British Regimental Nicknames.

[leigh kitchen]

Royal Signals - Bleeps.

Welsh guards (cWWII) The Foreign Legion

SAS - Soft & Squeakies

Army Catering Corps - Aldershot Concrete Company

Life Guards / Horse Guards - Tinned Fruits

Manchesters - The Bloodsuckers

Royal Ulster Rifles - The Ulster Giants

The Inniskilling Fusiliers - The Skins, The Skinback Fusiliers

The Essex Regt - The Pompadours

the KSLI - The Elegant Extracts, The Old Brickdusts

The West Kents - The Blind Half Hundred

The Northants Regt - The Black Cuffs, The Steelbacks (Later appropriated by a company of the 5th R Anglians & displayed on their sign in Peterborough, don't know if the RLC unit that they became has continued with the nickname).

The South Lancs - The Excellors (the 1st Bn's old number was "XL").

The Dorsets - The Flamers, Sankey's Horse

Black watch - The Forty Twas

east Yorks - The Snappers (fooled the yanks)

The Beds & Herts - The Old Bucks, The Peacemakers

The Royal Leicestershire Regt - The Liliwhites, The Bengal Tigers

The East Kent Regt (Buffs) - The Buff Howards

South Wales Borderers - Howard's Greens

The KOSB - The Kosbies, The Kolly Olly Birds

The Lancashire Fusiliers - The Minden Boys, Kingsley's Stand.

[Tony Farrell]

Here's my 2d's worth:

The RAF - The Rural Hair Farce
21 & 23 SAS - The Sat'days & Sundays
5th Inniskilling Dragoon Guards - The Fiveskins
Royal Hussars - The Cheerybums or Smacked Arses
ACC - Spud Jugglers
AAC - The Budgies
Int. Corps - The Green Slime

[SHEARING-CROSS]

Falling plates ....

Hello Marcus ,
i too have been told this story is regarding the GREEN JACKETS BUT a former DUKE OF WELLINGTONS col /sgt told me that a few of his regt , were sent out to re train them and it was def : the GREEN HOWARDS ,I presume the confussion is coz they both have GREEN in the name ??

Yes the falling plates were good to shoot at you didn't have to hit them half the time and they fall down......still it was more fun than paste targets

So it was the Green Howards and thats the reason, I think I remember something similar to that being said......another reason was they shot a few of their own blokes I was told ??? And the last 'explanation I gave came from a Green Jacket, they always had some contetion with someone though.

There are a few more 'terms' used but aren't so clean of course.

Kr

Marcus

[SHEARING-CROSS]

Another One...

Just had a call of a mate , he told me a few more .
A.C.C ALDERSHOT CONCRETE COMPANY ( i think that is brill )
GLOUCESTER ,BERKSHIRE , WILTSHIRE REGT this new ...ish regt wears G.B.R so .... hence great big willies ( i think they made this one up themselves )

Hello Marcus ,
i too have been told this story is regarding the GREEN JACKETS BUT a former DUKE OF WELLINGTONS col /sgt told me that a few of his regt , were sent out to re train them and it was def : the GREEN HOWARDS ,I presume the confussion is coz they both have GREEN in the name ??

[Jim Maclean]

Some cavalry nicknames

and some of the origins,


The Life Guards....'Cheesemongers', 'Cheeses' (after the loss of social status in 1788 from being practically a Royal Body Guard and officer training corps.) 'The Piccadilly Butchers' (following riot control action in 1810.) 'The Tin Bellies', 'The tins' (reference to the body armour.)


Royal Horse Guards....'The Oxford Blues', 'The Blues' (from the commander taking over the parliamentarian Col. Unton Crook, the Earl of Oxford. The 'Royals' were raised from a disbanded Parliamentarian troop!)


1st King's Dragoon Guards ...'The Trades Union' (Origin unknown)


The Queen's Bays ......'The Bays' (from 1767 custom of mounting on bays; eventually the official title.) 'The Rusty Buckles' (Resulting from a late issue of brass saddle buckles to replace the old steel type.)

3rd (Prince of Wales's) Dragoon Guards…'The Old Canaries' (from the yellow facings.)

4th (Royal Irish) Dragoon Guards...'The Blue Horse' (eighteenth century, from the facings.) 'The Buttermilks', 'The Mounted Micks'.

5th (Princess Charlotte of wales's) Dragoon Guards.…..'The Green Horse' (from the facings.) 'The Old Farmers' (from long service in Ireland.)

