Surrey Army Cadet Force Online

Surrey Army Cadet Force is affiliated to the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment of the Regular Army. This means that all of our Cadets and Instructors proudly wear the cap badge of the Regiment.

The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshire's) is the senior English Infantry Regiment of the Line. It was formed on the 9th September 1992 by the amalgamation of The Queen's Regiment and The Royal Hampshire Regiment and is the County Infantry Regiment of Surrey, Kent, Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, the Channel Islands and Middlesex.

:: Regimental Capbadge

The Regimental Cap Badge is a composition of the badges of the forebear regiments. The Dragon was awarded to the Buffs, in recognition of their Tudor origin. It was a rare distinction for a Regiment to be so honoured in those days and it is one of the earliest known Regimental badges.

Below the Tudor Dragon is the Hampshire Rose as awarded to the Trained Bands of Hampshire who fought so gallantly for King Henry V at Agincourt in 1415.

The surrounding device inscribed with the motto 'Honi soit qui mal y pense' (Shame on him who thinks ill of it), is a garter as awarded to the knights of the Order of the Garter, England's oldest Order of Chivalry, founded by King Edward III in 1348.

The feathers above the Tudor Dragon are the ostrich plumes worn by the Black Prince at the Battle of Crecy in 1346. The 15th Prince of Wales considered the East Middlesex Regiment to be deserving of his plumes for its exploits in India. The Award was given the King's approval in 1810 and was subsequently included in the badge of the Middlesex Regiment.

You can learn more about PWRR history and famous battles: click here

:: The Regiment Today

The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (PWRR) is part of The Queen's Division of Infantry. The Regiment has two regular battalions: 1 PWRR based in Germany (a Warrior battalion) and 2 PWRR, soon to be based in Cyprus. In the Territorial Army, the Regiment has one battalion (3 PWRR, with locations all around the South East) and in London it is represented by B (Queen's Regiment) Company, The London Regiment.

The Regimental Headquarters is in Canterbury and the Western Headquarters is in Winchester. The main Regimental Museums are in Dover Castle and Serle's House, Winchester.

[PWRR Website]

:: Regimental Days

Three important anniversaries are celebrated as Regimental Days:

Albuhera Day on 16th May honours the exceptional bravery of the 3rd, 31st and 57th Regiments of Foot at the Battle of Albuhera in 1811 during the Peninsular War.

Minden Day on 1st August recalls the Battle in 1759 when the 37th Foot was one of six battalions of British Infantry which defeated massed squadrons of French cavalry for the first time.

Salerno Day on 9th September celebrates the famous landings in Italy in 1943. Uniquely at this battle there were two brigades of Queen's battalions and one brigade of Hampshire battalions. For this reason the present Regiment was formed on this anniversary.

:: Private Johnson Beharry VC

Private Johnson Gideon Beharry is the most recent recipient of Britain's highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy, The Victoria Cross. Private Beharry is also a soldier in The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment.

The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment now has 58 recipients of the Victoria Cross earned since the award was instituted. The Victoria Cross is a plain bronze cross cast from the bronze cannon captured during the Crimean War.

Private Beharry carried out two individual acts of great heroism by which he saved the lives of his comrades. Both were in direct face of the enemy, under intense fire, at great personal risk to himself (one leading to him sustaining very serious injuries). His valour has been recognised as being worthy of the highest recognition.

:: Honours and Awards - Iraq 2004

During 2004 the 1st Battalion, The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment served a tour of Iraq in the Maysan Province and the Al Amarah. 1 PWRR Battle Group faced the most constant period of conflict of any British Army unit since the Korean War. The Battle Group in Maysan Province faced over 100 contacts in one day alone and close to 900 during the whole tour. Every single man who deployed with the Battalion on Operation Telic has been in some form of contact. Along with other attached units, such as a platoon from the Argyle and Sutherland highlanders and officers and men from the 2nd and 3rd Battalions, "the men performed outstandingly. Not one faltered. Nobody gave anything less than his best. They faced attack, danger and heat with courage, determination and humour. If the older and bolder are wondering if the younger "Play Station" generation are as good as before I can reassure them that they are. You would have been proud of them."

Some of the awards earned on this tour are listed below.

Victoria Cross	Private Johnson Gideon Beharry VC
Conspicuous Gallantry Cross	Sergeant C M Broome CGC
	Sergeant T A Thompson CGC
Distinguished Service Order	Lieutenant Colonel M P Maer DSO MBE
	Major J C Coote DSO
Military Cross	Major J B Featherstone MC
	WO2 D G Falconer MC
	Sergeant D A Perfect MC
	Corporal M R Myles MC
	Corporal S V E Robson MC
	Lance Corporal B Wood MC
	Private T O'Niell Samuels MC
Member of the British Empire	WO2 D E Norman MBE

:: Latest News

Surrey Cadets Support TA100 Army Benevolent Fund & BLESMA

In support of the TA and working for the benefit of soldiers in need were Surrey Army Cadets from Guildford, Merrow, Cranleigh and Haselmere Detachments led by 2Lt Adrian Paice. A total of £2,671.97 was raised by the cadets.