59th (2nd Nottinghamshire) Regiment of Foot

Last updated

59th (2nd Nottinghamshire) Regiment of Foot
Active1755–1881
CountryUnion flag 1606 (Kings Colors).svg  Kingdom of Great Britain (1755–1800)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom (1801–1881)
BranchFlag of the British Army.svg  British Army
SizeOne battalion (two battalions 1804–1816)
Garrison/HQ Burnley Barracks, Lancashire
Nickname(s)The Lily Whites [1]
ColorsWhite facings
Engagements Napoleonic Wars
Second Opium War
Second Anglo-Afghan War

The 59th (2nd Nottinghamshire) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1755 in response to the threat of renewed war with France. [2] Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 30th (Cambridgeshire) Regiment of Foot to form the East Lancashire Regiment in 1881. [1]

Contents

History

Early history

The regiment was raised in the counties of Leicestershire and Northamptonshire by Sir Charles Montagu as the 61st Regiment of Foot in 1755 for service in the Seven Years' War. [2] [1] It was re-ranked as the 59th Regiment of Foot, following the disbandment of the existing 50th and 51st regiments, in 1756. [2] [1]

Shortly after its formation, the regiment moved from England to Ireland, where it performed garrison duty until 1763. In that year the 59th Foot sailed to Nova Scotia where they remained until 1772 when they stationed in Boston, Massachusetts. The 59th were in Boston when the American War of Independence broke out, and suffered severe casualties. The remains of the regiment returned to England in 1776 to reform. [3]

In 1782, the closing stages of the Anglo Spanish War, the 59th were assigned to the Gibraltar garrison, remaining there for ten years. From 1792–1794 the regiment was based in England and the Channel Islands. [3] In 1782 all regiments of the line without a royal title were given a county designation and the regiment became the 59th (2nd Nottinghamshire) Regiment of Foot (the 45th Foot being designated the 1st Nottinghamshire). [1]

French Revolutionary Wars

With the outbreak of war with revolutionary France, the 59th formed part of the British force dispatched to Flanders, arriving in 1794. The campaign was a major reverse for the British and their allies, and the regiment was evacuated back to England in 1795. [3]

Later in 1795 the 59th Foot sailed to the West Indies, where they were to remain for seven years. They were stationed in Saint Vincent, where they suppressed uprisings by the Maroons. They returned to England in 1802. [3]

Napoleonic Wars

Batavia, capital of the Dutch East Indies, with citadel in the background. COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Olieverfschilderij voorstellende het Kasteel Batavia gezien van Kali Besar west met op de voorgrond de vismarkt TMnr 118-167.jpg
Batavia, capital of the Dutch East Indies, with citadel in the background.

In August 1804, while stationed in England, a second battalion of the 59th Foot was raised. [3] The 1st Battalion sailed in the following year for the Cape of Good Hope, while the 2nd Battalion was to remain on garrison duty in England, Ireland and the Channel Islands until 1808. [4]

The Cape of Good Hope, which had been captured by the British in 1795, had been returned to the Dutch under the Treaty of Amiens. On 7 January 1806 the 1st Battalion of the 59th was part of a brigade that landed at the Cape, and within two days the Dutch forces had surrendered. Although the regiment suffered only light casualties (two dead and six wounded) this was to be the 59th's first battle honour. [5]

The 2nd Battalion, meanwhile, sailed for Spain in 1808. On 16 January 1809 it took part in the Battle of Corunna, a British tactical victory which allowed for the evacuation of their forces from the Iberian peninsula. [4] From England, the battalion was dispatched to the Netherlands in July 1809, taking part in the fruitless Walcheren Campaign. The unit was to remain in England and Ireland until 1812. [4]

From the Cape, the 1st Battalion sailed to India. In November 1810 the battalion took part in the invasion of Mauritius. In the following year they invaded Java in the Dutch East Indies. [3] [5] They remained in Java until 1815, when they returned to India. [3]

In 1812 the 2nd Battalion returned to Spain. They took part in the Battle of Vittoria (June 1813), the Siege of San Sebastián (July – August 1813), the Battle of the Bidassoa (October 1813), the Battle of Nivelle (November 1813) and the Battle of the Nive (December 1813). [4]

