Wikipedia

29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot

(Redirected from29th Foot)

The29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Footwas aninfantryregiment of theBritish Army,raised in 1694. Under theChilders Reformsit amalgamated with the36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Footto become the 1st Battalion, theWorcestershire Regimentin 1881.

29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot
Badge of the 29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot
Active1694–1698
1702–1881
CountryKingdom of England
Kingdom of Great Britain
United Kingdom
AllegianceGreat Britain
BranchEnglish Army
British Army
TypeRegiment
RoleInfantry
Garrison/HQNorton Barracks,Worcestershire
Nickname(s)"The Two and Hook"

"The Ever Sworded 29th"
"The Vein Openers"

"The Guards of the Line"
ColoursYellow Facings
MarchRoyal Windsor, 1791
AnniversariesThe Glorious First of June 1794
EngagementsWar of the Spanish Succession

Boston Massacre
Peninsular War

First Anglo-Sikh War

Commanders
Notable
commanders

History

edit

Formation in 1694 to end of the 18th Century

edit
Colonel Thomas Farrington,founder of the regiment

The regiment was formed on 16 February 1694 during theNine Years WarbyColonel Thomas FarringtonasThomas Farrington's Regiment of Foot.[1]Disbanded after the 1697Treaty of Ryswick,it was reformed in 1702 when theWar of the Spanish Successionbegan; while intended for theWest Indies,a notoriously unhealthy posting, Farrington's protests meant that instead it joinedMarlborough's army inFlandersin 1704.[2]

Too late for theBlenheimcampaign, it fought at theBattle of Ramilliesin May 1706 and the Siege ofOstendin June.[3]Lord Mark Kerrbecame Colonel when Farringdon died in October 1712, but, with the war winding down, it became part of theGibraltargarrison.[4]It remained there for the next 30 years, including theSiege of Gibraltarduring the 1727-1729Anglo-Spanish War.[5]

During the 1740-1748War of the Austrian Succession,it was based inBritish North Americaand helped capture theFrench North Americanstronghold ofLouisbourg in October 1745.[6]In 1746, 27 soldiers died in thePort-la-Joye Massacre,in part because they were unarmed.[7]In response, officers were ordered to carryswordsand side arms even off duty, leading to the nickname, theEver Sworded.[8]

The regiment remained in North America after the 1748Treaty of Aix-la-Chapellereturned Louisbourg to France; in 1749, it helped establish the town ofHalifax, Nova ScotiaduringFather Le Loutre's War.[9]

Soldier of the29th Regiment of Foot(right) atHalifax, Nova ScotiaduringFather Le Loutre's War

A significant organisational change occurred in 1751; previously, regiments were considered the property of theirColonel,changed names when transferred from one to another and were disbanded as soon as possible.[10]As part of a package of reforms driven by the increasing professionalisation of the military, each regiment was now assigned a number, based on precedence or seniority in the Army list; ColonelPeregrine Hopson's Regiment became the29th Regiment of Foot.[11]

George Boscawenreplaced Hopson as Colonel in 1752 and his brother, AdmiralEdward Boscawenpresented him with 10 black youths taken in the1759 Invasion of Guadeloupe.They were employed as regimental drummers, a tradition that continued until 1843.[12]

Soldier of the 29th Foot in 1742

Together with the14th Regiment of Foot,the 29th was posted toBostonin 1768.[13]On 5 March 1770, members of theGrenadiercompany under CaptainThomas Prestonwere involved in theBoston Massacre,when five colonists died during a riot in front of the Boston customs house.[14]The 29th was later dubbed theVein Openers,for allegedly drawing first blood in theAmerican Revolution.[8]

Those involved were tried for murder, defended byJohn Adams,a futurePresident of the United States;two soldiers,Hugh MontgomeryandMatthew Kilroywere found guilty ofmanslaughterand branded on the thumb.[15]Preston and the others were found not guilty and following the trial, the regiment moved to British-controlledFloridain 1771, then to England in 1773.[16]

