The anguish is understandable.
The Regimental System of the British Army and followed by the Commonwealth countries like India is an excellent system that ensures camaraderie, loyalty and character qualities that does well in combat.
The feeling is that of being a part of the Family.
If one should even club different types of units but not of the same Regiment and yet of the same community/ clan, it is not the same thing because Regimental Traditions and ethos will be different
Even in regiment, there are units that make up the Regiment. If one is posted (as officers can be posted) to another unit of the same Regiment, it breaks the heart since it is like being sent away from the Family!
Quote:
Loyalty to a regiment or corps is a peculiar characteristic of the British Army: each regiment is a family zealously guarding its heritage and traditions, and during the heyday of this system (1881-1956) personnel were not normally transferred out of the family against their will. This esprit de corps is a nebulous quality that has on occasion snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, but has also been regarded as an inefficient anachronism in the latter part of the 20th century. While there have been several attempts since 1945 to dismantle this system, the Army of the 1990s still thrives on it. Like many British institutions, the regimental system evolved haphazardly rather than by any conscious design.
A battalion is typically an infantry unit consisting of several companies. The battalion is a lieutenant colonel's command. Most regiments in the British Army were originally single-battalion units. While the battalion was the tactical unit, the regiment was its spiritual counterpart. Aristocratic generals owned and controlled and outfitted their regiments. Occasionally a regiment would have multiple battalions, and in the 18th and early 19th century, such multi-battalion regiments were usually called corps.
The Infantry, which has strongly resisted the creation of the "corps of infantry", is special. It is within the Infantry that the uniquely British regimental system has evolved. Administrative reforms in the latter part of the 19th century inadvertently bolstered unit cohesion and esprit de corps. Regular regiments were numbered in order of seniority in 1751, and in 1782 most were accorded a territorial (county) title as well. For almost a century these titles helped foster esprit de corps, but they largely remained a fiction as far as the regiment's territorial identity was concerned. In 1872 Britain was divided into brigade districts, which followed county boundaries, with regular and volunteer units grouped around a regimental depot for administration and basic training. Two regular battalions would theoretically take turns as the home (recruiting and training) and overseas service units. Two Militia battalions would serve as trained reserve in case of local emergency. In 1881 these districts were formally merged into new regimental identities, and the volunteer movement of 1859 was soon linked into the system. The county regiment had thus been solidified, with anywhere between four and a dozen battalions sharing in the regimental family's traditions. An essential ingredient in this mix was two centuries of accumulated glory which translated into tribal distinctions. Regimental cap badges typically embody a symbolic representation of a significant event in the regiment's history.
Key elements of the regimental system are the Colonel and the Colonel-in-Chief. With roots going back to the 18th century when colonels owned and equipped their regiments, the Colonel of today is the head of the family and responsible for the protection of the best interests of the regiment. He is almost always an officer of general rank who at one time served in the regiment. A more ceremonial and visible but equally important position is the Colonel-in-Chief, who is always a member of the royal family. This position helps fuse the regiment into the national fabric. Regiments often take their name from a one-time association with the royal family. Every "King's", "Queen's" and "Prince of Wales's" regiment derives its title from a specific royal who held that title. Once honoured with such a title, the regiment keeps it for life. For example, The Green Howards (Princess of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire) derived its subtitle from its association with Alexandra, consort of Edward VII, while that couple were still the Prince and Princess of Wales -- and the regiment still uses Alexandra's cypher as its badge. Another example is Diana, Princess of Wales, who as Colonel-in-Chief of The Royal Hampshire Regiment became Colonel-in-Chief of a new regiment when it merged in 1992 to form The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment. While Diana relinquished the colonelcy upon her divorce, the regiment continues to bear her title. Due principally to the intermarriage of Queen Victoria's children with foreign royalty, many European monarchs were at one time colonels of British regiments -- including the emperors of Russia and Germany. Still holding such positions are the monarchs of Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands. These colonelcies exist throughout the Commonwealth nations which still recognise the Queen as Head of State.
Although the system which created these unique regiments has been eroded since 1948, the strong identities which it created have persevered. The Regular Army was reduced to single-battalion regiments, and the latter have been subjected to repeated mergers. The Militia was abolished. The Territorial Army has repeatedly seen its battalions severed from their Regular counterparts, particularly in 1967 and again in 1999. Regimental families have been replaced by brigade and division administration schemes. These administrative brigades and divisions (e.g. Lancastrian Brigade, and Queen's Division) should not be confused with tactical brigades and divisions, which are formations.
Regimental System of the British Empire and Commonwealth
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I left by unit in 1999 and yet I will be joining them Sep end as many other officers (at our own expense and serving officers who have been posted out of the unit will have to, in addition, take leave), for our Raising Day (a three day affair of history, nostalgia and reminiscing, apart from having a jolly)!
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"Some have learnt many Tricks of sly Evasion, Instead of Truth they use Equivocation, And eke it out with mental Reservation, Which is to good Men an Abomination."
I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to.
HAKUNA MATATA