View source for Regiment Infanterie Johan Willem Friso

{{more citations needed|date=November 2016}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name                     = Regiment Infanterie Johan Willem Friso
| image                         = Baretembleem-JWF.jpg
| caption                       = Beret emblem
| dates                         = 1950 – Present
| country                       = {{flag|Netherlands}}
| branch                        = [[Royal Netherlands Army]]
| type                          = [[Mechanized infantry|Armoured infantry]]
| role                          = 
| size                          = One battalion<br>One HQ staff company
| command_structure             = 
| current_commander             = 
| garrison                      = 
| ceremonial_chief              = 
| colonel_of_the_regiment       = 
| nickname                      = 
| patron                        = [[John William Friso]]
| motto                         = 
| colors                        = 
| march                         = 
| mascot                        = 
| battles                       = 
| notable_commanders            = <!-- Insignia -->
| identification_symbol         = 
| identification_symbol_label   = 
| identification_symbol_2       = 
| identification_symbol_2_label = 
}}
The '''Regiment Infantry Prins Johan Willem Friso''' is a line [[infantry]] [[regiment]] of the [[Royal Netherlands Army]]. Named after [[Johan Willem Friso of Orange-Nassau]], it is the oldest and most senior regiment in the current order of battle. The regiment currently serves in the [[mechanized infantry]] role as 44 Armoured Infantry Battalion (44 Painfbat) as part of [[43 Gemechaniseerde (Mechanized) Brigade]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.defensie.nl/organisatie/landmacht/inhoud/eenheden/43-gemechaniseerde-brigade/gevechtseenheden |title=Gevechtseenheden |language=Dutch |publisher=[[Royal Netherlands Army]] |accessdate=10 November 2016}}</ref>

== Naming ==
The regiment was formed during the 1950s, in a major reorganisation of the Royal Netherlands Army (Koninklijke Landmacht) after the end of [[World War II]].

Before 1950 the army consisted of numbered regiment; in 1950 these regiments were changed into named regiments.

The Regiment Infantry Johan Willem Friso was created on 1 juli 1950 as a continuation of the former 1st Regiment Infantry (1 RI) and 9th Regiment Infantry (9 RI). Both 1 RI and 9 RI had always been stationed in the North of the Netherlands: 1 RI in Assen (province of Drenthe) and 9 RI in Leeuwarden (province of Friesland). Therefore, it was decided to name the new regiment after the former Stadhouder of Friesland, Groningen and Drenthe: Johan Willem Friso, Prince of Orange (born 14 August 1687 – died 14 July 1711).

In November 2020, the title of "Prince" was added to the name of the regiment, thereby becoming the Regiment Infanterie Prins Johan Willem Friso.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Defensie|first=Ministerie van|date=2020-11-12|title=Besluit van 26 oktober 2020, houdende het aanvullen van de naamvoering van het Regiment Infanterie Johan Willem Friso met de prinselijke titel|url=https://zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nl/stb-2020-434.html|access-date=2020-11-21|website=zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nl|language=nl}}</ref>

==Battle honours displayed on the colours==
* [[Ten days campaign|Tiendaagse Veldtocht]] 1831
* Citadel van Antwerpen 1832
* [[Police actions (Indonesia)|Java en Sumatra 1946-1949]]
* Noord-Kandahar en Uruzgan 2006

Each member of the 44th armoured infantry battalion (which is part of the regiment) carries a blue lanyard on their uniform in commemoration of their involvement in the UNIFIL peacekeeping operation in Lebanon from 1979 to 1985.

==See also==
* [[Friesland Battalion]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== Bibliography ==

* ''Het Regiment Infanterie Johan Willem Friso H.J. Zwitser en J.P.C.M. van Hoof. uitg Sectie Militaire Geschiedenis Koninklijke Landmacht'', 1999. {{ISBN|90-70677-49-0}}
{{Dutch Regiments}}

[[Category:Regiments of the Netherlands|Johan Willem Friso]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1950]]

{{Netherlands-mil-stub}}