The Royal Guernsey Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army that was formed from the Royal Guernsey Militia in 1916 to serve in World War I. They fought as part of the British 29th Division. Of the 2,280 men, most of whom came from Guernsey, who fought on the Western Front with the RGLI, 327 were killed and 667 were wounded. Many Guernsey men had already volunteered for regiments in the British Army before the RGLI was formed. The RGLI was created because there was no Guernsey-named regiment to underline the island's devotion to the Crown. The regimental motto, Diex Aïx, derives from the battle cry used by the Duke of Normandy 1,000 years earlier. The regiment was disbanded in 1919 but the regimental tradition lives on in the Guernsey Army Cadet Force (Det.) Light Infantry, who, although they do not wear the RGLI cap badge, still keep alive the history of the Regiment within the detachment.

History

[British War Medal

For those who rendered service between 5 August 1914 and 11 November 1918 | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/WW1///British///War///Medal.jpg]

1916

17 December

1917

1 June July September 26 September 27 September October 9–14 October October–November 20 November – 3 December

1918

18–26 January 8–29 March 3–7 April 10–14 April 27 April 27 November

1919

5 April 21–22 May

Honours and awards

Orders and medals

Order of St. Michael and St. George (Companion) (3rd Class) Royal Victorian Order (5th Class) Military Cross Distinguished Conduct Medal Military Medal Médaille militaire (France) Mentioned in Despatches (Despatch from Sir Douglas Haig to the Secretary of State for War)

[Victory Medal

First World War 1914-20 | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/Victory///Medal///awarded///to///Jerome///Joseph///Fane///de///Salis///%281896-1915%29.jpg]

Battle Honours

In February 1925, in accordance with General Order No 5034 The London Gazette published a complete list of Battle Honours awarded for the Great War. In General Orders, 1928, "Honours awarded to Militia Corps for services previous to the Great War shall pass to the reconstituted Militia Regiment and shall be emblazoned on all Regimental Standards, Guidons or Colours" Following the disbandment of the Royal Guernsey Light Infantry in 1919, the 1st Battalion Royal Guernsey Militia were granted the following Battle Honours: The Colours of the RGLI are hung in the Town Church, Guernsey

Poetry

Commemoration

The Royal Guernsey Light Infantry Charitable Trust was formed in 2016 to commemorate the regiment. Its joint patrons are Lt Governor Vice Admiral Sir Ian Corder and the Bailiff of Guernsey, Richard McMahon. Memorials were placed at Les Rues Vertes, France and St Peter Port, Guernsey on the centenary of key RGLI events in 2017 & 2018. St Peter Port twinned with the town of Masnières in 2019.

The Channel Islands and the Great War Study Group

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