The regiment was formed by Lieutenant General Robert Napier as the 53rd (Napier's) Regiment of Foot in 1755 for service in the Seven Years' War.[3] The regiment started out in Exeter but was transferred to Leeds later in the same year. In the space of one month, 800 men had volunteered to serve for three years or as long as the country needed them to.[4] It was re-ranked as the 51st (Brudenell's) Regiment of Foot, following the disbandment of the existing 50th and 51st regiments, in 1757.[5] The regiment's first action was when it embarked on ships and took part in the Raid on Rochefort in September 1757 during the Seven Years' War.[6]
The regiment embarked for Germany in 1758 and saw action at the Battle of Minden in August 1759, the Battle of Corbach in July 1760 and the Battle of Warburg later that month as well as the Battle of Kloster Kampen in October 1760, the Battle of Villinghausen in July 1761 and the Battle of Wilhelmsthal in June 1762.[7] After returning home in spring 1763, the regiment was posted for garrison duty in Ireland later in the year.[6] It embarked for Menorca in 1771 but was captured by a French invading force in January 1782 and only released five months later.[6] It adopted a county designation and became the 51st (2nd Yorkshire West Riding) Regiment in August 1782.[8]
In early 1800 the East IndiamanEarl Cornwallis, transported the regiment to Ceylon, where it saw action in the Kandyan Wars.[9] After returning home in 1807, it embarked for Portugal in October 1808 for service in the Peninsular War and saw action at the Battle of Corunna in January 1809 before being evacuated from the Peninsula.[6] It became a light infantry regiment as the 51st (2nd Yorkshire West Riding) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry) in May 1809.[10] It then embarked for the Netherlands in summer 1809 and saw action in the disastrous Walcheren Campaign.[6]
The Hangman's Tower at Badajoz, the objective of the siege by men from the regiment, led by Ensign Joseph Dyas, in summer 1811
The regiment traveled to Australia in detachments as escorts to prisoners in 1837 and then moved on to India in 1846.[6] From there it was deployed to Burma and saw action at Pegu in 1852 during the Second Anglo-Burmese War.[6] Although it returned to England in 1854, it was deployed to India again in 1857 to help suppress the Indian Rebellion and was still in India for the Ambela Campaign in 1863.[6] It was also from India that it was deployed to Afghanistan in autumn 1878 and saw action at the Battle of Ali Masjid in November 1878 during the Second Anglo-Afghan War.[6]
^. 51stlight. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
^Knowles, Lees (1 August 1914). Minden and the Seven Years' War. London: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent & Co. p. 77. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
^"King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry Regimental Museum Archive". National Archives. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
^ abcdefghijklmn. Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 23 February 2007. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
^"51st Timeline". The Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. Retrieved 9 February 2016.[permanent dead link]
^"badge, headdress, British, Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry". IWM. Imperial War Museum. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
^ ab. nam. National Army Museum. Archived from the original on 7 February 2016. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
^ abc. regiments.org. Archived from the original on 18 April 2007. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
^. 51st Light. Archived from the original on 20 March 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
^. 51st Light. Archived from the original on 3 January 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
^. Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 10 February 2006. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
^"Unit History". Forces War Records. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
January 08, 2023
