Historic Midlands units to merge

Maj Hackett is the fourth generation to serve with the regiment

A historic Midlands regiment is to merge into a new unit at the weekend as part of a shake-up of the British Army.

The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters, along with the Staffords, will merge with the Cheshires to form the Mercian regiment.

The unit will be officially formed in Tamworth, which is the ancient capital of Mercia.

At least 300 serving soldiers are expected to take part in a march along with several hundred old comrades.

It's evolution, it's change Major John Cotterill

The Sherwood Foresters were originally formed in 1881, when the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire regiments amalgamated. They became the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters in 1970.

Maj John Cotterill, who is overseeing the amalgamation, said the old regiment names will not disappear entirely.

"The second battalion of the Mercian regiment is still going to be known as the Worcesters and Foresters in the same way as the first battalion of the regiment will be known as the Cheshires and the third will be known as the Staffords.

"This is all caused by the army's decision to stop moving units around the world. Units will stay where they are and individual soldiers will move between them."

'Deeply attached'

However, he said soldiers may be sad to lose their regiment badge.

"I've worn the cap badge of the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters for 30 years and of course you become deeply attached to it.

"Just to put it into perspective in 1881, when the 45th Nottinghamshire amalgamated with the 95th Derbyshire regiment, the night before... the 95th were so disgusted they trooped their colours around Normanton barracks in Derby and then burned them because they were being forced to form the Sherwood Foresters.

"That regiment went on to become the finest fighting regiment in both world wars... it's evolution, it's change, nobody likes it but we get on and do it and it doesn't make us any worse soldiers."

'Carried forward'

Cliff Housley, Sherwood Foresters' historian, said: "The records show 140,000 men [Sherwood Foresters] in the first world war alone, which is a bigger number than the whole of the British Army today.

"The history goes back much further than that."

Soldiers from the East Midlands fought in Canada in 1741, at Alma in the Crimea and in India in the 19th Century.

Maj Oliver Hackett, the curator of the regimental museum at Nottingham Castle, served in the regiment as did three generations before him.

He said: "With all change like this, one feels a certain remorse. We're not actually losing anything because I think a lot of the traditions and accoutrements and history will get carried forward into the new Mercian regiment."

The new regiment's headquarters will be at Whittington Barracks in Staffordshire.

The Worcester and Sherwood Foresters are currently on operations in Helmand Province in Afghanistan.