Yorkshire Regiment

The history of the 4th Battalion shows the changing attitudes to the links between regular army battalions and Territorial Army (TA) battalions. The 1966 Defence White Paper dramatically reduced the number of TA units. The effect of this in Yorkshire was the amalgamation of the territorial battalions of the Yorkshire infantry regiments into a single regiment, the Yorkshire Volunteers, created in 1967, that was no longer affiliated with any regular army regiment. The Volunteers continued in existence until 1993 when it was disbanded. The driver for disbandment was the 1990 defence review, Options for Change, which recommended that the link between TA units and regular units be reintroduced.[11]

The 1997 Strategic Defence Review again cut the size of the TA. As far as the Yorkshire regiments were concerned this involved not only the Yorkshire TA infantry battalions but the TA battalions of the Kings Own Yorkshire Yeomanry and the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. Too big to be amalgamated into one unit, they were instead split into two units: the East and West Riding Regiment covering those regiments covering the historical geographic areas of York, and the East and West Ridings of Yorkshire,[11]

Barely five years later, a further defence review – Delivering Security in a Changing World – concluded that a new infantry structure, that was geographically based and included both regular and territorial units in the same structure, was required.[12]

The deployment of 1 YORKS (Prince of Wales's Own) Battle Group to Basra, Iraq in November 2006 was the first major operational deployment for the Yorkshire Regiment. A Company, under command of Major Richard Hall were based initially in Basra Palace with responsibility from Abu Al Kasib to the whole Al-Faw Peninsula, before moving to Shaibah Logistics Base and being charged with handing over security responsibilities of the base to the Iraqi Army. B Company, under command of Major Dan Bradbury, were based in Shiaba Logistics Base and had responsibility for Az Zubayr, whilst C Company were detached to 2nd Battalion, Duke of Lancaster's Regiment in the COB. During Op Telic 9 Private Luke Simpson of A Company, from Howden, East Riding of Yorkshire, was killed, becoming the regiment's first operational fatality.[13] Two members of the 1st Battalion, Major Ian Crowley of C Company,[14] of Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire and Captain Ibrar Ali of A Company, were awarded the Military Cross.[15]

2nd Battalion (Green Howards) Medal Parade

Sergeant Lee Johnson, late of the 2nd Battalion (Green Howards)

The 2nd Battalion (Green Howards) of the regiment were deployed to the Helmand Province of Afghanistan in September, 2007 in an 'Operational Mentoring and Liaison' role with the Afghan National Army. Whilst there they took part in the Battle of Musa Qala during which Sgt Lee Johnson was killed shortly after 10am on 8 December 2007, in the lead up to the operation to retake the town from the Taliban forces, after his Vector armoured vehicle ran over a landmine.[16] Sgt Johnson had previously received a MID for assisting his company commander, Major Jake Little, in extracting soldiers who were surrounded by Taliban fighters. Major Little was later awarded a Military Cross for his "inspirational leadership" to extract his men.[17][18] Acting Sergeant John Cockburn was also awarded a Military Cross for his actions in the same tour of duty.[17][19]

The 2nd Battalion (Green Howards) returned to their barracks in Weeton, Lancashire during April, 2008 and were presented with their service medals at a parade there on 30 April 2008 by Major General Andrew Farquhar, Honorary Colonel of the Battalion, along with Brigadier Andrew Mackay, of 52 Infantry Brigade, and Brigadier Mike Griffiths, of 42 (North West) Brigade.[20]

B Company Group of 1st Battalion (Prince of Wales Own) deployed for six-months on Op OCULUS(K) as the last UK Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance Task Force (ISR TF). They presided over the immediate aftermath of the Kosovo's declaration of independence.[21]

In November 2008, elements of the 1st Battalion (Prince of Wales's Own) redeployed to Iraq on Op Telic 13. In May 2009, 'A Company' of the 1st Battalion (Prince of Wales Own) handed over their Iraq British military HQ protection duties, in Baghdad, to Alma Company of the 3rd Battalion (Duke of Wellington's). Alma Company were subsequently amongst the last British soldiers to leave Iraq at the end of July 2009.[22]

Over 130 members of the 3rd Battalion (Duke of Wellington's) deployed in July 2009 as Battle Casualty Replacements to various other British regiments in Helmand Province. Burma Company of the 3rd Battalion (Duke of Wellington's) deployed to Afghanistan in August 2009 and were then followed by members of Corunna Company. 18-year-old Pte Jonathon Young, of Burma Company, was killed by an Improvised explosive device in Sangin, on Thursday 20 August, three weeks after arriving in Afghanistan. A serjeant, from the 2nd Battalion The Rifles, 29-year-old Serjeant Paul McAleese, was killed when he went to the assistance of Pte Young.[23]

On 1 February 2010, 22-year-old Corporal Liam Riley, of Sheffield, and 27-year-old Lance Corporal Graham Shaw, of Golcar in Huddersfield were killed by separate IED's, Malgir, near Gereshk in Helmand Province, whilst on base security foot patrols. Both soldiers, from Corunna Company of the 3rd Battalion (Duke of Wellington's), were attached to the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, as Battle Casualty Replacements.[24] Prince Harry had trained with Cpl Riley at Suffield in Canada and paid tribute to him in a news release.[25]

