Queen's Lancashire Regiment

THE QUEEN’S LANCASHIRE REGIMENT MEMORIAL

The Regiment was formed in 1970 by the amalgamation of The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) and The Lancashire Regiment (Prince of Wales’s Volunteers) at Connaught Barracks in Dover.

It became Lancashire’s only Infantry Regiment and had held the record of having the most Battle Honours of any Regiment in the British Army, two of these being Quebec and Waterloo where predecessors of The Queen’s Lancashire’s fought with great distinction.

The Regimental family included previous units from the North, South, East and West of Lancashire and its history can be traced as far back as 1689.

The Regiment had the great honour of being the only English Regiment to have Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as its Colonel-in-Chief.

MEMORIALS

There are two memorials dedicated to the memory of The Queen’s Lancashire Regiment.

The first is in the North of England and within the Regiments home area at the Fylde Arboretum in Lancashire.

The second is in Staffordshire at The National Memorial Arboretum.

The Fylde Memorial

The centre piece of this memorial is a 10ft Monolith Stone bearing the cap badge worn by the soldiers of the Regiment. The badge was hand carved into the 5 Tonne sandstone rock.

At the bottom of the stone are the dates the Regiment served its Queen and country, and the Regimental motto “Loyally I Serve”.

Complementing the central stone are to the left a tribute to those who lost their lives whilst on active duty.

All of the men named had worn the badge of the Regiment.

On the right hand side stands a bench with the Regimental crest, The Red Rose of Lancaster charged with a Queen’s Crown at its centre.

On the left of the crest are the dates the Regiment served along with its motto.                                                                                                                                            To the right a map shows the Regiments recruiting area in Lancashire and the Isle of Man.

Listed along the bottom of the bench are the 6 regiments of foot which eventually formed The Queen’s Lancashire’s.

The National Memorial Arboretum Memorial

This memorial is made up of three distinct elements:

The Regimental Flag
The Cap Badge worn by the Regiment’s soldiers
The base foundations

The Regimental Flag:

The colours maroon and black have been used by regimental predecessors since 1878. The black recalls the memory of General Wolfe who was mortally wounded at Quebec. Lincoln green reflects the origins of 3 previous regiments from that county. In the centre of the Flag is the regiments crest. The Red Rose of Lancaster charged with The Queens Crown.

The Cap Badge:

The cap badge consists of the regiments crest within an oval, inscribed with the regiments name. Below that is a scroll on which is written the regimental motto. The Primrose coloured diamond backing has its origins with several units of The East Lancashire’s. Primrose was the facing colour from 1702-1889.

The East Lancashire Regiment wore a white diamond patch on sun helmets whilst in India in 1902. At the battle of the Somme in 1916 they wore patches of primrose on their helmets and sleeves. The Diamond shape and primrose colour were introduced in 1945 by The East Lancashire Regiment.

The Base Foundations:

On the front edge of the base is the regiments motto “Loyally I Serve “
On the left side is the motto of The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) Which translated means “Loyalty Binds me”.
On the right side is the motto of The Lancashire Regiment (PWV) This Latin phrase means “By our deeds we are known”.

Behind the cap badge plinth is a stone beneath which there is a time capsule containing various Regimental Items. The capsule was carried 130 miles from Fulwood Barracks, Preston and placed here on the 13th September 2019, the 260th anniversary of the Battle of Quebec. A picture of the capsule and list of contents are below.

At the Battle of Waterloo in common with all British units a defensive square was formed. After numerous attacks by the French Artillery, Infantry and Cavalry when the advance was ordered a perfect unbroken square of dead remained. The memorial stands on a 5-metre perfect square.

The Queen’s Lancashire Regiment Regimental Artifacts.

