-level ministerial position at the Ministry of Defence in the Government of the United Kingdom. When of Minister of State rank (until the appointment of James Heappey as a Parliamentary Under-S ...

Mark Lancaster. On 31 March 2022 the Royal Gibraltar Regiment was presented with New Colours by HRH Earl of Wessex at

Windsor Castle Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history. The original c ...

Structure

Royal Gibraltar Regiment, Changing the Guard, Band, April 12

Initially a reserve force, on the withdrawal of the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...

garrison from the territory in 1991, the regiment was reorganised into an all-infantry unit and took over the duties of the resident battalion. The re-roled regiment consisted of a headquarters company (Thompson's Bty) and three rifle companies of which B Company is the reserve element with the others being made up of regular soldiers: * HQ Company (Thomson's Battery, Regular) - made up currently of the Artillery Troop (L118 105mm light guns), Motor Transport Platoon, Signals Wing, Catering Platoon and Clothing Stores. * G Company (Regular) – comprises three regular rifle platoons. * I Company (Regular) – a regular rifle company, but also holds the regiment's specialists when fully manned. These are: ** 2 × recce sections, ** 5 × sniper pairs, ** 2 × machine gun sections, ** 2 × assault pioneer/soldier sections, ** 2 × high-assurance search teams, ** 2 × low-risk search teams, ** The regiment's explosive ordnance disposal teams (EOD) * B Company (Reserves) consists of three rifle platoons. It also provides two sharpshooter pairs, two machine gun sections and one low-risk search team.

Role

The regiment undertakes army ceremonial tasks in Gibraltar as it is the only major unit based there. It is responsible for the ceremonial guard of the Governor at his residence the Convent, and performing the

ceremony of the keys Ceremony of the Keys may refer to: *Ceremony of the Keys (Edinburgh) The Ceremony of the Keys is held in Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh, at the start of the British monarch's week-long residence there in July. Soon after the monarch's arrival, in t ...

twice a year and the King's Birthday Parade in Casemates Square, as well as any other Guards of Honour. In March 2001, for the first time, the regiment mounted the

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison gu ...

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...

. In addition to this, the regiment has fired three 62 Gun Royal salutes at the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is sep ...

on the occasion of the Birthday of Her Majesty the Queen, a duty normally carried out by the Honourable Artillery Company. The regiment resumed both roles in April 2012 and returned to London once again in March 2022 for public duties. Changing of the Guard sentry box - Royal Gib Regiment

Changing of the Guard sentry box - Royal Gib Regiment

Honorary Regimental Colonels

Source: *1953–: Col. Sir William Thomson, OBE *1958–: Gen. Sir

Charles Frederic Keightley General Sir Charles Frederic Keightley, (24 June 1901 – 17 June 1974) was a senior British Army officer who served during and following the Second World War. After serving with distinction during the Second World War – becoming, in 1944, th ...

, GCB, GBE, DSO, KStJ *1980–1985: Col. John Joseph Porral, CBE, ED *1985–1989: Col. Arthur John Ferrary, OBE, ED *1989–1998: Col. Domingo Louis Collado, OBE *1993–1999: Col. Sir Robert John Peliza, KBE, ED, GMH *1998–2003: Col. John Joseph Porral, CBE, ED *2003–2008: Lt-Col. Eddie A. Guerrero, OBE, JP *2008–2014: Lt-Col. Dennis Duarte, OBE *2014–2017: Col. The Hon Ernest Michael Britto, OBE, ED *2017- : Col Francis Brancato, OBE JP

Uniforms

For reasons both of climate and ceremonial responsibilities, the regiment is issued with a wider range of uniforms than most other British infantry units. These include: *full dress ( scarlet) *No 1 Temperate Ceremonial (dark blue) *No 2 Service Dress (

khaki The color khaki (, ) is a light shade of tan with a slight yellowish tinge. Khaki has been used by many armies around the world for uniforms and equipment, particularly in arid or desert regions, where it provides camouflage relative to sandy ...

) *No 3 Warm Weather Ceremonial (white) *No 6 Warm Weather Parade (bush jacket)

Image gallery

File:Alfred Holmes.jpg, Sgt.

Alfred Holmes Sgt. Alfred Holmes (1 February 1931 – 1 January 1994) was a Gibraltarian sergeant of the Gibraltar Regiment (now the Royal Gibraltar Regiment). He was a well remembered ''Officer-in-Charge of the Apes'' who held this position, caring for th ...

of the Gibraltar Regiment (1931–1994). File:Gib Reg pipes.JPG, Royal Gibraltar Regiment Band along with pipers from the

London Regiment (1993) The London Guards is an administrative formation within the British Army comprising the Army Reserve companies of the British Army's Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots and Irish Guards. On formation these companies drew their personnel from the ...

perform at the

Ceremony of the Keys Ceremony of the Keys may refer to: *Ceremony of the Keys (Edinburgh) The Ceremony of the Keys is held in Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh, at the start of the British monarch's week-long residence there in July. Soon after the monarch's arrival, in t ...

. File:Queens birthday 21 gun.jpg, Royal Gibraltar Regiment firing a 21 gun salute on the occasion of the Queen's birthday parade in June 2008. File:Queens birthday.JPG, Royal Gibraltar Regiment on parade on the occasion of the Queen's birthday parade in June 2007. File:Royal Gibraltar Regiment.jpg, Royal Gibraltar Regiment in London, April 2012. File:Royal Gibraltar Regiment drummers.jpg, Drummers in London, April 2012. File:Changing of the Guard - Royal Gibraltar Regiment colours.jpg, Regimental Colours in London, 2012. File:21 Gun Salute in Gibraltar marking the birth of Prince George of Cambridge 02.jpg, 21 Gun Salute in Gibraltar marking the birth of

Prince George of Cambridge Prince George of Wales (George Alexander Louis; born 22 July 2013) is a member of the British royal family. He is the eldest child of William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales. George is the eldest grandchild of King Charle ...

, 2013. File:Devils Tower Camp, Gibraltar.jpg, Devil's Tower Camp.

Order of precedence

Alliances

* -

The Royal Anglian Regiment The Royal Anglian Regiment (R ANGLIAN) is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It consists of two Regular battalions and one Reserve battalion. The modern regiment was formed in 1964, making it the oldest of the Line Regiments now operating i ...

* -

Royal Regiment of Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

* -

Corps of Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...

* - The Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling), 83rd, 87th and Ulster Defence Regiment)

References

External links

* {{Gibraltar topics British Forces Gibraltar British colonial regiments Military units and formations established in 1958 1958 establishments in Gibraltar Military of Gibraltar