London Brochure Final(4) - Flipbook - Page 10
LOCAL INTEREST
The RIFLES, through their antecedent and
forming regiments, have more than 220
years of unbroken connections with what
is now known as Greater London.
The oldest RIFLES link to London comes
from The Queen Victoria's Rifles (QVR),
who trace their origins back to the old
volunteer regiments of the Napoleonic
Wars when the Duke of Cumberland's
Sharpshooters were formed as a Corps of
Riflemen on 5th September 1803.
Many transformations, name changes and
amalgamations occurred over the next
century in which London RIFLES units
participated in the Boer War and World
War I & II as formed units or individual
reinforcements. The first “Volunteer” to
be awarded the Victoria Cross for service
in World War I was Lieutenant Geoffrey
Wooley - a London Rifleman of the QVRs.
Rifle Brigade cap badge
During the “Cold War”, Reservists from
London Territorial Army (TA) units played
an important part in reinforcing the British
Army of the Rhine (BAOR) and guarding
vital parts of the Lines of Communication
from the Channel Ports to the forward
deployment area along, what was then,
the Iron Curtain.
In more recent conflicts in Iraq and
Afghanistan, volunteers from the 4th
Battalion the Royal Green Jackets (4 V
RGJ) and its modern successor Battalion,
7 RIFLES, were to the forefront in
helping their regular RIFLES Battalions
with operational reinforcements and
augmentees.
7 RIFLES Headquarters is based in
Kensington (W8 6NT), G Company 7
RIFLES in West Ham (E15 3QN) and
F (RIFLES) Company of The London
Regiment in Hammersmith (W6 7DJ).
King's Royal Rifle Corps cap badge
