1.THE HONOURABLE ARTILLERY COMPANY

Formed in 1296,recieving a Royal Charter in 1537.They fought for the Parliamentarians in the English Civil War
Now a Territorrial(Reservist)Unit

2.ROYAL MONMOUTHSHIRE ROYAL ENGINEERS

Formed in 1539 it has precedence over the HAC due to its unbroken service to the Crown..Again,now a Territorial Army Unit


3 . THE BUFFS

Formed in 1572 from London's Militia to support the Protestants in Holland.They returned to England on the outbreak of the Anglo-Dutch War in 1665.They are now part of "The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment..Itself soon to be amalgamated.

4.THE ROYAL SCOTS(THE ROYAL REGIMENT)

Formed by Charles I IN 1633 to fight for France in The Thirty Years War.The Royal Scots are the oldest line infantry Regiment in the British Army.
Soon to become a battalion in TheRoyal Scottish Regiment

5.THE COLDSTREAM GUARDS

A Parliamentarian Regiment formed during the English Civil War originally named General Monck's Foot.They were named Coldstream after Monck's march from Coldstream to London in 1660.They have the longest continuous service in the British Army

6.THE ROYAL HORSE GUARDS AND THE LIFE GUARDS

Formed again from a Parliamentarian Unit in 1656.The latter are the oldest Cavalry Regiment becoming the Bliues and Royals,whearas the latter were raised in 1658,a troop for the protection of the exiled CharlesII

7.FIRST FOOTGUARDS.

Formed in 1656 and then becoming The Grenadier Guards after their role in Waterloo.They were created as Charles II bodyguard when he returned to Englabd from Holland in 1660


(Source Nicholas Hobbes)

I'm interested to hear of any other nationalities oldest Fighting Formations here?
I believe the Ist U.S Infantry Div has its roots in the War of Independence?
As does the U.S.M.C?
Please post and let me know! ;)

This is what I came up with:

3rd Infantry reg.

The 3rd Infantry Regiment was originally activated as the 1st American Regiment on 3 June 1784. The Unit was redesignated as the 3rd US Infantry in May-October 1815. The unit was inactivated on 20 November 1946. The regiment was reactivated on 6 April 1948. The Military District Washington Ceremonial Company became A Company in 1950.

Interesting to think about how long some of these have been around. ;)

My favourite Regiment, not the oldest - but almost certainly with the richest history

The Royal Greenjackets - Previously 95th Light Infantry.

I think that covers it. I have read a few books on these guys, and they were real men B)

The oldest US Army units are generally going to be National Guard types, which would trace their lineage back to the colonial militias, etc. Most, if not all of them, are going to have different names, since the US Army is organized quite a bit differently now. After the revolution, there was also the matter of most of the standing military being disbanded.

According to some random site about old USA units, two MA NG infantry units (181st, 182nd) trace their history back to the "North Regiment," organized in 1636.

The 101st Engineer Battalion (MA NG) comes from the "East Regiment," also 1636.

There are a few more, from CT, MA, and VA, which are listed as being established pre-1700.

The oldest "regular army" unit would be the 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery. They can trace their roots back to the New York Provincial Company of Artillery, organized in 1776.

The USMC was formed in 1775 as the Continental Marines, but were disbanded along with the USN in 1785. They were (re)established as US Marines in 1798. The 1st Marine Regiment was formed in 1911 in Guantanamo Bay, but the 1st Marine Division wasnt established until 1941.

Fun USMC fact: When the British were busy burning nearly every public building in DC, they decided to spare the USMC barracks there.

Anyhow, here's the Army site I came across after a quick search:

http://www.mmmsmilitaryhistory.net/index.htm

US military units, naturally, arent going to be nearly as "established" as some British, etc, units, but I was pretty suprised at the apparent age of some of these.

