It was in the summer of 2010, during Past Master Graham Bishop’s year in office that The Worshipful Company of World Traders established a partnership with 1 Rifles, the Army’s largest infantry regiment, who are based at Beachley Barracks in Chepstow.
The Battalion is a high-readiness light infantry unit whose main job today is to provide rapidly deployable soldiers trained for dismounted operations, NATO deployments, and expeditionary missions.
The Rifles, whose motto is ‘Swift and Bold’, is characterised by its regimental ethos of a constant pursuit of excellence. This is combined with a relaxed relationship between all ranks, who are all known as ‘Riflemen’, and a no-nonsense approach to getting the job done. More visible, and audible, characteristics are: the use of the silver bugle to pass orders, even today in barracks; the spelling of Serjeant with a j rather than a g; and their dark rifle-green berets and ceremonial uniforms. Rifle regiments traditionally did not advertise their position to the enemy by carrying flags or colours, and the same tradition is continued today, with Battle Honours being entrusted to each Rifleman and displayed on their ceremonial uniform. On parade, the Regiment is distinct, executing ‘light’ drill movements: Riflemen carry their weapons at the trail (by their sides) rather than at the shoulder and march at a rate of 140 paces to the minute, considerably quicker than regiments of the line.
History of the Regiment
The Rifles was formed in February 2007 from amalgamation of The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment, The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment, The Light Infantry and The Royal Green Jackets. The Rifles is the largest infantry regiment in the Army and recruits nationally, whilst focusing on its antecedent regiments’ historic centres of gravity. It has 5 regular battalions and 2 reserve battalions as well as a raft of Army Cadet Force and Combined Cadet Force detachments and a healthy veterans community of former members of the current and forming regiments.
The World Traders and 1 Rifles
Over the years, the World Traders have visited the battalion on many occasions to meet the battalion’s impressive riflemen and learn more about the important role of the unit to our national security. We have jointly hosted careers and skills events both in London and down in Chepstow and have on several occasions organised care packages to various platoons whilst deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2024, World Traders helped our rifleman away from their families whilst deployed in Cyprus to celebrate Christmas through Christmas gift packages. Our thanks go to all those World Traders who have helped support this initiative.
Thanks to the support of The Worshipful Company of World Traders’ Charitable Trust, the Company has annually supported the battalion’s hardship fund which has supported specific riflemen in times of need and helped host family days for the wider community at 1 Rifles.
The World Traders Leadership Awards
In March 2023, the World Traders launched a series of Leadership Awards to recognise values and standards of excellence in each of the battalion’s five companies.
In the words of Past Master Graham Bishop, “It is an inspired idea to add some moral colour to the association between the World Traders and the Rifles. For me, the shared values were cemented at the very beginning when Colonel James de la Billiere brought RSM Poulter to my Installation at Drapers Hall in 2010 to experience, at first hand, the City’s values which would inform behaviour in the forthcoming campaign in Afghanistan’s Helmand province. For us, these values are epitomised in our motto ‘Commerce and honest friendship with all’.”
In April 2025, our Liaison Officer, Liveryman Sarah Emilie Goodhew, was honoured to represent the Company in Cyprus for their Sounding Retreat in Dhekelia. It was shortly after this, on 8 July 2025, that the 2025 World Traders’ Leadership Awards were presented, along with a cheque to the winner of each Company, on Salamanca Day, in Cyprus, honouring the Battle of Salamanca, where all of The Rifles’ antecedent Regiments can trace lineage back to.
Congratulations to the winners of our World Traders’ Leadership Awards:
2025: Rfn Kingston (A Company), Rfn Cook (B Company), LCpl Woodhouse (C Company), Cpl Proe (S Company) and Cpl Earley (HQ Company)
2023: LCpl Osborn (A Company), Rfn Barker (B Company), Sjt Gratton (C Company), Sjt Kenny (S Company), and Cfn Young (HQ Company)
Liaison Officer: Liveryman Sarah Emilie Goodhew
