43rd (Monmouthshire) Regiment of Foot

Last updated

43rd (Monmouthshire) Regiment of Foot
43rd Regiment of Foot Badge.png
Badge of the 43rd (Monmouthshire) Regiment of Foot
Active1741–1881
CountryUnion flag 1606 (Kings Colors).svg  Kingdom of Great Britain (1741–1800)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom (1801–1881)
BranchFlag of the British Army.svg  British Army
Type Infantry
SizeOne battalion (two battalions 1804–1817)
Garrison/HQ Copthorne Barracks, Shrewsbury
Engagements Seven Years War
American War of Independence
Peninsular War
Battle of New Orleans
Indian Mutiny
New Zealand Wars

The 43rd (Monmouthshire) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1741. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 52nd (Oxfordshire) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry) to form the 1st and 2nd battalions of the Oxfordshire Light Infantry in 1881. The regiment went on to become the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry in 1908.

Contents

History

Lieutenant-General Sir Hercules Robert Pakenham, Colonel of the regiment in the late 1840s by William Egley Hercules Robert Pakenham.png
Lieutenant-General Sir Hercules Robert Pakenham, Colonel of the regiment in the late 1840s by William Egley
Soldier of the 43rd Regiment, 1742 Soldier of 43rd regiment 1742.jpg
Soldier of the 43rd Regiment, 1742
A grenadier of the 43rd Regiment (left), 1751 by David Morier 43rd-44th-45th-regiments-of-foot-1.jpg
A grenadier of the 43rd Regiment (left), 1751 by David Morier

Raising and Seven Years War

The regiment was raised at Winchester by Colonel Thomas Fowke as Thomas Fowke's Regiment of Foot in 1741. [1] The regiment's first deployment was on garrison duties at Menorca in 1742. [2] [3] The regiment was numbered 54th Regiment of Foot from 1747 until 1751 when it became the 43rd Regiment of Foot. [1]

In May 1757, the 43rd sailed for North America, arriving at Halifax, Nova Scotia the following month to defend the British North American colonies during the French and Indian War (the North American Theatre of the Seven Years' War) against France. [4] A detachment of the 43rd was defeated in a skirmish with Mi'kmaq and Acadian resistance fighters at Bloody Creek near Fort Anne on 8 December 1757. [5] The regiment had spent almost two years on garrison duties when, in 1759, as part of General Wolfe's force, it took part in the capture of Quebec gaining its first battle honour. [6] The next campaign was in the West Indies where the 43rd took part in the capture of Martinique in January 1762 [7] and of Saint Lucia later in the month from the French [8] and the capture of Havana In August 1762 from the Spanish. [8]

American War of Independence

The regiment returned to North America in 1774 and remained there throughout the American War of Independence. [9] The 43rd were joined by the 52nd at Boston in June 1774. [10] At the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the Grenadier and Light Infantry (flank) companies of the regiment were deployed. [11]

At the Battle of Bunker Hill, the regiment formed part of the 'Assault Force', which had the unfortunate job of assaulting the heavily defended Breeds Hill. [11] [12] [13] Following the Siege of Boston, the regiment was evacuated to Halifax in Nova Scotia. One year later, the regiment sailed for Long Island and took part in the Battle of Long Island, [11]

Between 16 and 18 November 1776, the regiment took part in the Battle of Rhode Island, and shortly thereafter was withdrawn back to New York where it took part in the Battle of Fort Washington and Battle of Fort Lee. [11]

In 1781, the regiment was moved back into New York City where it formed part of the garrison under Major General Henry Clinton. [13] Later that year, the regiment joined Brigadier General Benedict Arnold in his Virginia campaign and took part in the Battle of Green Spring. [11]

Later, the regiment arrived in Yorktown and was present during the Siege of Yorktown later that year. [11]