From France the 2/59th had sailed to Ireland. When Napoleon returned to France, triggering the "Hundred Days", the battalion was part of the British force dispatched to Belgium. While they were present in the Waterloo area, they did not take part in the hostilities. [5] Having formed part of the army of occupation in France, the 2nd Battalion returned to England in 1816, where they were disbanded. [4]

The Victorian era

General Sir Frederick Philipse Robinson, colonel of the regiment in the 1830s Frederick Philipse Robinson Portrait.jpg
General Sir Frederick Philipse Robinson, colonel of the regiment in the 1830s
Bombardment of Canton December 1857 Bombardment of Canton 1857.jpg
Bombardment of Canton December 1857

On the disbandment of the 2nd Battalion, the 1st was redesignated simply as the 59th (2nd Nottinghamshire) Regiment of Foot. The unit moved from India to Ceylon in 1817, returning to India in the following year, where it fought in the Third Anglo-Maratha War. In 1825–1826 they took part in the siege and capture of the Jat fortress of Bharatpur (awarded as the honour "Bhurtpore"). [3] [5] The regiment returned to England in 1829. [3]

HM Troopship Apollo refitting a quarantine encampment of the 59th Regiment at Baia de Ilha Grande, Brazil, in 1849 HM Troopship Apollo refitting an encampment of the 59th Regiment CSK 2006.jpg
HM Troopship Apollo refitting a quarantine encampment of the 59th Regiment at Baia de Ilha Grande, Brazil, in 1849

For the next twenty years the 59th was engaged in garrison duties in England, Ireland, Malta and the West Indies. [3] In 1849 they sailed to China to become part of a small force enforcing the terms imposed on China following the First Opium War. In 1856 Britain deemed the terms of the treaty to have been broken, and the Second Opium War commenced. In January 1858 the 59th Foot, along with members of the Royal Marine Light Infantry and the Royal Navy occupied the city of Canton. [3] [5]

In 1858 the 59th Foot moved to South Africa, subsequently returning to the United Kingdom in 1861. From 1867 – 1878 the regiment again served in India and Ceylon. From India the 59th crossed into Afghanistan in November 1878 as part of an invasion force, seeking to stem Russian influence in the region. [5] In April 1880 they fought in the Battle of Ahmed Khel. [3] Later in 1880 the 59th Foot returned to England.

Amalgamation

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 59th was linked with the 30th (Cambridgeshire) Regiment of Foot, and assigned to district no. 51 at Burnley Barracks in Lancashire. [6] On 1 July 1881 the Childers Reforms came into effect and the regiment amalgamated with the 30th (Cambridgeshire) Regiment of Foot to form the East Lancashire Regiment with the 59th Foot becoming the 2nd Battalion of the East Lancashire Regiment. [1] Following a series of amalgamations, the lineage of the 59th is now continued by the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment. [7]

Battle honours

The 59th Foot was awarded the following battle honours to be borne on the regimental colours. The year in brackets is the year of the award of the honour, not of the action it commemorates. [2] [5] [8]

Victoria Cross

A Victoria Cross was awarded on 24 October 1879 to Captain Euston Henry Sartorius during the Second Anglo-Afghan War.

Colonels of the Regiment

Colonels of the Regiment were: [2]

61st Regiment of Foot

59th Regiment of Foot (1756)

59th (2nd Nottinghamshire) Regiment of Foot (1782)

Related Research Articles

Lancashire Fusiliers Line infantry regiment of the British Army 1688–1968

The Lancashire Fusiliers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that saw distinguished service through many years and wars, including the Second Boer War, the First and Second World Wars, and had many different titles throughout its 280 years of existence. In 1968 the regiment was amalgamated with the other regiments of the Fusilier Brigade – the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers and the Royal Fusiliers – to form the current Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

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.

The 89th Regiment of Foot was a regiment of the British Army, raised on 3 December 1793. Under the Childers Reforms the regiment amalgamated with the 87th Regiment of Foot to form the Princess Victoria's in 1881.