Entombed within the Regimental Memorial At the National Memorial Arboretum
On the 13th September 2019 (“Quebec Day” 260th Anniversary)

1.Operational Losses, Roll of Honour.
2.Photo of Painting:Warrant Officer Class2 Darren Leigh MC.
3.Photo of Painting:Lance Corporal Kenneth Cross MM.
4.Regimental Handbook 1997.
5.Photo: Presentation of Colours 1st Battalion On Amalgamation, Dover 1970.
6.Photo: Consecration of Colours, Dover 1970.
7.Presentation of Colours 4th (Volunteer) Battalion, Preston, May 1979.
8.Photo: Queen’s Colour 1st Battalion.
9.Photo: Regimental Colour 1st Battalion.
10.Regimental Emblazon Framed.
11.Inauguration First Day Cover 25th March 1970.
12.The Queen’s Lancashire Battle Honours A4
13.Photo: HM Colonel in Chief displaying the Regimental Brooch escorted by CO 1QLR. Weeton 1990.
14.A Short Regimental History 1689-1970.
15.”QLR Brother” a poem written by Corporal Bill Brookes RIP it is read out at most if not all QLR funerals.
16.Regimental Journal “The Lancashire Lad” The last issue of “the Lad” September 2006 Vol.XVI No3.
17.Copy of the New Testament as issued in 1996
18.Regimental Plaque (Shield) Hand painted.
19.Regimental Quick March – L’attaque CD including music of the Queen’s Lancashire Regiment Band.
20.Pair of issued Drum Sticks.
21.Service of Thanksgiving 1st Battalion Chester 1977.
22.Presentation of New Colours 1st Battalion by HM Weeton 1990.
23.Waterloo Day Parade 1st Battalion Berlin 1993.
24.Plaques and Benches Dedication Ceremony National Memorial Arboretum October 2015.
25.Photo, “Berlin 1992-1994” 1st Battalion on parade.
26.Recruiting poster “300 year’s serving Queen and Country “.
27.Video: The Queen’s Lancashire Regiment Tercentenary VHS format.
28.Bundle of Photographs of the Regiment at Work and Sport.
29.Soldier magazine: “QLR: Last out of Berlin” May 1994.
30.Magazine: The Queen’s Lancashire Regiment Part 1.
31.Red Rose magazines featuring the 1st Battalion in South Armagh, Northern Ireland 1980-81.
32.Red Rose magazines featuring the 1st Battalion in West Belfast, Northern Ireland 1987.
33.UN Blue Beret magazines June and July 1983.
34.Magazine “The Triangle” Op Resolute IFOR. Featuring The Queen’s Lancashire Regiment April 1996.
35.Programme “Farewell to the First Battalion The Queen’s Lancashire Regiment” – Osnabruck July 2006.
36.Regimental Cap Badge OR’s 1970-2003 with Primrose Backing.
1 Pair of Regimental Collar Dogs.
1 Pair of Regimental Shoulder Titles. All on maroon board.
37.1x Regimental Cap Badge OR’s 2003-2006 with Backing.
38.1xBeret with OR’s Cap Badge 1970-2003.
1x Beret with WO1/Officers Cap Badge.
1xBeret UN with Badge.
1xSD Forage Hat WO1/Officers with Badge.
1xNo1 Dress Hat Field Officer with Badge.
1xRegimental Side Hat.
1xQueen’s Lancashire Epaulette/ Slide.
1xTactical Recognition Flash (TRF).
1x UN Armband with Union Flag and UN Badge.
1x Cap Badge Loyal Regiment.
1x Lancastrian Brigade Cap Badge as worn 1958 -1968.
1x Lancashire Regiment Collar Dog (Ich Dien) worn as Cap badge 1968-1970
39.1x Regimental Lanyard.
1x Regimental Maroon Stable Belt.
1x Regimental Tie.
1x Regimental Sports Colours Tie, Green. Presented for representing the Regiment at Sport
40.1x Trade badge: Class 1 Infantry Soldier.
41.Regimental Medal. The Queen’s Lancashire Regiment: Captain A J Chester

“QLR Brother”

A poem written by the Late Corporal Bill Brookes>
It is read out at most if not all Regimental Funerals.

The Last Post plays, the Veterans grow,
Push out their chests, so you will know,
That this Brother they must lay to rest,
Belongs to them the very best.

Then reveille sounds, to alert lost mates,
Let St Peter know, to open up the gates,
Receive our comrade into your ranks,
And accept from us our eternal thanks.

Take care of this soldier, we entrust him to you,
His stag it is over, his duty is through,
So sleep now our Brother, your body at rest,
Your soul has risen to join the best.

And as we raise our glasses in a toast to our friend,
Although we are saddened, we don’t feel it is the end,
Our eyes will tell of the sorrow that is there,
But our hearts are full of the memories we share.

So when we next lay a Brother to sleep,
Remember he has an appointment to keep,
For when we have all made that journey afar,
We will all be re-united as 1QLR.