88th Regiment of Foot (Connaught Rangers)

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=88th Regiment of Foot (The Connaught Rangers)


caption=
dates=1793-1881
country=United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
branch=Army
type=Line Infantry
role= now defunct
size= 2 Regular Battalions at disbandment
current_commander=
garrison=
ceremonial_chief=
ceremonial_chief_label= Colonel of the Regiment
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname= "The Devils Own"
abbreviation=
motto= "Quis Separabit" (Who will divide us) (Latin)
colours=
identification_symbol_2=
identification_symbol_2_label=
identification_symbol=
identification_symbol_label=
march=
mascot=
battles= India; The Peninsular Wars; The Crimea; Indian Mutiny,
notable_commanders=
anniversaries=The 88th Regiment of Foot (Connaught Rangers) ("the Devil's Own") was an Irish Regiment of the British Army, one of eight Irish regiments raised and garrisoned in Ireland. As part of the Cardwell-Childers reforms of the British Armed Forces, the regiment amalgamated with the 94th Foot, to form the Connaught Rangers on 1 July, 1881. It saw extensive service in the Peninsular War, Crimean War and Indian Mutiny.

History

The regiment was raised on 25 September, 1793 from the men of Connacht by John Thomas de Burgh, 13th Earl of Clanricard.

The 88th Foot served in the Peninsular War (1808-1814), and in the Crimean War (1854-1856), where their service was recognised by the presentation to the City of Galway of a pair of guns "in memoriam", which until recently remained on prominent display on the city's main square, Eyre Square, and now are displayed outside City Hall.

After the Crimean War, the 88th returned to Britain. In response to the Indian Rebellion, the 88th were soon deployed to India.

The regiment, with a strength of 990 at this time, plus the depot of about 100, embarked during July 1857 in four detachments. It arrived in Calcutta in November. By 25 November 1857, 6 companies had reached the front, 4 at Cawnpore and 2 near Futtipore. By the end of 1858 the total loss of the 88th in the field during the operations, according to the returns of each engagement, amounted to one officer and 16 other ranks killed, and 6 officers and 138 other ranks wounded.

The Connaught Rangers served in India until 1870.

On 16 November 1870 they boarded the troopship HMS “Jumna” in Bombay, and the passage home began on the following morning (November 17). The Connaught Rangers had been 13 years in India. Nine officers, and 407 noncommissioned officers and men, died in India during this period.

The 88th were later based in Bengal, British India, and in 1881 were merged with the 94th Foot to become The Connaught Rangers.