In 1782, regimental county titles were granted and the 43rd became the 43rd (Monmouthshire) Regiment of Foot. [1] The regiment returned to the West Indies in January 1794 to capture for the second time Martinique and Saint Lucia which following the peace treaty of 1763 had been returned to France. [14] They were defeated at Guadeloupe in 1794 by a much larger French force after defending their position for three months. [15]

Light Infantry

In 1803, the 43rd, the 52nd and the 95th Rifles became the first Corps of Light Infantry and formed the Light Brigade at Shorncliffe in Kent under the command of Major-General John Moore. [16] The regiment was re-titled as the 43rd (Monmouthshire) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry). [1] The 43rd was part of a force led by Sir Arthur Wellesley which in 1807 captured Copenhagen and the entire Danish fleet. [17]

Peninsular War

The 43rd Regiment of Foot at the Battle of Sabugal in April 1811 by Richard Simkin Le 43e regiment britannique a Sabugal, 1811.jpg
The 43rd Regiment of Foot at the Battle of Sabugal in April 1811 by Richard Simkin

In August 1808, during the Peninsular War, the 43rd fought in the Battle of Vimeiro which drove Napoleon's forces from Portugal. [18] [19] The campaign against the French then moved to Spain where in January 1809 the regiment took part in the retreat to Vigo and Corunna; achieving fame as part of the rearguard to the army before returning to England. [20] In May 1809 the 1st battalion of the 43rd, as part of Sir Robert Craufurd's Light Brigade, sailed for Portugal to join Sir Arthur Wellesley's army. On landing at Lisbon the 43rd moved to Spain to support Wellesley's forces there. [21] The battalion's march of 250 miles from Lisbon to Talavera included a march of fifty-two miles in twenty-six hours in the hottest season of the year. [22] [23] The battle of Talavera had been won before the battalion arrived. However, a company of the 43rd which had been at Lisbon from December 1808 fought in the battle as part of General Richard Stewart's brigade. [24] In 1810 the 43rd formed part of the Light Division under the command of Sir Robert Craufurd. [25] The 43rd fought in the battle of the crossing of the Côa in July 1810, [26] the Battle of Bussaco in September 1810 [27] and the Battle of Sabugal in April 1811. [28] The 43rd also took part in the Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro in May 1811, [29] the assault on the fortress of Ciudad Rodrigo in January 1812 [30] and the Siege of Badajoz in April 1812; [31] when storming the breach the 43rd lost 20 officers and 335 men. [32]

The regiment went on to fight at the Battle of Salamanca in July 1812 [33] and the Battle of Vitoria in June 1813 [34] and then pursued the French Army into France where they saw action at the Battle of Nivelle in November 1813, [35] the Battle of the Nive in December 1813 [36] and the Battle of Toulouse in April 1814. [37] Following the end of the Peninsular War in 1814 the Light Division was disbanded and the 43rd returned to England. [38]

The 2nd battalion of the 43rd was part of the Walcheren Campaign in 1809 where many troops died to fever in the Scheldt marshes. [39]

Battle of New Orleans

The 43rd returned to America in 1814 as part of an expeditionary force which initially had some success but was defeated during the Battle of New Orleans by the forces of General Jackson in 1815. [40] [41] The regiment then returned to Europe. The 43rd arrived in Belgium too late to fight in the Battle of Waterloo on 18 June 1815. [40] [41] There were however a number of 43rd officers present during the battle including Lord Fitzroy Somerset and Major James Shaw Kennedy who both served on the Duke of Wellington's staff. [42] The regiment formed part of the army of occupation in France until November 1818. [43]

Canada 1836–1846

The regiment served in Ireland from 1819 to 1823 [44] and then at Gibraltar from 1823 to 1830. [45] Following a period in England the 43rd returned to Canada in 1836. [46] The regiment under the overall command of Sir John Colborne commander-in-chief Canada took part in the suppression of the Rebellions of 1837. [47] In December 1837, in severe weather conditions, the regiment marched from Fredericton to Quebec a distance of 370 miles of many forests, frozen rivers and mountainous terrain in a period of eighteen days. The march received much attention in Canada and the Duke of Wellington expressed his high admiration for the arduous undertaking the 43rd had completed. [48] [49] The regiment left Canada for England in 1846 and was stationed in the south of England and then in Ireland until 1851. [50]

Southern Africa 1851–1853

"The Wreck of the Birkenhead" (ca 1892) by Thomas Hemy Wreck of the Birkenhead.jpg
"The Wreck of the Birkenhead" (ca 1892) by Thomas Hemy

The 43rd were sent to South Africa for service in the Eighth Xhosa War in 1851. In 1852 a detachment from the regiment departed Simon's Town aboard the troopship HMS Birkenhead bound for Port Elizabeth. At two o'clock in the morning on 28 February 1852, the ship struck rocks at Danger Point, just off Gansbaai. [51] The troops assembled on deck, and allowed the women and children to board the lifeboats first, but then stood firm as the ship sank when told by officers that jumping overboard and swimming to the lifeboats would mostly likely upset those boats and endanger the civilian passengers. 357 men drowned. [52] The bravery and discipline shown by British troops which included a detachment of the 43rd under the command of Lieutenant Girardot during the ship-wreck received much publicity in England and abroad. King Frederick of Prussia ordered that the story of the bravery shown during the sinking of the troopship be read out to each regiment of his army as an example of devotion to duty. [53]

Indian Mutiny

The 43rd moved from South Africa to India arriving at Madras in January 1854. [54] The regiment assisted in putting down the Indian Mutiny from 1857 to 1859. In the campaign, the regiment marched 1,300 miles in six months; from Southern India to Bengal [55] and engaged in many actions with the enemy along the way. The regiment also won its first Victoria Cross awarded to Henry Addison in 1859. [56]

New Zealand Wars

In September 1863, the 43rd left India to take part in the New Zealand Wars. [57] The 43rd led the storming column at Gate Pa in April 1864 [58] and took part in the assault on the fort at Te Ranga in June 1864. [59] Frederick Augustus Smith was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery during an attack on a Maori trench. [60] The regiment returned to England in February 1866. [61]

Later history

For the next fifteen years the regiment was mainly stationed abroad with only brief periods spent in the UK. The major operation it was engaged in during this time was in the suppression of the rebellion by the Moplahs in Southern India in 1873. [62] [63]

As part of the Cardwell Reforms of the 1870s, where single-battalion regiments were linked together to share a single depot and recruiting district in the United Kingdom, the 43rd was linked with the 53rd (Shropshire) Regiment of Foot, and assigned to district no. 21 at Copthorne Barracks in Shrewsbury. [64] On 1 July 1881 the Childers Reforms came into effect and the regiment amalgamated with the 52nd (Oxfordshire) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry) to form the 1st and 2nd battalions of the Oxfordshire Light Infantry (which became the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry in 1908). [1]

Battle honours

Victoria Cross recipients

Colonels of the Regiment

Colonels of the regiment included: [1]

The 43rd Regiment of Foot - (1751)

43rd (Monmouthshire) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry) - (1803)

See also

Related Research Articles

The 47th (Lancashire) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in Scotland in 1741. It served in North America during the Seven Years' War and American Revolutionary War and also fought during the Napoleonic Wars and the Crimean War. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 81st Regiment of Foot to form the Loyal Regiment in 1881.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Yorkshire Regiment</span> Former regiment of the British Army

The West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own) (14th Foot) was an infantry regiment of the British Army. In 1958 it amalgamated with the East Yorkshire Regiment (15th Foot) to form the Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire which was, on 6 June 2006, amalgamated with the Green Howards and the Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding) to form the Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheshire Regiment</span> Former British Army regiment

The Cheshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. The 22nd Regiment of Foot was raised by the Henry Howard, 7th Duke of Norfolk in 1689 and was able to boast an independent existence of over 300 years. The regiment was expanded in 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms by the linking of the 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment of Foot and the militia and rifle volunteers of Cheshire. The title 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment continued to be used within the regiment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry</span> Former regiment of the British Army

The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry was a light infantry regiment of the British Army that existed from 1881 until 1958, serving in the Second Boer War, World War I and World War II.

