Order of Formation Trivia Quiz

The Parachute Regiment's formation date is officially 1 August 1942, although it actually dates as far back as June 1940. Following the success of Germany's paratroops during the invasion of France, Winston Churchill ordered the War Office to look at the possibility of creating a formation of parachute trained soldiers. On 22 June, No. 2 Commando was re-roled, becoming the British Army's first parachute unit, and was renamed as 11th Special Air Service Battalion. In February 1941, 11 SAS took part in its first airborne operation. By September of the same year, the 1st Parachute Brigade had been formed; 11 SAS was renamed again as 1st Parachute Battalion, with the 2nd, 3rd and 4th formed at the same time, and all assigned to the new brigade. The individual battalions were amalgamated on 1 August 1942 into the new Parachute Regiment, established as part of the new Army Air Corps, alongside the Glider Pilot Regiment. Since the end of the Second World War, the Parachute Regiment has remained as the Army's parachute trained unit.

In 2022, the regiment consists of three regular battalions - the 2nd and 3rd are part of 16 Air Assault Brigade, one of the UK's high-readiness formations, while the 1st forms the core of the Special Forces Support Group, a tri-service unit that provides operational support to the SAS and SBS. The clue given, "Not Regional", is an indicator of the Parachute Regiment's status as a truly national regiment, recruiting from all corners of the United Kingdom, instead of having a specific area from which it recruits like other regiments.

The Royal Anglian Regiment was formed as the first in what were termed "large regiments". These were the ultimate result of a policy instituted in the late 1950s that saw existing infantry regiments, each consisting of a single battalion, formed into geographical "brigades", each with a single cap badge. To reduce the emotive nature of losing famous regimental names through disbanding in the event of defence cuts, it was decided to amalgamate single battalion regiments into new multi-battalion units. The first of these came about on 1 September 1964, when the four regiments of the East Anglian Brigade - 1st East Anglian Regiment (Royal Norfolk and Suffolk); 2nd East Anglian Regiment (Duchess of Gloucester's Own Royal Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire); 3rd East Anglian Regiment (16th/44th Foot); and the Royal Leicestershire Regiment - were amalgamated, with each forming a battalion of the new Royal Anglian Regiment.

The Royal Anglian Regiment consists of two regular battalions, both of which were operated as light infantry, which is infantry operating without the regular use of vehicles. Under the "Future Soldier" reform of the British Army announced in 2021, the 1st Battalion transitioned to so-called "specialised infantry", operating in the mentoring and support role with the armed forces of other nations, while the 2nd Battalion became "light mechanised infantry", operating small, lightly armoured vehicles. The clue given, "Not Saxons", comes from the regiment's name, which is derived from the Latin word for England, and also from the Angles, one of the Germanic tribes to settle in England alongside the Saxons and Jutes, and from where the term "Anglo-Saxon" comes.

The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers is one of the so-called "large regiments" that was formed in the mid to late 1960s as a result of the change in policy regarding the structure of the infantry. However, unlike the majority of the regiments formed during this period, the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers was not formed by antecedents from the same geographical area. Instead, the regiments that were amalgamated to form it all bore the designation "fusiliers" - a fusilier in this context is a soldier that was trained in the use of a "fusil", which was a type of flintlock musket in the 17th century. Although some regiments used this type of weapon, the term was typically applied to regiments as an honorific. On 23rd April 1968, the four regiments of the Fusilier Brigade - the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers; Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers; Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment); and Lancashire Fusiliers - amalgamated into the single Royal Regiment of Fusiliers with four battalions. As part of the amalgamation, the regiment adopted the red-and-white hackle - a feather plume worn attached to the beret - of the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers.

The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers has a single regular battalion serving in the armoured infantry role, which sees the regiment operating armoured vehicles, which carry soldiers into the operating area. Under the "Future Soldier" plan, the regiment will continue in this role. The clue given, "Firearms experts", refers to the fusils from which the regiment derives its name.

The Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling), 83rd, 87th and Ulster Defence Regiment) was formed on 1 July 1992 under the 1990 "Options for Change" defence reforms by the amalgamation of two existing Irish regiments - the Royal Irish Rangers (27th (Inniskilling), 83rd and 87th), which was one of the "large regiments" formed in the 1960s, and the Ulster Defence Regiment, which was formed in the late 1960s as a home defence unit operating in Northern Ireland. As initially formed, the Royal Irish Regiment was the largest infantry regiment in the British Army, with nine regular battalions. The 1st and 2nd Battalions were the former general service battalions of the Royal Irish Rangers, while the 3rd to 9th Battalions were those of the Ulster Defence Regiment. The first two battalions were amalgamated as the 1st Battalion in 1993, while, as a result of the end of The Troubles in Northern Ireland, the home service battalions were amalgamated and eventually disbanded by July 2007.