6th Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers) .... 'The Carbs', 'Tichborne's Own'.

7th (Princess Royal's)Dragoon Guards ... 'The Black Horse'(from the facings.) 'The Strawboots' (during the reign of George II the men bound straw around their legs when on service in wet countryside.) 'The Virgin Mary's Bodyguard' (for service in support of the Archduchess Maria Teresa of Austria in eighteenth century.)

1st The Royal Dragoons ..... 'The Birdcatchers' (from the capture of a French eagle, displayed on their guidon and drums, also the regiments mascot 'Jock the goose'; 1922 - 1929 saved from the mess table and presented to King George V.)

The Royal Scots Greys .....'The Bubbly Jocks', 'The Birdcatchers' (Another capture Eagle.)

3rd The King's Own Hussars…. 'The Moodkee Wallahs (from their Battle honours.)

4th Queen's Own Hussars….'Paget's Irregular Horse' (dates from active service in India, 1842.)

5th (Royal Irish) Lancers ....'The Redbreasts' (from facings and plastron.)

6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons ... 'The Black Dragoons' (from early facings)

7th Queen's Own Hussars... 'The Lily-white Seventh'(from facings 1890-1818.) 'The Saucy Seventh', 'The Strawboots', 'Old Straws' (from wet conditions at Werburg 1780.)

8th King's Royal Irish Hussars ...'The Cross-belts' (from wearing sword-belts over the shoulder as in Horse regiments - Dragoons wore them round the waist for distinguished service in Spain 1710.) 'The Twenty-Fives' (arising from long service with the l7th Lancers, with whom close relations developed)

9th Queen's Royal Lancers ...'The Delhi Spearmen' (Battle honours.)

10th Royal Hussars .... 'Baker's Light Bobs' (Valentine Baker was their outstanding C.O.) 'The Chainy Tenth'(from officers' chain belts, c.1810.) 'The China Tenth' (later corruption of the above implying delicate character.) 'The Shiny Tenth (similar corruption.) 'The Shiners' (the regimental version.)

11th Hussars (Prince Albert's Own)…'Lord Cardigan's Bloodhound's' (from their colonel.) 'The Cherry-Pickers' 'The Cherubims' or 'Cherry Bums' (from tight crimson pantaloons and overalls in full dress)

12th Royal Lancers .....'The Supple Twelfth'

13th Hussars ... 'The Green Dragoons' (eighteenth century, from the facings.) 'The Evergreens' 'The Geraniums', 'The Ragged Brigade' (from active service in the Peninsula with Wellington.)

14th (King's) Hussars .... 'The Emperor s Chambermaids' (from Joseph Bonaparte's chamber pot captured by the l4th at Vittoria 1813) 'The Ramnugger Boys' (from action against the Sikhs 1848.)

l5th (The King's) Hussars .. 'The Fighting Fifteenth'

16th (The Queen's) Lancers…. 'The Scarlet Lancers' (from unique scarlet lancer tunic.)

17th (Duke ot Cambridge's Own) Lancers… 'Bingham's Dandies' (from Lord Lucan.) 'The Horse Marines (from an old tradition that the regiment served as marines in the West Indies, 1795.)

l8th (Queen Mary's Own) Hussars ...

'The Drogheda Light Horse' (from the 6th Earl the orignal commander in 1759.)

l9th (Queen Alexandra's Own Royal) Hussars…'The Dumpies' (the Bengal Europeans of 1860 were mostly small men!) 'The Terrors of the East'.

20th Hussars ... 'Nobody's Own'

2lst (Empress of India's) Lancers .....'The Grey Lancers' (from the facings).

[Greeves]

The only one I can add is another for REME: Ruin Everything Mechanical and Electrical.

[leigh kitchen]

Life Guards - The Cheeses

The Blues - Oxford Blues

4th Dragoons - The Blue Horse

7th Dragoons - The Black Horse, The Ligoniers

5th Dragoon Guards - The Green Horse

The 5th R Innis DG - The Skins, The Skillingers

1st R Dragoons - The Birdcatchers

The Royals

R Scots Greya - The Birdcatchers

3rd K. O. Hussars - Lord Adam Gordon's Life Guards

7th Q. O. Hussars - The Strawboots

The Worcestershire Regt -The Ever Sworded, The Vein Openers (shot a few rioters at Boston, probably something to do with a party that got out of hand), Star of The Line, Guards of The Line, The Saucy Greens.

