Coldstream Guards

The Coldstream Guards is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division.

History

The origin of the Coldstream Guards lies in the English Civil War when Oliver Cromwell gave Colonel George Monck permission to form his own regiment as part of the New Model Army. Monck took men from the regiments of George Fenwick and Sir Arthur Hazelrigg, five companies each, and on August 23 1650 formed Monck's Regiment of Foot. It took part in the Battle of Dunbar, where the Roundheads defeated forces of Charles Stuart. Monck's regiment was left in Scotland.

Related Topics:
English Civil War - Oliver Cromwell - George Monck - New Model Army - George Fenwick - Arthur Hazelrigg - August 23 - 1650 - Battle of Dunbar - Charles Stuart - Scotland

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After Cromwell's death, Monck turned to support the monarchy and on January 1 1660 crossed the River Tweed into England at the village of Coldstream near the border of Scotland and began a five-week march to London. He arrived in London on February 2 and helped in the Restoration of the monarchy. For his help, Monck was given the Order of the Garter and his regiment was assigned to keep order in London. However, the new parliament soon ordered his regiment to be dismantled with the other old regiments of the New Model Army.

Related Topics:
January 1 - 1660 - River Tweed - England - Coldstream - London - February 2 - The Restoration - Order of the Garter

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Before that could happen, Parliament was forced to rely on the help of the regiment against an army mutiny on January 6 1661. The regiment successfully defeated the rebels. On February 14 the men of the regiment symbolically laid down their arms as the part of the New Model Army and were ordered to take them up again as a royal regiment of The Lord General's Regiment of Foot Guards, a part of the Household Troops.

Related Topics:
January 6 - 1661 - February 14 - Household Troops

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The regiment was placed as the second senior Regiment of Household Troops but they answered to that by adopting the motto Nulli Secundus, Second to None. When Monck died 1670, the Earl of Craven took command of the regiment and it adopted a new name, the Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards.

Related Topics:
1670 - Earl of Craven

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The regiment saw active service in Flanders and in the Monmouth Rebellion, including the decisive Battle of Sedgemoor in 1685. After 1688 they fought in the Battle of Walcourt on 1689, the Linden campaign and the Siege of Namur.

Related Topics:
Flanders - Monmouth Rebellion - Battle of Sedgemoor - 1685 - 1688 - Battle of Walcourt - 1689 - Linden campaign - Namur

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During the Seven Years War, Coldstream Guards saw action in Battle of Dettingen and the Battle of Fontenoy. In 1760, the 2nd Battalion was sent to Germany to campaign under Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick and fought in the Battle of Wilhelmstal and at the Castle of Arnoneberg. Three Guards companies of 307 men under the Coldstream commander Colonel Matthew fought in the American War of Independence.

Related Topics:
Seven Years War - Battle of Dettingen - Battle of Fontenoy - 1760 - Ferdinand of Brunswick - Battle of Wilhelmstal - American War of Independence

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Coldstream Guards saw extensive service in the wars against the French Revolution and in the Napoleonic Wars. Under command of Sir Ralph Abercrombie they defeated French troops in Egypt. In 1807 they took part in the investment of Copenhagen. In January 1809 they sailed to Portugal to join the forces under the Duke of Wellington. The 2nd Battalion joined the Walcheren Expedition. Later it served as part of the 2nd Guards Brigade in the chateau of Hougoumont on the outskirts of the battle of Waterloo. It later was part of the British occupation forces of Paris until 1816.

Related Topics:
French Revolution - Napoleonic Wars - Ralph Abercrombie - Egypt - 1807 - Copenhagen - 1809 - Portugal - Duke of Wellington - Walcheren Expedition - Hougoumont - Battle of Waterloo - Paris - 1816

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During the Crimean War, Coldstream Guards fought in the battles of Alma, Inkerman and Sevastopol. On their return, four of the guardsmen were awarded the newly-instituted Victoria Cross.

Related Topics:
Crimean War - Alma - Inkerman - Sevastopol - Victoria Cross

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The regiment received its current name The Coldstream Guards in 1855. In 1882 they were sent to Egypt against the rebels of Arabi Pasha and in 1885 in the Suakin Campaign. In 1897, the Coldstreamers were reinforced with the addition of the 3rd battalion. The 1st and 2nd battalions were dispatched to South Africa at the outbreak of the Boer War.

Related Topics:
1855 - 1882 - Arabi Pasha - 1885 - 1897 - South Africa - Boer War

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At the outbreak of the First World War, Coldstreamers were among the first British regiments to arrive in France after Britain declared war against Germany. In the following battles, they suffered heavy losses, in two cases losing all their officers. They fought in Mons, Loos, Somme, Ginchy and in the 3rd Battle of Ypres. They also formed the 4th pioneer battalion that was disbanded after the war on 1919. The 5th Reserve battalion never left Britain before it was disbanded.

