"Fording the Alma" by Lewis H. JohnsRIFLE REGIMENTSRifle regiments have a long tradition inthe British Army. The normal, ‘line’ infantrywas armed with powerful but inaccuratemuskets. They wore red jackets andgenerally fought shoulder to shoulder sothey could fire their muskets all together,in volleys. From the 1750s onwards inNorth America, the Army began to usesome lightly-equipped infantry soldiersdressed in camouflage. Line Regimentsbegan to form Light Companies and it wasfrom these origins that Rifle Regimentsdeveloped. In 1800, when the BakerRifle was invented, the Army createdan Experimental Corps of Riflemen tomake best use of this revolutionary newweapon. The Army saw that the newrifle needed to be used by a force thatwould be quite different to the rest of theinfantry. The lighter and far more accuraterifle allowed the riflemen - dressed in darkgreen - to spread out.Because of the way they fought, theearly rifle and light infantry regimentsneeded to develop a special way ofworking - an ethos. This ethos was basedaround marksmanship, independence,self-discipline and initiative. Riflemenneeded to be led by very capable andindependent junior officers and noncommissioned officers, who wouldcommunicate with their men by voice,bugles and whistles.The Rifles carries forward this ethos intothe modern Army and every soldier andofficer in the Regiment is proud to say “Iam a Rifleman”.
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