The Royal Irish Regiment has a single regular battalion in the light mechanised infantry role, operating fast, lightly armoured vehicles that transport soldiers quickly into the operating area. As part of "Future Soldier", it will transition to air assault infantry, specialising in operating in the airborne role from helicopters. The clue, "UK's smallest", refers to its place as the sole remaining line infantry regiment from Northern Ireland, the smallest of the UK's four constituent countries.

The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires) is one of the new infantry regiments that came about as a result of the 1990 "Options for Change" defence review. Formed on 9 September 1992, its antecedents were the Queen's Regiment, which was another of the 1960s large regiments, and the single battalion Royal Hampshire Regiment. Together, the two regiments had a total of four battalions; under the defence review, which also saw an overall reduction in the size of the infantry, these four battalions were reduced to just two battalions of the new regiment.

The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment consists of a single regular battalion operating as light infantry. The "Future Soldier" plan will see this battalion re-roled as armoured infantry, using heavy armoured vehicles to transport soldiers into their operating area. The regiment's 2nd Battalion was transferred in 2021 to a new regiment, The Rangers. The clue, "People's", refers to Diana, Princess of Wales, who the regiment was named for upon its formation, as she was the former Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Hampshire Regiment, and was joint Colonel-in-Chief of the new regiment until 1996.

The Royal Gurkha Rifles is an infantry regiment manned largely by Gurkhas, one of the ethnic groups native to Nepal. The regiment was formed on 1 July 1994 through the amalgamation of the then four existing, single battalion Gurkha infantry regiments - 2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles); 6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles; 7th Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles; and 10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha Rifles. As originally formed, the regiment had three battalions, with the 1st Battalion formed through the amalgamation of the 2nd Gurkha Rifles and 6th Gurkha Rifles, while the 2nd and 3rd Battalions came by renaming the other two regiments. However, in 1996, as part of the draw-down of the UK's armed forces in Hong Kong, the 3rd Battalion was disbanded, leaving the regiment's final establishment of two battalions.

The Royal Gurkha Rifles still consists of two regular battalions, both of which are roled as light infantry. But, both undertake certain specialties within this role, depending on where they are stationed, as the two battalions rotate between the UK and Brunei every 3-4 years. The battalion based in Brunei serves as the British Army's primary jungle warfare trained unit, as well as being its Asia based reserve. The battalion in the UK operates in the air assault role, where soldiers are transported to and from the battlefield by helicopter. In 2021, a plan to re-raise the 3rd Battalion, to operate in the mentoring and advisory role, was cancelled, with instead a pair of new reinforcement companies formed to operate alongside the British Army's new special operations unit. The clue, "No Cowards", stems from one of the nicknames given to Gurkha regiments, "Bravest of the Brave".

The Royal Welsh was formed following the "Delivering Security in a Changing World" defence review of 2003, which saw the amalgamation of the British Army's remaining single battalion infantry regiments into new multi-battalion regiments. The first of these was formed on 1 March 2006, St David's Day, when the Royal Welch Fusiliers and the Royal Regiment of Wales (24th/41st Foot) were merged into a new two-battalion regiment that was called the Royal Welsh, with each of its antecedents forming a battalion of the new regiment.

The Royal Welsh consists of a single regular battalion operating as armoured infantry, which sees it use heavy armoured vehicles to transport infantry soldiers to their operating area. Under the "Future Soldier" plan, it will maintain this role. The clue given, "Ich Dein", which means "I Serve", refers to the motto of the Prince of Wales, and which is displayed alongside the Prince of Wales's traditional badge of three white Ostrich feathers encircled by a coronet, which also serves as the cap badge and motto of the Royal Welsh.

The Royal Regiment of Scotland was formed as a result of the "Delivering Security in a Changing World" defence review, when the six remaining Scottish line infantry regiments - the Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment); the Royal Highland Fusiliers (Princess Margaret's Own Glasgow and Ayrshire Regiment); the King's Own Scottish Borderers; the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment); the Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons); and the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's) - were amalgamated into a new, five battalion large regiment. This was achieved by amalgamating the Royal Scots and King's Own Scottish Borderers into a single battalion, which became the 1st Battalion, and renaming the remaining regiments as the 2nd to 5th Battalions respectively.

