The Mercian Regiment is one of the new large infantry regiments of the British Army. The regiment's formation was announced on 16 December 2004 by Geoff Hoon and General Sir Mike Jackson as part of the restructuring of the infantry - it will be formed of three regular battalions, plus a TA battalion, and will be created through the merger of three single battalion regiments: August 24 is the 236th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (237th in leap years), with 129 days remaining. ... 2007 (MMVII) will be a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Mechanized infantry are infantry troops provided with trucks, armored personnel carriers (APCs), or infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) for transport and combat. ... Traditionally light infantry (or skirmishers) were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, harassing and delaying the enemy advance. ... Catterick could be Catterick, a village in North Yorkshire, England. ... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England and is the most populous city in the European Union. ... Tidworth is a small garrison town in south-east Wiltshire, England with a growing civilian population. ... The Prince of Wales The Prince Charles, Prince of Wales (Charles Philip Arthur George Mountbatten-Windsor) (born 14 November 1948), is the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. ... A battle honour is an official acknowledgement to recognize a military units achievements in specific wars or operations. ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... December 16 is the 350th day of the year (351st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Geoff Hoon (right) at Pentagon briefing Geoffrey William Geoff Hoon (born December 6, 1953) is a British politician. ... General Sir Michael Jackson, KCB, CBE, DSO, ADC Gen (born 21 March 1944) is a British army officer, former commander of KFor in Kosovo as well as UNPROFOR (see Timeline of UN peacekeeping missions) commander in Bosnia. ... The British Army Infantry Corps comprises 55 battalions of Infantry, from 32 Regiments. ... In the United Kingdom the Territorial Army is a part of the British Army composed of reserve units, or part-time soldiers. ...

• 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment - 1st Battalion
• Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment - 2nd Battalion
• Staffordshire Regiment - 3rd Battalion

The new structure will see the regiment having a single battalion of armoured infantry and two battalions of light role infantry: The 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales Division. ... The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment (29th/45th Foot) is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales Division. ... History The Staffordshire Regiment (Prince of Wales) or Staffords was formed in 1959 by the amalgamation of The South Staffordshire Regiment and the North Staffordshire Regiment (Prince of Wales). The Staffords can trace their history back to 1705 when a regiment known as the 38th Foot was raised at Lichfield... Mechanized infantry are infantry troops provided with trucks, armored personnel carriers (APCs), or infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) for transport and combat. ... Traditionally light infantry (or skirmishers) were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, harassing and delaying the enemy advance. ...

• 1st Battalion, Mercian Regiment (Cheshires) - Light Infantry based at Catterick
• 2nd Battalion, Mercian Regiment (Worcesters and Foresters) - Light Infantry based at Holywood, Northern Ireland
• 3rd Battalion, Mercian Regiment (Staffords) - Armoured Infantry based at Fallingbostel (although it will move there in 2009 from Tidworth).
• 4th Battalion (V), Mercian Regiment - A T.A battalion created from the West Midlands Regiment

It is called the Mercian Regiment as it is generally located within the ancient English kingdom of Mercia. It was expected that the regiment's cap badge would have be a double headed Mercian Eagle with Saxon crown, but this has been rejected by the Army Board due to it's strong Territorial Army connection. The general location of Mercia, along with the other peoples of Britain around the year 600. ... A cap badge is a badge worn on the front of uniform headgear and distinguishes the wearers organisation. ... The famous parade helmet found at Sutton Hoo, probably belonging to King Raedwald of East Anglia circa 625. ... In the United Kingdom the Territorial Army is a part of the British Army composed of reserve units, or part-time soldiers. ...

Formation

The regiment will be formed on August 24, 2007; at this point, 1 CHESHIRE will move to Catterick as part of 4 Mechanised Brigade, becoming 1 MERCIAN. At the same time, 1 WFR will become 2 MERCIAN while on public duties in London, and 1 STAFFORDS to become 3 MERCIAN at Tidworth. August 24 is the 236th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (237th in leap years), with 129 days remaining. ... 2007 (MMVII) will be a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Catterick could be Catterick, a village in North Yorkshire, England. ... Three infantry battalions of the British army are currently tasked with the provision of Public Duties. ... Tidworth is a small garrison town in south-east Wiltshire, England with a growing civilian population. ...

• Regimental Website