Northamptonshire Regiment

The Northamptonshire Regiment
Northamptonshire Regiment cap badge
Active	1881-1960
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Army
Role	Infantry

The Northamptonshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1960. Its lineage is now continued by The Royal Anglian Regiment.

Formation

The regiment was formed as part of the reorganisation of the infantry by the Childers reforms. The 48th (Northamptonshire) Regiment of Foot,(raised in 1741) and the 58th (Rutlandshire) Regiment of Foot (raised in 1755) were redesignated as the 1st and 2nd battalions of the Northamptonshire Regiment, with the regimental depot at Northampton.

As well as the two regular battalions, the Northamptonshire and Rutland Militia became the 3rd (Militia) Battalion, and the 1st Northamptonshire Rifle Volunteer Corps became the First Volunteer Battalion. With the enactment of the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907, they became the 3rd (Special Reserve) and 4th (Territorial Force) Battalions respectively.

Service

In the years 1881- 1914 the two regular battalions saw overseas service in Hong Kong, India, Singapore and South Africa, with the regiment receiving battle honours for actions in the North West Frontier Province and the Second Boer War.

During the First World War the regiment was expanded to comprise 13 battalions which served on the Western Front in France and Flanders, the Gallipoli campaign, Egypt and Palestine.

Between the two world wars the regular battalions were in a number of overseas locations including Burma, China, Egypt, Iraq, Palestine and Sudan.

In the Second World War battalions of the regiment fought in North West Europe, North Africa, Burma, Italy and Madagascar.

Amalgamation

In 1948 the regiment was reduced to a single regular battalion. Following the recommendations of the 1957 Defence White Paper, the 1st Battalions of The Royal Lincolnshire Regiment and The Northamptonshire Regiment were merged on 1 June 1960 to form the 2nd East Anglian Regiment (Duchess of Gloucester's Own Royal Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire). This regiment was short-lived, becoming part of The Royal Anglian Regiment on 1 September 1964.

The Museum of The Northamptonshire Regiment is housed at Abington Park, Northampton.^[1] The regiment were stationed at the former Quebec Barracks, later renamed Simpson Barracks on a large site at Wootton, south of the town adjacent to the Newport Pagnell Road which include the old Hardingstone workhouse building. They also had an ammunition dump at Yardley Chase.

Badges and dress distinctions

The badges of the regiment included references to the units combined in 1881. The cap badge featured a castle and key and the battle honour "Gibraltar", earned by the 58th Foot in 1779 - 1783. Below the castle was a scroll bearing the honour "Talavera", and the badge was encircled by a laurel wreath earned by the 48th Foot in 1809 during the Peninsular War.^[2]

The collar badge (which was also used as the design for the regimental "crest"), was based on that of the Northamptonshire and Rutland Militia. This featured the cross of St George within a crowned circle. Around the circle was a laurel wreath, on the base of which was a horseshoe, representing Rutland.^[3]

The regimental buttons of other ranks bore the castle and key surmounted by a crown, while those worn on officers' mess dress displayed a scroll inscribed "Talvera" below a crown.^[4]

The facing colours of the 48th and 58th Foot were buff and black respectively, and although white facings were imposed in 1881 by the Childers reforms, the old colours were still used in the regiment. The regimental stable belt consisted of equal stripes of black, buff and sky blue. In 1927 the regiment's facings were changed to buff.^[5] The scarlet and blue officers' mess dress worn in the 1930s included collar and cuffs in the buff of the 48th and waistcoats in the black of the 58th.^[6] A black lanyard was worn on the battle-dress blouse introduced in 1937, and this was later adopted by the 2nd Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment.^[7]

References

1. ^ Museum of Northamptonshire Regiment (Northamptonshire Community Portal)
2. ^ Arthur Kipling and Hugh King, Headdress Badges of the British Army, 2 volumes, London, 1978
3. ^ Colin Churchill, History of the British Army Infantry Collar Badge, Uckfield, 2002
4. ^ Howard Ripley, Buttons of the British Army 1855 - 1970, Hampstead, 1971
5. ^ The Bulletin of the Military Historical Society, Special Issue No.1, London, 1968
6. ^ page 101 Dress Regulations for the Army 1934
7. ^ Symbols and Badges (Royal Anglian Regiment Museum)

External links

• The Northamptonshire Regiment in 1914-1918 (1914-1918.net)
• The Northamptonshire Regiment (48th/58th Foot) (The Royal Anglian Regiment Museum)