The Royal Regiment of Scotland consists of three regular battalions, plus a separate reinforced company. The 2nd Battalion operates as light infantry, 3rd Battalion as light mechanised infantry, and 4th Battalion as armoured infantry, while the remainder of the 5th Battalion (which was disbanded in 2012) operates as Balaklava Company, a dedicated public duties unit for Scotland. As part of "Future Soldier", the 4th Battalion will re-role as light mechanised infantry, while the 3rd Battalion will become a specialised infantry unit to undertake mentoring and advising of the armed forces of other countries. The regiment's 1st Battalion transferred in 2021 to The Rangers. The clue, "Lion rampant", stems from the heraldic lion rampant that is a symbol of Scotland, and forms part of the Royal Regiment of Scotland's cap badge.

The Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot) was a regiment that came about as a result of "Delivering Security in a Changing World", and was formed on 6 June 2006 by the amalgamation of three single battalion regiments centred around Yorkshire - the Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire; the Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment); and the Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding). Each of the antecedents formed a battalion of the new regiment, with the old regimental name becoming a subtitle of the new battalion.

The Yorkshire Regiment has two regular battalions; the 1st Battalion operates as armoured infantry, with heavy armoured vehicles to transport infantry soldiers, while the 2nd Battalion serves as light infantry. Under "Future Soldier", the 1st Battalion will become a light mechanised infantry battalion, swapping its armoured vehicles for lighter and faster ones, while the 2nd Battalion will remain as a light infantry unit, but will serve as an "enhanced light role" battalion serving as an experimental and trials unit. The clue, "England's largest", comes from the fact that the historic county of Yorkshire, which the regiment represents, is the largest county in England.

The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border) was formed through "Delivering Security in a Changing World" by the amalgamation of three single battalion regiments from the north-west of England - the King's Own Royal Border Regiment; the King's Regiment; and the Queen's Lancashire Regiment. As formed on 1 July 2006, each of the three antecedent regiments became a battalion of the new regiment. However, under the defence review plans, the regiment was intended to be a two-battalion unit, and so, eight months after its formation, the 3rd Battalion was disbanded.

The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment has a single regular battalion serving as light infantry, a role it will retain under "Future Soldier". The regiment's 2nd Battalion was transferred to The Rangers in 2021. The clue, "Alternative title", stems from the title Duke of Lancaster in the regiment's name; this is one of two so-called "customary dukedoms", titles that are historically associated with the British monarch, and by which they are referred in those territories.

The Rifles was another of the regiments that came as a result of "Delivering Security in a Changing World". In this case, it was not originally planned as such - two of the existing large regiments, formed in the 1960s, were the Light Infantry and the Royal Green Jackets. The only planned change for these two under the plan was that two single battalion regiments - the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment and the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment - would amalgamate, and then form a new battalion of the Light Infantry. However, subsequent to this plan being announced, the four regiments agreed to a full merger as a five battalion large regiment. The Rifles was eventually formed on 1 February 2007 - the merged battalion became the 1st Battalion; the two Light Infantry battalions became the 3rd and 5th Battalions, and the Royal Green Jackets battalions became the 2nd and 4th Battalions.

The Rifles consists of four regular battalions - the 1st and 2nd Battalions serve as light infantry; the 3rd Battalion as light mechanised infantry, with small, fast, lightly armoured vehicles, while the 5th Battalion is armoured infantry. "Future Soldier" will see a change of roles, with the 1st Battalion taking the light mechanised role and the 3rd Battalion becoming a specialised infantry unit, mentoring other countries' forces. The 4th Battalion was transferred to the British Army's new regiment, The Rangers, in 2021. The clue, "First camouflage", stems from the regiment's history - the first soldiers armed with rifles rather than smooth-bore muskets were employed on the battlefield as independent skirmishers and sharpshooters, and so wore dark green jackets as a way to make it harder to find them during battle, rather than the red coats of traditional line infantry.

Formed: 1 September 2007

The Mercian Regiment (Cheshire, Worcesters and Foresters, and Staffords) was the final regiment formed following "Delivering Security in a Changing World", and came through the amalgamation of three existing, single battalion regiments - the Cheshire Regiment; the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment (29th/45th Foot); and the Staffordshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's). The regiment was planned from formation to have three battalions, with the three antecedents being renamed as the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions respectively on its formation day, 1 September 2007.

The Mercian Regiment has two regular battalions, with the 1st Battalion operating as armoured infantry with heavy armoured vehicles, and the 2nd Battalion as light infantry. However, following the plan under "Future Soldier", the 2nd Battalion is to be disbanded leaving a single regular armoured infantry battalion. The clue, "Offa's men", comes from Offa, King of Mercia in the 8th century; the counties represented by the Mercian Regiment's antecedents are all from the area of England that formed the Kingdom of Mercia, which eventually lost its independence in the late 9th century.