The 2nd East Anglian Regiment (Duchess of Gloucester's Own Royal Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire) was a short-lived infantry regiment of the British Army from 1960 to 1964. Its lineage is continued by the Royal Anglian Regiment.
History As a result of the Defence Review, it was announced that the 1st Battalion, Royal Lincolnshire Regiment and the 1st Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment were to merge with the title 2nd East Anglian Regiment (Royal Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire). On 20 August 1959, it was announced that approval had been given to include the name of Duchess of Gloucester in the regiment's title.Changed title for new regiment, The Times, August 21, 1959
The regiment was formed on 1 June 1960,Army Order 29/1960 at Watchet, Somerset. A formation parade was held on 10 July.Formation parade of new unit. Duchess of Gloucester's length of service, The Times, July 11, 1960 The regiment moved to Osnabrück, Germany, in 1961, where new colours were presented by the colonel-in-chief in the following year.The Bulletin of the Military Historical Society, Special Issue No.1, London, 1968
On 1 September 1964, the 1st East Anglian Regiment (Royal Norfolk and Suffolk Regiment), 2nd and 3rd East Anglian Regiment (16th/44th Foot) and the Royal Leicestershire Regiment were amalgamated to form a new "large regiment" known as the Royal Anglian Regiment. The 2nd East Anglians were redesignated as the 2nd Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment (Duchess of Gloucester's Own Royal Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire) of the new regiment.
Badges and dress distinctions All battalions of the East Anglian Brigade wore a common cap badge, with each unit having a distinctive collar badge, coloured lanyard and stable belt. The 2nd East Anglian Regiment wore a collar badge combining elements of the insignia of the two merged regiments: a sphinx and the battle honour Talavera for the Royal Lincolns and Northamptons respectively. A black lanyard, inherited from the Northamptonshire Regiment, was worn. The regiment's stable belt combined the colours of those of the two predecessors, dark blue with a buff and dark red stripe. The regiment's No.1 Dress uniform was dark blue with scarlet piping and the regimental facing colour was blue.
Battle honours The 2nd East Anglians inherited the battle honours of its two predecessor regiments. The following were chosen to be displayed on the colours:
Regimental Colour Blenheim Ramillies Oudenarde Malplaquet Louisburg Quebec, 1759 Martinique, 1762 Havannah Martinique, 1794 Maida Douro Talavera Albuhera Badajoz Salamanca Vittoria Pyrenees Nivelle Orthes Toulouse Peninsula Sobraon New Zealand Mooltan Goojerat Punjaub Sevastopol Lucknow South Africa, 1879 Tirah Atbara Khartoum Modder River Paardeburg South Africa, 1899-1902 Queen's Colour Mons Marne, 1914 Aisne, 1914'18 Messines, 1914, '17, '18 Ypres, 1914,'15,'17 Neuve Chapelle Loos Somme, 1916,'18 Arras, 1917'18 Lys Hindenburg Line Epéhy Suvla Gaza Dunkirk, 1940 Normandy Landing Fontenay le Pesnil Antwerp-Turnhout Canal Rhineland North Africa 1942-43 Salerno Garigliano Crossing Anzio Cassino II Gothic Line Italy 1943-45 Ngakyedauk Pass Imphal Myinmu Bridgehead Burma, 1943–45
The centre badge for the regimental colours was Below a sprig of three maple leaves each charged with a fleur-de-lys, the Sphinx upon a plinth inscribed "Egypt" . The maple leaves and fleurs-de-lis were the badge of the Northamptonshire Regiment, signifying the regiment's service in Quebec in 1758-9 while the sphinx was a badge of the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment. In the lower two corners of the regimental colour were the cypher of the Duchess of Gloucester and the castle and key of Gibraltar with the dates 'Gibraltar 1779-83' and the motto 'Montis Insignia Calpe'.
References
External links 2nd East Anglian Regiment (Duchess of Gloucester's Own Royal Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire) (regiments.org)