THE QUEEN'S ROYAL SURREY REGIMENT AND THE QUEEN'S REGIMENT: RECORDS

The records chiefly relate to the Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment and its constituent battalions but some series continue after 1966 and relate to the Queen's Regiment (1966-1992) and even to the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (after 1992).

The following is a detailed summary of the contents:

QRS/1/ REGIMENTAL AND DEPOT RECORDS 1930-2003

QRS/1/1/ NOMINAL ROLLS 1967-1972
QRS/1/2/ HEADQUARTERS AND COMMANDERS' PAPERS 1959-1992
QRS/1/3/ SPORT AND RECREATION 1930-1970
QRS/1/4/ PRESS CUTTINGS 1967-1992
QRS/1/5/ PROGRAMMES, MENUS AND OTHER EPHEMERA 1960-2003
QRS/1/6/ PHOTOGRAPH ALBUMS 1987-1991
QRS/1/7/ LOOSE PHOTOGRAPHS 1960-1998
QRS/1/8/ CADET BATTALIONS 1972-1976
QRS/1/9/ REGIMENTAL MUSEUM 1960S-1996

QRS/2/ 1ST BATTALION 1959-1997
The Battalion was formed in 1959 from the 1st Battalions of the Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) and East Surrey Regiments. In 1960, it was posted to Aden and moved to Hong Kong in 1962. It was then posted to Munster in 1964. In 1966, the Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment amalgamated with 3 other regiments to form the Queen's Regiment (see main introduction) and the 1st Battalion, the Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment, became the 1st Battalion of the new Regiment. It continued to serve in Germany until 1967, when it returned to England. In 1968 it served in Bahrain and in 1969 was posted to Londonderry, for peace-keeping duties. In 1970 to 1972 and from 1975 to 1980 it was chiefly stationed in Germany, but on several occasions between 1972 and 1976 served in Belfast during the Troubles. In 1980-1 it was sent to Belize and between 1982 and 1985 it was stationed in Omagh, Northern Ireland, before moving to Gibraltar, which it left in 1987. The Battalion's existence finally came to an end in 1992, when the Queen's and Royal Hampshire Regiments amalgamated to form the Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment.

QRS/2/1/ DIGEST OF SERVICE 1959-1969
QRS/2/2/ OFFICERS' AND SERGEANTS' MESS RECORDS 1959-1977
QRS/2/3/ MAGAZINES, NEWSPAPERS AND CUTTINGS 1961-1970
QRS/2/4/ PROGRAMMES, MENUS AND OTHER EPHEMERA 1960-1997
QRS/2/5/ PHOTOGRAPH ALBUMS 1959-1969
For a photograph album relating to 1st Battalion, 1959-1964, see QRS/4/PATM/1.
QRS/2/6/ LOOSE PHOTOGRAPHS 1960-1988
QRS/2/6/1/ Photographs of individuals and formal groups 1960-1965
QRS/2/6/2/ Photographs of the Band 1960s
QRS/2/6/3/ Photographs of Sports Teams 1967
QRS/2/6/4/ Photographs of events, parades and the Battalion on service in the UK and overseas 1960-1988

QRS/3/ 3RD AND 4TH BATTALIONS, FROM 1966 5TH AND 6TH (TERRITORIAL) BATTALIONS 1953-2000
In 1961, after the amalgamation of The Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) and East Surrey Regiment into The Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment in 1959, the territorial battalions of the Queen's Royal Regiment were formed into the 3rd Battalion of the new Regiment, and the East Surrey territorial battalions (including 23rd London Regiment) were formed into the new 4th Battalion. When the Regiment amalgamated again in 1966, 4th Battalion and part of 3rd combined to become 6th (Territorial) Battalion, The Queen's Regiment. A 5th Battalion was also created, including men from 3rd Battalion who were formed into A Company (Queen's Surreys). The 6th Battalion was reduced to cadre in 1969 and reactivated as 6th (Volunteer) Battalion in 1971, at which time 7th (Volunteer) Battalion was formed. In 1975, 6th and 7th Battalions amalgamated to become 6/7th (Volunteer) Battalion.

