Guards Division

Template:This Template:Otheruses Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox military unit Template:British Army Arms The Guards Division was an administrative unit of the British Army responsible for the training and administration of the regiments of Foot Guards and the London Guards reserve battalion. The Guards Division was responsible for providing two battalions for public duties to London District (plus three incremental companies); although the guards are most associated with ceremony, they are nevertheless operational infantry battalions, and as such perform all the various roles of infantry. In 2022, the Guards Division was renamed as the Guards and Parachute Division.

Current unitsEdit

As of 2020, units comprised the Guards Division Headquarters, at Wellington Barracks, Westminster:<ref>Heyman, p.88</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Guards battalions:

1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards
1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards
1st Battalion, Scots Guards
1st Battalion, Irish Guards
1st Battalion, Welsh Guards
1st Battalion, London Guards (Reserve)Template:Efn
- Ypres Company, Grenadier Guards, in Kingston upon Thames
- No 17 Company, Coldstream Guards, in Hammersmith
- G (Messines) Company, Scots Guards, in Clapham Junction
- No 15 (Loos) Company, Irish Guards, in Camberwell

Guards incremental companies:

Nijmegen Company, Grenadier Guards
No 7 Company, Coldstream Guards
F Company, Scots Guards
No 9 Company, Irish Guards
No 12 Company, Irish Guards

Past unitsEdit

Past units include (dates when they were part of the division):<ref>Whitaker's Almanack 1969</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

2nd Battalion, Grenadier Guards (1968–1994), reduced to Nijmegan Company
2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards (1968–1993), reduced to No. 7 Company
2nd Battalion, Scots Guards (1968–1971, reduced to 2 Scots Guards Company in 1st Battalion, re-instated 1972–1993), reduced to F Company
Band of the Grenadier Guards (1968–1994), transferred to Royal Corps of Army Music (CAMUS) on formation of that corps
Band of the Coldstream Guards (1968–1994), transferred to CAMUS
Band of the Scots Guards (1968–1994), transferred to CAMUS
Band of the Irish Guards (1968–1994), transferred to CAMUS
Band of the Welsh Guards (1968–1994), transferred to CAMUS
London Regiment (2017–2022), redesignated as London Guards

Note: The three 2nd battalions have technically not been disbanded; instead they are in "suspended animation" and, in theory, can be re-raised if needed. The colours and traditions of each battalion are kept and maintained by the incremental companies.

Telling the regiments apartEdit

File:Trooping the Colour 2018 (12).jpg

Two officers and a Warrant Officer class I of the Irish Guards – in this image the blue plume can be seen on the right hand side of the bearskin, the tunic buttons are grouped in fours, and the shamrock badge is on the collar. The Officer on the far side has a parachute badge indicating he's trained to deploy as a parachutist.

{{ safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst||date=__DATE__ |$B= {{ safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst||date=__DATE__ |$B= Template:Ambox }} }} The five regiments of foot guards are most often seen in full dress uniform, comprising navy trousers, scarlet tunic and bearskin cap. From a distance they appear identical, but there are ways to distinguish between the regiments:

The colour of the plume, and which side of the bearskin it is worn on
The spacing of the tunic buttons
The badge worn on the collar
The badge worn on the shoulder

Regiment	Plume	Plume colour	Button spacing	Collar badge	Shoulder badge
Grenadier Guards	Left	White	Singly	Grenade	Royal Cypher
Coldstream Guards	Right	Red	Pairs	Garter Star	Rose
Scots Guards	Template:NA	Template:NA	Threes	Thistle	Thistle Star
Irish Guards	Right	Blue	Fours	Shamrock	St Patrick Star
Welsh Guards	Left	Template:Hlist	Fives	Leek	Leek

File:British Army Guards officers stars.jpg

The rank insignia for officers are also differentiated by what specific stars are used.
Left to right: Rank slides used by Grenadier, Coldstream, and Welsh Guards. Rank slides used by Scots Guards. Rank slides used by Irish Guards. Standard rank slides used by other army officers.

Guards Parachute PlatoonEdit

6 Platoon, B Company, 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment is manned by volunteers from the Guards Division and Household Cavalry<ref>Template:Cite tweet</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Cbignore</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

UK Special ForcesEdit

Although no longer directly associated with the Guards, G Squadron 22 SAS was formed in 1966 following the performance of the Guards Independent Parachute Company under Major LGS Head in support of SAS Operations in Borneo.<ref>Secret War in South East Asia, Peter Dickens, Greenhill Books, London, Page 211</ref>