73rd (Perthshire) Regiment of Foot Military unit

The 73rd Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1780. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 42nd Regiment of Foot to form the Black Watch in 1881.

78th (Highlanders) Regiment of Foot Military unit

The 78th (Highlanders) Regiment of Foot was a Highland Infantry Regiment of the Line, raised in 1793. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with 72nd Regiment, Duke of Albany's Own Highlanders to form the Seaforth Highlanders in 1881.

East Lancashire Regiment British Army regiment

The East Lancashire Regiment was, from 1881 to 1958, a line infantry regiment of the British Army. The regiment was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 30th (Cambridgeshire) Regiment of Foot and 59th Regiment of Foot with the militia and rifle volunteer units of eastern Lancashire. In 1958 the regiment was amalgamated with the South Lancashire Regiment to form the Lancashire Regiment which was, in 1970, merged with the Loyal Regiment to form the Queen's Lancashire Regiment. In 2006, the Queen's Lancashire was further amalgamated with the King's Own Royal Border Regiment and the King's Regiment to form the present Duke of Lancaster's Regiment.

31st (Huntingdonshire) Regiment of Foot Military unit

The 31st (Huntingdonshire) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1702. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 70th (Surrey) Regiment of Foot to form the East Surrey Regiment in 1881.

57th (West Middlesex) Regiment of Foot Military unit

The 57th Regiment of Foot was a regiment of line infantry in the British Army, raised in 1755. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 77th Regiment of Foot to form the Middlesex Regiment in 1881.

36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot Military unit

The 36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1701. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot to form the Worcestershire Regiment in 1881. Its lineage is continued today by the Mercian Regiment.

Kings Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) Military unit

The King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army. It served under various titles and fought in many wars and conflicts, including both the First and the Second World Wars, from 1680 to 1959. In 1959, the regiment was amalgamated with the Border Regiment to form the King's Own Royal Border Regiment.

40th (the 2nd Somersetshire) Regiment of Foot Military unit

The 40th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1717 in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 82nd Regiment of Foot to form the Prince of Wales's Volunteers in 1881.

39th (Dorsetshire) Regiment of Foot Military unit

The 39th (Dorsetshire) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1702. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 54th Regiment of Foot to form the Dorsetshire Regiment in 1881.

The 82nd Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1793. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 40th Regiment of Foot to form the Prince of Wales's Volunteers in 1881.

30th (Cambridgeshire) Regiment of Foot Military unit

The 30th (Cambridgeshire) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1702. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 59th Regiment of Foot to form the East Lancashire Regiment in 1881.

81st Regiment of Foot (Loyal Lincoln Volunteers) Military unit

The 81st Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1793. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 47th (Lancashire) Regiment of Foot to form the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment in 1881.

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.

43rd (Monmouthshire) Regiment of Foot Military unit

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 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.

87th (Royal Irish Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot Former British Army regiment

The 87th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1793. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 89th Regiment of Foot to form the Princess Victoria's in 1881.

The 51st Regiment of Foot was a British Army line infantry regiment, raised in 1755. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 105th Regiment of Foot to form the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry in 1881.

The 58th (Rutlandshire) Regiment of Foot was a British Army line infantry regiment, raised in 1755. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 48th (Northamptonshire) Regiment of Foot to form the Northamptonshire Regiment in 1881.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Swinson, p. 158
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "59th (2nd Nottinghamshire) Regiment of Foot". Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 4 January 2006. Retrieved 6 March 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "2nd Bn., East Lancashire Regiment: Service". Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 4 January 2006. Retrieved 7 September 2009.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "2nd Battalion, 59th Regiment of Foot: Service". Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 28 February 2006. Retrieved 7 September 2009.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Norman, C B (1911). Battle Honours of the British Army: From Tangier 1662 to the Commencement of the Reign of King Edward VII. London: John Murray.
  6. ↑ "Training Depots". Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 10 February 2006. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  7. ↑ "In detail: army restructuring plans". BBC. 16 December 2004. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
  8. ↑ Sumner, p. 26–28

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.