The East Surreys - The Young Buffs, The Glasgow Greys

The Border Regt. - The Castle Reeves,

The South Staffs - The Pump & Tortoise,

The R. Sussex Regt - The Orange Lilies,

The RAPC - The Ink Slingers,

The RAOC - The Sugar Stick Brigade,

RAMC - Linseed Lancers, Castor Oil Dragoons,

KOSB - The Poison Dwarves,

The Wiltshire Regt - The Moon Rakers, The Springers,

York & Lancs Regt - The Twin Roses,

The R. Irish Fusiliers - The Faugh - a - Ballagh Boys

The Rifle Bde - The Green Jackets, The Sweeps,

The Herts Regt - The Herts Giants,

The RASC - The Moke Train, The Commos,

KRRC - The Green Jackets, The Jaggers,

The Welch Regt - The Old Agamemnons, The Ups & Downs,

The R. Berks. Regt - The Biscuit Boys, The East Lancs Regt. - The Lily Whites,

The Glosters - The Old Braggs, The Slashers.

[Steve Manns]

Yet another REME one - The Armoured AA

[MH184]

The Royal Green Jackets had some nicknames from where they recruited from, of course now there is only 1 & 2 left, but 'Fighting Farmers was one the others I can't remember for the life of me.

Kr

Marcus

Slop Jockey's was a term we used for the cooks of course, the 'Truck *uckers were the RCT I think, before they became the mix match of RLC sorts.

[Si1964]

{WWII} RASC Rommels Army Supply Corp after a cock up in N. Africa

[Ciaran Byrne]

Does anybody know why the 5th Royal Irish Lancers were also nicknamed "The Daily Advertisers"?

[Simon O.]

Royal Artillery - Planks
(i believe this one has it's origins in WWI when beams or planks of wood were fastened to the guns wheels to stop them sinking in the mud)

Air Defence branch of the R.A. - Cloud Punchers
Field Artillery branch of the R.A. - Steam Gunners or simply Steamies
Royal Horse Artillery - Donkey Wallopers
ACC - Slop Jockeys
Royal Marines - Royal or Bootnecks
Royal Navy - Matelots
RAF - Crabs
RAF Rgt. - Rock Apes
Commando trained members of the Army - Cabbage heads

[yellow]

If this is your interest you should try....

Our Regiments and Their Glorious Records By Charles white.

Heres the catch......Published 1915.

Tried hard to spot this one for the RASC......couldnt see it so......'Muck Train'.......I did cheat by looking in the above book!

Not in the book as the MGC was around then but .....

MGC....The Suicide Squad

Too many to list in that book.

Steve.

[PHILBROWN]

addits been mentioned before another way, suppose different regiments slightly differ in their slang, but we called the 17th, 21st lancers, bone heads, signals, scaley backs, any scot reg ,sweaty socks, or sweaties, and the best , forgive me ,but any T.A are stabs. stupid t.a bast***swho remembers, bullsh"t 1, immaculate 2 and gungy 3?guess what i was

[findabetterole]

A good thread you've started here 'Leigh'

We 'Bootneck's' used to call the 'Para's': Blood Blisters, or Cherry Heads... refering to the red berrets.

The Royal Green Jackets and The Duke of Wellingtons Regt were refered to as 'Falling Plates'. Unfortunatelly, a derogatory term refering to their 'NI' service!

The Queens Regt: The NUN Shaggers, or Sheep Shaggers.

The Royal Anglian Regt: The Angle Irons.

The Household Cavalry: The Tallyho Brigade.

The Light Infantry: The Turkey Trotters.

All Guards Battalions: The Fence Posts, The Tick-Tocks, or, The Cow-pats... sorry chaps, derogatory terms (1st 2) refering to your Buckingham Palace duties and the 3rd in reference to the light brown berrets.

All Scots Regts: Porridge Gobblers.

The RAF: The Bryllcream Boys, The Tallyho Chaps, The Feather Heads, or, Cloud Pollishers.

The Royal Armoured Corps: The Tin Cans, Ruskie Take-Away, or, Field Kitchens.

The Royal Artillery: Long Range Snipers.

Incidentally, there is a very good book written in the '70's I believe, by: Major R.M. Barnes, entitled?? British Infantry Regiments: 1914. In that publication, Major Barnes gives examples of the regiments various 'Nicknames'. The book is now long out of print, bit its in 'Hardcover', with dimensions of approx: 10"x7"x2". Also listed are the regiment colour facings, button details, regimental line history, when raised, battle honours.... all manner of very interesting detail.

Seph