Minden Day
Minden Day is a regimental anniversary celebrated on August 1 by certain units of the British Army. It commemorates the participation of the forerunners of the regiments in the Battle of Minden on that date in 1759.
The celebration of the day involves the wearing of "Minden Roses" on the regimental head dress, and, in the case of the infantry regiments, the decoration of the regimental colours with garlands of roses. This recalls that the regiments wore wild roses at the battle that they had plucked from the hedgerows as they advanced to engage the enemy.
Minden Day is celebrated by:
- 12 (Minden) Battery, 12 Regiment (Royal Artillery)
- 32 (Minden) Battery, 16 Regiment Royal Artillery
- 1st Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment, successor to the 12th Regiment of Foot
- HQ Company, 3rd Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment (TA Reserve)
- The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, successor the 20th Regiment of Foot
- The Royal Welsh, successors to the 23rd Regiment of Foot
- The Royal Scots Borderers, The Royal Regiment of Scotland, as successors to the 25th Regiment of Foot (King's Own Scottish Borderers)
- The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, successors to the 37th Regiment of Foot
- 3rd and 5th Battalions The Rifles Regiment as successors of The Light Infantry, successors to the 51st Regiment of Foot
The colours of roses varies: red is used by most of the units, but white is favoured by the Light Infantry and red and yellow by the Royal Anglians. In some cases this reflects parts of the regimental recruiting areas: the Light Infantry is associated with part of Yorkshire (represented by a white rose), the Fusiliers with part of historic Lancashire and the Princess of Wales's area includes Hampshire (both counties having red roses as insignia).
In 1975 August 1 was adopted as Yorkshire Day, partly to reflect the presence of Yorkshire soldiers at the battle.