The Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (Militia) is the most senior regiment of the British Army Reserve.[2] The regiment was formed in 1539 during the reign of by King Henry VIII. The R Mon RE (M) became a militia unit in 1660 and then became a part of the Royal Engineers in 1877.[3]
History
The Royal Monmouthshire Light Infantry in 1855 at Pembroke Dock.
The two 'Royals'
The regiment was formed as a posse comitatus in 1539 during the reign of by King Henry VIII; it went on to become a trained band and then a militia unit in 1660.[4] It is unique in having the word 'Royal' appear twice in its name. It gained the first Royal in 1804 when it was the Monmouth and Brecon Militia. The second was acquired in 1877 when the regiment transferred from an infantry unit into a Special Reserve section of the expanding Royal Engineers.[5]
Seniority dispute with the Honourable Artillery Company
The records of the Honorable Artillery Company (HAC) indicate that it was formed two years prior to the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (Militia). However, in 1930 the Army Council (Army Board from 1964) reviewed the Army's precedence table and King George V agreed that, on account of its status as a militia unit, the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (Militia) were the senior regiment.[2] In 1957 the matter was investigated further and Queen Elizabeth II also agreed that the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (Militia) were the senior regiment:[2]
My dear Playfair,Thank you for your letter of 8th March which I have laid before The Queen and which Her Majesty has read with interest.I am to say that the recommendation of the Honours and Distinctions Committee with regard to the relative precedence of the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers and the Honourable ArtiIlery Company meets with the Queen's approval.
The Jersey Militia were brought under the command of the R Mon RE (M) in 2007. The Jersey Militia was formed in 1337 when Edward III ordered "all his faithful peoples of the islands" to be prepared - by forming a militia - for possible war with France.[7] The militia defended the island against several pirate raids, and in 1549 against a French invasion attempt.[8] The militia played a role in the Battle of Jersey, for which its actions gained it the 'Royal' title.[9]
Militia and Militiamen
Militia historically were regarded as light infantry regiments.[10] In recognition of its Light Infantry ancestry the regiment was afforded the right to wear the Militia flash in 1943.[11] A small, light infantry green rectangle, often referred to as the snooker table; worn at the top of the left arm. Soldiers of the regiment are Sappers but also militiamen and wear the militia flash in perpetuity, as observed by Brigadier John Henry Ridge CBE when inspecting troops during the Sapper 300 celebrations in 2016.[12][13]
Current organisation
The current organisation of the regiment is as follows:[14]
Colours of the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers
The regimental museum of the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers is in Monmouth Castle.[22]
Charitable trust
The Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (Militia) Charitable Trust is a wholly voluntary charity that supports the wider life of the Regiment. It was registered in 2002 and is registered (Number 1093105) with the Charity Commission.[23]
Notable Officers
Maj Martha Fairlie, ITV news reporter. Currently OC 225 Field Squadron (Militia).
^"The Oldest V.C. in Britain. - Death at Cwmbran of Rorke's Drift hero". South Wales Argus. 25 November 1932. p. 7. Retrieved 29 October 2024 – via Newspapers.com Archive. He was born on May 24, 1857, at Abergavenny. His father was a gardener who moved to Cwmbran when John was five... He was an adventurous spirit, and he joined the Monmouthshire Militia in 1877, when 20 years of age. After three months with the Militia, he joined the 24th Foot, and to do so ran away from home and gave the name of Williams. He served in the Kaffir and Zulu Wars of 1877-8-9 and later in India until 1883, when, time expired he returned to his home at Cwmbran. But he did not give up his military associations, and joined the 3rd Volunteer Battalion of the South Wales Borderers, in which he held the rank of Sergeant. His eldest son, Tom Fielding, was also a soldier... He was killed on September 26, 1914.