The 2nd Battalion (Green Howards), plus 60 members of the 4th Battalion, deployed with 11th Light Brigade in September 2009 for a seven-month posting in Op Herrick XI as the OMLT Battle Group.[26] Their actions featured in a series of Newsnight programmes shown both during the deployment and after their return, which focused on OMLT 2 in Sangin under Major Rob Palfrey. Two members of the Battalion were awarded the Military Cross, Lieutenant Colin Lunn of Doncaster, and Acting Corporal Andrew Wardle of Hetton-le-Hole in Sunderland.[27] In addition, Sergeant John Swithenbank and Corporal John Hardman received the Queen's Gallantry Medal.[28]

On 23 June 2010, 26-year-old Lance Corporal David Ramsden of Otley, who was serving with the 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment, was killed. The NCO from 1st Battalion (Prince of Wales Own) was serving as part of the Police Advisory Team which was tasked to respond to an incident at a checkpoint near Gereshk in Helmand Province, when the Ridgeback armoured vehicle he was travelling in rolled into a waterway. He was killed alongside colleagues Colour Sergeant Martyn Simon Horton, Private Douglas Niall Halliday and Private Alex Isaac.[29]

In October 2011, 500 members of the 1st Battalion (Prince of Wales Own) were deployed to Helmand province in Afghanistan for a six-month tour in support of the 20th Armoured Brigade, their first deployment to Afghanistan as a complete battalion.[30] The battalion was split up for the deployment, with A Company working with 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, B and C Companies with the Danish Army, and the Brigade Headquarters providing staff for Headquarters Task Force Helmand. 1 YORKS soldiers formed the Brigade Reconnaissance Force with members of 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards.[30] Soldiers from 1st Battalion were reported to have been involved in 'high tempo' patrol operations alongside the Afghanistan police force.[31] B Company serving as part of the Danish Battle Group in the Nahr-e Saraj (North) area of operations, patrolled aggressively into several contested areas. On 1 December 2011 the Battalion was involved in a dawn raid on a suspected IED factory.[32] On 1 January 2012 Private John King was killed in an explosion while on a foot patrol in Nahr-e Saraj,[33] on 27 January Lance Corporal Gajbahadur Gurung of the Royal Gurkha Rifles was killed while serving with 1 YORKS in the Nahr-e Saraj district.[34]

On 6 March 2012, six members of Corunna company, 3rd Battalion (Duke of Wellington's) were killed in the Lashkar Gah Durai region after their Warrior Armoured vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device.[35]

On 29 April 2012, the 3 YORKS Battle Group took over responsibility of Nahr-e Saraj (South), Helmand province from the 5th Battalion, the Rifles. On the 3 June 2012 Private Gregg Thomas Stone of Burma Company, 3 YORKS was killed in Nahr-e Saraj during an operation to apprehend a group of insurgents who had abducted a member of the Afghan Police.[36] On 15 September 2012, Sergeant Gareth Thursby and Private Thomas Wroe of the 3rd Battalion were killed in Nahr-e Saraj by a rogue Afghan police officer.[37]

In February 2013, 16 soldiers serving with the reconnaissance platoon of 1st Battalion (Prince of Wales Own), staged a mutiny whilst on a training exercise in Kenya. Led by Corporal Anthony Brown, they staged a sit down strike in front of 1,000 people. Each soldier refused to stand up when individually commanded to do so. As they went through their drills, a ringleader shouted 'sit down' and the dissenters dropped to ground. Commanders ordered each man in turn to stand up but were ignored. The soldiers had clashed with their newly appointed commanding officers whom they accused of excessive drinking, complaining they were "being led by muppets".[38] At courts martial, in December 2013, the soldiers pleaded guilty to disobeying a lawful command. Cpl Brown was sentenced to 60 days imprisonment and a dishonourable discharge. The prosecutor, Col. Clive Whitwham, said: 'There was a feeling they were not being appreciated, that they were not being well managed. 'The platoon was said to have worked well in Afghanistan. There was said to have been a perception that they had got a little too big for their boots.' The soldiers defence Jonathan Lynch, said: 'This is not a case of inflated egos but a case of mismanagement.' Two lance corporals were reduced to the rank of private, with 60 days imprisonment and the Private soldiers were each given 40 days imprisonment.[39][38]

The 3rd Battalion (Duke of Wellington's) laid up its Regulation Colours on 20 July 2013, at Halifax Minster, following a series of 'Freedom Parades' during the preceding week.[40] On 25 July there was a parade at the 3rd Battalion barracks, in Warminster, the Colonel in Chief, the Duke of York, exchanged the Colours between the Battalions. The 1st Battalion colours were handed over to the Warminster battalion (1 YORKS). The honorary colours formerly belonging to 3rd Battalion (76th Regiment of Foot) were to be rotated annually between the remaining battalions.[41]

In October 2014 the UK Ministry of Defence confirmed that a team of about a dozen soldiers from the Yorkshire Regiment's 2nd Battalion were training Kurdish forces in Iraq fighting Islamic State militants to use UK-supplied heavy machine guns.[42]

The 1st Battalion (abbreviated 1 YORKS), is based at Battlesbury Barracks in Warminster. The battalion is an armoured infantry battalion deployed as part of 12th Armoured Infantry Brigade.[43]

The 2nd Battalion (2 YORKS), is based in Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The battalion is a light mechanised infantry battalion deployed as part of 4th Infantry Brigade and Headquarters North East.[43]

The 4th Battalion (4 YORKS), serving as reserve infantry is the Army Reserve battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment. The battalion headquarters is in Worsley Barracks, York and forms part of 4th Infantry Brigade and Headquarters North East. The battalion operates from Army Reserve Centres across the regimental footprint with companies dispersed in Barnsley, Beverley, Huddersfield, Hull, Leeds, Middlesbrough, Sheffield and York.[44]