Regimental nicknames

[Whizz_Bang]

Tigers - after the cap badge (obviously) The Rugby was originally made up from 1st batt.

Steelbacks - a flogging related story, i'll let V explain this one.

Essex - Pompadours - Purple coloured facing on the tunics.

Glosters - Glowworms - the amount of tracer ammunition they spent at Imjim (?).

1st Dragoons - Bird catchers - Eagle at Waterloo

14th Light Dragoons - The Emperor's Chambermaids - Captured King Joseph's chamberpot at Vitoria (True).

Buffs - Buff coloured facings.

Lincolns - Yellow Bellys - After the Yellow Belly frog that lives in the Lincolnshire Fens

East Yorks - Snappers - At the Battle of Brandywine the regiment ran short of ball which was distributed to the best shots, whilst the remainder 'snapped' powder charges only.

Welch reg. - Invalids - Was originally raised as an invalid regiment


DieHards - Middlesex - At Albuera "Die Hard 57th, Die Hard"

Jaggers - KRRC - Originally the Regiment was mostly Germans; corruption of jaegers (Hunter).

Splashers - Wiltshires - Regiment had to use their buttons for ammunition when they ran out of ball at the defence of Carrickfergus; their buttons thereafter had a dent or 'splash' in them in commemoration.

Others
Poachers ?

[Max]

Imjim is a river in Korea, where the Glosters fort a last stand in April 1951, many where kill and captured and spent the rest of the war as PoW's
Not sure about the Glowworms but heard of the "Glorious" Glosters

[Gordon]

scalies/scaliebacks - Royal Corps of Signals - several theories on this, first was the strange leather jerkin worn by signallers with the scales down the back, second was because of the acid leaking out of radios when running with them on your back, they'd burn your back and leaves scales (not literally).

planks - royal artillery - erm, they used to lay planks under the cannons wheels.

right lazy (not gonna finish that on here) - Royal Logistic Corps - (also known as blanket stackers, although they prefer the term 'duvet technician') - used to be known as the donkey wollopers (transport for the stuff)

Spanners - REME - do I have to explain this one?

[Gordon]

nearly forgot-

Delhi Spearmen - 9/12th Royal Lancers - name given during one of the campaigns in india.

[Whizz_Bang]

A couple that have made me smile a time or two....

RASC - Run Away Someones Coming.

RAMC - (backwards) Cant Manage A Rifle

Ducks head below parapit !