Name : Prince Consort's Own Rifle Brigade Started : 1862 Ended : 1921 Previous Regiment Lineage(s) : ---------------------------------------- Experimental Corps of Riflemen (1800 - 1800) Rifle Corps (1800 - 1802) 95th Regiment of Foot (Rifles) (1802 - 1816) Rifle Brigade (1816 - 1862)
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Subsequent Regiment Lineage : ---------------------------------------- Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own) (1921 - 1966) Royal Green Jackets (1966 - 2007) The Rifles (2007 - Present)
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The Rifle Brigade
This regiment of four battalions seems to have the first corps organised sa rifleman, though it was not the first body armed with the new weapon. Its experimental stage began in 1800, when detachments of the Royals, the 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th, 29th, 49th, 56th, 69th, and 71st Regiments were formed into a species of Provisional Battalion, which saw service at Ferrol. Though it was dispersed after this affair, another was formed of detachments from "fencible" or Light regiments, and this, in its turn, did duty in the Copenhagen expedition in 1801, first coming under fire on shipboard, when the adjutant was slain. The next year it was numbered the 95th of the Line, and soon after the second battalion was raised, which served under Auchmuty at Monte Video. The regiment furnished a force for the second time in Denmark, for it was represented at the battle of Kioge in 1807, and then the two battalions were transferred to the Peninsula, where they added to the battle-roll, already heavy, besides the names of Copenhagen and Monte Video, the titles Roleia, Vimiera, Corunna, Busaco, Barrosa, Fuentes d'Onor, Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz, Salamanca, Vittoria, Nivelle, Nive, Orthes, Toulouse, and the Peninsula.
Thus it was present throughout the whole of the great war, and, as the above list shows, took part in nearly all the principal operations of the campaign. But it saw much hard work besides the battles already enumerated, and gained laurels, too, at Obeidos, Casabelo, Barba del Puerco, Torres Vedras, Sobral, Valle, defence of Tarifa, and Cadiz, Paialvo, Pombal, Redinha, Casa Nova, Foz d'Aronce, Ponte de Murcella, Freizadas, Sabugal, Marialva, San Francisco, Puente Larga, Hormuzas, San Millan, Santa Barbara, Bridge of Yanci, Echalar, Bridge of Vera, Aerrhunes, Arcagnes, Tarbes, and Tourne Feuille. Meanwhile the 2nd battalion had hard fighting at New Orleans and fort Boyer in 1817, and the three then existing battalions joined in the great battles of Quatre Bras and Waterloo, adding the name of the latter to the regimental honours.
On the 16th February, 1816, the regiment was named "The Rifle Brigade," but it saw no further service until that in Kaffirland in 1846-53, by which time a reserve battalion had been formed; and during the Russian War its brilliant gallantry gained it the honour of adding "Alma", "Inkerman", and "Sevastopol" to its battle roll. The peace was followed by an addition of one battalion to the "Rifles." The 2nd and 3rd battalions embarked for India, and did good work during the Mutiny at Lucknow and elsewhere.
In 1862 the Brigade received its present title of "The Prince Consort's Own." In 1874-75 the 2nd took part in the Ashantee War; and, and between 1873 and 1879, the 4th battalion took part in the expedition against the Jowaki and Hazari tribes, and in the Afghan campaign, for which it added "Ali Masjid" and "Afghanistan, 1878-79," to the list of honours; in 1886-87 the 1st battalion served in the Burmese campaign. Both the Rifle Brigade and the King's Royal Rifles have the peculiarity that their supreme commanding officers are entitled "Colonel-in-Chief" and "Colonel-Commandant," other Foot regiments having only a "Colonel."
There have been many recipients of the Cross for Valour. The Crimean campaign won it for Major Clifford, Captains Cunninghame and Bourchier, Lieutenant Knox, and Privates Wheatley, M'Gregor, Humpston, and Bradshaw; the Mutiny gave it to Privates Shaw and Haukes, Corporal Nash, and Captain Wilmot; in 1866 it was bestowed on Private O'Hea for his gallantry in extinguishing a fire in a railway truck containing ammunition.
The uniform has had many changes. Up to 1816 it had borne a Line number the 95th; but in that year it was entitled the "Rifle Brigade." Probably, therefore, its uniform was much that of the Line at that period; but, as with the 60th, there has been a tradition that the rifle-green was originally adopted in Spain to match the colour of the foliage of the cork woods. Up to 1855 the jacket and pelisse had been worn by officers, but in this year the tunic was substituted. The present green uniform has black facings. In 1871 the shako worn until then was replaced by a fur (racoon-skin) busby with a bag and a plume in front; but this was replaced by a helmet later on, which, in its turn, gave place to a busby of Astracan for officers, and sealskin for the men, with a black plume. The button carries a stringed bugle, crowned, within a laurel-wreath, and the words "Rifle Brigade." The Maltese Cross has a lion between each pair of rays, and bears the battles of the regiment; outside it is a wreath, also bearing battles, and crowned. The words "Waterloo," "Peninsula," and "Prince Consort's Own" appear also on the badge.
The affiliated Militia battalions are the Queen's Own Tower Hamlets, the Royal Longford, the King's Own Royal Tower Hamlets, and the Westmeath battalions. The volunteer battalions are the 7th Middlesex, London Scottish (grey, and blue facings); 14th, Inns of Court (grey and scarlet); 15th, Customs and Docks (green and scarlet); the 16th, London Irish (green and light green); the 18th, Paddington (green and black); the 19th, St. Giles and St. George's (green and green); the 20th Artists (grey and grey); the 24th, General Post Office (green and blue); the 26th Cyclists; and the 1st and 2nd Tower Hamlets (scarlet and blue, and grey and scarlet). The regiment's usual nickname is the either the "Green Jackets" or the "Sweeps," from its sombre uniform and facings. The depot is at Winchester.