The 1770Boston Massacre;the 29th was dubbed 'The Vein Openers' for their involvement

During theAmerican Revolutionary Warin 1775, the Americans tried to captureQuebec City;they were forced to retreat but the 29th arrived in Quebec in June 1776 to reinforce British forces in what is now modern Canada.[17]TheLightandGrenadiercompanies were detached to join the 1777Saratoga campaign,and fought at theBattle of Hubbardtonon 7 July underBrigadier GeneralSimon Fraser.[18]Following defeat in theBattles of Saratoga,these companies surrendered with the rest ofBurgoyne'sforce in October 1777.[19]The other eight remained in Canada, fighting in a number of raids and small battles along theVermontandNew York statefrontiers.[20]

On 31 August 1782, the unit was renamed the29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Footby a royal warrant giving county titles to all regiments that did not already have a special title.[1]This was an attempt to improve recruitment, but no depot was established in the county and recruits were liable to serve in any regiment.[21]

The regiment returned to England after theAnglo-French Warended in 1783; in 1791, it was given the regimental march known as 'The Royal Windsor,' allegedly composed byPrincess Augusta,with the help ofLord William Cathcart.[22]

TheFrench Revolutionary Warsbroke out in 1792 and in 1794, members of the 29th took part in the British naval victory known as theGlorious First of June,serving as marines onHMSBrunswickandRamillies.[23]The regiment was awarded anaval crownfor its participation in the battle, during which theBrunswicksank the French shipLe Vengeur du Peupleand disabled theAchille.[24]At the end of December 1794, a battalion of 21 officers and 640 men, formed from those in the 29th who were not detached to warships, embarked on thetroopshipMariafor theCaribbeanisland ofGrenada,where discontent would lead to an insurrection in the coming months, known asFédon's Rebellionor the Brigand's War.[25]On their return to England in July 1796, the battalion had been reduced by battle casualties and disease to 5 officers and 87 men.[26]It later fought in a more conventional role atAlkmaarin October 1799, during theAnglo-Russian invasion of Holland.[27]

19th Century

edit
TheBattle of Roliça,17 August 1808

In 1808, the 29th joinedWellington's army engaged in the 1807-1814Peninsular Warin Spain and Portugal.[28]AtRoliçaon 17 August, it suffered heavy losses assaulting an entrenched French position, which was taken only after a prolonged defence; atVimeirofour days later, it held off an attack byBrenier's Brigade,allowing two other British battalions to first regroup, then repulse the attack.[29]

I wish very much that some measures could be adopted to get recruits for the regiment, it is the best Regiment in this Army, has an admirable internal system and excellent Non-Commissioned Officers.

Sir Arthur Wellesley12 September 1809

After theBattle of Grijóin May,[30]it was engaged atTalaverain July; on 27th, with two other battalions, it attacked French positions on the hill called Cerro deMedellin.This was taken by the evening and then held throughout the next day, despite a series of French attacks and artillery bombardment; two French colours were captured in a bayonet charge that drove the French regiments from the field.[31]

At theBattle of Albueraon 16 May 1811, it suffered heavy losses, includingEnsignsEdward Furnace and Richard Vance killed saving the regimentalcolours.[32]After this, it returned to England to refit and recruit more men.[33]

Battle of Ferozeshah,December 1845

In 1814, the 29th returned toNova Scotiaduring theWar of 1812,fighting at theBattle of Hampden.It was recalled to Europe in 1815 to faceNapoleonduring theHundred Dayscampaign but arrived shortly after theBattle of Waterloo.[34]

Transferred toBengalin 1842, during theFirst Anglo-Sikh Warthe regiment fought at theBattle of Ferozeshahin December 1845 and theBattle of Sobraonon 10 February 1846.[35]At Sobraon, the 29th, along with twobattalionsof IndianSepoystwice unsuccessfully assaulted theSikhearthworksbefore finally breaking through on the third assault: the regiment's commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Charles Taylor was killed in the assault.[35]

