26th (The Cameronians) Regiment of Foot
Below is some genealogy information on the 26th (The Cameronians) Regiment of Foot of the British army that may help searches for military ancestors.
Theatres of War, Army Regiments, Naval Detachments, RAF
Description: Formed in 1688 as the Cameronian Guard, they joined the British army the following year. They helped King William III defeat the Jacobite uprising. They moved under nominal Dutch control at the end of the 1600s to avoid being disbanded following complaints about the size of the standing army. They saw action in War of the Spanish Succession in 1701. They saw more action in Scotland fighting against the Jacobite rebellion. In 1751 they were renamed the 26th Regiment of Foot. From 1767 they spent time in the North American colonies before fighting in the American War of Independence from 1775-1779. In 1786 they were officially given the title 'Cameronian'. They returned to North America between 1787 and 1800. In 1801 they moved to Egypt to support the campaign against Napoleon. They saw further action fighting in the Peninsular Wars from 1809. Over the next 70 years they garrisoned in Ireland, India and China. In 1881 they amalgamated with the 90th Perthshire Regiment, forming the Scotch Rifles Cameronians, which was changed to the Cameronians (Scotch Rifles) almost immediately. They saw action in the Boer Wars at Colenso, Spionkop and Valkrantz and Pieters. During the First World War they fought across the Western, and Far Eastern fronts at battles such as Mons, Marne, Aisne, the Ludendorff Offensive, the 1st battle of Ypres, Neuve Chapelle, Aubers Bridge, Festubert, Loos, Mount Sorrel, the Somme (1916), the Hindenburg Line, Arras, Cambrai, Passchendale, the 1st battle of the Somme (1918), Lys, the 2nd battle of the Somme (1918), the advance in Flanders and Selle In 1966 the regiment was disbanded rather than become amalgamated. Their nickname is The Cameronians.
Military actions:
- Napoleonic war: Peninsular Wars
- Boer war: Colenso
- Boer war: Spionkop
- Boer war: Valkrantz and Pieters
- WWI: Mons
- WWI: Marne
- WWI: Aisne
- WWI: Ludendorff Offensive
- WWI: 1st battle of Ypres
- WWI: Neuve Chapelle
- WWI: Aubers Bridge
- WWI: Festubert
- WWI: Loos
- WWI: Mount Sorrel
- WWI: Somme (1916)
- WWI: Hindenburg Line
- WWI: Arras
- WWI: Cambrai
- WWI: 3rd battle of Ypres
- WWI: 1st battle of the Somme (1918)
- WWI: Lys
- WWI: 2nd battle of the Somme (1918)
- WWI: Advance in Flanders
- WWI: Selle
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