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The regiment was formed in 1964 as one of the new large infantry regiments, through the amalgamation of the regiments of the East Anglian Brigade:
Initially formed of four battalions, the regiment was reduced to three battalions in 1975 , and then to two battalions in 1992 . As one of the existing large regiments, the Royal Anglian Regiment is unaffected by the restructuring of the infantry that was announced in 2004 . The Territorial battalion of the regiment, the East Of England Regiment will be re-designated as the 3rd Battalion as part of the reforms. The two battalions have the nicknames the ''Vikings'' (1st Bn) and the ''Poachers'' (2nd Bn). The old 3rd Battalion was nicknamed the ''Pompadours''. The 1st Battalion (as of 2005 ) is part of 12th Mechanised Brigade , based in Pirbright . As Mechanised Infantry the battalion primarily operates the Saxon . The 2nd Battalion (as of 2005 ) is part of the 160th Brigade , based in Chepstow . The battalion operates in the Light Infantry role, primarily operating the Land Rover . In 1995 , each battalion renamed its Companies in order to perpetuate its lineage:
HISTORY All battalions of the regiment have carried out tours-of-duty throughout " The Troubles " in Northern Ireland . The most costly time for the regiment in NI occurred in the 1970s and 1980s when they lost eighteen soldiers, the last in 1989 . Despite violence in Northern Ireland having largely subsided, the regiment continues to be posted there. When in Northern Ireland, the R ANGLIANs, like the rest of the Army, is primarily used to provide support to the Police Service Of Northern Ireland . Throughout the 1960s , the regiment served in Aden , where they operated against guerillas fighting against the British presence. They also garrisoned Malta , the Persian Gulf , and Cyprus . The regiment has continued to carry out tours of Cyprus into recent times; the last was carried out by 2 R ANGLIAN in 1998 . During the crisis in the Balkans in the early 1990s , 2 R ANGLIAN was deployed to Bosnia in April 1994 as part of the UN peacekeeping force UNPROFOR . The battalion left later in the year, having suffered a single loss by a Landmine . Shortly after British forces intervened in Sierra Leone during Its Civil War , the 2nd Battalion briefly joined the IMATT force in June 2000 to help train the Sierra Leonean Armed Forces . In March 2002 , 1 R ANGLAIN was sent to Afghanistan , where it was based in the capital Kabul as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). The battalion often patrolled the more dangerous parts of the capital to maintain order in a city under constant fear of attack by Al Qaida and the Taliban . The ISAF force at that time was commanded by Major-General John McColl , a former officer with 1 R ANGLIAN and 2 R ANGLIAN; he commanded the latter between 1992 - 1994 . The battalion left in June, having suffered a single loss due to an accident. The following February, "A" company of 2 R ANGLIAN was posted to Kabul in June 2003 . They were replaced by "C" Company in June. The 1st battalion also served in Northern Ireland between Aug 89 to Jan 90 (South Amargh), Apr to Oct 91 (Fermanargh) and Dec 93 to June 94 (Co Tyrone). They also did short tours of Cyprus (1992) and the U.S. (Fort Lewis) in 1995. Also in 1995 the 1st Battalion was sent to Croatia during the time UN soldiers were being taken hostage by local militia. As part of 24 Airmobile Brigade they were sent there between July and Oct of that year. In 1996 "C" Company (1st Bn) was sent with the Parachute Brigade that was taking part in the biggest Airborne exercise since the Second World War in South Carolina , U.S. During this exercise WOII "Boogie" Boulton was killed in a RTA. FUTURE ARMY STRUCTURE The Regiment is expected to continue unchanged as part of the Queen's Division . However the Regiment is expected to regain its third battalion as succsessors to the East Of England Regiment . The new battalion will be called the 3rd (V) Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment. TRADITIONS
Regimental Days
Celebrated by the individual battalions (in date order)
ALLIANCES Present
Former
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