Quote:
Originally Posted by leigh kitchen
...was it always the actual 4th Battalion that "went"?
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It appears that of the large regiments, only the RGJ disbanded a battalion other than the fourth, or junior, one.
The Royal Anglian Regiment was formed with four battalions, but lost its fourth battalion 11 years later.
The Queens Regiment was formed with four battalions, but lost its fourth battalion 7 years later.
The Light Infantry was formed with four battalions, but lots its fourth battalion after one year.
The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers was formed with four battalions, but lost its fourth battalion after a year.
The Royal Irish Rangers was formed with three battalions, but lost its third battalion almost immediately.
It could've been that 1RGJ was the least efficient battalion of the regiment, but they were stationed at Mercer Barracks, Osnabruck, at the time, a part of 12 Armoured Brigade. I don't see how inefficient it could've been in that role. 2RGJ, which became 1RGJ, was in Omagh, and 3RGJ was in Armagh. Doesn't look like there was any room for inefficiency with any of the battalions.
To be fair, they lost a battalion 25 years after the other regiments did, and the NATO role was being cut back. (Remember the Peace dividend? I wonder what happened to that.) Maybe it was nothing more than being stationed in Germany at a time when Germany no longer mattered.
Another decision made behind closed doors.
Cheers,
Dan.