King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster)
Encyclopedia
The King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) was an infantry
regiment of the line of the British Army
, which served under various titles from 1680 to 1959. Its lineage is continued today by the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment.
was raised on July 13, 1680, as the 2nd Tangier
, or Earl of Plymouth's Regiment of Foot. It saw service for nearly three centuries. In 1751, after various name changes, the regiment was titled 4th (King's Own) Regiment of Foot. The regiment retained this title until the Childers Reforms
of 1881 when it became The King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment). In 1921, it was re-designated The King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster).
The regiment's first battle honour
was gained at Namur (1695)
during the War of the Augsburg League, 1688-1697. Soon after they again saw action at Gibraltar in 1704-1705, Guadeloupe 1759, and St. Lucia 1778. In 1746, the regiment received most of the government casualties at the Battle of Culloden
.
During the Napoleonic Wars
they fought at Corunna
, Badajoz, Salamanca
, Vittoria, San Sebastian, Nive, Bladensburg
, and Waterloo
.
During the Crimean War the regiment fought at Alma, Inkerman, Sevastopol, before also seeing action at Abyssinia, South Africa 1879, the Relief of Ladysmith, and South Africa 1899-1902.
The regiment also saw colonial service in Australia
from 1832 until 1837, being stationed variously at Tasmania
, Sydney
, Victoria South Australia
, and the Swan River Colony
under the command of Lieut. Colonel J. K. McKenzie.
During the First World War, the regiment received battle honours for France, Greece, Turkey, and Mesopotamia, and during the Second World War, they received honours for France, NW Europe, Iraq, Syria, N. Africa, Italy, Malta, and Burma.
The regiment received the freedom of Lancaster
in 1953, before being amalgamated with The Border Regiment into the The King's Own Royal Border Regiment
on October 31, 1959.
Battle honours
:
. Opened in 1929, the exhibits include regimental uniforms, medals, regalia, silver, paintings, medals, weapons and other memorabilia reflecting the regiment's history since 1680 to 1960.
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 of the line 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...
, which served under various titles from 1680 to 1959. Its lineage is continued today by the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment.
History
The regimentRegiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
was raised on July 13, 1680, as the 2nd Tangier
2nd Tangier Regiment
The 2nd Tangier Regiment was raised by the Charles FitzCharles, 1st Earl of Plymouth in 1680.Part of the Standing army of King Charles II, the regiment's intended role was to help to garrison the Colony of Tangier, but that was evacuated four years later....
, or Earl of Plymouth's Regiment of Foot. It saw service for nearly three centuries. In 1751, after various name changes, the regiment was titled 4th (King's Own) Regiment of Foot. The regiment retained this title until the Childers Reforms
Childers 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 1881 when it became The King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment). In 1921, it was re-designated The King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster).
The regiment's first 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....
was gained at Namur (1695)
Siege of Namur (1695)
The Siege of Namur, 2 July–1 September 1695, was the second siege of the city of Namur in the Nine Years' War. The Allied forces of the Grand Alliance retook the city from the French, who had captured it in the first siege in 1692...
during the War of the Augsburg League, 1688-1697. Soon after they again saw action at Gibraltar in 1704-1705, Guadeloupe 1759, and St. Lucia 1778. In 1746, the regiment received most of the government casualties at the Battle of Culloden
Battle of Culloden
The Battle of Culloden was the final confrontation of the 1745 Jacobite Rising. Taking place on 16 April 1746, the battle pitted the Jacobite forces of Charles Edward Stuart against an army commanded by William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, loyal to the British government...
.
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...
they fought at 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...
, Badajoz, Salamanca
Battle of Salamanca
The Battle of Salamanca saw Anglo-Portuguese and Spanish armies under the Duke of Wellington defeat Marshal Auguste Marmont's French forces among the hills around Arapiles south of Salamanca, Spain on July 22, 1812 during the Peninsular War....
, Vittoria, San Sebastian, Nive, Bladensburg
Battle of Bladensburg
The Battle of Bladensburg took place during the War of 1812. The defeat of the American forces there allowed the British to capture and burn the public buildings of Washington, D.C...
, and Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
.
