Editing British Army (section)

=== Colonial units ===
[[File:1939 Dominion and Colonial Regiments.jpg|thumb|upright|left|1939 Dominion and Colonial Regiments]]

The British Army historically included many units from what are now separate [[Commonwealth realm]]s. When the [[English Empire]] was established in [[British America|North America]] (including Bermuda), and the West Indies in the early 17th century there was no standing English Army, only the [[Militia (English)|Militia]], [[Yeomanry]], and [[Sovereign's Bodyguard|Royal bodyguards]], of which the Militia, as the primary home-defence force, was immediately extended to the colonies. [[Militia (British Dominions and Crown Colonies)|Colonial militias]] defended colonies single-handedly at first against indigenous peoples and European competitors. Once the standing English Army, later the British Army, came into existence and began to garrison the colonies, the colonial militias fought side by side with it in a number of wars, including the [[Seven Years' War]]. Some of the colonial militias rebelled during the [[American Revolutionary War|American War of Independence]]. The militia fought alongside the regular British Army (and native allies) in defending British North America from their former countrymen during the [[War of 1812]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/en/explore/online/1812/militia.aspx|title=Militia and civilian life |publisher=Government of Ontario |access-date=1 October 2020}}</ref>

[[File:Bermuda troops train at Camp Lejeune to become Junior Noncommissioned Officers 180504-M-JQ686-0185.jpg|thumb|upright|Royal Bermuda Regiment soldier with an [[SA80|L85A2]] at [[United States Marine Corps|USMC]] [[Camp Lejeune]] in 2018]]
Locally raised units in strategically located [[Imperial fortress]] colonies (including: [[Nova Scotia]] before the [[Canadian Confederation]]; [[Bermuda]] – which was treated as part of [[The Maritimes]] under the Commander-in-Chief at Nova Scotia until Canadian Confederation; [[Gibraltar]]; and [[Malta]]) and the [[Channel Islands]] were generally maintained from army funds and more fully integrated into the British Army as evident from their placements in British Army lists, unlike units such as the [[King's African Rifles]].<ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=The Somaliland Operations|date=23 October 1902 |page=6 |issue=36906}}</ref>

The larger colonies (Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, etc.) mostly achieved [[Dominion|Commonwealth Dominion]] status before or after the First World War and were granted full legislative independence in 1931. While remaining within the British Empire, this placed their governments on a par with the British government, and hence their military units comprised separate armies (e.g. the [[Australian Army]]), although Canada retained the term "militia" for its military forces until the Second World War. From the 1940s, these dominions and many colonies chose full independence, usually becoming [[Commonwealth realm]]s (as member states of the Commonwealth are known today).<ref>{{cite web | title=Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1942 | work=National Archives of Australia: Documenting a Democracy | url = http://www.foundingdocs.gov.au/item.asp?sdID=96 | access-date=8 August 2005 | url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20050716075624/http://www.foundingdocs.gov.au/item.asp?sdID=96 |archive-date=16 July 2005}}</ref><ref>{{citation |url = https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/op-ed/Succeeding+Canadian+throne/7651371/story.html|last1=Bowden |first1=James | first2=Philippe |last2=Lagassé | title=Succeeding to the Canadian throne | date=6 December 2012 |newspaper=Ottawa Citizen | access-date=6 December 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130110062651/http://www.ottawacitizen.com/opinion/op-ed/Succeeding%2BCanadian%2Bthrone/7651371/story.html |archive-date=10 January 2013 }}</ref>

