England’s Finest
The Royal Warwickshire Regiment
A Brief History
The Royal Warwickshire Regiment was first formed in the 17th century under the name the 6th Regiment of Foot. In 1873, they received the title the Royal Warwickshire Regiment.
This regiment became involved in a number of important battles, . These included the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, the War of the Spanish Succession, the Napoleonic Wars, the Boer Wars, the two World Wars and the Korean War.
Battles
1690 - Boyne ( Glorious Revolution)
1691 - Athlone ( Glorious Revolution)
1710 - Almenara ( War of the Spanish Succession)
1710 - Saragossa ( War of the Spanish Succession)
1710 - Brihuega ( War of the Spanish Succession)
1808 - Peninsular War
1891 - BOER WAR
1899 - 2nd Boer War
1914 - 1st World War
1945 - 2nd World War
1950 - Korean War
The Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers, previously titled the 6th Regiment of Foot and The Royal Warwickshire Regiment, was an infantry regiment of the British Army.
In 1832 the 6th became a Royal Regiment and their title was changed to The Royal (1st) Warwickshire Regiment.
The First World War
During the First World War The Royal Warwickshire Regiment raised 30 battalions. Three of these, 14th, 15th and 16th (Service) Battalions, were raised in September 1914 from men volunteering in Birmingham. These units were additionally entitled 1st, 2nd and 3rd City of Birmingham Battalions, and were known as The Birmingham Pals.
The Regiment gained 80 Battle Honours. During 1914 battalions were present at Le Cateau, the Retreat from Mons, Ypres, the Somme, The big battles of 1917 saw battalions in action at Arras, Vimy, Passchendaele and Cambrai. In addition to the Western Front, battalions of the 6th also saw action in Italy 1917-1918, at Gallipoli 1915-1916, Mesopotamia 1916-1917 and Persia 1916-1919. The Royal Warwickshire Regiment won six Victoria Crosses during the First World War.
Resting at the battle of the Somme
Second World War
Royal Warwickshire Regiment in 2nd, 7th and 8th Battalions were part of the BEF in France and Belgium. But like most fighting men they fought every step of the way back to the beaches of Dunkirk, there the Germans launched their bombardment.
Because the soldiers were very much afraid of being cut off the 2nd Battalion was given the job of trying to keep the main supply route open. But. unfortuately for them three battalions of the Hitler’s S.S army were waiting attacked - surrounding their position. About 70 British soldiers were stripped and pushed into an old shed. The S.S troops then began hurling grenades at the shed killing more than half the men. It was a few days later after this terrible ordeal the survivors were taken prisoner by the regular German army.
The Royal Warwickshire Regiment also served in different parts of India. In April 1945 they were ordered to join troops in Burma. However, with the dropping of the two atomic bombs in Japan they returned to India.
1960s the Royal Warwickshire (6th of Foot) together with the Royal Fusiliers formed the Royal Regiment of Fusilier in 1968 (England’s Finest)
Sources
Wapedier
BBC
Wiki
Military Geneology
Military History
Royal Warwickshire’s Museum
