55th (Westmorland) Regiment of Foot

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=55th (Westmorland) Regiment of Foot


caption=Detail from 1786 Regimental colour of the 55th (Westmorland) Regiment.
dates=1755-1881
country=United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
allegiance=
branch=British Army
type=
role=Infantry
size=1-2 battalions
command_structure=
garrison=
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname="The Two Fives"
patron=
motto=
colours=
march=
mascot=
battles=
notable_commanders=George Augustus, Lord Howe
anniversaries=Originally raised 25 December, 1755. :"For other units with the same regimental number, see 55th Regiment of Foot (disambiguation)"

The 55th Regiment of Foot was a British Army infantry regiment which existed from 1755 to 1881. After 1782 it had a county designation added, becoming known as the 55th (Westmorland) Regiment of Foot. or simply the Westmorland Regiment. The 55th ceased to exist as a separate regiment when it was amalgamated into The Border Regiment in 1881 as part of widespread army reforms.

The regiment was raised in Stirling, Scotland in 1755. George Perry, Esqr. was appointed Colonel, his commission being dated 25 December, 1755. Originally ranked as the 57th Regiment of Foot, the regiment was re-ranked as the 55th in 1757 following the disbandment of the 50th and 51st Regiments.

ervice

French and Indian War service (1757-61)

The regiment saw active service overseas in North America and participated in the French and Indian War, arriving in North America in 1757. [http://www.ballindalloch-press.com/55th/Service2.html Record of Service ] ] The regiment arrived in Nova Scotia on the 8th day of July 1757, to take part in the abandoned attack on the Fortress Louisbourg. During the voyage Colonel Perry died, in September Lord George Augustus Viscount Howe was appointed Colonel of the regiment. In November the 55th arrived in Albany, New York. In 1758, the regiment participated in the defeat at the Battle of Ticonderoga, during the onset of the battle Lord Howe was killed. John Prideaux was now appointed commander of the regiment though he did not arrive in North America until the following spring. Upon his arrival, he was detached to command the forces bound for Fort Niagara, while the 55th again participated in the successful attacks on Ticonderoga and Crown Point. In an unfortunate accident Prideaux was killed by the blast of cohorn while walking through the entrenchments during the siege of Fort Niagara. The following year, 1760 Colonel Oughton took command of the regiment and the 55th travelled to Oswego and them up the St. Lawrence River to witness the fall of Montreal to the British. Following the conclusion of hostilities the 55th garrisoned several frontier outposts in New York including Crown Point, Fort Ontario, and Fort Brewerton.

Pontiac's Indian Uprising (1763-64)

Garrisoning posts on the New York frontier, volunteers of the 55th regiment went with James Dalyell to reinforce the British post at Detroit. Fort Detroit was under siege from the neighboring Native Americans led by Pontiac. When Dalyell's force arrived there, Dalyell led them to make a surprise attack the Native Americans. The force was ambushed en route, and the 55th suffered heavy casualties. This became know as the Battle of Bloody Run or Bloody Bridge. Other soldiers became part of an ad hoc light infantry unit known as "the Platoons" of which 55th Captain Valentine Gardiner commanded four of them. Their task was to act offensively against the hostile Native Americans, but they were largely ineffective. The next year 98 men of the grenadier and light infantry companies travelled again to Detroit under the command of Colonel John Bradstreet, while many others were drafted into the more established 17th Regiment. Anne Grant, whose father was an officer in the 55th Regiment, wrote; "they were going to become part of a regiment of no repute; whom they themselves had held in the utmost contempt when they formerly served together."

American Revolution (1776-78)

The 55th was sent to America for the second time to serve in the American Revolution. Notably, the regiment fought at the Battle of Brooklyn (1776), the Battle of Brandywine (1777). In 1778, the 55th was transferred to the West Indies. In 1782, County designations were given to many foot regiments and the 55th was designated the 55th, or Westmorland Regiment of Foot.

China (1840-1842)

The 55th served in the 1st Anglo-Chinese War (1840-42), and was awarded with the addition of a dragon badge superscribed "China" on its Regimental Colour. [http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/inf/055-757.htm#bh] ] A Chinese flag captured by the 55th can be seen in the Border Regiment Chapel in Kendal Parish Church, along with a pair of regimental colours used from 1786-1801.

Crimean War (1853-1855)

The 55th Foot saw active service in Turkey and Russia during the Crimean War. The regiment was awarded 3 battle honours to its Regimental Colour for service in the Crimea: The Alma, Inkerman, and Sevastopol.

Amalgamation as The Border Regiment (1881)

On 1 July 1881, as part of the Childers Reforms which removed the numbering of Regiments, the 55th (Westmorland) Regiment of Foot united with the 34th (Cumberland) Regiment of Foot to form The Border Regiment of which the former 55th formed the 2nd battalion.

Modern successor

Through the process of amalgamation and restructuring of the Army, the lineage of the 55th Foot now rests with the 3rd Battalion of the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's Lancashire and Border).The 18th century colours of the 55th are laid up at Kendal Parish Church.

References

External links

* [http://www.geocities.com/redcoat1779/ 55th Regiment of Foot, Company of Light Infantry (1759-1764)] Living History group re-enacting the light infantry company of the 55th Regiment during the French and Indian War and Pontiac's Rebellion.

* [http://www.ballindalloch-press.com/55th The 55th Regiment of Foot, Capt. James Taylor Trevor's Co'y] Living History and reenactment unit portraying the 55th in 1776.

* [http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/inf/055-757.htm 55th (the Westmorland) Regiment of Foot] at regiments.org (currently unavailable as of 16:35, 26 March 2008 (UTC))