1st Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment (1 LANCS) has become one of NATO’s pivotal Army units.
Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment built trenches during Exercise Hedgehog in Estonia. Here is Kingsman Harry Yates, Kingsman Lewis Hinchy, and Kingsman Oscar Bolton in their shelter they hand made from scratch.
Troops from 1st Battalion, the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment build defensive trenches during Exercise Hedgehog in Estonia.
On Monday 5th May 2025, Kingsman McCauley from the 1st Battalion, the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, has her portrait taken during Exercise Hedgehog in Estonia.
The Wilson Brothers from the 1st Battalion, the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment have their portrait taken while deployed in Estonia during Exercise Hedgehog. From left to right is Captain Mark Wilson, Sergeant Stephen Wilson and Captain Shane Wilson.
Taking on the role of Forward Land Forces (FLF), 1 LANCS will be on readiness to strengthen frontline forces should conflict break out on the alliance’s eastern flank.
They recently visited NATO Supreme Headquarters in Brussels to receive a briefing on the tasking.
As we mark the Battalion’s readiness from 1 July, we reflect with pride on 12 months of dedicated training and force development as part of the Forward Land Forces (FLF) Brigade."
It follows a year of intense training for the role, including a large-scale operational rehearsal in Estonia, Exercise Hedgehog, in May, just 35 miles from the Russian border.
The defensive exercise saw troops dig trenches and prepare positions under battlefield conditions.
Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Bob Carman said: “As we mark the Battalion’s readiness from 1 July, we reflect with pride on 12 months of dedicated training and force development as part of the Forward Land Forces Brigade.
“1 LANCS now stands prepared for the challenges ahead, and we look forward to embracing the opportunities to continue training in Estonia, integrating with our Allies, and increasing our lethality with new technical equipment.
“The battalion will maintain a mindset of continuous improvement – to be more agile, lethal and resilient, and to always be ready.”
While looking to the future, 1 LANCS also remembered the past with events in June commemorating the 210th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, where the Kingsmen’s forebears helped defeat Napolean’s troops, despite being outnumbered, bringing decades of peace to Europe.
They first marked the occasion with a ceremony at Lion’s Mound in Brussels, Belgium, followed by a parade and families day at their home base, Weeton Barracks in Preston.
Over a packed year, the battalion also conducted a major exercise on Salisbury Plain, testing its readiness for operations in Europe and beyond, as well as playing a vital role in supporting the resettlement of eligible Afghan citizens in the UK.
