38th (1st Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot facts for kids
Quick facts for kids 38th (1st Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot |
|
|---|---|
| Active | 1705–1881 |
| Country |  Kingdom of England (1705–1707) Kingdom of Great Britain (1707–1800) United Kingdom (1801–1881) |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | 1 battalion (2 battalions 1804–1814) |
| Garrison/HQ | Whittington Barracks, Lichfield |
| Engagements | American Revolutionary War French Revolutionary Wars Napoleonic Wars Fifth Xhosa War First Anglo-Burmese War Crimean War Indian Rebellion |
The 38th (1st Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot was a famous infantry (foot soldier) group in the British Army. It was started in 1705. Later, in 1881, it joined with another group, the 80th Regiment of Foot (Staffordshire Volunteers), to create the South Staffordshire Regiment. This happened because of big changes called the Childers Reforms.
Contents
History of the 38th Regiment
Starting the Regiment
The 38th Regiment had a few starts! It was first formed in 1688 by Colonel Sir John Guise. It was called Sir John Guise's Regiment of Foot. But it was stopped in 1694.
It was started again in 1694 by General Luke Lillingstone. This time it was called Luke Lillingstone's Regiment of Foot. Many soldiers from the first group joined. This group was also stopped in 1696 while they were in the West Indies.
The regiment was started for the third time in March 1705. This happened in Lichfield, England, and General Luke Lillingstone led it again. In 1747, it was officially given the number 38. This meant it became the 38th Regiment of Foot.
After a short time in Ireland, the regiment went to the West Indies in 1707. In 1774, they moved to Boston in Massachusetts. They fought in the American Revolutionary War. This included the Battle of Bunker Hill in June 1775 and the Battle of Brandywine in September 1777. In 1782, the regiment added "1st Staffordshire" to its name. It became the 38th (1st Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot. They returned to Ireland in 1790.
Fighting in the Napoleonic Wars
When war broke out with France, parts of the regiment went to the West Indies. In March 1794, they helped capture Martinique. Other parts of the 38th Regiment fought in Europe.
In 1796, the whole regiment was together again in the West Indies. They helped capture Saint Lucia in May 1796 and Trinidad in 1797. In 1806, they captured the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. Then they went to South America. They fought in the British invasions of the River Plate. They helped capture Montevideo in January 1807 and attacked Buenos Aires in July 1807.
The 1st battalion (a large group of soldiers) went to Spain and Portugal in June 1808. They fought in many battles, including Battle of Roliça and Battle of Vimeiro in August 1808. They also took part in the difficult retreat to Corunna in June 1809. The 1st battalion also faced a tough time in the Walcheren Campaign in 1809.
They returned to Spain in 1812. They fought in the Battle of Salamanca in July 1812 and the siege of Burgos in September 1812. They also fought in the Battle of Vitoria in June 1813 and the siege of San Sebastián in September 1813. The regiment then chased the French army into France. They fought in the Battle of Nivelle in November 1813, the Battle of the Nive in December 1813, and the Battle of Orthez in February 1814. Their last battles were Toulouse and Battle of Bayonne in April 1814.
Meanwhile, the 2nd battalion also saw action. They fought in the Battle of Bussaco in September 1810 and the siege of Badajoz in March 1812.
The Victorian Era and Beyond
In 1818, the regiment went to the Cape of Good Hope for the Fifth Xhosa War. In 1822, they moved to India. From there, they went to Burma in 1824 for the First Anglo-Burmese War.
They returned to England in 1836 and then to Ireland in 1837. After that, they served in places like Zante (Greece), Gibraltar, and Jamaica. In 1848, they were in Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada).
In 1854, the regiment was sent to the Crimea for the Crimean War. They fought bravely in the Battle of the Alma in September 1854 and the Battle of Inkerman in November 1854. They also took part in the long siege of Sevastopol in 1854-1855.
In August 1857, they went to India. They helped capture Lucknow in March 1858 during the Indian Rebellion. They also took part in a mission against the Black Mountain tribes in 1868. The regiment finally returned to England in 1871.
In the 1870s, the British Army made big changes called the Cardwell Reforms. The 38th Regiment was linked with the 80th Regiment of Foot (Staffordshire Volunteers). They shared a training base at Whittington Barracks in Lichfield. On July 1, 1881, even bigger changes happened with the Childers Reforms. The 38th Regiment joined with the 80th Regiment to form a new group called the South Staffordshire Regiment.
Battle Honours
Battle honours are special awards given to military units for their bravery and success in battles. They are like a list of important victories. Here are the battle honours for the 38th Regiment:
- South America: Monte Video
- Peninsular War: Roliça, Vimiera, Corunna, Busaco, Badajoz, Salamanca, Vitoria, San Sebastián, Nive, Peninsula
- First Anglo-Burmese War: Ava
- Crimean War: Alma, Inkerman, Sevastopol
- Indian Mutiny: Lucknow
- West Indies: Guadeloupe 1759, Martinique 1762 (awarded 1909 to successor regiment)
Regimental Colonels
A Regimental Colonel was a very important leader of the regiment. Here is a list of the colonels who led the 38th Regiment over the years:
- First raising
- 1688–1689: Sir John Guise
- 1689–1693: Jonathan Foulkes
- 1693-1694: Brig-Gen. Luke Lillingston
- disbanded 1694
- Second raising
- 1694–1696: Brig-Gen. Luke Lillingstone
- disbanded 1696
- Third raising
- 1702–1705: vacant?
- 1705–1708: Brig-Gen. Luke Lillingstone
- 1708–1711: Col. James Jones
- 1711–1717: Col. Francis Alexander
- 1717–1729: Col. Richard Lucas
- 1729–1735: Brig-Gen. Edward Jones
- 1735–1738: Brig-Gen. Hon. Robert Murray
- 1738–1739: Gen. Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough, KG
- 1739–1750: Lt-Gen. Robert Dalzell
- 1750–October 1750: Lt-Gen. Richard Philipps
- 38th Regiment of Foot
- 1751–1756: Lt-Gen. Alexander Duroure
- 1756–1760: Maj-Gen. Sir James Ross, Bt.
- 1760–1761: Maj-Gen. David Watson
- 1761–1762: Maj-Gen. Andrew Robinson
- 1762–1766: Maj-Gen. Hon. Sharrington Talbot
- 1766–1775: Lt-Gen. Cadwallader Blayney, 9th Baron Blayney
- 1775–1796: Gen. Sir Robert Pigot, Bt.
- 38th (the 1st Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot - (1782)
- 1796–1805: Gen. James Rooke
- 1805–1836: Gen. George James Ludlow, 3rd Earl Ludlow, GCB
- 1836–1836: Maj-Gen. Hon. Sir Charles James Greville, KCB
- 1836–1840: Gen. Sir Henry Pigot, GCMG
- 1840–1843: Lt-Gen. Sir Jasper Nicolls, KCB
- 1843–1862: Gen. Hon. Sir Hugh Arbuthnot, KCB
- 1862–1876: Gen. Sir William Mansfield, 1st Baron Sandhurst, GCB, GCSI
- 1876–1881: Gen. James Pattoun Sparks, CB
Images for kids
-
Luke Lillingstone, who founded the regiment
-
A plaque in Lichfield remembering when the regiment was founded in March 1705
-
A soldier from the 38th Regiment in 1742
-
The remaining soldiers of the regiment's light company in 1855
-
Different uniforms of the 38th Regiment in 1856
.JPG)
