Green Howards The Green Howards ( Alexandra , Princess of Wales ' s Own Yorkshire Regiment ) , frequently known as the Yorkshire Regiment until the 1920s , was an infantry regiment of the British Army , in the King ' s Division . Raised in 1688 , it served under various titles until it was amalgamated with The Prince of Wales ' s Own Regiment of Yorkshire and The Duke of Wellington ' s Regiment , all Yorkshire - based regiments in the King ' s Division , to form The Yorkshire Regiment on 6 June 2006 . History . The regiment was formed in 1688 from independent companies of infantry in Devon . It was known by the names of its various colonels until 1751 , when it became the 19th Regiment of Foot . In 1782 , all regiments of foot without a special designation were given a county title " to cultivate a connection with the County which might at all times be useful towards recruiting " . The regiment became the 19th ( 1st North Riding of Yorkshire ) Regiment of Foot , and its main recruiting efforts continued in this area until 2006 , particularly in Middlesbrough , Redcar , Northallerton and Scarborough . The Two Howards . The regiment was known as the Green Howards from 1744 . At that time , regiments were known by the name of their colonel . The 19th regiment ' s colonel was Hon . Sir Charles Howard . However , at the same time , the 3rd Regiment of Foot had been commanded by its colonel Thomas Howard , since 1737 . To tell them apart ( since they both would have been known as ' Howard ' s Regiment of Foot ' ) , the colours of their uniform facings were used to distinguish them . In this way , one became ' Howard ' s Buffs ' ( eventually simply The Buffs ) , while the other became the Green Howards . Although the Green Howards were referred to unofficially as such from then on , it was not until 1921 that the regiment was officially retitled as the Green Howards ( Alexandra , Princess of Wales ' s Own Yorkshire Regiment ) . Under the Childers reforms , all non - royal English infantry regiments were to wear white facings from 1881 . In 1899 , the regiment was able to reverse this decision with the restoration of the grass green facings formerly worn by the 19th Foot . Princess of Wales ' s Own . In 1875 , Princess Alexandra , Princess of Wales presented new colours to the 1st Battalion at Sheffield , and consented to the regiment bearing her name , thus becoming the 19th ( 1st Yorkshire North Riding – Princess of Wales ' s Own ) Regiment of Foot . The regiment adopted a cap badge consisting of the Princess ' s cypher " A " combined with the Dannebrog or Danish cross and topped by her coronet . The Princess became Queen Alexandra in 1901 , and was the regiment ' s Colonel - in - Chief from 1914 until her death in 1925 . Childers Reforms . In 1881 , the infantry of the line were reorganised . The regular regiments of foot lost their numbers , instead taking on a territorial or county title , and amalgamating with the militia battalions and rifle volunteers in its designated regimental district . The regiment was renamed as the Princess of Wales ' s Own ( Yorkshire Regiment ) , with its recruiting area continuing to be the North Riding . In 1902 , the regiment was redesignated as Alexandra , Princess of Wales ' s Own ( Yorkshire Regiment ) . World War I . In common with all other infantry regiments , the regiment was greatly expanded in size for the duration of the war by the formation of extra battalions : either by the duplication of existing Territorial Force ( TF ) units or by the raising on new " service " battalions . The following battalions saw active service : World War II . During the Second World War , the regiment was again increased in size , although not to as large an extent as in the 1914 – 1918 conflict . In all , twelve battalions saw service : the 1st and 2nd regular Battalions , the 4th and 5th Territorial Army ( TA ) Battalions , the 6th and 7th Battalions ( formed as duplicates of the 4th and 5th , when the TA was doubled in size in 1939 ) , the 8th was formed for home defence , the 9th was formed for garrison duty , the 10th was formed by the conversion of the 2nd East Riding of Yorkshire Yeomanry ( a war - time duplicate of this yeomanry unit ) in 1940 and subsequently becoming the 12th ( Yorkshire ) Battalion , The Parachute Regiment , the 11th , 12th and 13th were all formed in 1940 . In 1942 , the 12th Battalion converted to armour as 161st Regiment in the Royal Armoured Corps , but retained its Green Howards cap badge on the black beret of the RAC . It then converted in October 1943 to the recce role as 161st ( Green Howards ) Regiment in the Reconnaissance Corps . It never went into action as a regiment , but provided a replacement squadron to 43rd Reconnaissance Regiment , which had suffered heavy losses when its transport was sunk on the way to the Normandy Landings . Post World War II tours of duty . From 1949 to 1952 , the regiment took part in the campaign against Chinese and Malayan Communist Terrorists in Malaya . After 1952 , it served in Afghanistan , Austria , West Germany , Suez , Cyprus , Hong Kong , Libya , Belize , Berlin and Northern Ireland . Amalgamation . In 2004 , as part of the re - organisation of the infantry , it was announced that the Green Howards would merge with the Prince of Wales ' s Own Regiment of Yorkshire ( PWO ) and the Duke of Wellington ' s Regiment ( DWR ) to form the new Yorkshire Regiment . The official rebadging took place on 6 June 2006 , whilst elements of the regiment were stationed in Bosnia and Kosovo . From May 2006 until the regiment ' s rebadging , the Green Howards was one of five remaining line infantry regiments that had not been amalgamated in their entire history , a claim shared with : A and B ( Green Howards ) companies of the Tyne - Tees Regiment , based in Scarborough and Middlesbrough respectively , merged with the PWO and DWR companies of the East and West Riding Regiment to form the 4th Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment , with the official rebadging date , 10 June 2006 , being four days after their regular counterparts . As amalgamation drew ever nearer , on 19 March at a farewell dinner at Dunster Castle in Somerset , the regiment farewelled its Colonel - in - Chief after HM King Harald V chose to end his role with the end of the regiment ' s independent existence , while on 28 March , the 1st Battalion held their final parade on British soil . The Colonel of the Regiment , Brigadier JSW Powell OBE , took the parade and took the opportunity to award various service medals to members of the battalion . Almost all personnel of the regiment had deployed to Bosnia and Kosovo . Traditions . King Harald ' s Company . Each year , all companies in the battalion took part in a competition , consisting of sports and military skills tests , to win the right to be named ' King Harald ' s Company ' , after the regiment ' s Colonel - in - Chief . The winning company was given a special flag bearing the King ' s personal cypher , the Company Sergeant Major was presented with a special pace stick , and all members of the company were permitted to wear a special red badge on the arm of their uniform . The last company to hold the title was B ( KH ) Coy ; the tradition was retained on rebadging to the new regiment . Museum . The Green Howards Regimental Museum is located in the old Trinity Church in the centre of the market place in Richmond , North Yorkshire . The former Green Howards Regimental Headquarters , located within the museum , has now taken on the role of an Area Headquarters for the Yorkshire Regiment . Victoria Cross recipients . Soldiers of the Green Howards awarded the Victoria Cross ( VC ) Alliances . Present : Past : Bond of Friendship : Unofficial :