The
British Army is the
land armed forces branch of the
British Armed Forces. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of
England and
Scotland into the
Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England and Scotland and was administered by the
War Office from
London. It has been managed by the
Ministry of Defence since 1963.
The British Army consists of 112,990 regular soldiers (which includes 3,830
Gurkhas) plus 35,000
Territorial Army soldiers, giving it a total of around 146,100 soldiers in October 2009. The full-time element of the British Army has also been referred to as the
Regular Army since the creation of the reservist
Territorial Force in 1908. The British Army is deployed in many of the world's war zones as part of both
Expeditionary Forces and in
United Nations Peacekeeping forces. The British Army is currently deployed in
Kosovo,
Cyprus,
Germany,
Afghanistan and many other places.
In contrast to the
Royal Navy,
Royal Marines and
Royal Air Force, the British Army does not include
Royal in its title. This is because historically, British Armies were comprised of individually raised regiments and corps. Nevertheless, many of its constituent Regiments and Corps have been granted the
Royal prefix and have members of the
Royal Family occupying senior positions within some regiments.
The professional head of the British Army is the
Chief of the General Staff, currently
Sir David Richards KCB CBE DSO.
History
The British Army came into being with the merger of the
Scottish Army and the
English Army, following the unification of the two countries' parliaments and the creation of the
United Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated existing English and Scottish regiments, and was controlled from
London.
From about 1763 the United Kingdom has been one of the leading military and
economic powers of the world. The
British Empire expanded in this time to include
colonies,
protectorates, and
Dominions throughout the
Americas,
Africa,
Asia and
Australasia. Although the
Royal Navy is widely regarded as having been vital for the rise of the
British Empire, and British dominance of the world, the British Army played an important role in colonisation. Typical tasks included
garrisoning the colonies, capturing strategically important territories and participating in actions to pacify colonial borders, provide support to allied governments, suppress Britain's rivals, and protect against foreign powers and hostile natives.
British troops also helped capture strategically important territories, allowing their empire to expand throughout the globe. The army also involved itself in numerous wars meant to pacify the borders, or to prop-up friendly governments, and thereby keep other, competitive, empires away from the British Empire's borders. Among these actions were the
Seven Years' War, the
American Revolutionary War, the
Napoleonic Wars, the
First and
Second Opium Wars, the
Boxer Rebellion, the
New Zealand land wars, the
Indian Rebellion of 1857, the
First and
Second Boer Wars, the
Fenian raids, the
Irish War of Independence, its serial interventions into
Afghanistan (which were meant to maintain a friendly buffer state between British India and the
Russian Empire), and the
Crimean War (to keep the Russian Empire at a safe distance by coming to Turkey's aid).
As had its predecessor, the
English Army, the British Army fought
Spain,
France, and the
Netherlands for supremacy in
North America and the
West Indies. With native and provincial assistance, the Army conquered
New France in the
Seven Years' War and subsequently suppressed a
Native American uprising in
Pontiac's War. The British Army suffered defeat in the
American War of Independence, losing the
Thirteen Colonies but holding on to
Canada.
The British army was heavily involved in the
Napoleonic Wars in which the army served in
Spain, across
Europe, and in
North Africa. The war between the British and
First French Empires stretched around the world. The British Army finally came to defeat
Napoleon at one of Britain's greatest military victories at the battle of
Waterloo.
Under
Oliver Cromwell, the English Army had been active in the conquest, and the settlement, of
Ireland in the 1650s. The Cromwellian campaign was characterised by its uncompromising treatment of the Irish towns (most notably
Drogheda) that had supported the Royalists during the English Civil War. It (and subsequently, the British Army) have been almost continuously involved in Ireland ever since, primarily in suppressing numerous Irish revolts and campaigns for
self-determination. It was faced with the prospect of battling Anglo-Irish and
Ulster Scots settlers in Ireland, who alongside their Irish countrymen had raised their own volunteer army and threatened to emulate the American colonists if their conditions (primarily concerning home rule and freedom of trade) were not met. The British Army found itself fighting Irish rebels, both Protestant and Catholic, primarily in Ulster and Leinster (
Wolfe Tone's United Irishmen) in the
1798 rebellion.
