Sir Charles Grey reported in 1799 that only half the East Suffolks were willing to serve in Ireland.Western, ''English Militia'', p. 265."},"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"efn","href":"./Template:Efn"},"params":{"1":{"wt":"One usually reliable source says that the East Suffolk Militia 'volunteered for and served in Ireland, 1798–9, under Colonel Goate, and was one of the thirteen Militia regiments immediately sent to that country on the passing of the Act', but the list of stations in the regimental history excludes that possibility (though the West Suffolks did go). Sir Charles Grey reported in 1799 that only half the East Suffolks were willing to serve in Ireland.Western, ''English Militia'', p. 265."}},"i":0}}]}"> [lower-alpha 2]
In the autumn of 1798 the East Suffolks moved to Dungeness for the winter. The following spring they left Kent and moved to Northern England, marching out on 16 April for their new station at Hull, the Grenadier Company (which had been detached to Canterbury) rejoining at Sevenoaks during the march. By now the danger of invasion seemed to have passed, and the militia were reduced, the two Suffolk battalions to less than 500 each. When the East Suffolks were inspected at Leeds in September 1800, the regiment mustered 32 officers and 459 ORs, reported as 'a serviceable body of men'. The regiment arrived at Sheffield on 12 November, when it was sent to the Midlands, marching in two 'divisions' to Stourbridge, Dudley and adjacent places for the winter. By January 1801 it was at Wolverhampton. On 2 September that year it was sent back to Chelmsford in Eastern England. [30]
The French Revolutionary War was drawing to a close, and hostilities ended with the Treaty of Amiens on 27 March 1802. The East Suffolks were marched to Ipswich on 12 April and two days later warrants were issued to disembody both regiments of Suffolk Militia. [30]
However, the Peace of Amiens was shortlived and Britain declared war on France once more in 1803 when both Suffolk Militia regiments were re-embodied on 12 May. The East Suffolks at Ipswich had a new establishment of 30 officers, 28 sergeants, 19 drummers and 547 rank and file. It was still under the command of Col Goate, though he was replaced on 26 May 1803 by Charles, Viscount Brome, eldest son of Marquess Cornwallis; he succeeded as the 2nd Marquess two years later. [40] [41] Militia duties during the Napoleonic Wars were much as before: home defence and garrisons, guarding prisoners of war, and increasingly internal security in the industrial areas where there was unrest. Increasingly the regular army regarded the militia as a source of trained men and many militiamen took the proffered bounty and transferred, leaving the militia regiments to replace them through the ballot or 'by beat of drum'. [10] [42]
The East Suffolks remained at Ipswich until 21 June when it marched to Hull. Now 715 strong in 10 companies, it, was part of the militia brigade garrisoning the port alongside regular artillery. Another duty of the militia here was to prevent smuggling by the local inhabitants. The regiment left Hull on 4 July 1805 when it moved to Berwick-upon-Tweed and Tweedmouth on the Scottish Border. By 1 September the regiment with 560 men in 8 companies under Lt-Col John White was at Aberdeen Barracks forming the bulk of Brig-Gen John Gordon-Cumming's brigade. It subsequently spent two years in Scotland. [1] [40] [43] [44]
In 1807 the regiment went back to Kent, spending the winter at Sheerness. It was in Maidstone during 1808 before returning to Sheerness on 15 February 1809. In June it was at Ashford for the summer, then went to Winchelsea in Sussex on 14 October. From 28 November it was in winter quarters in Berkshire at Hungerford and Speen, Newbury. On 8 April 1810 the regiment moved to Middlesex, first at Brentford, then on 14 May to Acton, Ealing and Hanwell; in June it sent a detachment to do duty at the Tower of London. In August 1810 the East Suffolks moved to Portsmouth in Hampshire, in which area they would spend the new few years. In October 1811 they were t Porchester, and spent 1812–13 at Gosport. [40]
During the period 1803–1813 the regiment supplied 1119 volunteers to regiments of the line (from its established strength of 521 men), mainly to the 43rd Light Infantry. In addition, from November 1813 the militia were invited to volunteer for limited overseas service, primarily for garrison duties in Europe. From the East Suffolks 2 officers and 83 ORs volunteered, serving in the 2nd Provisional Battalion under Lt-Col Edward Bayley of the Royal West Middlesex Militia. The 2nd Provisional Bn assembled at Chelmsford and marched to Portsmouth where the Militia Brigade was assembling, arriving on 5 March. The brigade embarked on 10–11 March 1814 and joined the Earl of Dalhousie's division that had occupied Bordeaux just as the war was ending. The brigade did not form part of the Army of Occupation after the abdication of Napoleon and returned to England in June. [1] [45] [46] [47] [48]
