Royal Guernsey Militia

Royal Guernsey Militia
Badge of the Royal Guernsey
Active	1337–1946
Country	United Kingdom
Allegiance	The British Crown
Branch	British Army
Type	Militia (United Kingdom)
Role	Infantry and coastal artillery
Size	max 5,000
Garrison/HQ	Guernsey
Mascot(s)	Donkey
Battle honours	Ypres 1916 Passchendaele Cambrai 1917 Lys Estaires Hazebrouck France and Flanders 1917–18.
Disbanded	1951

The Royal Guernsey Militia has a history dating back 800 years. Always loyal to the British Crown, the men were unpaid volunteers whose wish was to defend the Island of Guernsey from foreign invaders.

Militias were also created in the Bailiwick islands of Alderney and Sark as well as in Jersey.

The commander of all military forces in Guernsey has always been appointed by the Crown, originally Wardens or Keepers, sometimes using the title Captain or Governor. Later becoming known as the Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey.

Records indicate that Guernsey had formed an armed body to defend the Island over 800 years ago, in accordance with the order on 24 July 1203 of King John to provide a sufficiency of men and money to defend the Island from the enemy. In 1214 Eustace the Monk, a pirate, based in Sark arrived under orders from the King of France to harry the Channel Islands. In Guernsey he met a newly raised and locally armed defence force comprising the whole manhood of the Island. This could be considered to be the first Island militia.

A Henry III survey dated 1248 records that Islanders were free from (overseas) military service, excepting assisting the Duke of Normandy to recover England if necessary. The Island was invaded in 1294, Castle Cornet was held for several years before the French invaders were repulsed. The militia is first mentioned in 1331. A further French invasion took place in 1336 and was again repulsed.

At the start of the war, that would last for over a hundred years, King Edward III of England authorised Thomas de Ferres in 1337 to “levy and train” militias in the Guernsey, Jersey, Sark and Alderney, to the use of arms and to aray them in thousands, hundreds and twenties. The militias of Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney and Sark can claim to date from 1337, making them the oldest regiments of the British Army. The Sark Militia comprised 40 men known as the Quarantaine.