An army reserves infantry unit that has been based in Balham for nearly 100 years has returned to The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers after a 33-year absence.

City of London Fusiliers, of Balham High Road, now re-joins other fusiliers based across the United Kingdom after leaving the same unit under army restructuring in September.

The regiment wears a distinctive red and white hackle in their beret, a part of military headdress, and was formed on St George’s Day in 1968 after four units in London, Northumberland, Lancashire and Warwickshire merged together.

Together, they are said to have served in almost every military campaign stretching over the last 400 years, including service in the Balkans, both Gulf wars and Afghanistan.

Lieutenant colonel Jeremy Dodd, commanding officer of the Fifth Fusiliers, said: “I and the fifth fusiliers are utterly delighted to be receiving into our battalion and the wider regiment, the fusiliers in Balham.

“This has been a long time coming and ensures all of us, from Berwick on the Scottish border, via the north east, Manchester, Birmingham and London are in one family.

“The team from Balham have just taken part in the largest reservist fusiliers exercise in recent memory and as next year we celebrate 50 years as a regiment, we look forward to even better times ahead.

“We are very much open for business and recruiting now for London fusiliers."

Restructuring took place on September 1 and is said to have already seen soldiers being deployed on the annual training period with other units from across England.