QRS/3/1/ BATTALION ORDERS 1961
QRS/3/2/ HEADQUARTERS AND COMMANDER'S PAPERS 1961-1967
QRS/3/2/1/ Headquarters and Commander's Papers 1961-1967
QRS/3/2/2/ Battalion archives c.1963-1967
QRS/3/3/ DIGESTS OF SERVICE 1961-1969
QRS/3/4/ SPORT AND RECREATION 1961
QRS/3/5/ MAGAZINES, NEWSLETTERS AND CUTTINGS 1961-1987
QRS/3/5/1/ Battalion magazines and newsletters 1968
QRS/3/5/2/ Loose cuttings 1961-1987
QRS/3/6/ PROGRAMMES, MENUS AND OTHER EPHEMERA 1961-2000
QRS/3/7/ PHOTOGRAPH ALBUMS 1953-1989
QRS/3/8/ LOOSE PHOTOGRAPHS 1960-1987
QRS/3/8/1/ Photographs of individuals and formal groups 1960-1967
QRS/3/8/2/ Photographs of the Band 1960s
QRS/3/8/3/ Photographs of events, parades and the Battalions on service in the UK and overseas 1962-1987
QRS/3/9/ RESEARCH AND WRITINGS ON HISTORY OF THE BATTALIONS 1966-1987
QRS/3/10/ OLD COMRADES' ASSOCIATION 1972

QRS/4/ PERSONAL DOCUMENTS 1948-1986

QRS/4/DOHE/ DOHERTY, LANCE CORPORAL G 1961-1962
Served with 1st Battalion.

QRS/4/FRAN/ FRANCIS, COLOUR SERGEANT A G 1959-1964
Served with 23rd London Regiment (later 4th Battalion, the Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment).

QRS/4/KEAL/ KEALY, CAPTAIN MIKE LATE 20TH CENT
Served with the Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment and the SAS.

QRS/4/LING/ LING, MAJOR GENERAL FERGUS ALAN HUMPHREY 1948-1986
Served in the Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment. Made a Commander of the British Empire, 1964, and member of the Order of the Bath, 1968.

QRS/4/LOW/ LOWRY, LIEUTENANT-COLONEL MICHAEL ALISTAIR MBE MC (1919-2008) 1963
Commanded 1st Battalion, Queen's Royal Surrey regiment, 1961-1963. He served with the Queen's Royal West Surrey's as 1st Battalion company commander in 1953 and served in Malaya during the anti-communist operations where he was awarded a Military Cross in 1955.

QRS/4/ORAN/ ORAN, REGIMENTAL SERGEANT MAJOR 'PEACHY' 1965
Served with 6th Battalion, East Surrey Regiment, later 4th Battalion, Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment.

QRS/4/PATM/ PATMORE, LANCE CORPORAL G F (1941-?) 1959-1965
Born, 1941. Served with 1st Battalion.

QRS/4/SPOON/ SPOONER, PRIVATE PETER, 1908-2011
Peter Spooner served with the Junior Soldiers Wing, which was formed when the regiments were amalgamated. The Wing was later renamed company and was formed for boys between 15 and 18 who wanted to become bandsman and drummers.

The Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment was formed on 14 October 1959 following a major review of British defence policy in 1957 as a result of which the number of infantry battalions of the line was reduced from sixty-five to fifty-two.

The new regiment was created by the amalgamation of the Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) and the East Surrey Regiment. The 1st Battalions of the two regiments were merged to form a new 1st Battalion and a new depot was established in Canterbury which was the headquarters of the Home Counties Brigade, of which the new regiment formed part along with The Queen's Own Buffs The Royal Kent Regiment, The Royal Sussex Regiment and The Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own). These four battalions were to wear their own separate new badges on the collar, but be united by one cap badge, the Saxon crown with a sword penetrating the crown.

