Guards Division
title: "Guards Division" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["guards-division-(united-kingdom)", "infantry-divisions-of-the-united-kingdom", "military-units-and-formations-established-in-1968", "military-units-and-formations-disestablished-in-2022"] topic_path: "geography/united-kingdom" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guards_Division" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
The Guards Division was an administrative unit of the British Army responsible for the training and administration of the regiments of Foot Guards and the London Guards reserve battalion. The Guards Division was responsible for providing two battalions for public duties to London District (plus three incremental companies); although the guards are most associated with ceremony, they are nevertheless operational infantry battalions, and as such perform all the various roles of infantry. In 2022, the Guards Division was renamed as the Guards and Parachute Division.
Current units
As of 2020, units comprised the Guards Division Headquarters, at Wellington Barracks, Westminster:
Guards battalions:
- 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards
- 1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards
- 1st Battalion, Scots Guards
- 1st Battalion, Irish Guards
- 1st Battalion, Welsh Guards
- 1st Battalion, London Guards (Reserve)
- Ypres Company, Grenadier Guards, in Kingston upon Thames
- No 17 Company, Coldstream Guards, in Hammersmith
- G (Messines) Company, Scots Guards, in Clapham Junction
- No 15 (Loos) Company, Irish Guards, in Camberwell
Guards incremental companies:
- Nijmegen Company, Grenadier Guards
- No 7 Company, Coldstream Guards
- F Company, Scots Guards
- No 9 Company, Irish Guards
- No 12 Company, Irish Guards
Past units
Past units include (dates when they were part of the division):
- 2nd Battalion, Grenadier Guards (1968–1994), reduced to Nijmegan Company
- 2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards (1968–1993), reduced to No. 7 Company
- 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards (1968–1971, reduced to 2 Scots Guards Company in 1st Battalion, re-instated 1972–1993), reduced to F Company
- Band of the Grenadier Guards (1968–1994), transferred to Royal Corps of Army Music (CAMUS) on formation of that corps
- Band of the Coldstream Guards (1968–1994), transferred to CAMUS
- Band of the Scots Guards (1968–1994), transferred to CAMUS
- Band of the Irish Guards (1968–1994), transferred to CAMUS
- Band of the Welsh Guards (1968–1994), transferred to CAMUS
- London Regiment (2017–2022), redesignated as London Guards
Note: The three 2nd battalions have technically not been disbanded; instead they are in "suspended animation" and, in theory, can be re-raised if needed. The colours and traditions of each battalion are kept and maintained by the incremental companies.
Telling the regiments apart
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Trooping_the_Colour_2018_(12).jpg" caption="Two officers and a Warrant Officer class I of the Irish Guards – in this image the blue plume can be seen on the right hand side of the bearskin, the tunic buttons are grouped in fours, and the shamrock badge is on the collar. The Officer on the far side has a parachute badge indicating he's trained to deploy as a parachutist."] ::
The five regiments of foot guards are most often seen in full dress uniform, comprising navy trousers, scarlet tunic and bearskin cap. From a distance they appear identical, but there are ways to distinguish between the regiments:
- The colour of the plume, and which side of the bearskin it is worn on
- The spacing of the tunic buttons
- The badge worn on the collar
- The badge worn on the shoulder
::data[format=table]
| Regiment | Plume | Plume colour | Button spacing | Collar badge | Shoulder badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grenadier Guards | Left | White | Singly | Grenade | Royal Cypher |
| Coldstream Guards | Right | Red | Pairs | Garter Star | Rose |
| Scots Guards | Threes | Thistle | Thistle Star | ||
| Irish Guards | Right | Blue | Fours | Shamrock | St Patrick Star |
| Welsh Guards | Left | Fives | Leek | Leek | |
| :: |
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/British_Army_Guards_officers_stars.jpg" caption="The rank insignia for officers are also differentiated by what specific stars are used.
Left to right: Rank slides used by Grenadier, Coldstream, and Welsh Guards. Rank slides used by Scots Guards. Rank slides used by Irish Guards. Standard rank slides used by other army officers."]
::
Guards Parachute Platoon
6 Platoon, B Company, 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment is manned by volunteers from the Guards Division and Household Cavalry
UK Special Forces
Although no longer directly associated with the Guards, G Squadron 22 SAS was formed in 1966 following the performance of the Guards Independent Parachute Company under Major LGS Head in support of SAS Operations in Borneo.
Notes
References
Sources
References
- Heyman, p.88
- "Army 2020 Report".
- "Letter regarding 'The Integrated Review'".
- Whitaker's Almanack 1969
- (2007-12-18). "Brigade of Guards [UK]".
- (2007-12-18). "2nd Bn, Scots Guards: Service".
- (31 May 2018). "@wildbill_Will Some will go to the Guards Parachute Platoon on a two year posting and join them on their Op Toral t…".
- "The Parachute Regiment".
- "Guards Parachute Platoon, 3 PARA {{!}}ParaData".
- Secret War in South East Asia, Peter Dickens, Greenhill Books, London, Page 211
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