View source for The Light Infantry

{{about|the former British regiment|the general topic|Light infantry}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name                     = The Light Infantry
| image                         = File:LI-2-Silver.png
| image_size                    = 120px
| caption                       = Cap badge of the Light Infantry
| dates                         = 10 July 1968–1 February 2007
| country                       = 
| allegiance                    = {{flag|United Kingdom}}
| branch                        = {{army|United Kingdom}}
| type                          = Light Infantry
| command_structure             = [[Light Division]]
| role                          = [[Mechanized infantry|Armoured Infantry]] (one battalion)<br />[[Light infantry|Light Role]] (one battalion)
| size                          = Eight Battalions at Max
| current_commander             = 
| garrison                      = 1st Battalion - Paderborn, Germany<br />2nd Battalion - Edinburgh
| ceremonial_chief              = [[Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy|HRH Princess Alexandra]]
| ceremonial_chief_label        = Last Colonel-in-Chief
| colonel_of_the_regiment       = Brigadier TJ Gregson MBE
| nickname                      = 
| identification_symbol         = [[File:Light Infantry TRF.svg|100px]]
| identification_symbol_label   = Tactical Recognition Flash
| motto                         = ''Aucto Splendore Resurgo, Cede Nullis, Faithful''
| colors                        = 
| march                         = Quick - ''Light Infantry'' <br /> Double Past - ''Keel Row''
| mascot                        = 
| battles                       = 
| notable_commanders            = 
| anniversaries                 = [[Battle of Salamanca|Salamanca]] (22 July)
}}

The '''Light Infantry''' was an [[infantry]] [[regiment]] of the [[British Army]], part of the [[Light Division]].  The regiment was one of four 'large' regiments formed after the [[1966 Defence White Paper]] through the amalgamation of units of the [[Light Infantry Brigade]].  Originally consisting of four battalions, it was later reduced to three battalions, and finally amalgamated into [[The Rifles]] with just two battalions which became the 5th and 3rd Battalions respectively.

==History==
The regiment was formed on 10 July 1968 as a [[large regiment]] by the amalgamation of the four remaining light infantry regiments of the [[Light Infantry Brigade]]:<ref name=bau>{{cite web|url=http://british-army-units1945on.co.uk/infantry/light-infantry.html|title=The Light Infantry|publisher=British Army units 1945 on|access-date=24 May 2014}}</ref>
*[[Somerset and Cornwall Light Infantry]] 
*[[King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry]]
*[[King's Shropshire Light Infantry]]
*[[Durham Light Infantry]]

On 31 March 1969 the 4th Battalion The Light Infantry (formerly The Durham Light Infantry) was disbanded leaving three regular battalions.<ref name=bau/>

The regiment was active all through [[The Troubles]] in [[Northern Ireland]] with eight soldiers from the regiment killed in the [[Ballygawley bus bombing]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.lightinfantry.me.uk/ballgawly%20bus%20bombing.htm |title=My account of the Ballygawley bus bombing |publisher=David Herdy 
|date=20 Aug 1988 |access-date=24 May 2014}}</ref>

The remaining battalions remained in service until 1993 when they merged to form two battalions renamed 1st and 2nd Battalions.<ref name=bau/>