Meanwhile, the rest of the East Suffolks went to Ireland in February 1814, and were still serving there while the short Waterloo campaign was fought in 1815. Indeed, even after the battle, on 16 August and 25 November two strong drafts of recruits were sent from Ipswich to Liverpool to be sent to reinforce the regiment in Ireland. The East Suffolks finally returned to Ipswich in January 1816 to be disembodied the following month. [15] [14] [33] [1] [40]
After Waterloo there was another long peace. Although officers continued to be commissioned into the militia and ballots were still held, the regiments were rarely assembled for training and the permanent staffs of sergeants and drummers were progressively reduced. [49] [50] [51]
After the death of Marquess Cornwallis in 1823, Henry, Earl of Euston (later 5th Duke of Grafton), a half-pay Lieutenant in the 7th Hussars, was appointed colonel of the regiment on 23 September 1823. [52] On 24 May 1830 he transferred to the vacant colonelcy of the West Suffolk Militia and was succeeded in command of the East Suffolks by John Rous, 2nd Earl of Stradbroke, who had served in the Coldstream Guards during the Peninsular War and at the Battle of Quatre Bras. [53]
The East Suffolks became a Light Infantry regiment in 1831. [15] [16] [17] [20] [54] [51]
Henry Bence Bence of Thorington Hall was promoted to colonel of the East Suffolk LI on 3 May 1844. He had served in the 16th Light Dragoons during the Peninsular War, being wounded at the Battle of Talavera, and had joined the East Suffolks as a major at the same time that the Earl of Euston became colonel, being promoted to lt-col on 24 May 1837. [1] [52] [55] His second-in-command, also appointed on 3 May 1844, was Lt-Col Charles Blois of Cockfield Hall, who had served in the Royal Dragoons and been wounded at Waterloo. [1]
The Militia of the United Kingdom was revived by the Militia Act 1852, enacted during a renewed period of international tension. As before, units were raised and administered on a county basis, and filled by voluntary enlistment (although conscription by means of the Militia Ballot might be used if the counties failed to meet their quotas). Training was for 56 days on enlistment, then for 21–28 days per year, during which the men received full army pay. Under the Act, Militia units could be embodied by Royal Proclamation for full-time home defence service in three circumstances: [56] [57] [58] [59]
The 1852 Act introduced Artillery Militia units in addition to the traditional infantry regiments. Their role was to man coastal defences and fortifications, relieving the Royal Artillery (RA) for active service. [56] [57] In 1853 the East Suffolk Light Infantry was converted into the Suffolk Artillery Militia with five batteries based at Ipswich. While Henry Bence Bence remained Colonel of the Regiment, Robert Shafto Adair, MP, (who later became Lord Waveney) was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant. [15] [14] [17] [20] [54] [59] [16] [60] In 1854 the new unit was painted by John Duvall undergoing training with heavy field guns on Landguard Common, and drilling in Landguard Fort. [16] [61] The corps was provided with a purpose-built barracks on the north side of Ipswich, opened in 1855. [16] [62]
War having broken out with Russia in 1854 and an expeditionary force sent to the Crimea, the militia began to be called out for home defence. The Suffolk Artillery Militia was embodied at Ipswich early in 1855, and detachments were stationed at Landguard Fort, Tilbury Fort, and at Hull, later concentrated at Landguard. The unit volunteered for overseas service in the Mediterranean, but this offer was not taken up. It was disembodied in July 1856 [15] [54] [16] [62] [63] [64]
It was also embodied on 12 April 1859 during the absence of much of the regular army fighting in the Indian Mutiny. This time it served in the defences of Portsmouth until November 1860. [15] [16] [59] [65] [66]
Following the Cardwell Reforms a mobilisation scheme began to appear in the Army List from December 1875. This assigned places in an order of battle of the 'Garrison Army' to Militia Artillery units: the Suffolk Artillery's war station was in the Harwich Defences, including Landguard Fort, the Circular Redoubt, Angel Gate Battery, Shotley Battery, and adjacent towers. [67] [68] [lower-alpha 3]
