The Regiments listed below, which were allied to our former Regiments, are allied to The Light Infantry.
THE CANADIAN ARMY
THE NEW ZEALAND ARMY
2nd Battalion. The Royal New Zealand Regiment (Canterbury, Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast)
The alliance between the Durham Light Infantry and 2nd Battalion RNZIR has always been fairly elastic owing to the distance involved. The association between the two Regiments was officially established in 1913 and since that date every opportunity has been taken to maintain contact.
Not listed as an alliance of The Light Infantry was that of The Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry with The Hauraki Regiment of the New Zealand Military Forces. The affiliation with the Hauraki Regiment was made just prior to the 1914-18 war. Further details are available.
Not listed as an alliance of The Light Infantry was that of The K.O.Y.L.I and the 51st Australian Infantry Battalion - the Far North Queensland Regiment. In 1965, it was described thus:
The affiliation between the K.O.Y.L.I. and a Regiment of the Australian Army began in 1929 when King George V approved the alliance with the 51st Battalion of the Citizen Military Forces. This Battalion was then in New South Wales. In October, 1936, the title of the 51st was transferred to Queensland and called the Far North Queensland Regiment, retaining the Battle Honours gained by the old 51st in the South African War and the Great War.
When Japan entered the Second World War, the Citizen Military Forces were placed on full-time duty for Home Defence, the 51st being responsible for a stretch of the Queensland coast. Later the Battalion, combined with the 31st, saw service in Dutch New Guinea and in the Japanese occupied Solomon Islands. The 51st was disbanded in 1946. In 1964/65 the Australian Army was reorganised and the 51st Battalion was re-established on a restricted basis at Cairns, Queensland. There was no authorised affiliation with that Battalion but they were in touch with the K.O.Y.L.I. and exchanged greetings.
THE KENYA ARMY
1st Battalion. The Kenya Rifles
The Kenya Army was formed in 1963. The First Battalion, The Kenya Rifles was formed in 1964 and they invited Brigadier A J Hardy CBE, late KSLI, (at that time Army Commander) to use his good offices to secure agreement from the Colonel of the Regiment (General Sir Geoffrey Musson) to an alliance between themselves and the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry.
THE PAKISTAN ARMY
11th Battalion, The Baluch Regiment
The alliance between the 11th Baluch and The Durham Light Infantry was achieved after the 1939-1945 war, 11th Baluch and 1st Battalion The Durham Light Infantry having fought side by side in the same brigade throughout the Italian campaign.
1st Battalion The Sind Regiment
In July 1962 the Adjutant-General wrote to all Colonels of Regiments asking them to accept alliances with the Pakistan Army. From a list supplied, General Goldsmith on behalf of The Somerset and Cornwall Light Infantry submitted three choices to the Adjutant-General, from which we were allotted the 13th Baluch.
Final approval by Her Majesty The Queen and the President of Pakistan was given in April 1966. Army Order 27 of 1966 published the authority.
13 Baluch were re-named as 1 SIND in 1980 as part of the ethnic reorganisation of the Pakistan Army.
MAURITIUS
In November 1970 an alliance between the Mauritius Special Mobile Force and the Light Infantry was approved. The alliance was requested by the Government of Mauritius in recognition of the services of the 1st Battalion The King’s Shropshire Light Infantry whilst stationed there in 1968 for which they were awarded the Wilkinson Sword of Peace.
HMS INVINCIBLE
HMS INVINCIBLE was the first of three INVINCIBLE CLASS carriers built for the Royal Navy. Completed in 1979 by Vickers.
An affiliation between the Light Infantry and HMS Invincible was approved by the Commander-in-Chief Fleet (Admiral Sir James Eberle KCB) on 18 December, 1979. As formal affiliations between HM Ships and other branches of the British Forces are not now recognised, this is now termed a "Bond of Friendship".
AUSTRALIAN MILITARY FORCES
In September 1981 an alliance between the Monash University Regiment of the Australian Citizen Military Forces (Army Reserve) was approved. The alliance was requested by Brigadier I H Lowen OBE ED, Honorary Colonel, Monash University Regiment.
HMS CORNWALL
Type 22 Batch 3 Frigate
An affiliation between the Light Infantry and HMS Cornwall was formalised in April 1988. As formal affiliations between HM Ships and other branches of the British Forces are not now recognised, this is now termed a "Bond of Friendship".
SOUTH AFRICAN DEFENCE FORCES
The Rand Light Infantry |
