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United Kingdom Command	Frontiersmen on Horse Guards Parade, 1931.	Countess Mountbatten’s Own Legion of Frontiersmen	Frontiersmen lead the Redhill Carnival, 2009.
Welch Command
City of London and Colour Squadron	What is the Legion of Frontiersmen? We are a body of volunteers who formed in 1904 for fellowship and to serve our Country in time of need. The Legion is an independent charity and is not part of the Army, but because of our military roots we do wear uniforms and maintain a military-style structure, discipline and hierarchy, with training provided by experienced instructors, many of whom have served as officers and NCOs in the Armed Forces. A Brief History Formed in 1904 by Roger Pocock, an Englishman who had served in the North West Mounted Police and in South Africa. One of the Legion’s earliest members was HRH Prince Louis of Battenberg, whose grand-daughter, Countess Mountbatten of Burma, is our current Patron. From the very start, the Legion of Frontiersmen had a strong ethos of loyalty, duty and service to Crown and Country. This loyalty was put to the test 10 years after the Legion’s formation, in the First World War. Indeed, Frontiersmen were among the very first Britons to go into battle against Germany in 1914. The British Government initially declined to allow the Legion to form its own unit within the British Army, so, in order to get into action against the Germans the members of H Troop of the Legion of Frontiersmen joined the Belgian Army instead! These Frontiersmen are recorded as having fought with great distinction alongside their Belgian comrades as part of the 3^rd Lancers as early as October 1914. In 1915 the War Office in London finally authorized the formation of a battalion of Frontiersmen within the British Army, and this became the 25^th (Service) Bn. Royal Fusiliers (Frontiersmen), who took part in the hard-fought East Africa campaign, 1915-17, winning many medals and awards, including a Victoria Cross. In recognition of the role played by the Frontiersmen battalion in Africa, the Royal Fusiliers gained the following battle honours: “Kilimanjaro”, “Behobeho”, “Nyangao” and “East Africa 1915-17”. At one point they even captured an Imperial German battle flag which is on display at the Royal Fusiliers Museum. The connection between Belgium and the Legion of Frontiersmen continues to this day, with Frontiersmen from the City of London & Colour Squadron playing a part in the annual ceremony of Relais Sacre (the lighting of the Sacred Flame) at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey. This ceremony takes place every year just before Armistice Day. You can read more about the early years of the Legion of Frontiersmen on our historians website: www.frontiersmenhistorian.info The Legion today More than a century after its formation, the core aim of the Legion of Frontiersmen remains the same: to offer our services to the authorities in times of need and for fellowship. To enable Frontiersmen to do so, and to ensure that we are not a financial burden on the government or the communities that we serve, we train and equip ourselves entirely at our own expense. We learn essential skills that will be of value in times of crisis or emergency, and seek to gain qualifications and experience that will make us a useful asset to the authorities. In addition, we encourage Frontiersmen to assist other charities (especially those concerned with the Armed Forces and emergency services). “Foot drill” is the means by which the Army has traditionally taught basic discipline, teamwork, alertness and obedience to orders; and it is the same in the Legion of Frontiersmen, where instruction is given by qualified drill instructors (either currently-serving or ex-Army NCOs). We parade in the traditional uniform of the Frontiersmen, with either the Stetson (a legacy of our founder’s time in Canada in the North West Mounted Police) and “blues” (No.1 dress uniform) or our equally distinctive “utility uniform” – tan shirts and trousers, black sweaters, and a russet-coloured beret. These very distinctive uniforms ensure that we are not confused with the regular Army or the TA. We wear the pendant of the 3^rd Belgian Lancers (with whom the Frontiersmen of H Troop served at the start of the First World War) and when appropriate we also wear only Crown issued or authorized medals that we may have received when serving our Country. Members of the Legion of Frontiersmen are given the opportunity to train and gain experience in the following skills and activities: · Foot drill · Rifle and pistol shooting · First Aid · Security and marshaling · Survival training · Radio procedure · Canoeing and sailing We also have a Mounted Troop, whose members take part in many horse-riding shows and skill at arms competitions, each year competing against riding teams from the Police and Armed Forces, and taking part in competitive events all around the world. So, if you can ride a horse and are interested in joining our specialist Mounted Troop, please contact us and we will put you in touch with our riding master. We try to provide a varied and interesting training programme throughout the year, with one or more Legion activities every month – ranging from survival courses and drill instruction to participation in parades and a variety of military and community events – but as the Legion is a volunteer organization there is no minimum commitment for our members (other than to keep Headquarters advised of your availability			News Legion Major Jerry Watkins receives the Commandant Generals award for his work with the Search and Rescue Teams in Haiti this year. This year saw the first Joint unit training weekend working with horses at Bristol. This is part of our Resilience task in assisting the RSPCA in rescuing horses in the event of flooding in the West Country. If you have concerns about how to deal with Horse, Pony or Donkey in a Disaster please use the link above Members of UK Command participate in the Walk the Wight to raise just short of £1000 for Earl Mountbatten’s Hospice.
Grypon Squadron
Mounted Troop
Selsey Troop

Interested in joining? The Legion of Frontiersmen is always looking for new recruits. We do not discriminate in respect of ability, age, race, religion, gender or lifestyle. Anyone is welcome to apply to join the Legion. All we ask is that you have a genuine commitment to the Legion’s ideals – loyalty, duty and service – and to the Legion’s tradition of fellowship and camaraderie. For further details, please contact: Legion Major Peter McMullan-Bell Legion of Frontiersmen (Countess Mountbatten’s Own) City of London and Colour Squadron Tel: 07774 132207 Email: frontiersmen@btinternet.com The Legion of Frontiersmen of the Commonwealth is a Charity Registered in England and Wales, No. 284541.