Theatres of War, Army Regiments, Naval Detachments, RAF

Description: They were formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 44th (East Essex) Regiment of Foot and 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 Pompadours or The Two Fours.

Military actions:

• 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

Personnel:

1st Battalion.

1917

• Bernard James Matthams. Private. Died 14 April 1917. Theatre: France & Flanders.

Websites:

• A history of the 44th Foot, 44th & 56th Regiments, Essex, East Anglian Brigade and Royal Anglian regiments.

Reading materials:

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