Isle of Wight Rifles
The 1st Isle of Wight Rifle Volunteers, later the 8th (Isle of Wight, 'Princess Beatrice's Own') Battalion, Hampshire Regiment, but known informally as the 'Isle of Wight Rifles', was an auxiliary unit of the British Army formed to defend the Isle of Wight after a mid-19th Century invasion scare. During World War I it fought in the Gallipoli Campaign, taking part in the calamitous attack at Suvla Bay, and later at the battles of Gaza and Megiddo in Palestine. Between the wars it was converted to coast defence artillery and served in this role on the Isle of Wight throughout World War II. One battery was sent to reinforce the garrison of Tobruk, where it was captured in 1942. Postwar the unit converted to the air defence role, then reverted to infantry, and its successors continue in today's Army Reserve.
| Princess Beatrice's Isle of Wight Rifles 8th Bn, Hampshire Regiment 530th Coast Regiment, Royal Artillery 428 Heavy AA Regiment, RA | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1860–Present |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Volunteer Force/Territorial Army |
| Role | Infantry (1860–1937; 1967–2006) Coast Artillery (1937–1949) Air Defence (1949–1967) |
| Size | 1–3 Battalions |
| Part of | Southern Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Drill Hall Road Army Reserve Centre, Newport, Isle of Wight |
| Nickname(s) | 'The Green Gunners' |
| Engagements | Suvla Bay Gaza Megiddo |