51st, yorkshire, west, riding, regiment, foot, other, units, with, same, regimental, number, 51st, regiment, foot, disambiguation, british, army, line, infantry, regiment, raised, 1755, under, childers, reforms, amalgamated, with, 105th, regiment, foot, madras. For other units with the same regimental number see 51st Regiment of Foot disambiguation The 51st 2nd Yorkshire West Riding Regiment of Foot was a British Army line infantry regiment raised in 1755 Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 105th Regiment of Foot Madras Light Infantry to form the King s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry in 1881 1 2 51st 2nd Yorkshire West Riding Regiment of FootActive1755 to 1881Country Kingdom of Great Britain 1755 1800 United Kingdom 1801 1881 Branch British ArmyTypeLine InfantrySizeOne battalion two battalions 1804 1814 Garrison HQPontefract Barracks West Riding of YorkshireNickname s The Stormers Motto s Cede Nullis Yield to None MarchQuick Jockey to the Fair Slow The Keel RowEngagementsSeven Years WarFrench Revolutionary WarsKandyan WarsNapoleonic WarsSecond Anglo Burmese WarIndian RebellionAmbela CampaignSecond Anglo Afghan War Contents 1 History 1 1 Early history 1 2 Napoleonic Wars 1 3 The Victorian era 2 Battle honours 3 Notable members 4 Colonels of the Regiment 4 1 53rd Regiment of Foot 1755 4 2 51st Regiment of Foot 1756 4 3 51st 2nd Yorkshire West Riding Regiment of Foot 1782 4 4 51st the 2nd Yorkshire West Riding or The King s Own Light Infantry Regiment 1821 5 ReferencesHistory EditEarly history Edit Lieutenant Colonel John Moore who was the regiment s commanding officer at the siege of Toulon in autumn 1793 and the siege of Calvi in July 1794 by Thomas Lawrence Monument to the Battle of Villinghausen in July 1761 The regiment was formed by Lieutenant General Robert Napier as the 53rd Napier s Regiment of Foot in 1755 for service in the Seven Years War 3 The regiment started out in Exeter but was transferred to Leeds later in the same year In the space of one month 800 men had volunteered to serve for three years or as long as the country needed them to 4 It was re ranked as the 51st Brudenell s Regiment of Foot following the disbandment of the existing 50th and 51st regiments in 1757 5 The regiment s first action was when it embarked on ships and took part in the Raid on Rochefort in September 1757 during the Seven Years War 6 The regiment embarked for Germany in 1758 and saw action at the Battle of Minden in August 1759 the Battle of Corbach in July 1760 and the Battle of Warburg later that month as well as the Battle of Kloster Kampen in October 1760 the Battle of Villinghausen in July 1761 and the Battle of Wilhelmsthal in June 1762 7 After returning home in spring 1763 the regiment was posted for garrison duty in Ireland later in the year 6 It embarked for Menorca in 1771 but was captured by a French invading force in January 1782 and only released five months later 6 It adopted a county designation and became the 51st 2nd Yorkshire West Riding Regiment in August 1782 8 The regiment embarked for Gibraltar in 1792 for service in the French Revolutionary Wars under the command of Lieutenant Colonel John Moore and took part in the siege of Toulon in autumn 1793 and the siege of Calvi in July 1794 6 Napoleonic Wars Edit In early 1800 the East Indiaman Earl Cornwallis transported the regiment to Ceylon where it saw action in the Kandyan Wars 9 After returning home in 1807 it embarked for Portugal in October 1808 for service in the Peninsular War and saw action at the Battle of Corunna in January 1809 before being evacuated from the Peninsula 6 It became a light infantry regiment as the 51st 2nd Yorkshire West Riding Regiment of Foot Light Infantry in May 1809 10 It then embarked for the Netherlands in summer 1809 and saw action in the disastrous Walcheren Campaign 6 The Hangman s Tower at Badajoz the objective of the siege by men from the regiment led by Ensign Joseph Dyas in summer 1811 The regiment returned to the Portugal in 1811 and took part in the Battle of Fuentes de Onoro in May 1811 the second siege of Badajoz in summer 1811 and the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo in January 1812 6 At Badajoz Ensign Joseph Dyas a junior officer in the regiment distinguished himself by twice leading the storming party on the San Cristobal Fort 11 The regiment went on to fight at the Battle of Salamanca in July 1812 the siege of Burgos in September 1812 and the Battle of Vitoria in June 1813 6 It then pursued the French Army into France and fought at the Battle of the Pyrenees in July 1813 the Battle of Nivelle in November 1813 and the Battle of the Nive in December 1813 as well as the