The Artillery Militia was reorganised into 11 divisions of garrison artillery in 1882, and the Suffolk unit became the 3rd Brigade, Eastern Division, RA. from 1 April 1882. This was changed to The Suffolk Artillery, Eastern Division, RA, on 1 July 1889. [54] [57] [16] [67]
After the disasters of Black Week at the start of the Second Boer War in December 1899, most of the regular army was sent to South Africa, and many militia units were embodied to replace them for home defence and to garrison certain overseas stations. The Suffolk Artillery was embodied from 1 May to 6 November 1900. [54] [15] [16]
In the postwar reorganisation of the Royal Artillery, the divisions were scrapped and the Suffolk Artillery became the Suffolk Royal Garrison Artillery (Militia) in 1902. [15] [54] [16]
Under the more sweeping Haldane Reforms of 1908, the Militia was replaced by the Special Reserve (SR), a semi-professional force whose role was to provide reinforcement drafts for regular units serving overseas in wartime. [69] [70]
The Suffolk RGA (M) converted into the Suffolk Royal Field Reserve Artillery on 24 May 1908, but after a change in policy it was disbanded on 15 October 1909. [14] [54] [16] [17]
In 1762 both battalions of the Suffolk Militia wore red facings on their red coats [71] and the East Suffolks were recorded at Warley Camp in 1778 as still wearing red. [17] [72] But by 1780 both regiments wore yellow facings, [73] and continued with these through the Napoleonic Wars. [17] [51] By 1850 the East Suffolk LI had changed to white facings. [1]
The East Sussex LI wore buttons with the numeral '34' within the strings of a light infantry bugle-horn. [17] [59]
When the unit became artillery militia in 1853 it adopted a similar uniform to the Regular RA, in blue with red facings and trouser stripe, but with silver/white lace and piping instead of gold/yellow. The officers' waistbelt clasp in about 1880 was gilt, with the intertwined letters 'SA' in silver. From 1882 the officers wore the standard Eastern Division RA helmet plate, but in 1889 the words 'EASTERN DIVISION' on the lower scroll were replaced with "SUFFOLK ARTILLERY'. [16] [20] The officers' pouch flaps and sabretaches were embroidered with the Sea Holly ( Eryngium maritimum ) found growing on Landguard Common. [74]
In the Seven Years War militia regiments camped together took precedence according to the order in which they had arrived. During the War of American Independence the counties were given an order of precedence determined by ballot each year. For the Suffolk Militia the positions were: [20] [24] [75] [50]
The militia order of precedence balloted for in 1793 (Suffolk was 19th) remained in force throughout the French Revolutionary War: this covered all the regiments in the county. Another ballot for precedence took place at the start of the Napoleonic War, when Suffolk was 59th.This order continued until 1833. In that year the King drew the lots for individual regiments and the resulting list remained in force with minor amendments until the end of the militia. The regiments raised before the peace of 1763 took the first 47 places: the East Suffolk LI was 34th. Formally, it became the '34th, or East Suffolk Light Infantry Militia'; most regiments paid little notice to the additional number, the East Suffolks included it in their insignia. When the Militia Artillery was formed its regiments took precedence alphabetically, Suffolk being 25th. [20] [41] [17] [1] [75] [76]
The following served as Colonel of the East Suffolk Militia:
After 1852 regimental colonels were abolished in the militia and replaced by Honorary Colonels:
The Royal Berkshire Militia was an auxiliary military regiment in the county of Berkshire in Southern England. From their formal organisation as Trained Bands, in 1572 and their service during the Armada Crisis and in the English Civil War, the Militia of Berkshire served during times of international tension and all of Britain's major wars. The regiment provided internal security and home defence but sometimes operated further afield, relieving regular troops from routine garrison duties and acting as a source of trained officers and men for the Regular Army. It later became a battalion of the Royal Berkshire Regiment, and prepared thousands of reinforcements for the fighting battalions of the regiment in World War I. After 1921 the militia had only a shadowy existence until its final abolition in 1953.
