44th (East Essex) Regiment of Foot
Below is some genealogy information on the 44th (East Essex) Regiment of Foot of the British army that may help searches for military ancestors.
Theatres of War, Army Regiments, Naval Detachments, RAF
Description: They were formed in 1741 as James Long's Regiment of Foot. They saw action in the Jacobite rebellion. They were ranked as the 55th Regiment of Foot. In 1748 they were renamed the 44th Regiment of Foot. They saw action in the American War of Independence. In 1782 they were renamed as the 44th (East Essex) Regiment of Foot. They saw action in the Napoleonic war, fighting in the Peninsular Wars, Quatre-Bras and at Waterloo. They saw action in the Crimean war, fighting at Alma, Inkerman and Sevastapol. In 1881 they formed the Essex Regiment by amalgamating with the 56th (West Essex) Regiment of Foot. They saw action during the Boer Wars, fighting at Kimberley and Paardenburg. During the First World War they fought across the Western front at battles such as Mons, Le Cateau, Marne, Aisne, Messines, the 1st battle of Ypres, the 2nd battle of Ypres, , Aubers Bridge, Loos, the Somme (1916), the Hindenburg Line, Arras, Cambrai, the 1st battle of the Somme (1918), Lys, the advance in Flanders, the 2nd battle of Arras (1917), Selle, Valenciennes and Passchendaele. Over 900 men were lost at the Somme alone. In 1958 they merged with the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment, forming the East Anglian Regiment (16th/44th Foot). In 1964 the East Anglian Brigade formed the Royal Anglian Regiment. Their nickname is The Two Fours.
Military actions:
- Napoleonic war: Peninsular Wars
- Napoleonic war: Quatre-Bras
- Napoleonic war: Waterloo
- Crimean war: Alma
- Crimean war: Inkerman
- Crimean war: Sevastapol
- Boer war: Paardenburg
- WWI: Mons
- WWI: Le Cateau
- WWI: Marne
- WWI: Aisne
- WWI: Messines
- WWI: 1st battle of Ypres
- WWI: 2nd battle of Ypres
- WWI: Aubers Bridge
- WWI: Loos
- WWI: Somme (1916)
- WWI: Hindenburg Line
- WWI: Arras
- WWI: Cambrai
- WWI: 1st battle of the Somme (1918)
- WWI: Lys
- WWI: Advance in Flanders
- WWI: 2nd battle of Arras (1917)
- WWI: Selle
- WWI: Valenciennes
- WWI: 3rd battle of Ypres
Websites:
- Wikipedia: 44th (East Essex) Regiment of Foot
- A history of the 44th Foot, 44th & 56th Regiments, Essex, East Anglian Brigade and Royal Anglian regiments.
Reading materials:
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