At 7:28 am on 1st July 1916, The Battle of The Somme commenced. A huge mine was exploded under the German Lines at Hawthorn Redoubt and the British forces moved forward, over the top, from their forward ‘ jump off’ trenches. SOMME is a representative Battle honour for the Rifles borne with pride Read more…
This Sunday (29th June) Winchester Military Museums will be hosting a special event for Armed Forces Day. If you are in or around Winchester why not visit Peninsular Barracks and join in the fun. All the Museums are free for the day and there are a number of activities on Read more…
On Monday 23rd of June – Plassey Day – His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester visited Winchester to raise the City’s Armed Forces Day Flag and launch the event in the city. As Royal Colonel of 6 RIFLES, one of our Army Reserve Battalions, he also took the opportunity Read more…
This week saw the 257th anniversary of the Battle of Plassey, fought in West Bengal, India, 23rd June 1757. This is a unique battle honour to The Rifles and one inherited from our antecedents the 39th Dorsetshire Regiment who were the only British Army Regiment, to fight in the action, Read more…
At approximately 00:16hrs on the 6th June 1944, Horsa Gliders containing the Officers and men of 2nd Bn The Ox & Bucks LI landed in occupied France in a daring operation to seize the crossings over The Caen Canal and Orne River. The purpose of operation DEADSTICK as it was Read more…
Friday 6th June 2014 marks the 70th Anniversary of D-Day, the allied assault landing into Nazi occupied Europe. An operation that marked the start of the liberation of Europe and the beginning of the end for Hitler and his Nazi empire. Antecedent Regiments of The Rifles feature large in the Read more…
Today marks the 69th Anniversary of Victory in Europe Day 1945. One antecedent of The Rifles played a major part in this occasion. 4th Bn the KSLI were responsible for capturing and escorting Grand Admiral Doenitz and Field Marshall Jodl the de-facto head of the German State and Commander in Read more…
2014 sees the 70th Anniversary of The Battle of Kohima. 27th March – 22 June, 1944. Kohima was a British Government Hill station in North East India. The 2nd Dorsets, 1st Royal Berkshires and 2nd Durham Light Infantry fought in the battle that was to prove the turning point of Read more…
25th April is ANZAC Day in Australia & New Zealand. ANZAC stands for Australian New Zealand Army Corps. The Day itself is the Anniversary of The Australian & New Zealand Expeditionary Forces taking part, alongside British forces, in The Gallipoli Landings in WW1, 1915. This was the first time they had deployed as national Read more…
The Battle of Imjin River, Korea 22-25 April 1951. The 1st Battalion The Gloucestershire Regiment as part of 29th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade were in defence holding a key historic invasion route from the north towards Seoul, a shallow crossing on the Imjin River. The Battalion consisted of approximately 650 all Read more…