Originally Posted by
SLXOwft
I have wondered why the 1950's idea of linked squadrons to preserve traditions etc. wasn't revived. 19 was linked to 152 between 1940 and '54. Obvious pairing that come to mind include 5/11, 15/16, 19/92, 22/202, 43/111, and 55/57, or even 23/56/74. Until the 1990s ther were plenty of double number army regiments particularly cavalry e.g 16th/5th Lancers and the 17th/21st Lancers.
It got too complicated as the Army shrank but the politicians wanted to keep the "County" Regiments. For example the 66th Infantry became the Berkshires then the Royal Berkshire Regiment (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) then the
Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment (Berkshire and Wiltshire) which was again amalgamated, as the
Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment. This was eventually merged with the
Devonshire and Dorset Regiment, the
Royal Green Jackets and
The Light Infantry to form a new
large regiment. The name of the Regiment was becoming longer than the space available on badges etc so they just called it The Rifles.