41st (Welsh) Regiment of Foot
Encyclopedia
The 41st Regiment of Foot was an infantry
regiment
of the British Army
, formed in 1719 and amalgamated into The Welch Regiment in 1881.
The regiment was raised by General Edmund Fielding in March 1719 out of independent companies of invalids and Chelsea out-pensioners - soldiers incapable of normal service through disease, age or injury. They were renamed the Royal Invalids in 1741, and in 1751, they were numbered the 41st Regiment of Foot. In 1782, when other regiments took county titles, they were denoted as the 41st (Royal Invalids) Regiment of Foot; in 1787 they ceased to comprise invalids and became a conventional line regiment, dropping the title. They finally received a territorial affiliation in 1831, becoming the 41st (Welch) Regiment of Foot.
The 41st regiment served with distinction in Canada during the War of 1812
where it gained more battle honour
s than any other British unit during that period. It participated in the capture of Detroit under Major General Isaac Brock
(for which he was knighted). They were involved with the siege of Fort Meigs
, the battle of the River Raisin
and took part on board British ships during the Battle of Lake Erie
. After the defeat, the 41st retired from Fort Amherstburg
(Malden) under the command of Major-General Henry Procter and were defeated at the Battle of Moraviantown, or the Thames. Shadrack Byfield was a private in the 41st during this period, and he chronicled the battalion's actions in his diary, before losing an arm.
The unit is still represented today by a group of historical re-enactors from all over Ontario, including Fort George
. There is another unit in Wales, the regimental home.
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, formed in 1719 and amalgamated into The Welch Regiment in 1881.
The regiment was raised by General Edmund Fielding in March 1719 out of independent companies of invalids and Chelsea out-pensioners - soldiers incapable of normal service through disease, age or injury. They were renamed the Royal Invalids in 1741, and in 1751, they were numbered the 41st Regiment of Foot. In 1782, when other regiments took county titles, they were denoted as the 41st (Royal Invalids) Regiment of Foot; in 1787 they ceased to comprise invalids and became a conventional line regiment, dropping the title. They finally received a territorial affiliation in 1831, becoming the 41st (Welch) Regiment of Foot.
The 41st regiment served with distinction in Canada during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
where it gained more battle honour
Battle honour
A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags , uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible....
s than any other British unit during that period. It participated in the capture of Detroit under Major General Isaac Brock
Isaac Brock
Major-General Sir Isaac Brock KB was a British Army officer and administrator. Brock was assigned to Canada in 1802. Despite facing desertions and near-mutinies, he commanded his regiment in Upper Canada successfully for many years...
(for which he was knighted). They were involved with the siege of Fort Meigs
Fort Meigs
Fort Meigs was a fortification along the Maumee River in Ohio during the War of 1812. It is named in honor of Ohio governor Return J. Meigs, Jr., for his support in providing General William Henry Harrison with militia and supplies for the line of forts along the Old Northwest...
, the battle of the River Raisin
River Raisin
The River Raisin is a river in southeastern Michigan, United States that flows through glacial sediments into Lake Erie. The area today is an agricultural and industrial center of Michigan. The river flows for almost , draining an area of in the Michigan counties of Lenawee, Monroe, Washtenaw,...
and took part on board British ships during the Battle of Lake Erie
Battle of Lake Erie
The Battle of Lake Erie, sometimes called the Battle of Put-in-Bay, was fought on 10 September 1813, in Lake Erie off the coast of Ohio during the War of 1812. Nine vessels of the United States Navy defeated and captured six vessels of Great Britain's Royal Navy...
. After the defeat, the 41st retired from Fort Amherstburg
Fort Amherstburg
Fort Amherstburg was built by the Royal Canadian Volunteers at the mouth of the Detroit River to replace Fort Detroit, which Britain was required to cede to the United States of America in 1796 as a result of the Jay Treaty....
(Malden) under the command of Major-General Henry Procter and were defeated at the Battle of Moraviantown, or the Thames. Shadrack Byfield was a private in the 41st during this period, and he chronicled the battalion's actions in his diary, before losing an arm.
The unit is still represented today by a group of historical re-enactors from all over Ontario, including Fort George
Fort George, Ontario
Fort George National Historic Site is a historic military structure at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, that was the scene of several battles during the War of 1812...
. There is another unit in Wales, the regimental home.
External links
- 41st (Welsh) Regiment of Foot, regiments.org