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Delve deeper into stories of the Army and its soldiers, exploring events across the globe and down the centuries.

Army Structure

Medal ribbons

The colours of medal ribbons carry symbolic meanings, drawing on deep-rooted traditions in military history and heraldry. This symbolism is an important part of medal design.

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SAS troops storming the Iranian Embassy, 1980

Iranian Embassy siege

One of the most famous counter-terrorism operations in history took place in 1980. Gunmen overran the Iranian Embassy in London and took hostages, but the crisis was resolved when the building was stormed by the SAS.

A gun of the Elswick Battery during the advance from Lydenburg to Watervalonder, 1900

Boer War artillery volunteers

A rare Boer War naval gun, one of only three of its type remaining in Britain, sheds light on the largely unknown role of artillery volunteers in the South African war.

Female prisoners after their liberation, Belsen, April 1945

The liberation of Belsen

As the British Army advanced into the heart of Nazi Germany in the spring of 1945, its soldiers were confronted with the full horrors of the Holocaust at the notorious Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.

Crimean War Victoria Cross recovered from the River Thames foreshore in 2015

The unsolved mystery of the Thames VC

A Victoria Cross found on the shores of the River Thames in 2015 is the subject of an ongoing mystery. Research has since narrowed down the list of possible owners to two heroic soldiers of the Crimean War.

The Victoria Cross

The Victoria Cross is Britain's joint-highest award for gallantry. It requires an act of extreme bravery in the presence of the enemy, and has achieved almost mythical status, with each award accompanied by an inspiring tale of courage.

Peninsular War

From 1808 to 1814, the British Army, aided by its Spanish and Portuguese allies, held off superior numbers of French troops before driving them out of Iberia. They then carried the war into France, playing an important part in Napoleon's first overthrow.

Lieutenant-Colonel Randolph Egerton, The King's Troop of Horse Guards, c1672

The Restoration and the birth of the British Army

In 1660, the monarchy was restored when Parliament invited King Charles II to take the throne. Although the military played a crucial role in his return, the King soon established a new force - the British Army.

British Civil Wars

Fought between 1642 and 1651, these wars were primarily disputes between Crown and Parliament about how the British Isles should be governed. But they also had religious and social dimensions, and witnessed the creation of the first national standing army.

Nine Years War

Between 1689 and 1697, British soldiers joined a European alliance against French expansionism. At the same time, extensive fighting took place in Scotland and Ireland between the supporters of King William III and the deposed James II.

The ‘Glorious Revolution’

The Army played an important role in the downfall of King James II and his replacement by William of Orange in 1688. This ‘Glorious Revolution’ restricted royal power and had a profound impact on the long-term future of the British Army.

Saving the guns at Colenso, 15 December 1899

Boer War

Between 1899 and 1902, the British Army fought a bitter colonial war against the Boers in South Africa. After initial setbacks and a long period of guerrilla warfare, the British eventually prevailed, but not without adopting controversial tactics.

A Conqueror tank of 5th Royal Tank Regiment in Germany, c1960

Nato and the British Army

Nato has been the cornerstone of British defence planning for 70 years. Originally formed as a bulwark against communism, more recently it has been involved in peacekeeping roles and the ‘war on terror’.

Stories of remembrance

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