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| 12th (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire) Regiment | |
|---|---|
| Unit name | 12th (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire) Regiment |
| Caption | Cap badge of the 12th (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire) Regiment |
| Dates | 1881–1958 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | British Army |
| Role | Infantry |
| Garrison | Nottingham, Derby |
| Battles | Second Boer War; Gallipoli Campaign; Battle of the Somme; Third Battle of Ypres; Battle of El Alamein; Normandy landings; Battle of Arnhem |
| Notable commanders | Horatio Herbert Kitchener, Bernard Montgomery, Archibald Wavell |
12th (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire) Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army raised under the reforms of the late 19th century and serving through the First and Second World Wars before postwar reorganization. The regiment recruited principally from Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire and was associated with garrisons at Nottingham and Derby. It participated in campaigns in South Africa, Gallipoli, the Western Front (World War I), the North African Campaign, and Northwest Europe (World War II).
The regiment's lineage traces to the county militia and numbered regiments of the 18th and 19th centuries, reflecting reforms instituted by Edward Cardwell and Hugh Childers. Its operational history intersects with imperial conflicts such as the Second Boer War and global wars directed by commanders including Herbert Kitchener, Douglas Haig, and later Bernard Montgomery. Peacetime duties ranged across home defence, recruiting, and training with ties to local institutions like Nottinghamshire County Council and Derbyshire County Council.
Formed in the wake of the Childers Reforms of 1881, the regiment amalgamated antecedent battalions aligned with Nottingham and Derby. Early deployments included service in Ireland during the Land War era and detachments to Egypt amid the Anglo-Egyptian War aftermath. Officers often included veterans of the Crimean War and the Indian Rebellion of 1857, while regimental culture was shaped by connections to local aristocracy such as the Dukes of Newcastle and civic officials from Derbyshire.
During the First World War, the regiment expanded to multiple battalions serving with the British Expeditionary Force, in theatres including the Gallipoli Campaign and the Western Front (World War I). Battalions fought in major actions such as the Battle of the Somme, the Battle of Arras (1917), and the Third Battle of Ypres, suffering heavy casualties alongside regiments like the Sherwood Foresters and the Yorkshire Regiment. Commanders during this period included officers with previous service in the Second Boer War and trained at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. The regiment’s wartime experience intersected with developments in artillery coordination exemplified at Vimy Ridge and with the use of tanks first deployed at Flers-Courcelette.
After demobilisation, the regiment contracted during the Geddes Axe austerity and engaged in colonial garrison duties to India, Palestine (Mandatory Palestine), and Hong Kong. It adapted to reforms from the Territorial Army reorganisation and participated in exercises influenced by doctrines developed after studies of the Battle of Verdun and lessons compiled by the Committee of Imperial Defence. Recruitment drives linked regimental depots with civic charities and organizations including the British Legion and local Trade Unions in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.
In the Second World War, battalions served in the North African Campaign at El Alamein, in the Italian Campaign including Salerno, and in Northwest Europe (World War II) during the Normandy landings and operations supporting Operation Market Garden near Arnhem. The regiment fought alongside formations such as the 8th Army (United Kingdom), 21st Army Group, and units of the Royal Air Force during combined operations. Officers and men faced mechanized warfare against formations like Wehrmacht Panzer divisions and coordinated with allied formations including the United States Army and Free French Forces.
Following Victory in Europe Day and the postwar drawdown, the regiment underwent reorganisation amid the 1947 British Army reorganisation and later defence reviews under secretaries such as Aneurin Bevan and Anthony Eden. In the 1950s reductions and amalgamations across infantry regiments led to a union with neighbouring county regiments, mirroring patterns exhibited by the Cardwell Reforms and later Options for Change. Elements were incorporated into larger infantry brigades and depot systems connected to Catterick Garrison and Warminster Garrison.
Regimental insignia combined iconography drawn from county heraldry of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, featuring mottos and badges reflecting local emblems associated with families such as the Earl of Chesterfield and symbols seen on municipal arms of Nottingham and Derby. Dress traditions included variations of the General Service dress of the British Army with stable belts and cap badges worn at memorials like the Menin Gate Memorial and on ceremonies involving organizations like the Royal British Legion and Imperial War Graves Commission.
Battle honours emblazoned on regimental colours recorded participation in the Second Boer War, Gallipoli Campaign, major Western Front (World War I) engagements, El Alamein, and the Normandy landings. Memorials to the regiment exist in county churches, municipal cenotaphs in Nottingham, Derby, and regimental museums allied with institutions such as the National Army Museum and local history societies preserving rolls of honour, medals awarded including the Victoria Cross and the Military Cross, and archives held by the Imperial War Museum.
Category:Infantry regiments of the British Army Category:Military units and formations in Nottinghamshire Category:Military units and formations in Derbyshire