Battle Honours

[mariner]

Hi Guys,

Can anyone explain to me how the Battle Honours system works? Is there a set criteria (like with medals) that effects whether or not a Regiment gets the honour or not?

I assume that all battle honours go on the Regimental colours, but do Battalions have seperate colours, which my varie from Battalion to Battalion?

[Ben Waterhouse]

Hi Guys,

Can anyone explain to me how the Battle Honours system works? Is there a set criteria (like with medals) that effects whether or not a Regiment gets the honour or not?

I assume that all battle honours go on the Regimental colours, but do Battalions have seperate colours, which my varie from Battalion to Battalion?

The general rule of thumb is that at least a company sized subunit should be present during the campaign/battle.

Not all battle honours go on the Colours, with the effects of both world wars and amalgamations there are far too many honours to fit.

All battalions of a regiment carry the same battle honours including reserve battalions after WW1.

As with all things pertaining to the British army I am sure there will be exceptions to these rules....

My former regiment even though technically artillery carries colours.

[Taz]

Hi mariner,

The link might help a little.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_honour#Entitlement

Regards Eddie

[regimentalrogue]

For future reference, the Canadian terms of reference for Battle Honours:

Canadian Army Battle Honours

• G.O. 6 / 1928 - Conditions of Award of Battle Honours for The Great War 1914-1919
• 33-1 Second World War Battle Honours
• 33-1 Battle Honours - United Nations Operations - Korea 1950-1953

[The Monkey God]

Have any British units, been awarded battle honours for post invasion Iraq or indeed Afghanistan?

[Taz]

Have any British units, been awarded battle honours for post invasion Iraq or indeed Afghanistan?

The Queen has approved the following battle honours for the Gulf war:

ARMY

Regiments and Corps awarded the theatre honour 'GULF 1991' with the right of emblazonment: The Life Guards; 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards; The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys); The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars; 14th/20th King's Hussars; 16th/5th The Queen's Royal Lancers; Grenadier Guards; Coldstream Guards; Scots Guards; The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment); The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers; The Royal Highland Fusiliers (Princess Margaret's Own Glasgow and Ayrshire Regiment); The King's Own Scottish Borderers; The Staffordshire Regiment (The Prince of Wales's); Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons); Special Air Service Regiment; Army Air Corps.

Regiments and Corps awarded the battle honour 'WADI AL BATIN': The Life Guards; 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards; The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys); The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars; 14th/20th King's Hussars; 16th/5th The Queen's Royal Lancers; Grenadier Guards; The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment); The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers; The Staffordshire Regiment (The Prince of Wales's); Army Air Corps.

Regiment awarded the battle honour 'WESTERN IRAQ': Special Air Service Regiment.

ROYAL AIR FORCE

Squadrons awarded the battle honour 'GULF 1991' with the right of emblazonment: Number 1 Squadron RAF Regiment - Scorpion/Spartan; Number 2 Squadron - Tornado GR1a; Number 6 Squadron - Jaguar; Number 7 Squadron - Chinook; Number 9 Squadron - Tornado GR1; Number 12 Squadron - Buccaneer; Number 13 Squadron - Tornado GR1a; Number 14 Squadron - Tornado GR1; Number 15 Squadron - Tornado GR1; Number 16 Squadron - Tornado GR1; Number 17 Squadron - Tornado GR1; Number 18 Squadron - Chinook/Puma; Number 20 Squadron - Tornado GR1; Number 27 Squadron - Tornado GR1; Number 31 Squadron - Tornado GR1; Number 33 Squadron - Puma; Number 41 Squadron - Jaguar; Number 54 Squadron - Jaguar; Number 208 Squadron - Buccaneer; Number 230 Squadron - Puma; Number 617 Squadron - Tornado GR1.

Squadrons awarded the battle honour 'GULF 1991' without the right of emblazonment: Number 10 Squadron - VC10; Number 20 Squadron RAF Regiment - Rapier; Number 24 Squadron - Hercules; Number 26 Squadron RAF Regiment - Rapier; Number 29 Squadron - Tornado F3; Number 30 Squadron - Hercules; Number 32 Squadron - HS125; Number 34 Squadron RAF Regiment - Ground Defence; Number 42 Squadron - Nimrod; Number 43 Squadron - Tornado F3; Number 47 Squadron - Hercules; Number 51 Squadron - Nimrod; Number 51 Squadron RAF Regiment - Ground Defence; Number 55 Squadron - Victor; Number 58 Squadron RAF Regiment - Ground Defence; Number 66 Squadron RAF Regiment - Rapier; Number 70 Squadron - Hercules; Number 101 Squadron - VC10; Number 120 Squadron - Nimrod; Number 201 Squadron - Nimrod; Number 206 Squadron - Nimrod; Number 216 Squadron - Tristar.

