The King’s Shropshire Light Infantry | |
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Regimental cap badge of the King's Shropshire Light Infantry.
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Active | 1881–1968 |
Country | United Kingdom |
Branch | British Army |
Type | Infantry |
Role | Light infantry |
Size | 1–2 Regular battalions 1–3 Volunteer and Territorial battalions Up to 6 hostilities-only battalions |
Part of | Light Infantry Brigade (1948 to 1968) |
Garrison/HQ | Copthorne Barracks, Shrewsbury |
Motto(s) | Aucto Splendore Resurgo ("I rise again with increased splendour") |
Colors | burgundy, gold, dark blue and dark green |
March | Quick : 1st Bn : "Old Towler" - 2de Bn : "The daughter of the regiment" |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders |
Charles Edmond Knox Raymond Northland Revell Reade |
The King's Shropshire Light Infantry (KSLI) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in the Childers Reforms of 1881, but with antecedents dating back to 1755. In 1968, the KSLI, after serving in the Second Boer War, World War I and World War II, was merged with the Somerset and Cornwall Light Infantry, the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry and the Durham Light Infantry to form The Light Infantry. In February 2007, The Light Infantry was amalgamated with the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment, the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment and the Royal Green Jackets to become part of the new large regiment, The Rifles.
The King's Light Infantry (Shropshire Regiment) was formed on July 1, 1881, as the county regiment of Herefordshire and Shropshire as part of the Childers Reforms. It was renamed as The King's (Shropshire Light Infantry) in March 1882.
The regiment was an amalgamation of the 53rd (Shropshire) Regiment of Foot and the 85th (King's Light Infantry) Regiment of Foot, which became the regular 1st and 2nd Battalions. The 1881 reforms also redesignated the militia and rifle volunteers units within the regimental district as battalions of the regiment. Accordingly, the Shropshire Militia and Royal Herefordshire Militia became the 3rd and 4th (Militia) Battalions respectively, and the 1st and 2nd Shropshire Rifle Volunteer Corps became the 1st and 2nd Volunteer Battalions. The 1st Herefordshire (Herefordshire and Radnorshire) Rifle Volunteer Corps was also affiliated as a volunteer battalion, without change of title.