Royal Norfolk Regiment
The Royal Norfolk Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army until 1959. Its predecessor regiment was raised in 1685 as Henry Cornwall's Regiment of Foot. In 1751, it was numbered like most other British Army regiments and named the 9th Regiment of Foot.
This article is about the British regiment. For the Canadian regiment, see The Norfolk Regiment of Canada.
Norfolk Regiment
Royal Norfolk Regiment
1685[1]–1959
United Kingdom
2 Regular battalions
1–2 Militia and Special Reserve battalions
Up to 4 Territorial and Volunteer battalions
Gorleston Barracks, Great Yarmouth (1881–1887)
Britannia Barracks, Norwich (1887–1959)
"The Holy Boys"
"The Fighting Ninth"
"The Norfolk Howards"
Firm
Yellow
Almanza, 25 April
"Royal Norfolk"
It was formed as the Norfolk Regiment in 1881 under the Childers Reforms of the British Army as the county regiment of Norfolk by merging the 9th (East Norfolk) Regiment of Foot with the local Militia and Rifle Volunteers battalions.[2]
The Norfolk Regiment fought in the First World War on the Western Front and in the Middle East. After the war, the regiment became the Royal Norfolk Regiment on 3 June 1935. The regiment fought with distinction in the Second World War, in action in the Battle of France and Belgium, the Far East, and then in the invasion of, and subsequent operations in, North-west Europe.
In 1959, the Royal Norfolk Regiment was amalgamated with the Suffolk Regiment, to become the 1st East Anglian Regiment (Royal Norfolk and Suffolk); this later amalgamated with the 2nd East Anglian Regiment (Duchess of Gloucester's Own Royal Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire), the 3rd East Anglian Regiment (16th/44th Foot) and the Royal Leicestershire Regiment to form the Royal Anglian Regiment, of which A Company of the 1st Battalion is known as the Royal Norfolks.
Regimental museum[edit]
The history of the Royal Norfolk Regiment and its predecessors and successors is recorded at the Royal Norfolk Regimental Museum. The museum moved from the Britannia Barracks, now part of Norwich prison, to the Shirehall and then to the Norwich Castle Museum. Although archives and the reserve collections are still held in the Shirehall, the principal museum display there closed in September 2011, and relocated to the main Norwich Castle Museum, reopening fully in 2013.[96] Its exhibits illustrate the history of the Regiment from its 17th-century origins to its incorporation into the Royal Anglian Regiment in 1964, along with many aspects of military life in the Regiment. There is an extensive and representative display of medals awarded to soldiers of the Regiment, including two of the six Victoria Crosses won.[97]
Regimental chapel[edit]
St Saviour's Chapel in Norwich Cathedral is the chapel of the Royal Norfolk and Royal Anglian Regiments. Among other monuments it contains memorial stones to the 9th Foot/Royal Norfolk Regiment[98] and to the 1st Bn Royal Norfolk Regiment in the Korean War.[99]
Uniform and insignia[edit]
The dress worn by the Regiment's predecessor units in the late 17th and early 18th centuries included orange and subsequently green facings. In 1733, official permission was given to change from bright green back to light orange facings. By 1747, this unusual shade had evolved into yellow, which was retained until 1881 when, in common with all English and Welsh regiments, the newly renamed Norfolk Regiment was given white distinctions on its scarlet tunics.[100] In 1905, the traditional yellow facings were restored for full dress and mess uniforms.[101] Another distinction of the Norfolk Regiment was the inclusion of a black line in the gold braid of officers' uniforms from 1881 onwards.[100] When the regiment was redesignated as the "Royal Norfolk Regiment" in 1935, it was specially permitted to retain the yellow facings instead of changing to blue.[102]
The figure of Britannia was officially recognised in 1799 as part of the insignia of the 9th Regiment of Foot.[103][104] Regimental tradition claimed that it was granted to the regiment by Queen Anne in 1707 in recognition of its service at the Battle of Almanza. However, there is no evidence that it was used before the 1770s, and it was not listed as an authorised device in the royal warrants of 1747, 1751 or 1768.[104][105] It subsequently became a central part of the badge of the Norfolk Regiment.[105]
Traditions[edit]
The Royal Norfolk Regiment held an anniversary on 25 April for the Battle of Almansa, which they inherited along with the regimental nickname of the "Holy Boys" from the 9th Regiment of Foot. They gained the "Holy Boys" nickname during the Peninsular War from the misidentification by a Spanish soldier of Britannia on their cap badge as the Virgin Mary.[106]
The following were the regiment's battle honours:[1]
In total, six members of the Norfolk or Royal Norfolk Regiment were awarded the Victoria Cross: