96th Regiment of Foot
Encyclopedia
The 96th Regiment of Foot was a regiment
of the British Army
from 1798 to 1881, when it became the 2nd Battalion, Manchester Regiment. Its lineage is perpetuated by the 2nd Battalion, Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, previously the King's Regiment.
from Swiss mercenary regiments in Spanish service, while Minorca
was under British control. In 1801, the regiment took part in the expedition to Egypt
, where a large French force commanded by the future Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte were attempting to conquer the country. During the Battle of Alexandria
, French cavalry charged the British infantry and appeared to be about to break through the lines, such was the ferocity of their charge, but the Minorca Regiment bravely advanced forward to meet the enemy and launched volley after volley into the mass of cavalry, with such devastating effect that the survivors retreated in the face of such an onslaught.
The regiment distinguished itself even further, when Private Antoine Lutz left the formation under his own initiative to re-take a French cavalry standard which had been recaptured by the French, having already been taken by a soldier of the 42nd (now The Black Watch
). He showed great courage, shooting the French standard bearer and subsequently seizing the colour. Two other dragoon
s charged towards him. Lutz shot the horse from under one of the dragoons. The dragoon asked for clemency, and his life was spared. Private Lutz was later awarded a Royal Bounty of £20 pounds per annum for life. In honour of his performance a painting was made, with him posing in uniform holding the French standard he had captured. It is presently located in the Museum of the Manchester Regiment.
The regiment had certainly fought with honour and bravery, despite their origins, fighting keenly for the British in the Egyptian Campaign. That year, the regiment was renamed the Queen's Own Germans and in 1805, was given the numeric title, the 97th. The regiment also saw service in the Peninsula War, taking part in the Battle of Vimeiro
, emulating their astonishing courage in the campaign in Egypt. The regiment later fought at the battles of Talavera, Busaco
and Albuera
, and the Siege of Badajoz.
They were subsequently posted to the West Indies. In 1814, they were dispatched to Upper Canada
, where they took part in some of the last engagements of the Anglo-American War of 1812
.
By 1816 the regiment was renumbered as The 96th (Queen's Own Germans) Regiment of Foot, though had now only a minimal element of foreign soldiers within its ranks, and was no longer considered a foreign corps in 1810. It was disbanded in 1818 in Ireland.
, before providing detachments for convict ships sailing to New South Wales
and Van Diemen's Land
, now Tasmania
.
In 1843, during tensions between the British and Māoris, largely caused by the Treaty of Waitangi
which had been signed between the British and Māori in 1840, a detachment from the regiment was dispatched to the northern island of New Zealand
. Trouble did occur, with confrontations occurring between the regiment and Māoris. In one incident, the 96th met a large Māori force and in response withdrew in the face of a numerically superior opponent. The Flagstaff War
began on 11 March 1845. The regiment took part in a number of engagements during the war, which lasted into early January 1846. In 1849, the 96th arrived in Calcutta in India
, which at that time was under control of the British East India Company
. They left the sub-continent in 1854, returning home to the UK, before deploying to Gibraltar for garrison service.
In 1862, the regiment was en route to Canada when the ship they were sailing on hit a storm in the Azores
. The 96th spent only a brief time in Canada, being deployed to South Africa
in 1863, after a brief period back home in the UK. In 1868, the 96th deployed to British India, an entity only created ten years before. They remained there until 1873. The following year the regiment was officially deemed to be the direct descendant of the Minorca Regiment, later The 96th (Queen's Own Germans) Regiment of Foot.
of the army, the regiment merged with the 63rd Regiment of Foot
to form the 2nd Battalion, Manchester 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 1798 to 1881, when it became the 2nd Battalion, Manchester Regiment. Its lineage is perpetuated by the 2nd Battalion, Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, previously the King's Regiment.
Minorca Regiment
The Minorca Regiment was raised in 1798 from prisoners of warPrisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
from Swiss mercenary regiments in Spanish service, while Minorca
Minorca
Min Orca or Menorca is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. It takes its name from being smaller than the nearby island of Majorca....
was under British control. In 1801, the regiment took part in the expedition to 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...
, where a large French force commanded by the future Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte were attempting to conquer the country. During the Battle of Alexandria
Battle of Alexandria
The Battle of Alexandria or Battle of Canope, fought on March 21, 1801 between the French army under General Menou and the British expeditionary corps under Sir Ralph Abercrombie, took place near the ruins of Nicopolis, on the narrow spit of land between the sea and Lake Abukir, along which the...
, French cavalry charged the British infantry and appeared to be about to break through the lines, such was the ferocity of their charge, but the Minorca Regiment bravely advanced forward to meet the enemy and launched volley after volley into the mass of cavalry, with such devastating effect that the survivors retreated in the face of such an onslaught.
The regiment distinguished itself even further, when Private Antoine Lutz left the formation under his own initiative to re-take a French cavalry standard which had been recaptured by the French, having already been taken by a soldier of the 42nd (now The Black Watch
The Black Watch
The Black Watch is a 1929 American early epic adventure drama film directed by John Ford and written by James Kevin McGuinness based on the novel King of the Khyber Rifles by Talbot Mundy. The film starred Victor McLaglen...
