Wikipedia

70th (Surrey) Regiment of Foot

The70th (Surrey) Regiment of Footwas a regiment of theBritish Army,raised in 1756. Under theChilders Reformsit amalgamated with the31st (Huntingdonshire) Regiment of Footto form theEast Surrey Regimentin 1881.

70th (Surrey) Regiment of Foot
Colours of the 70th (Surrey) Regiment of Foot
Active10 December 1756–1 July 1881
CountryKingdom of Great Britain(1756–1800)
United Kingdom(1801–1881)
BranchBritish Army
TypeInfantry
SizeOnebattalion
Garrison/HQThe Barracks, Kingston upon Thames
ColorsFacings: Light grey
EngagementsAmerican Revolutionary War
Napoleonic Wars
War of 1812
Indian Rebellion
Second Anglo-Afghan War

History

edit

Formation

edit
SergeantWilliam Jasperraising the flag over Sullivan's Fort during theBattle of Sullivan's Islandin June 1776

The formation of the regiment was prompted by the expansion of the army as a result of the commencement of theSeven Years' War.On 25 August 1756 it was ordered that a number of existing regiments should raise a secondbattalion;among those chosen was the31st Regiment of Foot.The 2nd Battalion of the 31st Regiment of Foot was formed on 10 December 1756 and renumbered as the70th (Glasgow Lowland) Regiment of Footon 21 April 1758.[1]The regiment was sent toIrelandin 1763 and on to theWest Indiesin 1764 where it suffered serious losses due to illness before returning home in 1774.[2]It embarked forNorth Americain 1775 for service in theAmerican Revolutionary War.[2]It was involved in theBattle of Sullivan's Islandin June 1776 and the attack onFort Lafayettein June 1779.[3]The regiment acquired a county designation as the70th (Surrey) Regiment of Footin 1782[1]before returning home in 1784.[3]

Napoleonic Wars

edit
John Howard, 15th Earl of Suffolk,colonel of the regiment during the Napoleonic Wars, byHenry Bone

The regiment embarked for the West Indies again in 1793 for service in theFrench Revolutionary Wars.[4]It took part in theBattle of Martiniquein February 1794 and theInvasion of Guadeloupein April 1794.[3]The regiment then returned toEuropelanding atGibraltarin May 1795.[5]It embarked for the West Indies again in February 1800 and based itself inTrinidadbefore arriving back inJerseyin May 1801.[6]It embarked for the West Indies yet again in autumn 1803 and based itself inAntiguabefore moving toSaint Kittsin June 1806 and toSaint Thomasin December 1807.[6]It then saw action during theInvasion of Guadeloupein January 1810.[7]The regiment embarked for home in June 1810 and, after moving intoAyr Barracks,reverted to the old title of70th (Glasgow Lowland) Regiment of Footin October 1812.[1]

The regiment was tasked with suppressing riots inMontrosein January 1813 and, after guarding Frenchprisoners of warinPerthfor four months, embarked forCanadain August 1813.[8]It was garrisoned inMontrealand thenCornwallon the Canadian frontier during theWar of 1812.[8]It moved toFort Georgein April 1817, toKingstonin June 1819 and toQuebecin May 1821.[9]The regiment regained its English county designation as the70th (The Surrey) Regimentin December 1825[1]before returning home in September 1827.[10]

The Victorian era

edit
Uniform of the 70th (Surrey) Regiment of Foot, 1840s

The regiment moved to Gibraltar in April 1834 and toMaltain July 1836.[10]It returned to the West Indies in January 1838 and took up residence inBarbados[10]before moving on to Montreal in Canada in June 1841[11]and embarking for home in May 1843.[12]It departed forIndiain 1849 and helped to suppress theIndian Rebellionin 1857.[3]The regiment moved toNew Zealandin 1861 for service in theNew Zealand Warsand took part in a skirmish at Rangiaohia in February 1864 during theInvasion of the Waikato.[3]It returned to England in 1866 and then moved toAfghanistanin 1878 for service in theSecond Anglo-Afghan War;it fought in Afghanistan with the Kandahar column.[3]

As part of theCardwell Reformsof the 1870s, where single-battalion regiments were linked together to share a single depot and recruiting district in the United Kingdom, the 70th was linked with the31st (Huntingdonshire) Regiment of Foot,and assigned to district no. 47 atThe Barracks, Kingston upon Thames.[13]On 1 July 1881 theChilders Reformscame into effect and the regiment amalgamated with the 31st (Huntingdonshire) Regiment of Foot to become the 2nd Battalion of theEast Surrey Regiment.[1]

Battle Honours

edit

Battle honours gained by the regiment were:[1]

Colonels of the Regiment

edit

Colonels of the regiment were:[1]

70th (Glasgow Lowland) Regiment of Foot - (1758)

edit

70th (Surrey) Regiment of Foot - (1782)

edit

70th (Glasgow Lowland) Regiment of Foot - (1812)

edit

70th (Surrey) Regiment of Foot - (1825)

edit

References

edit
  1. ^abcdefg"70th (Surrey) Regiment of Foot".regiments.org. Archived fromthe originalon 13 January 2008.Retrieved16 July2016.
  2. ^abCannon, p. 3
  3. ^abcdef"70th (Surrey) Regiment of Foot: Locations".Regiments.org. Archived fromthe originalon 14 December 2007.Retrieved3 February2017.
  4. ^Cannon, p. 4
  5. ^Cannon, p. 5
  6. ^abCannon, p. 6
  7. ^Cannon, p. 7
  8. ^abCannon, p. 8
  9. ^Cannon, p. 9
  10. ^abcCannon, p. 10
  11. ^Cannon, p. 12
  12. ^Cannon, p. 13
  13. ^"Training Depots".Regiments.org. Archived fromthe originalon 10 February 2006.Retrieved16 October2016.

Sources

edit

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=70th_(Surrey)_Regiment_of_Foot&oldid=1120732971"