The regiment fought at theBattle of Chillianwalain January 1849[36]and theBattle of Gujratin February 1849 during theSecond Anglo-Sikh War.[37]A large detachment from the regiment helped to keep theGrand Trunk Roadopen betweenKabulandBangladeshduring theIndian Rebellion.[38]

Amalgamations

edit

In 1873 a practical system of recruiting areas based on counties was instituted. The 29th Sub-District, consisting of the counties ofHerefordshireandWorcestershirewas created, with headquarters atNorton Barracks,three miles from the city ofWorcester.The barracks became the depot for the regiment along with the36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Footand themilitiaof the two counties.[39]On 1 July 1881 theChilders Reformscame into effect and the regiment became the 1st Battalion, theWorcestershire Regiment,while the 36th became the 2nd battalion.[1]

Garter Star badge

edit

The regimental badge of the regiment and later of the Worcestershire Regiment show the influence of theColdstream Guardson the regiment. The Coldstream Guards and the 29th are the only two regiments to have the elongated star and garter of theOrder of the Garteras their regimental badge with its motto "Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense" translated "Shame be to him who evil thinks" earning a third nicknameThe Guards of the Line.[8]

Battle honours

edit

Battle honours won by the regiment were:[1]

Regimental Colonels

edit

Colonels of the Regiment were:[1]

29th Regiment of Foot - (1751)
29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^abcde"29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot".regiments.org. Archived fromthe originalon 17 February 2006.Retrieved14 September2016.
  2. ^Hayton, DW."FARRINGTON, Thomas (c.1664-1712), of St. James's Street, Westminster, and Chislehurst, Kent".Parliament Online.Retrieved9 November2018.
  3. ^Everard, p. 26
  4. ^Hayton
  5. ^Everard, p. 40
  6. ^Everard, p. 46
  7. ^Everard, p. 47
  8. ^abc"29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot".National Army Museum. Archived fromthe originalon 18 October 2016.Retrieved15 October2016.
  9. ^Everard, p. 50
  10. ^Chandler David, Beckett Ian (1996).The Oxford History of the British Army(2002 ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 52.ISBN0-19-280311-5.
  11. ^Swanson, p. xxxvi
  12. ^Everard, Hugh Edward (Autumn 1973). Southern, J (ed.). "From 'The History of Thomas Farrington's Regiment'".The Black Perspective in Music.1(2): 10–13.doi:10.2307/1214455.JSTOR1214455.
  13. ^Everard, p. 58
  14. ^A Short Narrative, 11
  15. ^Zobel, pp. 285-86, 298
  16. ^Everard, p. 71
  17. ^Nelson, James (2006).Benedict Arnold's Navy.McGraw Hill. p.212.ISBN978-0071468060.
  18. ^Everard, p.85-86
  19. ^Everard, p. 90
  20. ^Everard, p. 93
  21. ^"1st Battalion Worcestershire Regiment".Worcestershire Regiment.Retrieved7 May2009.
  22. ^Everard, p. 124
  23. ^Everard, p. 140, 147
  24. ^Gardiner, p. 33
  25. ^Everard, p. 188-190
  26. ^Everard, p. 211
  27. ^Everard, p. 240
  28. ^Everard, p. 271
  29. ^Everard, p. 285
  30. ^Everard, p. 296
  31. ^Everard, p.303-305
  32. ^Everard, p. 323
  33. ^Everard, p. 329
  34. ^Everard, p. 349
  35. ^abEverard, p. 451
  36. ^Everard, p. 471
  37. ^Everard, p. 476
  38. ^Everard, p. 490
  39. ^"Norton Barracks".Worcestershire Regiment.Retrieved7 May2009.

Sources

edit

Further reading

edit
edit
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=29th_(Worcestershire)_Regiment_of_Foot&oldid=1253000962"