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2006 - Present Day
On 12th May 2006, the London Regiment transferred from the Queen's Division to the Household Division. The Regiment's F and G (Royal Green Jacket) Companies came under command of the Royal Rifle Volunteers preparatory to that regiment becoming 7th Battalion, The Rifles. The London Regiment is now tasked with operational support to any of the Foot Guards regiments requiring it, but within the London Regiment there is a specific pairing of companies to the Guards: The London Scottish is paired with the Scots Guards, the London Irish with the Irish Guards, the Fusilier Company with the Grenadier Guards and the Queen's Regiment Company with the Coldstream Guards. HQ Company is paired with the Welsh Guards and, to give the Welsh Guards an infantry focus to link to, rifle platoons stripped out of the other companies are to be established under HQ Company. The departing F (RGJ) Company had the London Regiment's Mortar Platoon, and with both the London Scottish and Queen's Regiment Companies having Machine Gun Platoons, the London Scottish was tasked to establish a new Mortar Platoon. This is located at the Catford outlying platoon location. The Permanent Staff Instructors (Regular Senior NCOs supervising training in TA units) are to come from the newly associated regiments and the London Scottish has already welcomed both a new Senior PSI and a Mortars PSI from the Scots Guards, saying farewell to a long association with the Highlanders and Gordon Highlanders before them.
With the new alignment within the Household Division, London Scottish soldiers now wear the blue-red-blue Tactical Recognition Flash (TRF) of the Guards on the right shoulder of their uniform and have lost the blue thistle on Hodden Grey that had been worn since the late 1990s. Rumours of the adoption of a common London Regiment cap-badge, Guards khaki berets and the loss of stable belts all abounded in the run up to the 2006 re-alignment. However, all regimental councils voted against this and the GOC LONDIST confirmed that this was not to happen. The Guards are pleased to have the London Scottish in support of them, and are equally happy for the distinctions of uniform to continue. In the meantime, the London Regiment Battalion HQ continued to use the 1999-2006 design of the London Regiment device, rather than reverting to the 1993-1999 version. However this has now been replaced with a Guards style Cap Star designed by the London Scottish Regimental Colonel, Colonel David Rankin-Hunt, for use of the London Regiment, but not as a cap badge.
The benefit of the new alignment with the Guards swiftly materialised. The London Regiment's mobilised Company for Op HERRICK 6, SOMME Coy, deployed to Afghanistan from March to October 2007 with a platoon's worth of Grenadier Guardsmen, who were evenly spread out across the Company. Although the sad loss of Guardsman Hickey was a blow to all in SOMME coy, the tour was very successful with the company operating in the ‘green zone’ and taking the fight to the Taliban. The Company Commander, Major Milan Torbica (London Scottish) was subsequently awarded the MBE for his leadership and command of SOMME Coy.
2009 saw the 150th anniversary of the formation The London Scottish Regiment and to celebrate this, a number of events were organised. A cocktail party at RHQ, a wonderful garden party at a very sunny Loseley Park in Surrey, and an Officer’s and Sergeant’s joint Mess dinner with HRH The Earl of Wessex as the principle guest.
In early 2010, 29 London Scots deployed with AMIENS Coy to Afghanistan on HERRICK 12 being split between ILANCS BG, 1SCOTS GUARDS BG, and the NCO Training Team (NCOTT) as well as individual deployments around this area. This was another successful tour and everyone came home safely.
In April 2010, Lieutenant Colonel Marc Overton TD was appointed Commanding Officer of the London Regiment, the first London Scottish Commanding Officer since 1969.
In September 2010, the Serving Company was able to undertake training alongside F Company, Scots Guards, (the Public Duties Company based in London) at the London Regimental’s annual training period at RAF St Mawgan in Cornwall. From the middle of 2010 The London Scottish were the driving force behind training for recruiting, recruit training and mobilisations for operations in 2011/12. London Scottish soldiers continue to serve in Afghanistan in 2010 as part of YPRES COY on HERRICK 13.
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