Central England Branch Report

The Rifles

Since the last edition of Swift & Bold, The Rifles has been undergoing a communications transformation. This has come about thanks to the vision of the Regimental Secretary, Lt Col (Retd) Peter Balls and supported by RHQ’s new Head of Engagement, Pete Corbin – both familiar with Swift and Bold. In addition, one of the Army Communications digital experts, Susannah Coombs has joined the team making an immediate impact on the regimental social media footprint.

The following update should bring you up to speed on the other changes taking place.

Swift – Regimental Association Website

The website has been transformed in a short period of time and will continue to evolve throughout the year. The navigation, layout and functionality have been improved with a focus on relevancy and content that we hope many veteran Green Jackets will be interested in. Particular areas of interest include the Regions, Media, Events, People, Welfare and Memoriam pages and I encourage you to sign up at: www.theriflesnetwork.co.uk and be active on the site if you aren’t already.

RHQ is working on a new welfare section that will provide a host of new assets, videos and information to help our veterans and that includes those from forming and antecedent regiments.

SWIFT should in no way detract from the RGJ website, but rather supplement and support it with information and events that I hope many of you can relate to and want to be involved in.

Bugle Magazine and Fix Swords

In the media section of the website you can find assets that include a new monthly newsletter called Fix Swords! This gives a snapshot of what is going on across the battalions and regions with an RHQ update that fills in any wider initiatives. Also featured is the Bugle magazine, which now comes out twice-yearly and in a different format from previous editions at only 80 pages long. You can subscribe direct to Bugle (as one can for The Rifles Chronicle) through the Admin page on SWIFT for a hard copy, or alternatively read the online version through the site or via the app, which can be downloaded direct to your mobile phone.

Regimental Update

On the 1 February The Rifles recognised their 14th birthday by sending out a video message from the 8 battalions that was shared across our social media channels and the Regimental Association website, SWIFT. The cap badge might be different but the sense of identity and camaraderie amongst the Riflemen has not changed down the years and that shines through in the video.

Rifles Foundations and Characteristics

Naturally, over time any organisation will evolve, and The Rifles is no different. To recognise these changes our media team released an update called The Foundations and Characteristics of The Rifles that recognises what it means to be a 21st Century Rifleman.

This update was born out of research by an all-ranks group of individuals from across the Regiment, who were asked what it meant to be a Rifleman in the modern day. Their findings constitute the groundwork of this important document which not only spells out what Riflemen stand for, but what it means to be in The Rifles, and identifies the key characteristics that make up their DNA and why they are so unique from other parts of the army. Many of these traits I know you will identify with as former Green Jackets.

The Characteristics of The Rifles were sent out with an accompanying letter from the Colonel Commandant, General Sir Patrick Sanders to Riflemen serving away from the Regiment on duty as well as to key individuals within the Cadet, Association and Communities pillars. Over the coming year the battalions have been tasked with producing a short video around each of the seven Characteristics and you will see these being dripped through into RIFLES social media channels, and on SWIFT throughout 2021. Please keep a beady eye out for them.

In addition, you will see a new page on SWIFT called #ProudRfn. Within it you can access further information about the initiative, including the hashtags mentioned.

Rifles County Brochures

Everyone recognises that the success of The Rifles is built on the foundations of the antecedent and forming regiments and are rightly proud of its historical connections. To capitalise on that we decided 18 months ago to raise the awareness of our UK-wide footprint, and national regiment tag by creating County and City brochures that clearly stated where we had a vested interest and historical connection.

These were sent out to key influencers across business, politics and wider community who are connected to the regiment and I can report they have been extremely well received. If you are a member of SWIFT you can see them under the Regions pages or, if not signed up yet, through the front end of the site under Local Ties. The historical importance we give to our heritage of such outstanding infantry regiments like The Royal Green Jackets is obvious.

Pete Corbin

Rifles Head of Engagement

Nick Haynes and Ted Evelegh ‘Myths and Misconceptions’ about ‘The Rearguard’

J P Beadle’s ‘The Rearguard’ RHA Inset from ‘The Rearguard’

Henry’s Military General Service Medal 1848 with clasp for the cavalry action at Benevente on 29 December 1808

The Regiment, now The Rifles, is fortunate to possess one of the great images which goes to the heart of its culture – JP Beadle’s ‘The Rearguard’. The mounted officer in the forefront is, of course, Brigadier General Robert ‘Black Bob’ Craufurd. With him are a group of 2/95th with the 2/52nd behind them. The 1/43rd are not depicted. An image so fundamental to the Regiment’s ethos, requires explanation. The title of this article arises as a result of the explanatory note beside the copy of the painting which hangs outside the Peninsular Room in the Cavalry & Guards Club (C&GC). The C&GC’s narrative contains details which are inaccurate and misleading and so are being updated. ‘A’ (Hew Dalrymple Ross’s) Troop, RHA, now ‘A’ Battery (the Chestnuts) 1 RHA, has a wonderful bond and association with The Rifles via Craufurd’s Light Division, the 95th, the Rifle Brigade and the Royal Green Jackets. But that dates from the formation of the Light Division in 1810. ‘A’ Troop did not take part in the Corunna Campaign. They arrived in the Peninsula in June 1809 with the re-constituted Light Brigade under Craufurd. The only two RHA troops in the Corunna Campaign were Captain Thomas Downman’s ‘B’ Troop and Captain Henry Evelegh’s ‘C’ Troop. So, the four guns depicted by Beadle in his painting are from one of these two troops. We know they’re horse artillery as all horse gunners were mounted so they could keep up with the cavalry they were designed to support. Some of the gunners in the painting are on foot but this is no surprise as, like the marching men, the number and condition of the cavalry and artillery draught horses diminished rapidly as the Campaign went on. No guns accompanied the two Light Brigades which went to Vigo. More on that later and on another misconception that The Rifle Brigade commissioned the painting. Nick: While musing about the updating of the C&GC description, I ran into Ted Evelegh, who served in the Regiment, as had his father, Colonel Robin, my first CO, before him. Ted had a particularly strong reason to be intrigued by the painting because Henry Evelegh was his great great great grandfather. Ted: I had been told several times that the guns in the top left corner of the painting were ‘of your relative in the Chestnut Troop’. When I was in Celle in the 80s, the Chestnut Troop was based in Hohne. I asked our RHA FOO if he knew of my ancestor Henry but he replied it meant nothing. Nearly 40 years later, in 2019, I met Nick Haynes forming up to march at the Winchester Reunion. He set me right; Henry Evelegh was there and commanded ‘C’ Troop