Falkland Islands

battle honours

The Queen has approved the following retrospective battle honour for the Falklands campaign:

Corps awarded the battle honour 'FALKLAND ISLANDS 1982': Army Air Corps.

Regards Eddie

Edited December 11, 2009 by Taz

[mariner]

Thanks Taz, very interesting.

Edited December 11, 2009 by mariner

[The Monkey God]

The Queen has approved the following battle honours for the Gulf war:

ARMY

Regiments and Corps awarded the theatre honour 'GULF 1991' with the right of emblazonment: The Life Guards; 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards; The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys); The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars; 14th/20th King's Hussars; 16th/5th The Queen's Royal Lancers; Grenadier Guards; Coldstream Guards; Scots Guards; The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment); The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers; The Royal Highland Fusiliers (Princess Margaret's Own Glasgow and Ayrshire Regiment); The King's Own Scottish Borderers; The Staffordshire Regiment (The Prince of Wales's); Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons); Special Air Service Regiment; Army Air Corps.

Regiments and Corps awarded the battle honour 'WADI AL BATIN': The Life Guards; 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards; The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys); The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars; 14th/20th King's Hussars; 16th/5th The Queen's Royal Lancers; Grenadier Guards; The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment); The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers; The Staffordshire Regiment (The Prince of Wales's); Army Air Corps.

Regiment awarded the battle honour 'WESTERN IRAQ': Special Air Service Regiment.

ROYAL AIR FORCE

Squadrons awarded the battle honour 'GULF 1991' with the right of emblazonment: Number 1 Squadron RAF Regiment - Scorpion/Spartan; Number 2 Squadron - Tornado GR1a; Number 6 Squadron - Jaguar; Number 7 Squadron - Chinook; Number 9 Squadron - Tornado GR1; Number 12 Squadron - Buccaneer; Number 13 Squadron - Tornado GR1a; Number 14 Squadron - Tornado GR1; Number 15 Squadron - Tornado GR1; Number 16 Squadron - Tornado GR1; Number 17 Squadron - Tornado GR1; Number 18 Squadron - Chinook/Puma; Number 20 Squadron - Tornado GR1; Number 27 Squadron - Tornado GR1; Number 31 Squadron - Tornado GR1; Number 33 Squadron - Puma; Number 41 Squadron - Jaguar; Number 54 Squadron - Jaguar; Number 208 Squadron - Buccaneer; Number 230 Squadron - Puma; Number 617 Squadron - Tornado GR1.

Squadrons awarded the battle honour 'GULF 1991' without the right of emblazonment: Number 10 Squadron - VC10; Number 20 Squadron RAF Regiment - Rapier; Number 24 Squadron - Hercules; Number 26 Squadron RAF Regiment - Rapier; Number 29 Squadron - Tornado F3; Number 30 Squadron - Hercules; Number 32 Squadron - HS125; Number 34 Squadron RAF Regiment - Ground Defence; Number 42 Squadron - Nimrod; Number 43 Squadron - Tornado F3; Number 47 Squadron - Hercules; Number 51 Squadron - Nimrod; Number 51 Squadron RAF Regiment - Ground Defence; Number 55 Squadron - Victor; Number 58 Squadron RAF Regiment - Ground Defence; Number 66 Squadron RAF Regiment - Rapier; Number 70 Squadron - Hercules; Number 101 Squadron - VC10; Number 120 Squadron - Nimrod; Number 201 Squadron - Nimrod; Number 206 Squadron - Nimrod; Number 216 Squadron - Tristar.

Falkland Islands

battle honours

The Queen has approved the following retrospective battle honour for the Falklands campaign:

Corps awarded the battle honour 'FALKLAND ISLANDS 1982': Army Air Corps.

Regards Eddie

Cheers Eddie, however, I don`t think I worded my question very well, I was wondering whether any battle honours have been awarded for post 2003 Iraq & 2001 Afghanistan. But was very interested to see the AAC got a battle honour, I didn`t think corps got them?