During the Crimean War the regiment fought at Alma, Inkerman, Sevastopol, before also seeing action at Abyssinia, South Africa 1879, the Relief of Ladysmith, and South Africa 1899-1902.
The regiment also saw colonial service in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
from 1832 until 1837, being stationed variously at 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...
, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Victoria South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, and the Swan River Colony
Swan River Colony
The Swan River Colony was a British settlement established in 1829 on the Swan River, in Western Australia. The name was a pars pro toto for Western Australia. In 1832, the colony was officially renamed Western Australia, when the colony's founding Lieutenant-Governor, Captain James Stirling,...
under the command of Lieut. Colonel J. K. McKenzie.
During the First World War, the regiment received battle honours for France, Greece, Turkey, and Mesopotamia, and during the Second World War, they received honours for France, NW Europe, Iraq, Syria, N. Africa, Italy, Malta, and Burma.
The regiment received the freedom of Lancaster
Lancaster, Lancashire
Lancaster is the county town of Lancashire, England. It is situated on the River Lune and has a population of 45,952. Lancaster is a constituent settlement of the wider City of Lancaster, local government district which has a population of 133,914 and encompasses several outlying towns, including...
in 1953, before being amalgamated with The Border Regiment into the The King's Own Royal Border Regiment
The King's Own Royal Border Regiment
The King's Own Royal Border Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the King's Division. It was formed in 1959 through the amalgamation of two other regiments:*The King's Own Royal Regiment *The Border Regiment...
on October 31, 1959.
Battle honoursBattle honours of the British and Imperial ArmiesThe following battle honours were awarded to units of the British Army and the armies of British India and the Dominions of the British Empire. From their institution until the end of the Second World War, awards were made by, or in consultation with, the British government, but, since 1945, the...
- Namur 1695, Gibraltar 1704-05, Guadeloupe 1759, St. Lucia 1778, Corunna, Badajoz, Salamanca, Vittoria, San Sebastian, Nive, Peninsula, Bladensburg, Waterloo, Alma, Inkerman, Sevastopol, Abyssinia, South Africa 1879, Relief of Ladysmith, South Africa 1899-1902
- The Great War (16 battalions): Le Cateau, Retreat from Mons, Marne 1914, Aisne 1914, Armentières 1914, Ypres 1915 '17, Gravenstafel, St Julien, Frezenberg, Bellewaarde, Festubert 1915, Loos, Somme 1916 '18, Albert 1916 '18, Bazentin, Delville Wood, Pozières, Guillemont, Ginchy, Flers-Courcelette, Morval, Le Transloy, Ancre Heights, Ancre 1916, Arras 1917 '18, Scarpe 1917 '18, Arleux, Messines 1917, Pilckem, Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Broodseinde, Poelcappelle, Passchendaele, Cambrai 1917 '18, St. Quentin, Lys, Estaires, Hazebrouck, Béthune, Bapaume 1918, Drocourt-Quéant, Hindenburg Line, Canal du Nord, Selle, Valenciennes, Sambre, France and Flanders 1914-18, Struma, Doiran 1917 '18, Macedonia 1915-18, Suvla, Sari Bair, Gallipoli 1915, Egypt 1916, Tigris 1916, Kut al Amara 1917, Baghdad, Mesopotamia 1916-18
- The Second World War: St Omer-La Bassée, Dunkirk 1940, North-West Europe 1940, Defence of Habbaniya, Falluja, Iraq 1941, Merjayun, Jebel Mazar, Syria 1941, Tobruk 1941, Tobruk Sortie, North Africa 1940-42, Montone, Citta di Castello, San Martino Sogliano, Lamone Bridgehead, Italy 1944-45, Malta 1941-42, Chindits 1944, Burma 1944
Victoria Crosses
The following members of the regiment were awarded the Victoria CrossVictoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
:
- Private (later Sergeant) Thomas GradyThomas GradyThomas Grady VC DCM was born in Claddagh, County Galway and was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Details:He was 19 years old, and a private in the 4th...
, Crimean WarCrimean WarThe 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... - Private Albert HaltonAlbert HaltonAlbert Halton VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Details:...
, Great War - Private Harry ChristianHarry ChristianHarry Christian VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to members of the British and Commonwealth armed forces....
