After 318 years, The Green Howards will today say goodbye to its colourful history when it is officially amalgamated into the Yorkshire Regiment. Liz Lamb reports from the Balkans, where the battalion is on routine deployment.

'I HAVE been in The Green Howards for 23 years and if you cut me I would bleed green and white," said Lieutenant Colonel Jim Willis, referring to the regiment's colours which are soon to be replaced.

"I will be very sad to see The Green Howards go but I will get over that, we will make it work."

Lt Col Willis is commanding officer of The Green Howards, which recruits in Teesside and North Yorkshire, and a soldier with strong family ties to the regiment.

His uncle, Major Peter Willis, was serving as a company commander with The Green Howards when he was killed by a bomb in Ulster in 1975, aged 37, and his cousin also served with the 1st Battalion during the 1990s.

Letting go of the infantry battalion's independence is a sad occasion for many of the soldiers, including the commanding officer of two-and-a-half years, but one that has been heralded as time for new opportunities and growth.

Speaking at the Banja Luka metal factory, in Bosnia, where the regiment is on a six-month operational tour, Lt Col Willis said: "It is a family regiment for me. We are one of only five regiments that has remained unamalgamated throughout history.

"It kind of heightens the sadness of these things.

"But we are not taking a step backwards here - this is a new adventure."

From today, the Green Howards will be known as the 2nd Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards), following a decision by the Defence Secretary to restructure regiments to make them more flexible and useable.

The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire will become the 1st Battalion and the Duke of Wellington's Regiment will be relaunched as the 3rd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment. It will be the only county regiment left in the British Army.

Territorial Army units from across the North-East and Yorkshire will form the new regiment's 4th Battalion.

To mark today's amalgamation, The Green Howards will take part in a parade in Bosnia to officially mark the occasion and swap cap badges to the new lion and Yorkshire rose emblem.

They will be joined by the Bosnian Army Band, headed by drum major Stephen Elstob, 29, of Darlington, who will play the regimental march The Bonnie English Rose.

Lance Corporal Peter Crowe, 19, of Hartlepool, the youngest lance corporal in the battalion serving in Bosnia, said: "All the history has gone. I am not really happy about it, but we have got to get on with it."

His comments were echoed by Corporal Daniel Jones, 23, of Darlington. He said: "It is sad. We are losing our identity."

Captain Peter "Robbo" Robinson, of Redcar, in east Cleveland, said the soldiers had had time to come to terms with the changes and most were feeling more positive about the amalgamation.

He said: "If you had asked us a year ago about how we felt, we would have said we were devastated, but we have got used to it now.

"The new system will create new opportunities. We are looking forward, but we will never forget what's behind us.

"It is sad, but it's about the soldiers of today - not yesterday."

Yesterday, last-minute preparations were completed at the former Green Howards regimental headquarters, in Richmond, North Yorkshire, which will become an area office for the new regiment. The new headquarters will be in York.

A brass plate was screwed on the wall outside the offices and the Green Howards museum, at Trinity Church. The regimental museum will remain, but will only feature Green Howards history from 1688 to 2006.

* Watching the parade by The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment today will be Quebec and Imphal, ferrets who have been with the regiment since the 1980s.

318 years of glory and sacrifice.

* The regiment was raised on November 19, 1688, for service under William of Orange

* Its first active service was in 1690 at the Battle of the Boyne in Ireland

* In 1873 the regimental depot was built in Richmond, North Yorkshire

* Harald V, King of Norway, a great great grandson of Queen Victoria, was the regiment's colonel-in-chief before the amalgamation

* During the First World War, 24 battalions of the regiment were raised. Twelve men won the Victoria Cross and the regiment was awarded 56 battle honours. More than 7,500 lost their lives and nearly 24,000 were wounded.

* Two of the 12 battalions raised during the Second World War were the first to land in the assault on D-Day 1944.

* In recent years it has served in countries including Austria, West Germany, Suez, Cyprus, Hong Kong, Libya, Bosnia and Kosovo and has distinguished itself on operations in Northern Ireland.

* The regiment has been awarded honorary freemen in Middlesbrough, Redcar, Richmond, Scarborough, Beverley and Bridlington.