Units raised in [[Self-governing colony|self-governing]] and [[Crown colony|Crown colonies]] (those without local elected [[Legislatures]], as was the case with [[British Hong Kong]]) that are part of the British realm remain under British Government control. As the territorial governments are delegated responsibility only for internal government, the UK Government, as the government of the [[Sovereign state]], retains responsibility for national security and the defence of the fourteen remaining [[British Overseas Territories]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9708 |title=Representing the Overseas Territories in the UK Parliament and Government |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2023-02-07 |website=UK Parliament (House of Commons Library) |publisher=UK Government |access-date=2024-01-14 |quote=All the Territories have a UK-appointed Governor, who generally holds responsibility for managing the Territory's external affairs, defence and internal security like the police, and often the power to make or veto laws.......As a matter of constitutional law, the UK Parliament has unlimited power to legislate for the Territories. However, passing legislation for the Territories is rare.}}</ref> of which six have locally raised regiments:
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* [[Royal Bermuda Regiment]]<ref>[http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/TrainingAndAdventure/RoyalAnglianSoldiersBoostBermudaRegiment.htm DefenceNews ArticleRoyal Anglian soldiers boost Bermuda Regiment] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111207074844/http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/TrainingAndAdventure/RoyalAnglianSoldiersBoostBermudaRegiment.htm |date=7 December 2011 }} Defence News, 19 January 2011,</ref>
* [[Royal Gibraltar Regiment]]<ref>[http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/TrainingAndAdventure/RoyalGibraltarRegimentTrainsInUk.htm Royal Gibraltar Regiment trains in UK] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111207105508/http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/TrainingAndAdventure/RoyalGibraltarRegimentTrainsInUk.htm |date=7 December 2011 }} Defence News, 12 May 2011</ref>
* [[Falkland Islands Defence Force]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fig.gov.fk/fidf/|title=Home – FIDF|website=www.fig.gov.fk|access-date=17 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202005805/http://www.fig.gov.fk/fidf/|archive-date=2 February 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Royal Montserrat Defence Force]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/cm83/8374/8374.pdf |title=UK Government White Paper on Overseas Territories, June, 2012. Page 23. |access-date=13 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121031034047/http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/cm83/8374/8374.pdf |archive-date=31 October 2012 |url-status=live  }}</ref>
* [[Cayman Islands Regiment]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.exploregov.ky/ciregiment|title=THE CAYMAN ISLANDS REGIMENT|website=www.exploregov.ky|access-date=19 June 2020}}</ref>
* [[Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/governor-dakins-speech-at-tci-national-security-strategy-launch-22-january-2020|title=Governor Dakin's speech at Turks & Caicos Islands National Security Strategy launch |website=www.gov.uk|date=22 January 2020 |access-date=19 June 2020}}</ref>
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<gallery class="center" widths="200px" heights="150px">
File:Falklandsdf.jpg|alt=Line of soldiers near water|Falkland Islands Defence Force on parade in June 2013
File:Detachment of Falkland Islands Defence Force.jpg|alt=Soldiers marching down a street in black uniforms|Detachment of the Falkland Islands Defence Force in ceremonial dress
File:US President JF Kennedy inspects Bermuda Rifles 1961.jpg|[[John Fitzgerald Kennedy]], escorted by [[Governor of Bermuda|Governor and Commander-in-Chief]] of Bermuda, Major-General Sir [[Julian Gascoigne|JA Gascoigne]], KCMG, KCVO, CB, DSO, DL, and Major JA Marsh, DSO, the Officer Commanding the [[Bermuda Militia Artillery]], inspects a [[Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps|Bermuda Rifles]] guard in 1961, four years before the units amalgamated
File:RSM of the Bermuda Regiment 1992.jpg|WO1 Herman Eve, RSM of the Royal Bermuda Regiment in 1992<ref>''Ah yes, that was a very good year'', [[Soldier Magazine|Soldier]] magazine, June, 2001. Page 63.</ref>
File:Bermuda Regiment Band.png|Bandsmen of the Royal Bermuda Regiment
File:Bermuda Regiment PNCO Cadre Promotion Parade.jpg|alt=Soldiers in white-and-black dress uniforms|Royal Bermuda Regiment on parade
File:Changing of the Guard duo - Royal Gibraltar Regiment.jpg|alt=Two soldiers in red dress uniforms|Changing of the guard, Royal Gibraltar Regiment (2012)
File:Royal Gibraltar Regiment.jpg|alt=Four soldiers marching in red-and-blue dress uniforms|Royal Gibraltar Regiment in London, April 2012
</gallery>