==Territorial Army==

*The '''[[Light Infantry Volunteers]]''' was formed in the [[Territorial Army (United Kingdom)|Territorial Army]] on 1 April 1967 from the territorial battalions of the four predecessor regiments. On 1 August 1972 it was redesignated the '''[[5th Battalion, The Light Infantry]]'''. It lost its Cornish company and its last [[County Durham|Durham]] company in 1981, and in 1987 it lost its [[Yorkshire]] companies. On 1 July 1999 it amalgamated to form two companies of the new [[West Midlands Regiment]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://army.mod.uk/wmregt/regimental_history.htm|archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20060810143604/http://army.mod.uk/wmregt/regimental_history.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 August 2006|title=The West Midlands Regiment: Regimental history|publisher=Ministry of Defence|access-date=24 May 2014}}</ref>  The West Midlands Regiment was amalgamated to form the 4th Battalion The Mercian Regiment in 2007. E (LI) Company, 4th Battalion, The Mercian Regiment, was transferred to the newly raised 8th Battalion, The Rifles, in November 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.army.mod.uk/who-we-are/corps-regiments-and-units/infantry/rifles/8-rifles/|title=8 Rifles|publisher=Ministry of Defence|access-date=26 June 2019}}</ref> 
*The '''6th Battalion''' was formed in [[Somerset]] and [[Cornwall]] on 1 April 1971. On 1 July 1999 it amalgamated to form two companies of the new [[Rifle Volunteers]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://british-army-units1945on.co.uk/territorial-army-infantry/rifle-volunteers.html|title=The Light Infantry|publisher=British Army units 1945 on|access-date=24 May 2014}}</ref>
*The '''7th Battalion''' was formed in Durham and Yorkshire on 1 April 1975. It began recruiting from Durham only in 1981. On 1 July 1999 it amalgamated to form one company of the new [[Tyne-Tees Regiment]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.win.tue.nl/~drenth/BritArmy/Lineage/TYNETEES/|title=Tyne-Tees Regiment|access-date=22 May 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011221220/http://www.win.tue.nl/~drenth/BritArmy/Lineage/TYNETEES/|archive-date=11 October 2012}}</ref>
*The '''8th Battalion''' was formed in Yorkshire on 1 January 1987. On 3 August 1996 it was converted to a [[reconnaissance]] unit as the King's Own Yorkshire Yeomanry. On 1 July 1999 it amalgamated to form one company of the new [[East and West Riding Regiment]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.win.tue.nl/~drenth/BritArmy/Lineage/EASTWESTRIDING/|title=The East and West Riding Regiment|access-date=21 May 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071009150636/http://www.win.tue.nl/~drenth/BritArmy/Lineage/EASTWESTRIDING/|archive-date=9 October 2007}}</ref>

==Amalgamation==
In December 2004, it was announced that, as part of the planned Army restructuring published in ''[[Delivering Security in a Changing World]]'', the Light Infantry would gain a new battalion through amalgamating with the [[Devonshire and Dorset Regiment]] and the [[Gloucestershire]] elements of the [[Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment]].<ref name="future">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4102013.stm|title=In detail: Army restructuring plans|date=16 December 2004|publisher=BBC News|access-date=27 September 2016}}</ref> However, on 24 November 2005 it was further announced by the Ministry of Defence that, after discussions between the Light Infantry, the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment, the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment and the [[Royal Green Jackets]], the four regiments would amalgamate to form a single, large regiment to be named [[The Rifles]]. The new regiment was formed on 1 February 2007 with 1st Battalion, The Light Infantry becoming 5th Battalion, The Rifles and 2nd Battalion, The Light Infantry becoming 3rd Battalion, The Rifles.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lightinfantry.me.uk/therifles.htm|title=History of the Light Infantry|access-date=26 April 2014}}</ref>

==Alliances==
*{{CAN}} - [[The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment)]]
*{{CAN}} - [[Le Régiment de Maisonneuve]]
*{{CAN}} - [[The North Saskatchewan Regiment]]
*{{NZL}} - [[Canterbury, and Nelson-Marlborough and West Coast Regiment|The Canterbury, and Nelson-Marlborough and West Coast Regiment]]
*{{PAK}} - [[129th Duke of Connaught's Own Baluchis|11th Battalion]], [[Baloch Regiment|The Baloch Regiment]]
*{{PAK}} - 1st Battalion, [[Sindh Regiment]]
*{{KEN}} - [[1st Kenya Rifles Battalion|1st Battalion, The Kenya Rifles]]
*{{MRI}} - [[Special Mobile Force]]
*{{RSA}} - [[Rand Light Infantry|The Rand Light Infantry]]
*{{RN}} - [[HMS Cornwall (F99)|HMS ''Cornwall'']]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.news.mod.uk/news_headline_story2.asp?newsItem_id=3788 Ministry of Defence Press Release November 2005]{{Dead link|date=August 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
*[http://www.lightinfantry.co.uk/ Light Infantry Committee & Associations]
*[http://www.britisharmedforces.org/li_pages/regiments/li/li_index.htm The Light Infantry]{{Dead link|date=December 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
*[http://www.britisharmedforces.org/li_pages/index.htm British Light Infantry Regiments]{{Dead link|date=June 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=no }}
{{The Rifles}}

[[Category:The Light Infantry]]
[[Category:Light Infantry regiments of the British Army]]
[[Category:British light infantry|Light Infantry]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1968]]
[[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 2007|Light Infantry]]