The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-01-22
OF SOME
BRITISH REGIMENTS.


ALMOST every Jegipent ia tbo, British.
ser'ice has sobfiauet Of some sort or ?
another some of them are Of very an
cicnt Origin
The famous life guards for instance. /,
are called 'Cheeses' sometimes even to
THIS day. The reason Is this
In lIHH the regiment was rcmOdeled
and number OF new officers were
given or bought commissions. Some OF
these younger men were sons OF new
families, and with them the old, ex-
elusive officers refused 20 serve. as
they would not serve with cheese
mongers." they said. The name was
dropped after few years. but revived
again az Waterloo. where an officer
cried. Come, on. Cheesemongers
chargel The Life guards We're also
known as the "Piccadlly butchers"
from their exploits in clearing that
street during the riots of 1910.
The Second dragoon guards are the
only dlagoon regiment mounted ON bay
horses. They were M one time sup
posed To- be rather slack about their
equipment Hence the uncomplinen-
tary title Of Rusty Buckles q" Needless
10 say, no regiment today deserves IL
less
some regiments get their names from
peculiarities OF color in their uniform
The Third dragoon guards. the Prince
of Wales are often called the "Old
Canaries.' and the Fifth dragons
known as the Green DragoonsN
\ very queer nickname Is that OF the
Seventh dragoon guards. called Schom-
berg's horse when first raised In 1853.
In George lis reign there were agri-
cultural riots i'm the south OF England
ana this regiment was sent 10 quell
them. The weather was wretched. and
the troops. forced TO sleep on the soak
ing ground. tied wisps Of straw around
their legs 90 keep them dry. For long
after that they We're always called
straw Boots" NJ
Curiousy enough. hussar regiment,
the Queens own has the same queer
nickname. gained in Germany. where
the men. having worn out their boots.
were forced 10 plait straw To protect
their feet other names for this reg
iment are the "OId Saucy seventh and
the Lily White Seventh
The Scots grays are often called
"Bubbley Jocks" which. as the un-
initiated Englishman may possibly not
know, means Turkey Cocks" Daily
Fifth Royal Irish fusilers. They are
also sometimes called "Redbreasts."
That fine regiment. the Tenth hus-
sars, are more often called Bakers
Light Bobs" than anything else. and
peculiarity of their pouch belt gives
them the name Of the "Chainy Tenth"
The Thirteenth hussars may well he
proud of being called the Ragged Bri-
gade" 1t calls TO mind their splendid
record i'm the peninsula. No wonder
they weTe ragged after no. less than 80
actions.
Another fine nickname is that of the
Seventeenth lancers. the Death or
Glory Boys" Their crest is the deaths
head, so they are sometimes called the
Skull and Crossbones" The gorgeous
attire OF some of their officers caused
them 10 be- named at one time Bling
hams Dandies."
The Grenadier guards have possessed
in their time many curious privileges.
not the least being that a couple of
centuries ago the men were allowed to
make what they could at outside work.
Perhaps this was the reason why In
Flanders they did more work i'm the
trenches than all the rest put together.
Anyhow their companions dubbed them
the Coal Heavers," and so they were
called for long time.
"Pontius Pilates Bodyguard' is the
somewhat remarkable title possessed
by the Lothian regiment (Royal Scots).
IL is the result of little alteration as
to the date of their first establishment.
The Royal Warwickshire used TO be
known as "Guise's Geese" from their
one time colonel's name. From 1895 TO
1863 they had grass green facings TO
their uniforms The "Saucy Sixth" is
another title for the Warwickshire lads.