The West Suffolk Militia was an auxiliary military unit in the English county of Suffolk in East Anglia. First organised during the Seven Years' War it served on internal security and home defence duties in all of Britain's major wars. It later became a battalion of the Suffolk Regiment and supplied thousands of recruits to the fighting battalions during World War I. After 1921 the militia had only a shadowy existence until its final abolition in 1953.
The Cambridgeshire Militia was an auxiliary military regiment in the English county of Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely. From their formal organisation as Trained Bands and their service during the Armada Crisis and in the English Civil Wars, the Militia of Cambridgeshire served during times of international tension and all of Britain's major wars. The regiment provided internal security and home defence but sometimes operated further afield, relieving regular troops from routine garrison duties and acting as a source of trained officers and men for the British Army. It later became a battalion of the Suffolk Regiment until its final disbandment in 1908.
The Hertfordshire Militia was an auxiliary military force in Hertfordshire in South East England. From their formal organisation as Trained Bands in 1558 and their service in the English Civil War, the Militia of Hertfordshire served during times of international tension and all of Britain's major wars. They provided internal security and home defence but sometimes operated further afield, including Ireland, relieving regular troops from routine garrison duties, and acted as a source of trained officers and men for the Regular Army. Under the Cardwell Reforms they were linked with the neighbouring Bedfordshire Regiment and went on active service during the Second Boer War. The Militia were converted into the Special Reserve under the Haldane Reforms of 1908 intended to supply reinforcements to the Regulars. However, the Hertfordshire battalion saw considerable action on the Western Front during World War I, when its commanding officer won a Victoria Cross and it led the final pursuit in the days before the Armistice. After 1921 the militia had only a shadowy existence until its final abolition in 1953.
The North Devon Militia, later the Devon Artillery Militia, was a part-time military unit in the maritime county of Devonshire in the West of England. The Militia had always been important in the county, which was vulnerable to invasion, and from its formal creation in 1758 the regiment served in home defence in all Britain's major wars until 1909. Having always been an infantry regiment, the North Devon Militia was converted into an artillery unit in 1853, with a role in manning the forts that protected the vital naval base at Plymouth.
The Norfolk Militia was an auxiliary military force in the English county of Norfolk in East Anglia. From their formal organisation as Trained Bands in 1558 until their final service as the Special Reserve, the Militia regiments of the county carried out internal security and home defence duties in all of Britain's major wars. They saw active service during the Bishops' Wars, the English Civil Wars and the Second Boer War, and finally trained thousands of reinforcements during World War I. After a shadowy postwar existence they were formally disbanded in 1953.
The East Norfolk Militia was an auxiliary military unit in the English county of Norfolk in East Anglia. First organised during the Seven Years' War it carried out internal security and home defence duties in all of Britain's major wars. It later became a battalion of the Norfolk Regiment, but was disbanded in 1908.
The West Norfolk Militia was an auxiliary military regiment in the English county of Norfolk in East Anglia. First organised during the Seven Years' War it carried out internal security and home defence duties in all of Britain's major wars. It later became a battalion of the Norfolk Regiment, served in South Africa during the Second Boer War, and supplied thousands of recruits to the fighting battalions during World War I. After 1921 the militia had only a shadowy existence until its final abolition in 1953.
The Royal East Middlesex Militia was an auxiliary regiment reorganised in Middlesex in the Home counties of England during the 18th Century from earlier precursor units. It later became part of the Middlesex Regiment. Primarily intended for home defence, it saw action in the Second Boer War. It was converted to the Special Reserve under the Haldane Reforms and supplied reinforcements to the Middlesex Regiment's fighting battalions during World War I. After a shadowy postwar existence the unit was finally disbanded in 1953.