, Great War - Lance-Sergeant Tom Fletcher MaysonTom Fletcher MaysonTom Fletcher Mayson VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Details:...
, Great War - Second Lieutenant Joseph Henry CollinJoseph Henry CollinJoseph Henry Collin VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
, Great War - Lance-Corporal (later Corporal) James HewitsonJames HewitsonJames Hewitson VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Details:...
, Great War - Lance-Corporal Jack WhiteJack White (VC)Jack White VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.- Background :...
, Great War - Private James MillerJames Miller (VC 1916)James Miller VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
, Great War - Corporal Thomas NeelyThomas NeelyThomas Patrick Neely VC MM was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Details:...
, Great War
King's Own Royal Regiment Museum
The King's Own Royal Regiment Museum is part of the Lancaster City Museum in Lancaster, LancashireLancaster, Lancashire
Lancaster is the county town of Lancashire, England. It is situated on the River Lune and has a population of 45,952. Lancaster is a constituent settlement of the wider City of Lancaster, local government district which has a population of 133,914 and encompasses several outlying towns, including...
. Opened in 1929, the exhibits include regimental uniforms, medals, regalia, silver, paintings, medals, weapons and other memorabilia reflecting the regiment's history since 1680 to 1960.
Colonels-in-Chief
- 1903 F.M. HM King Edward VIIEdward VII of the United KingdomEdward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
- 1913 F.M. HM King George VGeorge V of the United KingdomGeorge V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
Colonels
- 1680 Col. Charles FitzCharles, 1st Earl of PlymouthCharles FitzCharles, 1st Earl of PlymouthCharles FitzCharles, 1st Earl of Plymouth was the illegitimate son of King Charles II of England, by Catherine Pegge. He had a sister called Catherine FitzCharles who became a nun. His mother went on to marry Sir Edward Greene of Samford in Essex, but they had no further children...
(bastard son of Charles II, d. 1680) - 1680 Lt-Gen. Hon Percy KirkePercy KirkeLieutenant General Percy Kirke , English soldier, was the son of George Kirke, a court official to Charles I and Charles II.In 1666 Kirke obtained his first commission in the Lord Admiral's regiment, and subsequently served in the Blues...
(senior) - 1682 Col. Charles TrelawnyCharles TrelawnyMajor-General Charles Trelawny was a British Army officer of Cornish descent, the fourth son of Sir Jonathan Trelawny, 2nd Baronet....
- 1688 Col. Sir Charles Orby, 2nd Bt.
- 1688 Maj-Gen. Charles TrelawnyCharles TrelawnyMajor-General Charles Trelawny was a British Army officer of Cornish descent, the fourth son of Sir Jonathan Trelawny, 2nd Baronet....
[reappointed] - 1692 Brig-Gen. Henry TrelawnyHenry TrelawnyBrigadier-General Henry Trelawny was a British Army officer of Cornish descent, the seventh and youngest son of Sir Jonathan Trelawny, 2nd Baronet and Mary Seymour.He married Rebecca Hals , by whom he had children, including:...
- 1702 Lt-Gen. William Seymour (also Seymour's Regt, 24th Foot; Brig-Gen. of Marine Regements)
- 1717 Brig-Gen. The Hon. Henry Berkeley
- 1719 Gen. Charles Cadogan, 2nd Baron CadoganCharles Cadogan, 2nd Baron CadoganGeneral Charles Cadogan, 2nd Baron Cadogan was a British peer, soldier and Whig politician.Charles Cadogan was the younger son of Henry Cadogan and his wife, Bridget, the second daughter of Sir Hardress Waller...
- 1734 Lt-Gen. William Barrell (also 22nd Foot, 28th Foot)
- 1749 Lt-Gen. Sir Robert Rich, 5th BaronetSir Robert Rich, 5th BaronetLieutenant-General Sir Robert Rich, 5th Baronet was a British Army general and Governor of Londonderry and Culmore.He fought at the battle of Culloden as colonel of Barrel's regiment where he lost his left hand to a sword cut and nearly lost the right forearm to another, in addition to six cuts to...