In addition to battling the armies of other European Empires' (and of its former colonies, the
United States, in the
American War of 1812,) in the battle for global supremacy, the British Army fought the
Chinese in the
First and
Second Opium Wars, and the
Boxer Rebellion;
Māori tribes in the first of the
New Zealand Wars;
Indian princely forces and
British East India Company mutineers in the
Indian Mutiny; the Boers in the
First and
Second Boer Wars; Irish
Fenians in Canada during the
Fenian raids; and
Irish separatists in the
Anglo-Irish War.
Following William and Mary's accession to the throne,
England involved itself in the
War of the Grand Alliance primarily to prevent a French invasion restoring Mary's father,
James II. Following the 1707
union of England and Scotland, and the 1801 creation of the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, British foreign policy, on the continent, was to contain expansion by its competitor powers such as
France and
Spain. The territorial ambitions of the French led to the
War of the Spanish Succession and the
Napoleonic Wars. Russian activity led to the
Crimean War.
The vastly increasing demands of imperial expansion, and the inadequacies and inefficiencies of the underfunded, post-Napoleonic Wars British Army, and of the
Militia,
Yeomanry, and
Volunteer Force, led to the
Cardwell and
Childers Reforms of the late 19th century, which gave the British Army its modern shape, and redefined its
regimental system. The
Haldane Reforms of 1907, formally created the
Territorial Force as the Army's volunteer reserve component.
British
Mark One Tank during
World War I. Note the guidance wheels behind the main body which were later scrapped as they were unnecessary. Armoured vehicles of this time still required much infantry and artillery support and still do to a lesser extent today
Great Britain's dominance of the world had been challenged by numerous other powers, notably
Germany. The UK was allied with France (by the
Entente Cordiale) and Russia, and when the
First World War broke out in 1914, the British Army sent the
British Expeditionary Force to France and Belgium to prevent Germany from occupying these countries. The War would be the most devastating in British military history, with near 800,000 men killed and over 2 million wounded. In the early part of the war, the professional force of the BEF was decimated and, by turns, a volunteer (and then conscripted) force replaced it. Major battles included the
Battle of the Somme. Advances in technology saw advent of the
tank, with the creation of the
Royal Tank Regiment, and advances in
aircraft design, with the creation of the
Royal Flying Corps, which were to be decisive in future battles.
Trench warfare dominated strategy on the
Western Front, and the use of chemical and poison gases added to the devastation.
The
Second World War broke out in 1939 with the German invasion of
Poland. British assurances to the Polish led the British Empire to declare war on Germany. Again an
Expeditionary Force was sent to France, only to be hastily evacuated as the German forces swept through the Low Countries and across France in 1940. Only the
Dunkirk evacuation saved the entire Expeditionary Force from capture. Later, however, the British would have spectacular success defeating the Italians and Germans at the
Battle of El Alamein in
North Africa, and in the
D-Day invasion of Normandy with the help of American, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand forces. Contrary to popular (Hollywood influenced) belief, over half of the Allied soldiers on D-day were British. In the Far East, the British army battled the
Japanese in
Burma. World War II saw the British army develop its
Commando units, the
Parachute Regiment and the
Special Air Service (SAS). During the war the British army was one of the major fighting forces on the allied side.
After the end of World War II, the British Army was significantly reduced in size, although
National Service continued until 1960. This period also saw the process of
Decolonisation commence with the end of the
British Raj, and the independence of other colonies in Africa and Asia. Accordingly the army's strength was further reduced, in recognition of Britain's reduced role in world affairs, outlined in the
1957 Defence White Paper. This was despite major actions in
Korea in 1950 and
Suez in 1956. A large force of
British troops also remained in Germany, facing the threat of
Soviet invasion. The
Cold War saw significant technological advances in warfare, the Army saw more technologically advanced weapons systems come into service.