The East York Militia was a part time home defence force in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The Militia and its predecessors had always been important in Yorkshire, and from its formal creation in 1759 the regiment served in home defence in all Britain's major wars until 1919. It became a battalion of the East Yorkshire Regiment, and its role during World War I was to train thousands of reinforcements for the regiment's battalions serving overseas.
The 1st or East Devon Militia, later the 3rd Battalion, Devonshire Regiment, was a part-time military unit in the maritime county of Devonshire in the West of England. The Militia had always been important in the county, which was vulnerable to invasion, and from its formal creation in 1758 the regiment served in home defence in all of Britain's major wars until 1908, after which it became a reserve unit for the Devonshire Regiment.
The South Devon Militia was a part-time military unit in the maritime county of Devonshire in the West of England. The Militia had always been important in the county, which was vulnerable to invasion, and from its formal creation in 1758 the regiment served in home defence in all of Britain's major wars, later as a reserve battalion for the Devonshire Regiment. It was disbanded in 1908.
The Devon Militia was a part-time military force in the maritime county of Devonshire in the West of England. From their formal organisation as Trained Bands in 1558 until their final service as a Special Reserve unit of the Devonshire Regiment in World War I, the Militia regiments of Devonshire served in home defence in all of Britain's major wars.
The 3rd Royal Lancashire Militia (The Duke of Lancaster's Own) was an auxiliary regiment raised in the county of Lancashire in North West England during the French Revolutionary War. It later became part of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. Although primarily intended for home defence, its battalions served in Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta and saw active service during the Second Boer War. After conversion to the Special Reserve (SR) under the Haldane Reforms it supplied reinforcements to the fighting battalions during World War I. After a shadowy postwar existence the unit was finally disbanded in 1953.
The Queen's Edinburgh Light Infantry Militia was an auxiliary regiment raised in and around the city of Edinburgh in Scotland. It was formed in 1798 and reformed in 1802, but had links with earlier Fencible and Volunteer units from the area. It served in home defence during the Napoleonic Wars and the Crimean War. Later it became a battalion of the Royal Scots and saw active service in South Africa during the Second Boer War. It served as a Special Reserve training unit in World War I, but after 1921 the militia had only a shadowy existence until its final abolition in 1953.
The Kent Militia was an auxiliary military force in the county of Kent in South East England. From their formal organisation as Trained Bands in 1558 until their final service as the Special Reserve, the Militia regiments of the county served in home defence in all of Britain's major wars. They also saw active service during the Second Boer War, and trained thousands of reinforcements during World War I. After a shadowy postwar existence they were formally disbanded in 1953.
The Montgomeryshire Militia, later the Royal Montgomeryshire Rifles, was an auxiliary regiment reorganised in the Welsh county of Montgomeryshire during the 18th Century from earlier precursor units. Primarily intended for home defence, it served in Great Britain and Ireland during Britain's major wars. It later became part of the South Wales Borderers until it was disbanded in 1908.
The Pembrokeshire Militia, later the Royal Pembroke Rifles, was an auxiliary regiment reorganised from earlier precursor units in the Welsh county of Pembrokeshire during the 18th Century. Primarily intended for home defence, it served in Britain and Ireland through all Britain's major wars. It was converted into garrison artillery in 1853 and continued until it was disbanded in 1909.
The Suffolk Militia was an auxiliary military force in the county of Suffolk on the East Coast of England. From their formal organisation as Trained bands in 1558 until their final service as the Special Reserve, the Militia regiments of the county served in home defence in all of Britain's major wars, seeing action in the Second Dutch War, serving in Ireland and the Channel Islands, and training thousands of reinforcements during World War I. After a shadowy postwar existence they were formally disbanded in 1953.
The Suffolk Trained Bands were a part-time auxiliary military force in the county of Suffolk on the East Coast of England from 1558 until they were reconstituted as the Suffolk Militia in 1662. They were periodically embodied for home defence, for example in the army mustered at Tilbury during the Armada Campaign of 1588. They served in the Bishops' Wars and the Second and Third English Civil Wars, including the Siege of Colchester and the Battle of Worcester. They were also employed reorganised to support the Commonwealth and Protectorate regimes during the 1650s.