THE QUEEN`S REGIMENT 1966

THE QUEEN`S REGIMENT WAS FORMED ON THE 31st DECEMBER 1966 BY THE VOLUNTARY MERGING OF THE FOUR FAMOUS COUNTY REGIMENTS OF SOUTH EAST ENGLAND. THIS MERGER WAS CARRIED OUT IN GOOD FAITH AND WITH THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE THEN ARMY COUNCIL. THE COLONELS OF THE QUEEN`S ROYAL SURRY REGIMENT, THE QUEEN`S OWN BUFFS, THE ROYAL SUSSEX AND THE MIDDLESEX REGIMENTS FIRMLY BELIEVED THAT THE NEW REGIMENT WOULD RETAIN THE ESSENTIAL SPIRIT AND HERITAGES OF THEIR REGIMENTS
AND THAT, ABOVE ALL, THEIR ACTION WOULD PROTECT THE QUEEN`S REGIMENT FROM FUTURE AMALGAMATION.THIS BELIEVE STEMMED FROM THE BOWER REPORT WHICH HAD BEEN ISSUED TO ALL INFANTRY REGIMENTS IN 1962, UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE ARMY COUNCIL, AND WHICH ENCOURAGED THE FORMATION OF LARGE REGIMENTS.
ONE OF THE MAJOR POINTS MADE IN THE REPORT WAS "THE ADOPTION OF THE LARGE REGIMENT STATUS WILL IN NO WAY MAKE THE REGIMENTS CONCERNED MORE LIABLE IN THE EVENT OF MAKING MORE REDUCTIONS".
BY 1991 THE QUEEN`S REGIMENT WAS AN UNDOUBTED SUCCESS STORY. ALTHOUGH IT HAD BEEN SADDENED TO LOSE ITS 4th(MIDDLESEX) BATTALION IN 1970, IT CONSISTED OF THREE REGULAR AND TWO AND TWO-THIRDS TERRITORIAL BATTALIONS.
ITS OVERALL STRENGH, DESPITE GOVERMENT RESTRICTIONS ON RECRUITING, WAS OVER 1,500 REQULARS, 1,400 TERRITORIALS AND SOME 3,000 QUEEN`S BADGED CADETS. IN ORDER TO CELEBRATE THE SILVER JUBLEE OF THE REGIMENT IT WAS DECIDED TO PRODUCE A HISTORY WITH THE TITLE "THE QUEEN`S REGIMENT-THE FIRST 25 YEARS". SUCH WAS OUR FAITH IN THE FUTURE! HOW WAS IT THEN THAT AFTER ONLY 26YEARS THIS PROUD REGIMENT SHOULD HAVE CEASED TO EXIST?
THE PERIOD OF THE QUEEN`S REGIMENT`S LIFE WAS ONE OF THE MOST MOMENTOUS IN OUR COUNTRY`S HISTORY; INDEED,IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD. IT SAW REVOLUTIONS IN TECHNOLOGY, WARS, UNPRECEDENTED DISASTERS AND STARVATION.
AND PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL FOR THE REGIMENT, THE END OF A POLITICAL SYSTEM WHICH HAD SOUGHT, AND AT ONE TIME THREATENED, TO DOMINATE THE WORLD. WHEN IT WAS DECIDED TO PUBLISH THE HISTORY OF THE REGIMENT NO-ONE IN OUR COUNTRY ENVISAGED, OR CERTAINLY PREDICTED, THE END OF THE BERLIN WALL AND THE DISINTEGRATION OF THE USSR AND THE COMMUNIST SYSTEM. BUT WITH THESE EVENTS AND THE CONSEQUENT END TO ANY IMMEDIATE AND OBVIOUS THREAT TO OUR NATION, IT BECAME CLEAR THAT THERE WOULD BE REDUCTIONS IN BRITAINS ARMED FORCES.
A GOVERMENT STUDY KNOWN AS "OPTION FOR CHANGE" WAS INITIATED AND SHORTLY AFTER THE END OF THE GULF WAR ITS RESULTS WERE ANNOUNCED.
TO THE UTTER DISBELIEF OF THE REGIMENT WE LEARNED THAT NOT ONLY WERE WE TO LOSE A BATTALION BUT, IN ADDITION, WE WERE TO BE AMALGAMATED WITH A SINGLE BATTALION REGIMENT WITH WHICH WE HAD NOTHING IN COMMON AND NO ASSOCIATIONS, DESPITE MANY REQUESTS TO MINISTERS, INCLUDING THE PRIME MINISTER, THE CHIEF OF THE GENERAL STAFF AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE ARMY BOARD. NO EXPANATION WAS EVER GIVEN FOR THIS UNJUST AND UNWARRANTED TREATMENT. OUR DEMANDS FOR JUSTICE, OR AT LEAST SOME EXPLANATION TO PASS ON TO OUR SOLDIERS, FELL ON DEAF EARS AND THE FINAL COMMENT ON THIS TRAGIC AFFAIR CAME FROM THE CHIEF OF THE GENERAL STAFF WHEN HE WROTE TO ME ON THE 13th SEPTEMBER 1991:
