Grenadier Regiments
The term grenadier was retained or adopted by various elite infantry units, including Potsdam Grenadiers, the Granatieri di Sardegna (Grenadiers of Sardinia) in Italy, the Foot Grenadiers, Fusilier-Grenadiers, Tirailleur-Grenadiers and Horse Grenadiers of the French Imperial Guard, the Imperial Russian Grenadier Leib Guards Regiment, Britain's Grenadier Guards and the 101st Grenadiers. The latter was part of the British Indian Army and claimed to be the first and oldest grenadier regiment (as opposed to grenadier companies) in the British Empire. During the American Revolution of 1775-1783, the Connecticut 1st Company Governor's Foot Guards and the 11th Regiment of Connecticut Militia had grenadier companies. . New York City also had a Grenadier unit, as did South Carolina - the elite 1st South Carolina Regiment, raised and commanded by Charles Cotesworth Pinckney. A Toronto militia unit was renamed the 10th Royal Grenadiers then later became the Royal Regiment of Canada.
With the standardisation of training and tactics, the need for separate grenadier companies at regimental level had passed by the mid-19th century and the British, French and Austrian armies phased out these sub-units between 1850 and 1860. However as late as 1914 the Imperial German and Russian Armies included a number of grenadier regiments. In the Russian Army these comprised the Grenadier Guards Regiment as well as the Grenadier Corps of sixteen regiments. Five regiments of the Prussian Guard were designated as Garde-Grenadiers and there were an additional fourteen regiment of grenadiers amongst the line infantry of the German Empire. In both Russian and German armies the grenadier regiments were considered a historic elite, distinguished by distinctions such as plumed helmets in full dress or special braiding. Their role and training however no longer differed from that of the rest of the infantry.
Read more about this topic: Grenadier