Related Topics:
First World War - Mons - Loos - Somme - Ginchy - 3rd Battle of Ypres - 1919

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When the Second World War began, 1st and 3rd battalions of the Coldstream Guards were part of the British Expeditionary Force in France. They also formed additional 4th and 5th battalions for the duration of the war. They fought extensively in North Africa and Europe as dismounted infantry and the 1st battalion in the Guards Armoured Division. 4th battalion became first motorized battalion in 1940 and then an armoured battalion in 1943. 4th and 5th served as part of the Guards Armoured Division. 6th battalion was also formed in 1941 but was disbanded 1943 without seeing any action.

Related Topics:
Second World War - British Expeditionary Force - Guards Armoured Division - 1940 - 1943 - 1941

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Coldstreamers gave up their tanks at the end of the war, the new battalions were disbanded and the troops distributed to 1st and 2nd Guard Training Battalions.

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After the war, the 1st and 3rd battalions served in Palestine prior to the independence of Israel. The 2nd battalion served in the Malayan Emergency. The 3rd battalion was placed in suspended animation in 1959. The remaining battalions served against the Mau Mau rebellion, in Aden, Mauritius in 1965, in Cyprus Emergency in 1974 and several times in Northern Ireland after 1969.

Related Topics:
Palestine - Israel - Malayan Emergency - 1959 - Mau Mau - Aden - Mauritius - 1965 - Cyprus Emergency - 1974 - Northern Ireland - 1969

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After the Cold War, the 2nd battalion was dispatched to the first Gulf War. In 1993, due to defense cutbacks, the 2nd battalion was also placed in suspended animation and its colours transferred to its last remaining part, No 7 Company, nominally attached to 1st Battalion, Irish Guards.

Related Topics:
Cold War - Gulf War - 1993 - Defense cutbacks - No 7 Company - Irish Guards

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For much of the early 1990s, the 1st Battalion was stationed in Germany as part of 4th Armoured Brigade. In 1993-1994 the remaining battalion served as mechanised infantry in peacekeeping duties in Bosnia as part of UNPROFOR.

Related Topics:
1990s - 4th Armoured Brigade - 1994 - Bosnia - UNPROFOR

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The battalion was posted to Londonderry, Northern Ireland on a 2-year deployment in 2001. It deployed to Iraq in April 2005 with the rest of 12th Mechanised Brigade, based in the south of the county. The deployment has already affected the regiment; it lost one of its soldiers on 2 May near Al Amarah.

Related Topics:
Londonderry - 2001 - 2005 - 2 May - Al Amarah

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• Battle Honours
• Tangier 1680, Namur 1695, Gibraltar 1704-05, Oudenarde, Malplaquet, Dettingen, Lincelles, Egypt, Talavera, Barrosa, Fuentes d'Onor, Salamanca, Nive, Peninsula, Waterloo, Alma, Inkerman, Sevastopol, Tel-el-Kebir, Egypt 1882, Suakin 1885, Modder River, South Africa 1899-1902
• The Great War (5 battalions): Mons, Retreat from Mons, Marne 1914, Aisne 1914, Ypres 1914 '17, Langemarck 1914, Gheluvelt, Nonne Bosschen, Givenchy 1914, Neuve Chapelle, Aubers, Festubert 1915, Loos, Mount Sorrel, Somme 1916 '18, Flers-Courcelette, Morval, Pilckem, Menin Road, Poelcappelle, Passchendaele, Cambrai 1917 '18, St. Quentin, Bapaume 1918, Arras 1918, Lys, Hazebrouck, Albert 1918, Scarpe 1918, Drocourt-Quéant, Hindenburg Line, Havrincourt, Canal du Nord, Selle, Sambre, France and Flanders 1914-18
• The Second World War: Dyle, Defence of Escaut, Dunkirk 1940, Cagny, Mont Pincon, Quarry Hill, Estry, Heppen, Nederrijn, Venraij, Meijel, Roer, Rhineland, Reichswald, Cleve, Goch, Moyland, Hochwald, Rhine, Lingen, Uelzen, North-West Europe 1940 '44-45, Egyptian Frontier 1940, Sidi Barrani, Halfaya 1941, Tobruk 1941 '42, Msus, Knightsbridge, Defence of Alamein Line, Medenine, Mareth, Longstop Hill 1942, Sbiba, Steamroller Farm, Tunis, Hammam Lif, North Africa 1940-43, Salerno, Battipaglia, Cappezano, Volturno Crossing, Monte Camino, Calabritto, Garigliano Crossing, Monte Ornito, Monte Piccolo, Capture of Perugia, Arezzo, Advance to Florence, Monte Domini, Catarelto Ridge, Argenta Gap, Italy 1943-45
• Gulf 1991