"IT IS NOT IN THE THE INTERESTS OF THE ARMY THAT FURTHER EXPLANATIONS OF THE REASONS BEHIND THE CHOICES SHOULD BE MADE, AND I REGRET THEREFORE THAT I SHALL NOT BE GIVING YOU AN ANSWER."
THE REGIMENT HAD EXPECTED TO LOSE ONE OF ITS REGULAR BATTALIONS AND ANTICIPATED SOME REDUCTION IN STRENGTH OF ITS TERRITORIALS. WHAT REALLY HURT WAS THAT, ALONE AMONGST THE LARGE REGIMENTS, THE QUEEN`S WAS TO BE AMALGAMATED AND WOULD THEREFORE CEASE TO EXIST.
AT THE STROKE OF A PEN THE VISION AND FAITH OF OUR FOUNDING COLONELS HAD BEEN BETRAYED AND THE AGONIES ENDURED OVER A QUARTER OF A CENTURY TO CREATE ONE REGIMENT FROM
FOUR HAD PROVED IN VAIN. THE OLDER MEMBERS OF THE REGIMENT REALISED THAT WE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO WORSE OFF AND PROBABLY MUCH BETTER OFF, TO HAVE REMAINED "SMALL" IN 1966.
WHAT LED TO THE DECISION TO DESTROY THE QUEEN`S REGIMENT ? CERTAINLY NOT MANPOWER PROBLEMS, FOR IN 1992 THE REGIMENT HAD MORE THAN 250 MEN SURPUSE TO THE NEEDS OF A TWO BATTALION REGULAR REGIMENT AND THIS DESPITE RECRUIT CAPPING. NO, THE DECISION WAS MADE IN ORDER TO PROTECT CERTAIN REGIMENTS WHICH EITHER HAD SENIOR OFFICERS ON THE ARMY BOARD OR OFFICERS WHO WERE FRIENDS OF BOARD MEMBERS.
THE ILL CONSIDERED DECISION TO INCORPORATE TWO COMMANDER-IN-CHIEFS, THEMSELVES COLONELS OF SMALL REGIMENTS, ON TO A BOARD WHICH WOULD MAKE THE FINAL DECISIONS PROVED DISASTROUSE FOR THE LARGE REGIMENTS, PARTICULARLY THE QUEEN`S. ONCE MORE THE CAUCUS OF SMALL REGIMENT GENERALS WON THE DAY AND ENSURED THAT THE STRUCTURE OF THE INFANTRY WOULD REMAIN ILLOGICAL WITH BOTH " LARGE" AND "SMALL" REGIMENTS PERPETTUATED.
LOGIC, SENIORITY, EVEN RECRUITING STASTICS HAD TO GIVE WAY IN ORDER THAT A SINGLE BATTALION REGIMENTAL SYSTEM, WHICH ALWAYS BREAKS DOWN IN WAR, AS WAS SO APTLY DEMONSTRATED IN THE GULF IN 1991, SHOULD SURVIVE. IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS A REGIMENT OF OVER 3,000 MEN CEASED TO EXIST SO THAT SOME 350 MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT COULD JOIN A NEW REGIMENT COMPOSED OVERWHELMINGLY OF QUEENSMEN. SADLY, THESE ROYAL HAMPSHIRES, UNWANTED BY THEIR OWN PRINCE OF WALES DIVISION, WERE ALSO SACRIFICED SO THAT OTHERS SHOULD SURVIVE AND A GOVERMENT AND ARMY BOARD COULD CLAIM THAT NO REGIMENT HAD BEEN DISBANDED. THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE ARMY BOARD OF JULY 1991 MUST BEAR COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THESE SCANDALOUS DECISIONS.
THE COMPOSITION OF THIS COMMITTEE IN JULY 1991 WAS:

CHAIRMAN - GENERAL SIR JOHN CHAPPLE GCB,CBE,ADC GEN, CONONEL 2nd KING EDWARD VIII`s OWN GURKHA RIFLES
MEMBERS -
J.M STEWARD CB, SECOND PERMANENT UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE

GENERAL SIR DAVID RAMSBOTHAM,KCB,CBE, ADC Gen COLONEL COMMANDANT THE ROYALGREEN JACKETS

LIEUTENANT GENERAL SIR EDWARD JONES KCB,CBE, COLONEL COMMANDANT THE ROYAL GREEN JACKETS

GENERAL SIR JOHN STIBBON KCB,OBE, COLONEL COMMANDANT THE ROYAL ENGINEERS

MAJOR GENERAL R N WHEELER CBE, COLONEL THE ROYAL IRISH RANGERS

GENERAL SIR JOHN WATERS KCB, CBE, COLONEL COMMANDANT THE PRINCE OF WALES DIVISION AND COLONEL THE GLOUCESTERSHIRE REGIMENT

GENERAL SIR PETER INGE, KCB, ADC Gen COLONEL THE GREEN HOWARDS