The 1st Green Jackets was an infantry regiment of the British Army that existed from 1958 to 1966. The regiment served in the Cyprus Emergency, Brunei Revolt, Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation and West Berlin. The regiment formed part of the Green Jackets Brigade and in 1963 was redesignated as a rifle regiment.

The Light Division is a light infantry division of the British Army. It was reformed in 2022, as part of Future Soldier reforms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">53rd (Shropshire) Regiment of Foot</span> Military unit

The 53rd (Shropshire) Regiment of Foot was a British Army regiment, raised in 1755. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 85th Regiment of Foot to form the King's Shropshire Light Infantry in 1881.

The 38th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1705. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 80th Regiment of Foot to form the South Staffordshire Regiment in 1881.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">71st (Highland) Regiment of Foot</span> Military unit

The 71st Regiment of Foot was a Highland regiment in the British Army, raised as the 73rd (Highland) Regiment of Foot in 1777. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 74th (Highland) Regiment of Foot to become the 1st Battalion, Highland Light Infantry in 1881.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot</span> Military unit

The 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot was an Irish infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1689. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 108th Regiment of Foot to form the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers in 1881.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">46th (South Devonshire) Regiment of Foot</span> Military unit

The 46th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1741. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 32nd (Cornwall) Regiment of Foot to form the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in 1881, becoming the 2nd Battalion of the new regiment.

The 48th (Northamptonshire) Regiment of Foot was a regiment of the British Army, raised in 1741. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 58th (Rutlandshire) Regiment of Foot to form the Northamptonshire Regiment in 1881.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">52nd (Oxfordshire) Regiment of Foot</span> A light infantry regiment of the British Army throughout much of the 18th and 19th centuries

The 52nd (Oxfordshire) Regiment of Foot was a light infantry regiment of the British Army throughout much of the 18th and 19th centuries. The regiment first saw active service during the American War of Independence, and were posted to India during the Anglo-Mysore Wars. During the Napoleonic Wars, the 52nd were part of the Light Division, and were present at most major battles of the Peninsula campaign, becoming one of the most celebrated regiments, described by Sir William Napier as "a regiment never surpassed in arms since arms were first borne by men". They had the largest British battalion at Waterloo, 1815, where they formed part of the final charge against Napoleon's Imperial Guard. They were also involved in various campaigns in India.

The 85th Regiment of Foot was a British Army line infantry regiment, raised in 1793. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 53rd (Shropshire) Regiment of Foot to form the King's Shropshire Light Infantry in 1881.

General Sir James Fergusson, was a British Army officer during the Napoleonic Wars and the Governor of Gibraltar from 1855 to 1859.

Major Dennis Barraclough Fox MBE (1920-1993) was an officer of the British Army. During the Second World War he led the first platoon to land at Horsa Bridge in the gliderborne 2nd Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry coup de main operation, during the opening minutes of D-Day, 6 June 1944, which captured the Caen canal and Orne river bridges. These bridges were considered to be critical to securing the eastern flank of the Normandy landings area.

Henry van Straubenzee was a British army officer who was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for leadership whilst commanding 12 Royal Tank Regiment, in Northern Italy, in 1944, during the Second World War. He later commanded the 2nd Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. He was also an English cricketer, playing for Sandhurst and the Army up to the outbreak of war. He played for Essex between 1938 and 1939.

Colonel Peter Gerahty CBE was one of the last surviving British Army officers to have served with 6th Airborne Division in Operation Varsity on 24 March 1945: the largest airborne operation in the history of warfare, part of Operation Plunder: the Rhine Crossing in March 1945. He was later appointed a CBE for his work on combat development with the Ministry of Defence.