Despite the decline of the
British Empire, the Army was still deployed around the world, fighting colonial wars in
Aden,
Cyprus,
Kenya and
Malaya. In 1982 the British Army, alongside the
Royal Marines, helped to recapture the
Falkland Islands during the
war against
Argentina.
In the three decades following 1969, the Army was heavily deployed in
Northern Ireland, to support the
Royal Ulster Constabulary (later the
Police Service of Northern Ireland) in their conflict with loyalist and republican paramilitary groups, called
Operation Banner. The locally-recruited
Ulster Defence Regiment was formed, later becoming the
Royal Irish Regiment in 1992. Over 700 soldiers were killed during the
Troubles. Following the
IRA ceasefires between 1994 and 1996 and since 1997, demilitarisation has taken place as part of the peace process, reducing the military presence from 30,000 to 5,000 troops. On 25 June 2007, the Second Battalion Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment vacated the Army complex at Bessbrook Mill in Armagh. This is part of the 'normalisation' programme in Northern Ireland in response to the IRA's declared end to its activities.
Recent and current conflicts
Gulf War
The ending of the
Cold War saw a 40% cut in manpower, as outlined in the
Options for Change review. Despite this, the Army has been deployed in an increasingly global role. In 1991, the United Kingdom was the second largest contributor to the coalition force that fought
Iraq in the
Gulf War. The nation supplied just under 50,000 personnel and was put in control of
Kuwait after it was liberated.
Balkans conflicts
The British Army was deployed to
Yugoslavia in 1992. Initially this force formed part of the
United Nations Protection Force. In 1995 command was transferred to
IFOR and then to
SFOR. Currently troops are under the command of
EUFOR. Over 10,000 troops were sent. In 1999 British forces under the command of
SFOR were sent to
Kosovo during the conflict there. Command was subsequently transferred to
KFOR.
Afghanistan
In 2001 the United Kingdom, as a part of
Operation Enduring Freedom with the United States, invaded
Afghanistan to topple the
Taliban. The
3rd Division Signal Regiment were deployed in
Kabul, to assist in the liberation of the troubled capital. The Royal Marines'
3 Commando Brigade (part of the
Royal Navy but including a number of Army units), also swept the mountains. The British Army is today concentrating on fighting
Taliban forces and bringing security to Helmand province. Approximately 8,100 British troops (including marines, airmen and sailors) are currently in Afghanistan, making it the second largest force after the US. Up to 2,000 extra British troops are likely to deploy in 2009, bringing the total up to 10,100.
Iraq War
British soldiers in
Iraq.
In 2003, the United Kingdom was a major contributor to the United States-led
invasion of Iraq. There was major disagreement amongst the domestic populace but the House of Commons voted for the conflict, sending 46,000 army personnel to the region, the second largest force after the US. The British Army controlled the southern regions of
Iraq and maintained a peace keeping presence in the city of
Basra until their withdrawal on April 30, 2009.
Northern Ireland
The British Army was initially deployed in
Northern Ireland in the wake of Catholic rioting in
Derry and
Belfast and to prevent Protestant Loyalist attacks on Catholic communities, under
Operation Banner between 1969 and 2007 in support of the
Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) and its successor, the
Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).
There has been a steady reduction in the number of troops deployed in Northern Ireland since the
Good Friday Agreement was signed in 1998. In 2005, after the
Provisional Irish Republican Army announced an end to its armed conflict in Northern Ireland, the British Army dismantled posts and withdrew many troops, and restored troop levels to that of a peace-time garrison.
Operation Banner ended at midnight on 31 July 2007, making it the longest continuous deployment in the British Army's history, lasting some thirty-eight years.
An internal British Army document released in 2007 stated an expert opinion that the British Army had failed to defeat the IRA but had made it impossible for them to win through the use of violence. Operation Helvetic replaced Operation Banner in 2007 maintaining fewer servicemen in a much more benign environment.
