Once a Grenadier

A history of the senior most infantry regiment of the British Army, drawn from conversations with those who have served—includes illustrations and maps.

There are few places of significance where the Grenadiers Guards has not served: after the round-up of Nazis in 1945 in Germany and Austria, Grenadiers saw action in Palestine and in the jungles of Malaya, and subsequently served during emergencies in Cyprus, the Cameroons, British Guiana, Belize, Northern Ireland, the Gulf and with the United Nations, which included the Falklands and Hong Kong. Grenadier have also been responsible for the protection of British Sovereigns and the great ceremonial events in London, including the funerals of King George VI and Winston Churchill.

Drawing on interviews with Grendiers, both serving and retired, as well as his own experiences as a regular soldier for thirty-five years—-Oliver Lindsay has written a book of extraordinary interest. Unique among such historians, Lindsay tells of the experiences of wives in such places as war-torn Germany in 1945. The story of Grenadiers who served with the Guards parachute Company and in the SAS is included. This comprehensive record includes coverage of training, tactics, the pronounced changes in the armed forces and the views and anecdotes of the Non Commissioned Officers and Guardsmen. Profusely illustrated and with fourteen detailed maps, this is a dedicated history of the senior infantry Regiment in the British Army and what is probably the most famous Regiment in the world.