The Territorial Army was re-organised in 1961 and the 3rd and 4th Battalions of the Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment were formed. The 3rd Battalion was created by the amalgamation of 565 LAA Regiment (late 4th Queen's), 5th Queen's, and 6th Queen's, with a Battalion HQ and HQ Company at Guildford, A Company at Dorking and Reigate, B Company at Camberley and Woking, C Company at Croydon, and D Company at Bermondsey and Sutton. It formed part of 131 Infantry Brigade (44 Home Counties Division/District). The 4th Battalion was formed by the amalgamation of 6th East Surreys and the 23rd London Regiment, with a Battalion HQ and HQ Company at Kingston, A Company at Clapham and Richmond, B Company at Clapham, C Company at Chertsey, Hersham and Cobham, and D Company at Kingston, Sutton and Leatherhead. It formed part of 47 (London) Infantry Brigade (56th London Division/District). In 1961, in addition, R (Surrey) Battery 265 Regiment RA (late 7th Queen's) was formed, through the amalgamation of P and Q Batteries (1st Surrey Rifles), and R (Queen's Battery), 570 LAA Regiment RA at Flodden Road, Camberwell.

The Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment enjoyed a very short existence: on 31 December 1966 the regiments comprising the Home Counties Brigade were amalgamated into a new regiment, The Queen's Regiment, with a depot at Canterbury. Initially, each of the new four battalions of the Regiment kept its direct county affiliations; for example, the 1st Battalion became 1st Battalion The Queen's Regiment (Queen's Surreys). The suffixes were dropped, however, in 1968, once it became known that the 4th Battalion was to be disbanded.

The Territorial units were also reorganised in 1967, the 3rd and 4th Battalions combining to become 6th (Territorial) Battalion, the Queen's Regiment (Battalion HQ, A and HQ Companies at Kingston, B Company at Clapham, C Company at Cobham, Chertsey and Leatherhead, D Company at Croydon). A 5th (Volunteer) Battalion was also formed, including A Company (Queen's Surreys), which had been created at Guildford out of 3rd Battalion. In 1971, 6th (Territorial) Battalion reformed as the 6th (Volunteer) Battalion (HQ and HQ Company, Wandsworth; A Company, Edgware; B Battery, Hackney; C Battery, Camberwell; D Company, Sutton) and a 7th (Volunteer) Battalion was also created (HQ and HQ Company, Horsham; A Company, Farnham; B Company Folkestone; C Company, Crawley). The two volunteer companies were amalgamated in 1975 to form 6/7th (Volunteer) Battalion (HQ and HQ Company, Horsham; A Company, Farnham; B Company, Edgware; C Company, Crawley; D Company, Sutton, Wandsworth and Camberwell).

In 1992, the Regiment merged again, this time with the Royal Hampshire Regiment, to form the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, with a depot at Canterbury and a western headquarters in Winchester.

Individual summaries of the history of each Battalion can be found with the list for that Battalion.

There are no access restrictions.

Originally presented by the Queen's Royal Surrey Regimental Association and Museum, Clandon Park, in November 2003. Personal papers of soldiers who served in the regiment are accruing.

An item level description of the archive is available on the Surrey History Centre online catalogue

The preparation of this catalogue was funded by a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

For the Journal of the Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment, 1960-1966, see J/551 in Surrey History Centre's library holdings. Further material relating to the history of the regiment and obituaries of former members will be found in the Journal of the Queen's Regiment, 1967-1987 (J/122), the Journal of the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment from 1996 (J/561), and the Queen's Royal Surrey Regimental Association Newsletter, 1967-2003 (J/552). Brief details of contents can be found on the periodicals database.

For records relating to the Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey), see QRWS.
For records relating to the East Surrey Regiment, see ESR.
For records relating to more than one regiment, or for those records for which the Regiment could not be identified, see QMISC.