1945-2000

The Guards undertook duties in Palestine until the end of the Mandate in 1948. Tensions between Arabs and Jews worsened as 1000s of Jews migrated there following the end of the war. 1st Guards Brigade had the difficult task of protecting the communities from each other, and themselves from terrorist attack by both. It involved in a constant series of patrols, checkpoints, searches and larger operations against Arab and Jewish terrorist groups. The Brigade played a key part in maintaining order as violence increased during the British withdrawal and was among the last troops to leave.

Malaya was under British rule when it was occupied by the Japanese in 1942. A network of resistance groups opposed the Japanese, with the backing of the allies. But when British rule returned in 1945 many Malays opposed it. Nationalism mixed with

Communism through the large Chinese community in Malaya. Violence against officials and the European planter community increased and the rebels were absorbed into the communist Malayan National Liberation Army.

2nd Guards Brigade was sent in 1948 with Grenadier, Coldstream and Scots Guards Battalions who had no experience of jungle fighting. Nonetheless, they were highly effective in breaking up what were referred to as bandit groups.

Jungle operations were exhausting due to the climate and terrain, and complicated due to the need to win the local population over while maintaining a military operation around them. The constant turnover of personnel due to the short National Service period was a drain on experienced troops. This deployment lasted until 1951, though British Army campaign continued until Malaya gained independence in 1957.

In 1945 Britain withdrew from most of Egypt but kept troops in the strategic Suez Canal Zone. Unrest against this situation led to the number increasing from 10,000 to 70,000 over the years. This included 2 Guards Brigades and 1st Guards Parachute Company and it was the Guards who were the last to leave when Britain ended its occupation in June 1956.

The Suez Canal however was still owned by Britain and France and six weeks later Egyptian President Nasser disputed this, declared it nationalised and closed it. France, Israel and Britain sent troops, including the Guards Parachute Company who parachuted into Port Said under fire. Despite a casualty they accomplished their task and overall, the operation was militarily successful. But without the support of the international community, particularly America, the forces withdrew. It was seen as a humiliation for Britain on the world stage and a sign that its influence was weakening.

Cyprus had a majority ethnic Greek population but had never been part of modern Greece and had been ruled by Britain since 1878. British rule had limited the tensions between the Greeks and a Turkish minority whose roots went back to the long period of Turkish rule. But in the 1950s many Greeks pushed for union with Greece, which was opposed by the Turkish, some Greeks and the British. The campaign turned to terrorism with the formation of EOKA which was backed by Greece. This was a typical counter insurgency campaign with the enemy living among the population, strict rules of engagement and no easy way of telling who was who. The Guards Parachute Company and later the 1st Guards Brigade served there and took casualties from ambushes and firefights.

Independence, but not union, was granted in 1959. This led to violence between the Greeks and Turkish and British troops returned to keep the peace, including the Guards

Parachute Company. In 1964 the operation came under UN control and Guardsmen wore the blue UN beret for the first of many times. The tensions came to a head in 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied a large part of the island. The conflict never officially ended and the Guard Regiments have served under the UN many times to maintain the peace.

The British humiliation in Suez encouraged revolt elsewhere including the port of Aden and its territory. A bitter insurgency in the streets of Aden and the Radfan mountains tied up British troops from 1963 to 1967. Operations in the Radfan were particularly gruelling due to the harsh environment. Transport involved everything from mules to helicopters.

Also referred to as the Mau Mau Revolt.

In 1952 grievances over land ownership, tribal rivalries and demands for colonial reform led to a violent revolt principally by then Kikuyu tribe. They became known as the Mau Mau. This in turn fed demands for independence. British troops were involved in an increasingly bitter anti insurgency campaign. The Coldstream Guards undertook operations, though in the later stages when the violence had died down following the arrest of the leaders.

The Foot Guards saw their fair share of peace keeping duties with either NATO or the UN. The Guards were also deployed to Oman 1958, Kuwait 1961, Cameroons 1961, British Guiana 1962, Borneo 1963, Mauritius 1965, Hong Kong 1968 and others.

Dealing with the period of unrest and terrorist activity in Northern Ireland known as the Troubles was the longest, and perhaps the most difficult, operation undertaken by British troops. It lasted from 1969 until 2007 with all five Regiments undertaking several tours of duty. It had all the difficulties of a counter insurgency campaign with the added acrimony of being on British soil.

It was initially viewed as a policing operation to keep the peace between the Catholic and Protestant communities. Inevitably, British troops soon became targets themselves in a terrorist campaign by the Irish Republican Army to end British rule. A gruelling period of riot control, patrols, checkpoint manning, arrests, firefights, ambushes, terrorist bombings and smuggling prevention took place within strict rules of engagement. Guardsman patrolled in berets and in a non-aggressive stance where possible but lived in fortified barracks and watchtowers. Armoured vehicles, land rovers with added protection and helicopters were used for transport. A tour on the streets of Belfast would be very different from one in the countryside of South Armagh. It was known as Bandit Country due to constant IRA activity on the border with Ireland.

The IRA campaign spread to the mainland with bomb attacks against the civilian population and in 1982 a bomb killed 4 Blues and Royals Household Cavalry during the changing of the Guard. In 1992 the Irish Guards, who had been exempted from the Operation, undertook their first tour.

The Good Friday Agreement in 1998 brought a formal end to the Troubles, though the Regiments undertook further tours in a policing role. 31 Foot Guards had been killed on active duty, more had died of other causes during deployment.

On 2nd April 1982 Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands and South George having claimed the islands as theirs. The Scots and Welsh Guards were part of 5th Infantry Brigade, which joined a naval task force to recapture the islands. It was hoped that the matter would be resolved by diplomacy before they arrived in June but this was not the case. Although guardsmen travelled on the luxury liner the QE2, they spent most of the voyage training and preparing for battle.

The Welsh Guards were waiting to land from the ship Sir Galahad when it was bombed by Argentinian planes. They lost 32 dead and many more wounded. Both Regiments took part in the last battles of the war on 13 June. The Scots Guards captured Mount Tumbledown after a fierce battle, up steep slopes, against a well defended enemy. The final assault was a bayonet charge.

The Argentinians surrendered the next day. Since then Guards Regiments have periodically supplied a Company for a tour of duty defending the Islands.

Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990 prompted the build-up of an international coalition to liberate the country. A reorganisation of British units to meet the demand meant some Guards were unable to deploy in the formations they had trained in and were attached to other Regiments. Grenadier Guards manned Warrior armoured fighting vehicles and advanced into Kuwait as part 1st Armoured Division. The Coldstream Guards were assigned to manage the large numbers of Iraqi prisoners. The band of the Scots Guards provided medical support. All three Regiments dealt with the aftermath and clean up operations.