Tommy Atkins and other nicknames
A long established nickname for a British soldier has been Tommy Atkins or Tommy for short. The origins are obscure but most probably derive from a specimen army form circulated by the Adjutant-General Sir Harry Calvert to all units in 1815 where the blanks had been filled in with the particulars of a Private Thomas Atkins, No 6 Company, 23rd Regiment of Foot. German soldiers in both World Wars would usually refer to their British opponents as Tommys. Present- day British soldiers are often referred to as Toms or just Tom. Outside the services soldiers are generally known as squaddies by the British popular press. The British Army magazine Soldier has a regular cartoon strip, Tom, featuring the everyday life of a British soldier.
Another nickname which applies only to soldiers in Scottish regiments is Jocks, derived from the fact that in Scotland the common Christian name John is often changed to Jock in the vernacular.
Welsh soldiers are occasionally referred to as Taffy or just Taff. This most likely only applies to those from the Taff-ely Vally in South Wales, where a large portion of men, left unemployed from the decline of the coal industry in the area, enlisted during WW I and II. Of course it might also be a vernacular form of Dave or Davey, the patron Saint of Wales being Saint David.
Irish soldiers are referred to as Paddys or Micks, this from the days when many Irish recruits had the name Patrick or Michael.
Junior officers in the army are generally known as Ruperts by the Other ranks. This nickname is believed to be derived from the children's comic book character Rupert Bear who epitomizes traditional public school values.
The term Pongo, as in "where the army goes, the pong goes", or Perce is often used by Sailors and Royal Marines to refer to soldiers. It is not considered complimentary.Today's Army
Statistics
thumb|right|[[Westland WAH-64 Apache attack helicopter.]]Current deployments
High intensity operations
Low intensity operations
Permanent overseas postings
Equipment
thumb|right|[[FV107 Scimitar light tank.]]
The basic infantry weapons of the British Army are the SA80 assault rifle family, with several variants such as the L86A2, the Light Support Weapon (LSW) and the short stock variant, issued to tank crews. No sidearm is issued to infantry soldiers. However, some officers and snipers are issued with a sidearm, generally the Browning L9A1 or the Sig Sauer P226 or the Colt 1911, though a search is currently underway to find a replacement. Support fire is provided by the FN Minimi light machine gun and the L7 General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG); indirect fire by 51 and 81 mm mortars, as well as the UGL, mounted under the barrel of the SA80 rifle. Sniper rifles used include the L96A1 7.62 mm, the L115A1 and the AW50F, all produced by Accuracy International. Some units use the L82A1 .50 calibre Barrett sniper rifle.
The British Army's Armoured vehicles include Supacat "Jackal" MWMIK and the Iveco "Panther" CLV. The Challenger 2 is its main battle tank. The Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicle is the primary armoured personnel carrier, although many variants of the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (tracked) are used, as well as the Saxon APC and FV430 series now being re-engined and uparmoured and returned to front line service as Bulldog. The British Army commonly uses the Land Rover Wolf and Land Rover Defender.
The Army uses three main artillery systems; the MLRS, AS90 and L118. The MLRS (Multi Launch Rocket System) was first used operationally in Operation Granby and has a range of 70 km. The AS-90 is a 155 mm self-propelled gun. The L118 Light Gun is a 105 mm towed gun used primarily in support of 16 Air Assault Brigade, 19 Light Brigade and 3 Commando Brigade (Royal Marines).
The Rapier FSC Missile System is the Army's primary battlefield air defence system, widely deployed since the Falklands War; and the Starstreak HVM (High Velocity Missile) is a surface-to-air weapon, launched either by a single soldier or from a vehicle-mounted launcher. The Starstreak fills a similar role to the American FIM-92 Stinger
The Army Air Corps (AAC) provide direct aviation support for the Army, although the RAF also assist in this role. The primary attack helicopter is the Westland WAH-64 Apache; a license-built, modified version of the AH-64 Apache that will replace the Westland Lynx AH7 in the anti-tank role. The Westland Lynx performs several roles including tactical transport, armed escort, reconnaissance and evacuation. It was also used in the anti-armour role; it could carry eight TOW anti-tank missiles. The TOW missile system for the Lynx was withdrawn from service by the MOD in December 2005.