- 1756 Lt-Gen. Alexander Duroure
- 1765 Col. The Hon. Robert BrudenellRobert BrudenellRobert Brudenell was a British army officer and Member of Parliament.Brudenell was the third son of the 3rd Earl of Cardigan and a younger brother of the 1st Duke of Montagu and 4th Earl of Cardigan and the 5th Earl of Cardigan...
- 1768 F.M. Studholme HodgsonStudholme HodgsonField Marshal Studholme Hodgson was a British Commander during the 18th century. He is best known for commanding the 1761 British expedition which captured Belle Île.-Military career:...
- 1782 Lt-Gen. Sir John BurgoyneJohn BurgoyneGeneral John Burgoyne was a British army officer, politician and dramatist. He first saw action during the Seven Years' War when he participated in several battles, mostly notably during the Portugal Campaign of 1762....
- 1792 Gen. George MorrisonGeorge MorrisonGeorge Morrison is the name of:* George Morrison , silent film actor starring in The Cameo of the Yellowstone* George Morrison , American artist...
[also 17th Foot, 75th Foot; Quartermaster GeneralQuartermaster generalA Quartermaster general is the staff officer in charge of supplies for a whole army.- The United Kingdom :In the United Kingdom, the Quartermaster-General to the Forces is one of the most senior generals in the British Army...
) - 1799 Gen. John Pitt, 2nd Earl of ChathamJohn Pitt, 2nd Earl of ChathamGeneral John Pitt, 2nd Earl of Chatham, KG, PC was a British peer and soldier.-Career:He was the eldest son of William Pitt the Elder and an elder brother of William Pitt the Younger...
, KG - 1835 Gen. John Hodgson (also 83rd Foot83rd (County of Dublin) Regiment of FootThe 83rd Regiment of Foot was a British Army line infantry regiment. During the Childers Reforms it was united with the 86th Regiment of Foot to form the Royal Ulster Rifles.-Service history:...
) - 1846 Gen. Sir Thomas Bradford, GCB, GCH (also 30th Foot, 94th Foot94th Regiment of FootThe 94th Regiment of Foot was a British Army line infantry regiment. Originally formed as the 'Scots Brigade' in 1568, for service in the Netherlands. The regiment was brought onto the English establishment, in October 1794, as the 'Scotch Brigade', renumbered as the 94th Regiment of Foot in...
; C-in-C Bombay 1825-29) - 1853 Gen. Sir John BellJohn Bell (British Army officer)General Sir John Bell GCB was a British soldier and magistrate. At the time of his death, he was the senior general of the British Army.-Background:Born at Bonytoun in the county of Fife, he was the son of David Bell...
, GCB - 1876 Gen. Studholme John Hodgson
- 1890 Gen. William Sankey, CB
- 1892 Lt-Gen. William Wilby, CB
- 1894 Gen. Sir William Gordon CameronWilliam Gordon CameronGeneral Sir William Gordon Cameron GCB was a British soldier and colonial administrator.-Military career:...
, GCB, VD [also Hon. Col. 9th Bn Middlesex Regt] - 1913 Gen. Sir Archibald HunterArchibald HunterGeneral Sir Archibald Hunter GCB GCVO DSO was a General in the British Army who distinguished himself during the Boer War...
, GCB, GCVO, DSO, LLD, TD [also Hon. Col. 5th Bn] - 1926 Lt-Gen. Sir Oswald Cuthbert BorrettOswald BorrettLieutenant General Sir Oswald Cuthbert Borrett KCB CMG CBE DSO was Commander of British Troops in China.-Military career:Borrett was commissioned into the King's Own Royal Regiment in 1898. He served in the Second Boer War and then became Adjutant in the Indian Volunteers in 1911.He also served in...
, KCB, CMG, CBE, DSO - 1945 Maj-Gen. Russell Mortimer Luckock, CB, CMG, DSO [also Hon. Col. The Cambridgeshire Regt]
- 1947 Brig. John Herbert Hardy, CBE, MC
- 1957 Maj-Gen. Richard Neville AndersonRichard Anderson (British Army officer)Lieutenant General Sir Richard Neville Anderson KCB CBE DSO was a British Army General who achieved high office in the 1960s.-Military career:...
, CB, CBE, DSO (continued 1961 in K O R Border Regt; also 10th Gurkha Rifles)