The 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It was originally raised by the Duke of Norfolk in 1689 so can boast an independent existence of over 325 years, being one of five line infantry regiments never to have been amalgamated in its history; it shares this claim with:

• The Royal Scots
• The Green Howards
• The Royal Welch Fusiliers
• The King's Own Scottish Borderers

During those years it has acquired three nicknames

• "The Red Knights"
• "The Lightning Conductors"
• "The Two-Twos"

In 2004, as part of the restructuring of the infantry, it was announced that the Cheshire Regiment would be amalgamated with the Staffordshire Regiment and the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters to form the new Mercian Regiment.

External Links

BBC News article on the reorganization