Colonel John Maurice Arthur Tillett was a British Army officer who had a critical role in the planning of the capture of the Caen canal and Orne river bridges on D-Day, 6 June 1944, during the Second World War. He was one of the last surviving British Army officers to have served with the 6th Airborne Division in Operation Mallard, on 6 June 1944, and in Operation Varsity, on 24 March 1945. He later commanded the Ugandan Army.

Lieutenant Colonel Richard Crosse DSO & Bar (1888–1970) was a British Army officer who commanded the 2nd Battalion The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry on the Western Front. He was twice awarded the Distinguished Service Order. He later joined the Ulster Special Constabulary.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "43rd (the Monmouthshire) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry)". Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 29 December 2006. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
  2. ↑ Draper, p. 2
  3. ↑ Levinge, p. 4
  4. ↑ Newbolt, p. 3
  5. ↑ Levinge, p. 18
  6. ↑ Levinge, p. 29
  7. ↑ Levinge, p. 47
  8. 1 2 Levinge, p. 48
  9. ↑ Levinge, p. 55
  10. ↑ Levinge, p. 58
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "American War of Independence, 1775–1783". 30 October 2007. Archived from the original on 30 October 2007. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  12. ↑ Nafziger, George. "Battle of Bunker Hill 17 June 1775" (PDF). United States Army Combined Arms Center. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  13. 1 2 May, p. 23
  14. ↑ Levinge, p. 86
  15. ↑ Levinge, p. 91
  16. ↑ Levinge, p. 96
  17. ↑ Levinge, p. 98
  18. ↑ Booth, p. 22
  19. ↑ Levinge, p. 103
  20. ↑ Levinge, p. 113
  21. ↑ Levinge, p. 121
  22. ↑ Booth, p. 30
  23. ↑ Levinge, p. 125
  24. ↑ Newbolt p. 92
  25. ↑ Levinge, p. 130
  26. ↑ Levinge, p. 131
  27. ↑ Levinge, p. 134
  28. ↑ Levinge, p. 144
  29. ↑ Levinge, p. 153
  30. ↑ Levinge, p. 158
  31. ↑ Levinge, p. 160
  32. ↑ Booth, p. 38
  33. ↑ Levinge, p. 167
  34. ↑ Levinge, p. 177
  35. ↑ Levinge, p. 194
  36. ↑ Levinge, p. 207
  37. ↑ Levinge, p. 212
  38. ↑ Levinge, p. 216
  39. ↑ Levinge, p. 116
  40. 1 2 Booth, p.51
  41. 1 2 Newbolt, p. 130
  42. ↑ Booth, p. 51
  43. ↑ Booth, pp. 59–61
  44. ↑ Levinge, p. 226
  45. ↑ Levinge, p. 228
  46. ↑ Levinge, p. 233
  47. ↑ Levinge, p. 235
  48. ↑ Booth p. 65
  49. ↑ Newbolt, pp.154–155
  50. ↑ Levinge, p. 246
  51. ↑ Levinge, p. 256
  52. ↑ "The Wreck of HM Steamer "Birkenhead" – 26 February 1852". Capeinfo. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
  53. ↑ Newbolt, p. 156
  54. ↑ Levinge, p. 272
  55. ↑ Draper, pp. 6–7
  56. ↑ "No. 22303". The London Gazette . 2 September 1859. p. 3302.
  57. ↑ Levinge, p. 280
  58. ↑ Levinge, p. 283
  59. ↑ Levinge, p. 287
  60. ↑ "Frederick Augustus Smith". Lord Ashcroft Collection. Retrieved 24 December 2016.
  61. ↑ Levinge, p. 292
  62. ↑ Newbolt, p. 165–168
  63. ↑ Booth, p. 80–81
  64. ↑ "Training Depots". Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 10 February 2006. Retrieved 16 October 2016.

Sources

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.