The Bell 212 is used as a specialist utility and transport helicopter, with a crew of two and a transport capacity of twelve troops.
The Westland Gazelle helicopter is a light helicopter, primarily used for battlefield reconnaissance and control of artillery and aircraft.
The Eurocopter AS 365N Dauphin is used for Special Operations Aviation, along with the Gazelle.
The Britten-Norman Islander is a light aircraft used for airborne reconnaissance and command.Formation and structure
The structure of the British Army is complex, due to the different origins of its various constituent parts. It is broadly split into the Regular Army (full-time soldiers and units) and the Territorial Army (part-time soldiers and units).
In terms of its military structure, it has two parallel organisations, one administrative and one operational.Administrative
- Divisions administrating all military units, both Regular and TA, within a geographical area (e.g., 5 Div. based in Shrewsbury).
Operational
The major operational command is Headquarters Land Forces (incorporating Land Command and Headquarters Adjutant General).
Corps made up of two or more divisions (now unlikely to be deployed as a purely national formation due to the size of the British Army); e.g., the ARRC.
- Division made up of two or three brigades with an HQ element and support troops. Commanded by a Major-general.
- *Brigade made up of between three and five battalions, an HQ element and associated support troops. Commanded by a Brigadier.
- **Battlegroup. This is a mixed formation of armour, infantry, artillery, engineers and support units, and its structure is task specific. It is formed around the core of either an armoured regiment or infantry battalion, and has other units added or removed from it as necessary. A battlegroup will typically consist of between 600 and 700 soldiers under the command of a Lieutenant Colonel.
- ***Company of about 100 soldiers, typically in three platoons, commanded by a Major.
A number of elements of the British Army use alternative terms for battalion, company and platoon. These include the Royal Armoured Corps, Corps of Royal Engineers, Royal Logistic Corps, and the Royal Corps of Signals who use regiment (battalion), squadron (company) and troop (platoon). The Royal Artillery are unique in using the term regiment in place of both corps and battalion, they also replace company with battery and platoon with troop.Divisions
The British Army currently has 6 divisions with two (1st Armoured Division and 3rd Infantry Division) being deployable.Aviation components
The British Army operates alongside the Royal Air Force as part of a Joint Force, but the army also has its own Army Air Corps.Special forces
The British Army contributes two of the three special forces formations within the United Kingdom Special Forces Command; the Special Air Service Regiment and the Special Reconnaissance Regiment.
The most famous formation is the Special Air Service Regiment. Formed in 1941, the SAS is considered the role model for many other special forces units in the world.
The SAS comprises one regular Regiment and two Territorial Army Regiments and is headquartered at Duke of York Barracks, London.
The regular Regiment, 22 SAS, has its headquarters and depot located in Hereford and consists of five squadrons: A, B, D, G and Reserve with a training wing. The regiment has battlespace roles in deep reconnaissance, target identification and indication and target destruction and denial. In its Counter Terrorism role it is seen as one of the prime anti-terrorist, hostage rescue and target capture units in the world.
The two reserve SAS Regiments; 21 SAS and 23 SAS have a more limited role, to provide depth to the UKSF group through the provision of Individual and collective augmentation to the regular component of UKSF and standalone elements up to task group (Regimental) level focused on support and influence (S&I) operations to assist conflict stabilisation.
The Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR) which was formed in 2005, from existing assets, undertakes close reconnaissance and special surveillance. tasks.
Formed around 1st Battalion the Parachute Regiment, with attached Royal Marines and RAF Regiment assets, the Special Forces Support Group are under the Operational Control of Director Special Forces to provide operational manoeuvre support to the elements of United Kingdom Special Forces.Recruitment
The Army mainly recruits within the United Kingdom, it normally has a recruitment target of around 25,000 soldiers per year.
