As we begin the countdown to #YorkshireDay on 1 August, here’s a bit of #Yorkshire and The Yorkshire Regiment history for you. Our proud history goes back to 1685 as numbered infantry regiments of the British Army, and it’s a clear and established lineage. But did you know how our connection with the #WhiteRose of #Yorkshire and our long association with #Yorkshire began?

The story of the White Rose dates back to 1 August 1759, when the British ‘Minden’ Regiments advanced into battle with white roses in their hats, which they plucked from the hedgerows, and successfully repelled the attacks of French cavalry.

In 1881, The Childers Reforms, reorganised the infantry regiments of the Army. The regimental seniority numbers were officially abolished, and battalions came to be known by their number within the regiment and by the regimental district name. At that time, The East Yorkshire Regiment (15th of Foot), along with others, were instructed to use as their cap and helmet badge, an existing badge of regimental significance, or to choose one appropriate to their county. Hence, the East Yorks chose the White Rose of Yorkshire was adopted in 1881 and superimposed upon the Brunswick Star. The White Rose of Yorkshire has appeared on our regimental insignia ever since.
In 1975, August 1 was adopted as #YorkshireDay by the Yorkshire Ridings Society, initially in Beverley as “a protest movement against the local government re-organisation of 1974”, and partly to reflect the presence of Yorkshire soldiers at the battle.

And in terms of our long regimental association with Yorkshire, here are the dates when our antecedent regiments, were adopted by the ’old’ counties of Yorkshire:

• The Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards) were adopted by the North Riding of Yorkshire in 1782.
• The West Riding, Duke of Wellingtons Regiment were adopted by the West Riding of Yorkshire in 1782.
• The West Yorkshire Regiment was adopted by the West Riding of Yorkshire in 1881.
• The East Yorkshire Regiment was adopted by the East Riding of Yorkshire in 1881
• The East and West Yorkshire Regiments were merged in 1958 to become, The Prince of Wales’s Own Regiment of Yorkshire.
• On 6 June 2006, The Prince of Wales’s Own Regiment of Yorkshire, the Green Howards, and Duke of Wellingtons Regiment were merged to form today’s Yorkshire Regiment – The only County named regiment in the British Army.