Edited December 11, 2009 by The Monkey God

[Taz]

Cheers Eddie, however, I don`t think I worded my question very well, I was wondering whether any battle honours have been awarded for post 2003 Iraq & 2001 Afghanistan. But was very interested to see the AAC got a battle honour, I didn`t think corps got them?

The Ministry of Defence is proud to announce the initial award of Battle Honours to units which participated in the major combat phase of operations in Iraq. The awards were approved recently by Her Majesty the Queen, and were formally announced to Parliament in a Written Ministerial Statement by John Reid, the Secretary of State for Defence, on 9 June 2005.

The following Royal Navy ships and Naval air squadrons have been awarded the Battle Honour 'AL FAW 2003':

HMS Ocean

HMS Ark Royal

HMS Blyth

HMS Brocklesby

HMS Bangor

HMS Sandown

HMS Ledbury

HMS Roebuck

No 845 Naval Air Squadron

No 847 Naval Air Squadron

Royal Marine units participating have not been awarded a separate Battle Honour, as by tradition and historical precedent, 'Gibraltar' remains the only award to the Corps.

RAF squadrons which were required to operate under constant threat of attack and demonstrated gallantry and spirit under fire during the campaign over Iraq and Kuwait or on the ground in the same territories have been awarded the Battle Honour 'IRAQ 2003' with the right to emblazon the honour on their Standards. Other squadrons which participated in the air and ground campaigns, although at a slightly lower level of danger, have been awarded the honour 'IRAQ 2003' without the right to emblazon the honour on their Standards.

The RAF awards are as follows:

With the Right to Emblazon 'IRAQ 2003' on Squadron Standards:

No 1 (Fighter) Squadron RAF

No II (Army Co-operation) Squadron RAF

No 3 Squadron RAF

No IV (Army Co-operation) Squadron RAF

No 7 Squadron RAF

No IX (Bomber) Squadron RAF

No 12 (Bomber) Squadron RAF

No 31 Squadron RAF

No 47 Squadron RAF

No 617 Squadron RAF

No 51 Squadron RAF Regiment

Without the Right to Emblazonment:

No 8 Squadron RAF

No 10 Squadron RAF

No 18 (Bomber) Squadron RAF

No 23 Squadron RAF

No 33 Squadron RAF

No 39 Squadron RAF

No 43 (Fighter) Squadron RAF

No 51 Squadron RAF

No 101 Squadron RAF

No 111 (Fighter) Squadron RAF

No 120 Squadron RAF

No 201 Squadron RAF

No 206 Squadron RAF

No 216 Squadron RAF

No 1 Squadron RAF Regiment

No II Squadron RAF Regiment

No 16 Squadron RAF Regiment

No 27 Squadron RAF Regiment

No 34 Squadron RAF Regiment

Iraq Battle Honours for the British Army

Her Majesty has also approved the award of the Battle Honours 'Al Basrah' and 'Western Iraq 2003' and the Theatre Honour 'Iraq 2003' to Army units which participated in Operation TELIC. Specifically The Queen has approved the award of the Battle Honour 'Al Basrah' and the Theatre Honour 'Iraq 2003' to the Irish Guards who participated in Operation TELIC during the period 19 March to 30 April 2003.

Regiments and Corps to be awarded the Theatre Honour 'IRAQ 2003' are:

The Life Guards, The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons), 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards, The Royal Yeomanry, The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys), The Queen's Royal Lancers, Royal Tank Regiment, Irish Guards (already awarded), The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, The Light Infantry, The Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling), 83rd, 87th and The Ulster Defence Regiment), The Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding), The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment), The Parachute Regiment, Army Air Corps

The following Regiments and Corps are to be awarded the Battle Honour 'AL BASRAH':

The Life Guards, The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons), 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards, The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys), The Queen's Royal Lancers, Royal Tank Regiment, Irish Guards (already awarded), The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, The Light Infantry, The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment), The Parachute Regiment, Army Air Corps

HM The Queen gave early approval, in June 2005, for the Irish Guards to be awarded the Theatre Honour 'IRAQ 2003' and the Battle Honour 'AL BASRAH'. This early award allowed the Irish Guards to Troop their colour, with their new Theatre Honour emblazoned upon it, at The Queen's Birthday Parade.

Regards Eddie