). He showed great courage, shooting the French standard bearer and subsequently seizing the colour. Two other dragoon
Dragoon
The word dragoon originally meant mounted infantry, who were trained in horse riding as well as infantry fighting skills. However, usage altered over time and during the 18th century, dragoons evolved into conventional light cavalry units and personnel...
s charged towards him. Lutz shot the horse from under one of the dragoons. The dragoon asked for clemency, and his life was spared. Private Lutz was later awarded a Royal Bounty of £20 pounds per annum for life. In honour of his performance a painting was made, with him posing in uniform holding the French standard he had captured. It is presently located in the Museum of the Manchester Regiment.
The regiment had certainly fought with honour and bravery, despite their origins, fighting keenly for the British in the Egyptian Campaign. That year, the regiment was renamed the Queen's Own Germans and in 1805, was given the numeric title, the 97th. The regiment also saw service in the Peninsula War, taking part in the Battle of Vimeiro
Battle of Vimeiro
In the Battle of Vimeiro the British under General Arthur Wellesley defeated the French under Major-General Jean-Andoche Junot near the village of Vimeiro , near Lisbon, Portugal during the Peninsular War...
, emulating their astonishing courage in the campaign in Egypt. The regiment later fought at the battles of Talavera, Busaco
Battle of Buçaco
The Battle of Bussaco resulted in the defeat of French forces by Lord Wellington's Anglo-Portuguese Army, in Portugal during the Peninsular War....
and Albuera
Battle of Albuera
The Battle of Albuera was an indecisive battle during the Peninsular War. A mixed British, Spanish and Portuguese corps engaged elements of the French Armée du Midi at the small Spanish village of Albuera, about 20 kilometres south of the frontier fortress-town of Badajoz, Spain.From...
, and the Siege of Badajoz.
They were subsequently posted to the West Indies. In 1814, they were dispatched to Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
, where they took part in some of the last engagements of the Anglo-American 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...
.
By 1816 the regiment was renumbered as The 96th (Queen's Own Germans) Regiment of Foot, though had now only a minimal element of foreign soldiers within its ranks, and was no longer considered a foreign corps in 1810. It was disbanded in 1818 in Ireland.
96th Foot
In 1824, the 96th regiment was reformed, inheriting the history and battle honours of their predecessors. The regiment was deployed to a variety of territories in the Western HemisphereWestern Hemisphere
The Western Hemisphere or western hemisphere is mainly used as a geographical term for the half of the Earth that lies west of the Prime Meridian and east of the Antimeridian , the other half being called the Eastern Hemisphere.In this sense, the western hemisphere consists of the western portions...
, before providing detachments for convict ships sailing to New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land was the original name used by most Europeans for the island of Tasmania, now part of Australia. The Dutch explorer Abel Tasman was the first European to land on the shores of Tasmania...
, now Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
.
In 1843, during tensions between the British and Māoris, largely caused by the Treaty of Waitangi
Treaty of Waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi is a treaty first signed on 6 February 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and various Māori chiefs from the North Island of New Zealand....
which had been signed between the British and Māori in 1840, a detachment from the regiment was dispatched to the northern island of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. Trouble did occur, with confrontations occurring between the regiment and Māoris. In one incident, the 96th met a large Māori force and in response withdrew in the face of a numerically superior opponent. The Flagstaff War
Flagstaff War
The Flagstaff War – also known as Hone Heke's Rebellion, the Northern War and erroneously as the First Māori War – was fought between 11 March 1845 and 11 January 1846 in and around the Bay of Islands, New Zealand...
began on 11 March 1845. The regiment took part in a number of engagements during the war, which lasted into early January 1846. In 1849, the 96th arrived in Calcutta in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, which at that time was under control of the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
. They left the sub-continent in 1854, returning home to the UK, before deploying to Gibraltar for garrison service.
In 1862, the regiment was en route to Canada when the ship they were sailing on hit a storm in the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
. The 96th spent only a brief time in Canada, being deployed to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in 1863, after a brief period back home in the UK. In 1868, the 96th deployed to British India, an entity only created ten years before. They remained there until 1873. The following year the regiment was officially deemed to be the direct descendant of the Minorca Regiment, later The 96th (Queen's Own Germans) Regiment of Foot.
Amalgamation
On 1 July 1881, in accordance with the Childers ReformsChilders Reforms
The Childers Reforms restructured the infantry regiments of the British army. The reforms were undertaken by Secretary of State for War Hugh Childers in 1881, and were a continuation of the earlier Cardwell reforms....
of the army, the regiment merged with the 63rd Regiment of Foot
63rd Regiment of Foot
The 63rd Regiment of Foot known as "The Bloodsuckers", was a British Army regiment in the 18th and 19th centuries.As part of the Childers Reforms, the 63rd and the 96th Regiments of Foot amalgamated in 1881 to form The Manchester Regiment the heritage continuing through to The King's Regiment in...
to form the 2nd Battalion, Manchester Regiment.