Oh..and dont forget the USS Constitution, commissioned in 1797, currently the oldest commissioned ship on earth still afloat. :)



:wub:

edit: Good Christ! I wasnt aware just how well armed the Constitution was. According to Wikipedia, she had some serious teeth:

Armament: 32 × 24 pounder (11 kg) long gun
20 × 32 pounder (15 kg) carronade
2 × 24 pounder (11 kg) bow chasers

And a hell of alot of armor too, oak planking if I remember, which British cannonshells bounced off of during the War of 1812 forever earning her the nickname "Old Ironsides."

The HMS Victory is the oldest commissioned warship in existence, though. And it may be in dry-dock, but its been undergoing a constant renovation project for the last 80 years, when it was taken from where it was still afloat to be saved. I have little doubt that it could sail again if they wanted it to.

Oldest Irish Regiments in British Service:

Royal Irish Regiment - 1684 - Disbanded in 1922 after the formation of the Irish Free State.

Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers - 1688 - Fought under William of Orange at the Boyne.

5th Royal Irish Lancers - 1689 - Fought at the Boyne and Aughim.

The Connaught Rangers "The Devil's Own" - 1793 - Possibly one the finest groups to ever serve Ireland. And are still an active Battalion within the Irish Defence Forces.

In other words, shes not afloat. ;) I wonder...Do they have any plans to bring the Victory out of dry dock? They should...Would be quite nice to see another old sailing ship cruising around (sort of...the Constitution doesnt really "cruise around" very much).

Damn my connection. It sometime takes me 10 minutes to get back into a post because it just decides to randomly crap out. :angry:

I know :P but she's in good enough condition to be afloat. The only difference is that Victory became a museum whereas Constitution seems to have become an exhibition ship, and so it was more practical to take her out of the water.

Does the RN operate any older sailing ships in that manner? If not, its too bad, given their history.

I think it has a few around, but I don't think it sails them around, rather opens them to be explored by the public. I know it has a convict ship called the "Success" launched in 1841 somewhere, and that is still afloat. But it's not nearly as famous. And the HMS Belfast is moored right in the middle of London as a floating museum, right down the Thames, but that is a WWII-era ship.

HMS Warrior (1860) is still afloat, at the dockyards just down from Victory, although she isn't in commission.

"Upon launching, it was claimed that she could have fought every known ship in the world and come away with little real damage to show for the effort."

Her ability to sail in the open ocean at speeds up to 14 knots was incomparable to the Union and Confederate ironclads built during the American Civil War. The Warrior was as well protected as the CSS Virginia, and boasted broadsides of six 100-pound Armstrong breech loading cannon, four 40-pound Armstrong breech loaders, and thirteen 68-pound smoothbore cannon. She and her sistership, the HMS Black Prince, commonly lay anchored at Spithead, their black hulls in marked contrast to the old checkered sides of the now obsolete ships-of-the-line which shared their anchorage.

The Connaughts were mentioned by Hobbes Fianoglach!
But I thought it prudent not to mention them ,with them being disbanded in 1922,they were no longer a British Unit.
I note your point with interest ,have their honours been transferred to the Irish Defence Force?
i know the "Irish Rangers" are your Special Forces unit.
Please check back Fianoglach!! ;)

No the honours have not been transferred to the IDF unit. As currently the Rangers do serve as our special forces / CT unit. They do have the Regimental flags hanging in Church of Saint Nicholas in Galway City. And the old Barracks of the unit (now an active IDF barracks) has a museum of sorts celebrating the Rangers history in India, South Africa, and The First World War.

Aside from the Connaughts, the best known Irish regiment i can think of is the Irish Guards.

But fair play to whoever it was who mentioned the Royal Green Jackets, their regimental museum is about 20 minutes from where i live (their museum is in Winchester, next to the Gurkha museum). Very interesting history, and a fantastic regiment thats got a bundle of honours.

My brother is currently serving with the Micks, and I hope to be aswell in 4 months! The best known Irish Unit indeed, unfortunately they've only been around for 100 years, so by no means mentionable in the 'Oldest Regiment' Thread ;)