50th (Queen's Own) Regiment of Foot
Encyclopedia
The 50th Regiment of Foot was an infantry
regiment
of the British Army
from 1755 to 1881.
The regiment was originally raised as the 52nd Regiment of Foot, but was renumbered in 1757 following the disbandment of the existing 50th
and 51st
regiments. It spent most of the Seven Years' War
in England, raiding the French coast in 1757 and fighting in Germany in 1760, where it saw action at the Battle of Warburg
, the Battle of Vellingshausen, and the Battle of Wilhelmsthal.
The regiment was posted to Jamaica
in 1772, and then to New York
in 1776. At this point, troops were transferred to other regiments and the officers returned to England to raise a new force; as such, the regiment did not see action in the American Revolutionary War. In 1778, they saw action serving on various ships of the Royal Navy as marines, including at the First Battle of Ushant
. In 1782, they changed their name to the 50th (West Kent) Regiment of Foot.
During the Napoleonic Wars
, the regiment saw action in Egypt
, in Denmark
, and in the Peninsular War
, including the Battle of Corunna
. A second battalion
was raised, serving from 1804 to 1814; it saw action at Walcheren
, as did the first battalion.
After a battle in the Peninsular War, the regiment was nicknamed the Dirty Half-Hundred; the regiment had worn uniforms with black facings, and when they wiped sweat away with their cuffs the dye stained their faces. (Half-hundred is a play on "fifty")
In 1827 they were retitled 50th (Duke of Clarence's) Regiment of Foot, in honour of the future William IV of the United Kingdom
, and then as the 50th (Queen's Own) Regiment of Foot in 1831 in honour of William's wife, Queen Adelaide
.
They travelled to Australia in detachments in the 1830s as escorts to prisoners, and then to India in 1841. They fought in the Gwalior campaign in 1843, and were in the thick of all four battles throughout the First Anglo-Sikh War
in 1845–1846, taking heavy casualties and losing a large majority of officers. The regiment returned to England soon after. In 1854 they were based in Malta, and moved to the Crimea when the Crimean War
broke out. The regiment fought at the Battle of Alma
, the Battle of Inkerman
, and in the Siege of Sevastopol.
In the 1860s they were once more in Australia and New Zealand, fighting in the New Zealand land wars
in 1864.
In 1881, they amalgamated with the 97th (Earl of Ulster's) Regiment of Foot to form The Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment).
2010 Some of these soldiers remains are in the cemetery at Sutton Forest in New South Wales.
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...
from 1755 to 1881.
The regiment was originally raised as the 52nd Regiment of Foot, but was renumbered in 1757 following the disbandment of the existing 50th
Shirley's Regiment
The 50th, or Shirley's Regiment of Foot was a British army infantry regiment raised in 1754 in North America during the French and Indian War....
and 51st
Pepperrell's Regiment
The 51st, or Pepperrell's Regiment of Foot was a British army infantry regiment raised in North America during the French and Indian War.Two regiments were raised in New England with funds supplied by the British Crown, entering the army list as the 50th and 51st Regiments of Foot...
regiments. It spent most of the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
in England, raiding the French coast in 1757 and fighting in Germany in 1760, where it saw action at the Battle of Warburg
Battle of Warburg
The Battle of Warburg was a battle fought on 31 July 1760 during the Seven Years' War. The Battle was a victory for the Hanoverians and the British against the French. British general John Manners, Marquess of Granby achieved some fame for charging at the head of the British cavalry and losing his...
, the Battle of Vellingshausen, and the Battle of Wilhelmsthal.
The regiment was posted to Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
in 1772, and then to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1776. At this point, troops were transferred to other regiments and the officers returned to England to raise a new force; as such, the regiment did not see action in the American Revolutionary War. In 1778, they saw action serving on various ships of the Royal Navy as marines, including at the First Battle of Ushant
Battle of Ushant (1778)
The Battle of Ushant took place on 27 July 1778, during the American War of Independence, fought between French and British fleets 100 miles west of Ushant, a French island at the mouth of the English Channel off the north-westernmost point of France...
. In 1782, they changed their name to the 50th (West Kent) Regiment of Foot.
During the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, the regiment saw action in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, and in the Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
, including the Battle of Corunna
Battle of Corunna
The Battle of Corunna refers to a battle of the Peninsular War. On January 16, 1809, a French army under Marshal Soult attacked the British under Sir John Moore...
. A second battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
was raised, serving from 1804 to 1814; it saw action at Walcheren
Walcheren Campaign
The Walcheren Campaign was an unsuccessful British expedition to the Netherlands in 1809 intended to open another front in the Austrian Empire's struggle with France during the War of the Fifth Coalition. Around 40,000 soldiers, 15,000 horses together with field artillery and two siege trains...
, as did the first battalion.
After a battle in the Peninsular War, the regiment was nicknamed the Dirty Half-Hundred; the regiment had worn uniforms with black facings, and when they wiped sweat away with their cuffs the dye stained their faces. (Half-hundred is a play on "fifty")
In 1827 they were retitled 50th (Duke of Clarence's) Regiment of Foot, in honour of the future William IV of the United Kingdom
William IV of the United Kingdom
William IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death...
, and then as the 50th (Queen's Own) Regiment of Foot in 1831 in honour of William's wife, Queen Adelaide
Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen
Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and of Hanover as spouse of William IV of the United Kingdom. Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia, is named after her.-Early life:Adelaide was born on 13 August 1792 at Meiningen, Thuringia, Germany...
.
They travelled to Australia in detachments in the 1830s as escorts to prisoners, and then to India in 1841. They fought in the Gwalior campaign in 1843, and were in the thick of all four battles throughout the First Anglo-Sikh War
First Anglo-Sikh War
The First Anglo-Sikh War was fought between the Sikh Empire and the British East India Company between 1845 and 1846. It resulted in partial subjugation of the Sikh kingdom.-Background and causes of the war:...
in 1845–1846, taking heavy casualties and losing a large majority of officers. The regiment returned to England soon after. In 1854 they were based in Malta, and moved to the Crimea when the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
broke out. The regiment fought at the Battle of Alma
Battle of Alma
The Battle of the Alma , which is usually considered the first battle of the Crimean War , took place just south of the River Alma in the Crimea. An Anglo-French force under General St...
, the Battle of Inkerman
Battle of Inkerman
The Battle of Inkerman was fought during the Crimean War on November 5, 1854 between the allied armies of Britain and France against the Imperial Russian Army. The battle broke the will of the Russian Army to defeat the allies in the field, and was followed by the Siege of Sevastopol...
, and in the Siege of Sevastopol.
In the 1860s they were once more in Australia and New Zealand, fighting in the New Zealand land wars
New Zealand land wars
The New Zealand Wars, sometimes called the Land Wars and also once called the Māori Wars, were a series of armed conflicts that took place in New Zealand between 1845 and 1872...
in 1864.
In 1881, they amalgamated with the 97th (Earl of Ulster's) Regiment of Foot to form The Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment).
2010 Some of these soldiers remains are in the cemetery at Sutton Forest in New South Wales.