The King’s Regiment first parade

[Peter Brydon]

Photo showing the first parade after amalgamation. The new shoulder title just “KING’S” being worn on battledress with the Lancastrian Brigade cap badge and what is presumably a Company indicator on the shoulder strap .
P.

[grey_green_acorn]

Wearing the formation sign of the 3rd Infantry Division (UK Strategic Reserve). Shortly after the amalgamation, in early 1959, 1 KING’S deployed to Kenya under command of 24 Infantry Brigade.

Tim

[Toby Purcell]

Originally Posted by Peter Brydon

Photo showing the first parade after amalgamation. The new shoulder title just “KING’S” being worn on battledress with the Lancastrian Brigade cap badge and what is presumably a Company indicator on the shoulder strap .
P.

The caption doesn’t seem 100% accurate. It appears to be a battalion’s ‘Quarter Guard’ formed up as is traditional just outside the Guardroom frontage. Behind is the usual Guardroom veranda and beyond them you can see the main gate.

[Peter Brydon]

Yes but probably taken on the same day as the first parade of the newly formed Regiment.

[Toby Purcell]

Originally Posted by Peter Brydon

Yes but probably taken on the same day as the first parade of the newly formed Regiment.

Yes I agree that that seems the most likely scenario. Parading a Quarter Guard to meet visiting dignitaries at the gateway of barracks and encampments was a centuries old tradition of infantry battalions and cavalry regiments not just in Britain but across Europe. Always accompanied by a duty drummer (but with bugle) or trumpeter, there was a series of calls both to call out the guard and then salute the rank of the visitor. In this case we see the new commanding officer, but I wonder if the brigade commander also visited on that day. There was a time when units were very familiar with this procedure as part of annual unit inspections, but I’m not so sure if it’s the case now. Quite a fuss used to be made by the Adjutant and RSM to get this right, as it was seen as the unit’s shop window and the very first thing that a visitor saw, setting the tone and scene for the rest of the day.