Low unemployment in Britain has resulted in the Army having difficulty in meeting its target, in the early years of the 21st century there has been a marked increase in the number of recruits from other (mostly Commonwealth) countries. In 2008 Commonwealth origin volunteers comprised approximately 6.7% of the Army's total strength. In total 6,600 foreign soldiers from 42 countries were represented in the Army, not including Gurkhas. After the Gurkhas (who are from Nepal), the nation with most citizens in the British Army is Fiji, with 2,185, followed by Jamaica and Ghana with 600 each; many soldiers also come from more prosperous countries such as New Zealand, South Africa and the Republic of Ireland.
The Ministry of Defence is now considering capping the number of recruits from Commonwealth countries, although this will not affect the Gurkhas. If the trend continues 10% of the army will be from Commonwealth countries before 2012. The cap is being debated, as some fear the army's British character is being diluted, and employing too many could make the army seen as employing mercenaries.
The minimum recruitment age is 16 years (after the end of GCSEs), although soldiers may not serve on operations below 18 years; the maximum recruitment age was raised in January 2007 from 26 to 33 years. The normal term of engagement is 22 years, and, once enlisted, soldiers are not normally permitted to leave until they have served at least 4 years.
There has been a strong and continuing tradition of recruiting from Ireland including what is now the Republic of Ireland. Almost 150,000 Irish soldiers fought in the First World War; 49,000 died. More than 60,000 Irishmen, more than from Northern Ireland, also saw action in the Second World War; like their compatriots in the Great War, all were volunteers.
There were more than 400 men serving from the Republic in 2003.Oath of allegiance
All soldiers must take an oath of allegiance upon joining the Army, a process known as attestation. Those who believe in God use the following words:
Others replace the words "swear by Almighty God" with "solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm".Training establishments
- *Infantry Battle School, Brecon
- *Support Weapons School, Warminster
Flags and ensigns
Flag Ratio: 3:5. The official flag of the Army.
The non-ceremonial flag of the British Army. Sometimes the word Army in gold letters appears below the badge.
Whilst at war, the Union Flag is always used, and this flag represents the Army on the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London (the UK's memorial to its war dead). A British Army ensign also exists for vessels commanded by a commissioned officer, the Blue Ensign defaced with the Army badge. Army Vessels are operated by the Maritime element of the Royal Logistic Corps.
Each Foot Guards and line regiment (which does not include The Rifles and Royal Gurkha Rifles (RGR)) also has its own flags, known as Colours—normally a Regimental Colour and a Queen's Colour. The design of different Regimental Colours. vary but typically the colour has the Regiment's badge in the centre. The RGR carry the Queen's Truncheon in place of Colours. Ranks, specialisms and insignia
Every regiment and corps has its own distinctive insignia, such as cap badge, beret, tactical recognition flash and stable belt.
Throughout the army there are many official specialisms. They do not affect rank, but they do affect pay bands.Royal Navy and RAF ground units
The other armed services have their own infantry units which are not part of the British Army. The Royal Marines are amphibious light infantry forming part of the Royal Navy, and the Royal Air Force has the RAF Regiment used for airfield defence, force protection duties and Forward Air Control.Overseas territories military units
Numerous military units were raised historically in British territories, including self-governing and Crown colonies, and protectorates. Few of these have appeared on the Army List, and their relationship to the British Army has been ambiguous. Whereas Dominions, such as Canada and Australia, raised their own armies, the defence of Crown possessions (like the Channel Islands), and colonies (now called Overseas Territories) was, and is, the responsibility of the UK (due to their status as territories of Britain, not British protectorates). All military forces of overseas territories are, therefore, under the direct command of the UK Government, via the local Governor and Commander-In-Chief.
Many of the units in colonies, or former colonies, were also actually formed at the behest of the UK Government as it sought to reduce the deployment of the British Army on garrison duties around the world at the latter end of the 19th century. Today, three overseas territories retain locally-raised military units, Bermuda, Gibraltar, and the Falkland Islands. The units are patterned on the British Army, are subject to review by the Ministry of Defence, and are ultimately under the control of the British government, not the local governments of the territories (though day-to-day control may be delegated to Ministers of the territorial governments). Despite this, the units may have no tasking or funding from the MOD, and are generally raised under acts of the territorial assemblies.
See also
Footnotes
