Royal Green Jackets Regimental Association South East Kent Branch

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RIFLE BRIGADE

 

 

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1800 – Experimental Corps of Riflemen

1800 – The Corps of Riflemen

1802 – 95th Regiment (Rifles)

1816 – The Rifle Brigade

1862 – The Prince Consort’s Own Rifle Brigade

1881 – The Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort’s Own)

1921 – The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort’s Own)

1958 – 3rd Green Jackets, The Rifle Brigade

FORMATION

The Regiment was first raised on the 17th January 1800 as an elite and ‘Experimental Corps of Riflemen’, by Colonel Coote Manningham and Lieutenant-Colonel the Hon. William Stewart.  It drew recruits from a variety of British Regiments to train them as ‘sharpshooters, scouts and skirmishers’ and were armed with the Baker rifle, which was more accurate and had a longer range than the musket, but took longer to load.

The idea of individual soldiers hitting specific targets seems wholly unorthodox at the time, with the conventional tactic of the mass volley being favoured.  The Regiment was trained to use natural cover (wearing green instead of the traditional red, in order to camouflage the soldiers), worked in pairs in the open and trained to think for themselves in order to harass the enemy.  On the 25th August 1800 three companies were taken on an expedition against the north coast of Spain.  The Rifle Corps managed to occupy and hold a ridge of hills against a large enemy party.  The success of this expedition has meant a Rifle Corps has existed ever since.  In January 1803 the Regiment was renamed The 95th Rifles.

The Regiment became an invaluable part of any campaign therefore were present at most actions of the British Empire including; The Battle of Waterloo 1815, The Crimean War 1854–1856, The Indian Mutiny 1857–1859, Afghanistan, Burma, Ashantee, Khartoum 1878–1898 and South Africa 1899–1902.

In 1816 following their distinguished service in the Napoleonic Wars The 95th Rifles became The Rifle Brigade and then in 1823 they were renamed The 95th (Derbyshire) Regiment of Foot.  The Regiment was highly trained, educated and well disciplined thus enjoyed immense social prestige at this time.  So much so that in 1861 on the death of its Colonel-in-Chief, Prince Albert, The Queen bestowed the title of ‘The Prince Consort's Own Rifle Brigade’ on the Regiment.

 

 

 

RIFLE BRIGADE

 

 

​

​

1800 – Experimental Corps of Riflemen

1800 – The Corps of Riflemen

1802 – 95th Regiment (Rifles)

1816 – The Rifle Brigade

1862 – The Prince Consort’s Own Rifle Brigade

1881 – The Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort’s Own)

1921 – The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort’s Own)

1958 – 3rd Green Jackets, The Rifle Brigade

FORMATION

The Regiment was first raised on the 17th January 1800 as an elite and ‘Experimental Corps of Riflemen’, by Colonel Coote Manningham and Lieutenant-Colonel the Hon. William Stewart.  It drew recruits from a variety of British Regiments to train them as ‘sharpshooters, scouts and skirmishers’ and were armed with the Baker rifle, which was more accurate and had a longer range than the musket, but took longer to load.

The idea of individual soldiers hitting specific targets seems wholly unorthodox at the time, with the conventional tactic of the mass volley being favoured.  The Regiment was trained to use natural cover (wearing green instead of the traditional red, in order to camouflage the soldiers), worked in pairs in the open and trained to think for themselves in order to harass the enemy.  On the 25th August 1800 three companies were taken on an expedition against the north coast of Spain.  The Rifle Corps managed to occupy and hold a ridge of hills against a large enemy party.  The success of this expedition has meant a Rifle Corps has existed ever since.  In January 1803 the Regiment was renamed The 95th Rifles.

The Regiment became an invaluable part of any campaign therefore were present at most actions of the British Empire including; The Battle of Waterloo 1815, The Crimean War 1854–1856, The Indian Mutiny 1857–1859, Afghanistan, Burma, Ashantee, Khartoum 1878–1898 and South Africa 1899–1902.

In 1816 following their distinguished service in the Napoleonic Wars The 95th Rifles became The Rifle Brigade and then in 1823 they were renamed The 95th (Derbyshire) Regiment of Foot.  The Regiment was highly trained, educated and well disciplined thus enjoyed immense social prestige at this time.  So much so that in 1861 on the death of its Colonel-in-Chief, Prince Albert, The Queen bestowed the title of ‘The Prince Consort's Own Rifle Brigade’ on the Regiment.

 

 

 

RIFLE BRIGADE

 

 

​

​

1800 – Experimental Corps of Riflemen

1800 – The Corps of Riflemen

1802 – 95th Regiment (Rifles)

1816 – The Rifle Brigade

1862 – The Prince Consort’s Own Rifle Brigade

1881 – The Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort’s Own)

1921 – The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort’s Own)

1958 – 3rd Green Jackets, The Rifle Brigade

FORMATION

The Regiment was first raised on the 17th January 1800 as an elite and ‘Experimental Corps of Riflemen’, by Colonel Coote Manningham and Lieutenant-Colonel the Hon. William Stewart.  It drew recruits from a variety of British Regiments to train them as ‘sharpshooters, scouts and skirmishers’ and were armed with the Baker rifle, which was more accurate and had a longer range than the musket, but took longer to load.

The idea of individual soldiers hitting specific targets seems wholly unorthodox at the time, with the conventional tactic of the mass volley being favoured.  The Regiment was trained to use natural cover (wearing green instead of the traditional red, in order to camouflage the soldiers), worked in pairs in the open and trained to think for themselves in order to harass the enemy.  On the 25th August 1800 three companies were taken on an expedition against the north coast of Spain.  The Rifle Corps managed to occupy and hold a ridge of hills against a large enemy party.  The success of this expedition has meant a Rifle Corps has existed ever since.  In January 1803 the Regiment was renamed The 95th Rifles.

The Regiment became an invaluable part of any campaign therefore were present at most actions of the British Empire including; The Battle of Waterloo 1815, The Crimean War 1854–1856, The Indian Mutiny 1857–1859, Afghanistan, Burma, Ashantee, Khartoum 1878–1898 and South Africa 1899–1902.

In 1816 following their distinguished service in the Napoleonic Wars The 95th Rifles became The Rifle Brigade and then in 1823 they were renamed The 95th (Derbyshire) Regiment of Foot.  The Regiment was highly trained, educated and well disciplined thus enjoyed immense social prestige at this time.  So much so that in 1861 on the death of its Colonel-in-Chief, Prince Albert, The Queen bestowed the title of ‘The Prince Consort's Own Rifle Brigade’ on the Regiment.