The Guards Division was an administrative unit of the British Army responsible for the training and administration of the regiments of Foot Guards and the London Guards reserve battalion. The Guards Division was responsible for providing two battalions for public duties to London District (plus three incremental companies); although the guards are most associated with ceremony, they are nevertheless operational infantry battalions, and as such perform all the various roles of infantry. In 2022, the Guards Division was renamed as the Guards and Parachute Division.
Current units As of 2020, units comprised the Guards Division Headquarters, at Wellington Barracks, Westminster:Heyman, p.88
Guards battalions: 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards 1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards 1st Battalion, Scots Guards 1st Battalion, Irish Guards 2nd Battalion, Irish Guards 1st Battalion, Welsh Guards 1st Battalion, London Guards (Reserve) Ypres Company, Grenadier Guards, in Kingston upon Thames No 17 Company, Coldstream Guards, in Hammersmith G (Messines) Company, Scots Guards, in Clapham Junction No 15 (Loos) Company, Irish Guards, in Camberwell
Guards incremental companies: Nijmegen Company, Grenadier Guards No 7 Company, Coldstream Guards F Company, Scots Guards No 9 Company, Irish Guards No 12 Company, Irish Guards Guards Squadron, 22 SAS Guards Parachute Company
Past units Past units include (dates when they were part of the division):Whitaker's Almanack 1969 2nd Battalion, Grenadier Guards (1968–1994), reduced to Nijmegen Company 2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards (1968–1993), reduced to No. 7 Company 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards (1968–1971, reduced to 2 Scots Guards Company in 1st Battalion, re-instated 1972–1993), reduced to F Company Band of the Grenadier Guards (1968–1994), transferred to Royal Corps of Army Music (CAMUS) on formation of that corps Band of the Coldstream Guards (1968–1994), transferred to CAMUS Band of the Scots Guards (1968–1994), transferred to CAMUS Band of the Irish Guards (1968–1994), transferred to CAMUS Band of the Welsh Guards (1968–1994), transferred to CAMUS London Regiment (2017–2022), redesignated as London Guards
Note: The three 2nd battalions have technically not been disbanded; instead they are in "suspended animation" and, in theory, can be re-raised if needed. The colours and traditions of each battalion are kept and maintained by the incremental companies.
Telling the regiments apart
The five regiments of foot guards are most often seen in full dress uniform, comprising navy trousers, scarlet tunic and bearskin cap. From a distance they appear identical, but there are ways to distinguish between the regiments: The colour of the plume, and which side of the bearskin it is worn on The spacing of the tunic buttons The badge worn on the collar The badge worn on the shoulder
Regiment Plume Plume colour Button spacing Collar badge Shoulder badge Grenadier Guards Left White Singly Grenade Royal Cypher Coldstream Guards Right Red Pairs Garter Star Rose Scots Guards Threes Thistle Thistle Star Irish Guards Right Blue Fours Shamrock St Patrick Star Welsh Guards Left Fives Leek Leek
Guards Parachute Platoon
6 Platoon, B Company, 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment is manned by volunteers from the Guards Division and Household Cavalry
UK Special Forces
Although no longer directly associated with the Guards, G Squadron 22 SAS was formed in 1966 following the performance of the Guards Independent Parachute Company under Major LGS Head in support of SAS Operations in Borneo.Secret War in South East Asia, Peter Dickens, Greenhill Books, London, Page 211
See also Household Cavalry Household Division King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery Guards Division for the tactical formation active in World War I (and briefly at the end of World War II) Guards Armoured Division for the tactical formation active in World War II
List of bands: Band of the Grenadier Guards Band of the Coldstream Guards Band of the Scots Guards Band of the Irish Guards Band of the Welsh Guards
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