Rose, Castle and Crown – Hampshire and the Isle of Wight’s Citizen Soldiers

Rose, Castle and Crown is a unique history of the part-time soldier of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, from the time of the militia, yeomanry and volunteer, through to the Territorial Army and today’s Army Reserve. This is all placed in the wider context of the British Army’s history.

For centuries, the country has defended its shores with a mixture of regular and auxiliary soldiers, but little has been written about the latter, particularly in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. All military volunteers, throughout history, have had to balance the requirement of their service with family demands and their main civilian employment. This book tells their story.

Foreword by His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenants of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

PATRICK CROWLEY is currently the chief executive of the South East Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association, which involves promoting reserves and cadets, tri–service, in the nine counties of the South East of England, as well as helping to connect defence with society. He has been in this appointment since retiring from the British Army in 2014. Commissioned into 1st Battalion the Queen’s Regiment in 1980, Crowley was a major when the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment (PWRR) was founded in 1992. He served as a rifle platoon commander, mortar officer, adjutant, company commander, second-in-command and commanding officer within the PWRR, commanding the regiment’s 3rd (Volunteer) Battalion. Service included many tours of Northern Ireland, a period in Baghdad and numerous staff appointments, mainly related to infantry and staff training, as well as the Territorial Army and Army Reserves. Overseas roles included postings to Gibraltar and Zimbabwe. In addition, he has run many battlefield tours, is a committee member of the Military Historical Society and a trustee on a number of military-related charities. A deputy colonel of the PWRR since 2008, Crowley lives in Hampshire.