The 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment
THE REGIMENT AND ITS COUNTY
The Regiment’s 300 plus years of service reflect its long connection
with the County of Cheshire. The County’s respect for its Regiment
is reflected in the number of Boroughs to which The 22nd has the Freedom.
At the time of Local Government Reorganisation in 1974, when many Counties
were in danger of losing their Regiments, The Cheshire Regiment was in
danger of losing its County. The reorganised County of Cheshire lost
to Merseyside and Greater Manchester two of the Regiment’s main recruiting
areas, and gained the traditionally Lancastrian towns of Warrington and
Widnes.
The Cheshire Regiment’s official recruiting area continues to be ‘old’
Cheshire including the Wirral (Merseyside) and Trafford, Stockport and
Tameside south of the River Mersey (Greater Manchester). The Regiment’s
connection with the ‘new’ Cheshire areas of Warrington and Widnes (Halton
Borough) gains strength by the year, and is reflected by the granting of
Freedom of Entry by Halton Borough on 13th December 1988.
More than 90 per cent of the Regular soldiers and almost all the Volunteers
come from within the County. A considerable number of them have relatives
who have served or are serving in the Regiment. One family was represented
by six generations who have served in the Regiment for nearly 160 years.
The Cheshire Regiment is the last remaining Regiment, bearing a County
name, that has never been amalgamated with another Regiment.
FREEDOMS AND PRESENTATIONS
The Regiment has the privilege to have been granted the Freedom of
Entry to the Boroughs listed below. The granting of Freedom status is not
made lightly. It is a great honour and privilege and is recognition
of the long and close relationship between the Regiment and its County
and the esteem each holds for the other. Freedom of Entry allows the Regiment
to march through the streets with ‘drums beating, bayonets fixed and Colours
flying’.
1948 Chester.
1949 Macclesfield (7 Bn).
1960 Birkenhead (4 Bn).
1969 Stockport.
1986 Ellesmere Port & Neston and Crewe & Nantwich.
1988 Vale Royal and Halton.
1989 Congleton.
1996 Wirral.
SPORT
SECONDMENTS
In both World Wars members of the Regiment have served in the newer
branches of the Army on secondment: The Machine Gun Corps and Pioneer Battalions
in World War I: World War II saw the adventurous spirit continued
in Army Commandos, Parachute Regiment and Glider Pilot Regiment: since
the war also in the Army Air Corps, as helicopter pilots, and Special Air
Service.
Pocket History 1,
Pocket
History 2, Pocket History 3 ,
Regimental Information 1,
2,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8,
9,
Links
Return to The Cheshire
Regiment Home Page
This page was created by Eardley Bryan. My e-mail address is
ewh.bryan@ukonline.co.uk