Battle of Orthez in February 1814 6 It then returned to England in June 1814 6 Following Napoleon s escape from Elba in February 1815 it embarked for Ostend in March 1815 and fought at the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815 9 At Waterloo the regiment prevented 100 French cuirassiers from escaping the field of battle 12 The Victorian era Edit The regiment traveled to Australia in detachments as escorts to prisoners in 1837 and then moved on to India in 1846 6 From there it was deployed to Burma and saw action at Pegu in 1852 during the Second Anglo Burmese War 6 Although it returned to England in 1854 it was deployed to India again in 1857 to help suppress the Indian Rebellion and was still in India for the Ambela Campaign in 1863 6 It was also from India that it was deployed to Afghanistan in autumn 1878 and saw action at the Battle of Ali Masjid in November 1878 during the Second Anglo Afghan War 6 As part of the Cardwell Reforms of the 1870s where single battalion regiments were linked together to share a single depot and recruiting district in the United Kingdom the 51st was linked with the 105th Regiment of Foot Madras Light Infantry and assigned to district no 8 at Pontefract Barracks in the West Riding of Yorkshire 13 On 1 July 1881 the Childers Reforms came into effect and the regiment amalgamated with the 105th Regiment of Foot Madras Light Infantry to form the King s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry 14 Battle honours EditBattle honours gained by the regiment were 10 Seven Years War Minden Peninsular War Corunna Fuentes de Onoro Salamanca Vitoria Pyrenees Nivelle Orthes Peninsula Napoleonic Wars Waterloo Second Anglo Burmese War Pegu Second Anglo Afghan War Ali Masjid Afghanistan 1878 80Notable members EditGeorge Steward Beatson Surgeon James FullartonColonels of the Regiment EditColonels of the regiment were 10 53rd Regiment of Foot 1755 Edit 1755 1757 Lt Gen Robert Napier51st Regiment of Foot 1756 Edit 1757 1767 Lt Gen Thomas Brudenell 1767 1795 Gen Archibald Montgomerie 11th Earl of Eglinton51st 2nd Yorkshire West Riding Regiment of Foot 1782 Edit 1795 1800 Lt Gen Anthony George Martin 1800 1822 Gen William Morshead51st the 2nd Yorkshire West Riding or The King s Own Light Infantry Regiment 1821 Edit 1822 1829 Gen Sir Thomas Hislop 1st Baronet GCB 1829 1849 Lt Gen Sir Benjamin d Urban GCB KCH 1849 1862 Gen Sir Thomas Willshire 1st Baronet GCB 1862 1874 Gen Sir William Henry Elliott GCB KH 1874 1879 Gen John Leslie Dennis CB 1879 1881 Gen Arnold Charles ErringtonReferences Edit Harold Carmichael Wylly 1926 History of the King s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry Vol I from 1755 to 1914 P Lund Humphries amp Co Wickes HL Regiments of Foot 1974 ISBN 0 85045 220 1 51st 2nd West Riding Light Infantry 51stlight Archived from the original on 4 March 2016 Retrieved 9 February 2016 Knowles Lees 1 August 1914 Minden and the Seven Years War London Simpkin Marshall Hamilton Kent amp Co p 77 Retrieved 9 February 2016 King s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry Regimental Museum Archive National Archives Retrieved 9 February 2016 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n 51st 2nd Yorkshire West Riding Regiment of Foot locations Regiments org Archived from the original on 23 February 2007 Retrieved 1 January 2017 51st Timeline The Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry Retrieved 9 February 2016 permanent dead link badge headdress British Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry IWM Imperial War Museum Retrieved 9 February 2016 a b 51st 2nd Yorkshire West Riding or The King s Own Light Infantry Regiment nam National Army Museum Archived from the original on 7 February 2016 Retrieved 9 February 2016 a b c 51st 2nd Yorkshire West Riding Regiment regiments org Archived from the original on 18 April 2007 Retrieved 16 July 2016 Ensign John Dias 51st Light Archived from the original on 20 March 2016 Retrieved 1 January 2017 History of the 51st 51st Light Archived from the original on 3 January 2017 Retrieved 1 January 2017 Training Depots Regiments org Archived from the original on 10 February 2006 Retrieved 16 October 2016 Unit History Forces War Records Retrieved 9 February 2016 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 51st 2nd Yorkshire West Riding Regiment of Foot amp oldid 1083033070, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
