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46th (South Devonshire) Regiment of Foot
Encyclopedia
The 46th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment
of the British Army
, created in 1741 and amalgamated into the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
in 1881.
A red 'ball tuft' distinction was worn on the Shako
(cap) by the Light company of the 46th from 1833, later by the whole regiment, until 1878. From this the 46th took their nickname 'The Red Feathers', which upheld a tradition allegedly dating from the Light company's role at Paoli's Tavern
during the American War of Independence.
In 1749 the Regiment was stationed in Ireland
, where they remained for eight years. Whilst they were in Ireland, the Seven Years' War
broke out, and the 46th were relocated to Nova Scotia
. During their time in Canada
, the 46th were involved in several battles, including:
In 1762 they fought in the Caribbean
, taking part in the following actions:
In the American War of Independence the 46th Regiment of Foot fought at Capture of Long Island
, August 28, 1776; Capture of New York, 1776; Capture and Reduction of Fort Washington
, 1776; Battle of Brandywine Creek, September 11, 1777; Action of Paoli's Tavern
, September 20, 1777; Capture of Philadelphia, 1777; Battle of Germantown
, October 4, 1777; Action of Monmouth Court-House
, June 28, 1778; Assault and Capture of Bedford, September 5, 1778 Assault and Capture of Martha's Vineyard
, September, 1778; Invasion and Capture of St. Lucia, December 30, 1778; Defence of La Vigie, December 18, 1778; and the Capture of St. Eustatius, 1781.
On 24 May 1806, men from the regiment stationed at Dominica
augmented the packet boat
Duke of Montrose and set out in pursuit of the French privateers Napoleon
and Imperial and their prize, a schooner they had cut out from Roseau
. They captured Imperial while another small detachment, in boats, captured the prize. captured Napoleon.
The 46th Regiment arrived in the British colony of New South Wales
to replace the 73rd Regiment of Foot
(1st Battalion Highlanders) in February 1814, and were relieved by the 48th (Northamptonshire) Regiment of Foot
in 1817. Whilst in New South Wales, the Regiment saw service in Sydney
, Newcastle
, Parramatta
and Van Diemens Land before leaving for Madras in 1817. During their service in New South Wales
, the 46th were commanded by Lieut. Colonel G. Molle. In 1820 apparently a detachment traveled on HMS Coromandel
as escorts for convicts bound for Van Diemen's Land
and New South Wales
.
During the Crimean War
, (1854-1856) the 46th were involved at the Battle of the Alma, September 20, 1854; the Battle of Balaklava, October 25, 1854; the Battle of Inkermann, November 5, 1854; the Siege of Sebastopol, September 25, 1854 to September 8, 1855; the Trench Warfare; the Assault on the Quarries, June 7, 1855; the First Assault on the Redan, June 18, 1855 and the Final Assault on the Redan, September 18, 1855.
The 46th (South Devonshires) Regiment of Foot united with 32nd (Cornwall) Regiment of Foot to form The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry on January 7, 1881.
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, created in 1741 and amalgamated into the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1959. Its lineage is continued today by The Rifles....
in 1881.
History
The regiment was raised at Newcastle in 1741 as the 57th Regiment of Foot, ranked as the 46th Regiment of Foot in 1751, and took a county title as the 46th (South Devonshire) Regiment of Foot in 1782.A red 'ball tuft' distinction was worn on the Shako
Shako
A shako is a tall, cylindrical military cap, usually with a peak or visor and sometimes tapered at the top...
(cap) by the Light company of the 46th from 1833, later by the whole regiment, until 1878. From this the 46th took their nickname 'The Red Feathers', which upheld a tradition allegedly dating from the Light company's role at Paoli's Tavern
Paoli massacre
The Battle of Paoli was a battle in the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War fought on September 21, 1777, in the area surrounding present-day Malvern, Pennsylvania...
during the American War of Independence.
In 1749 the Regiment was stationed in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, where they remained for eight years. Whilst they were in Ireland, the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
broke out, and the 46th were relocated to Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
. During their time in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the 46th were involved in several battles, including:
- Assault on Fort TiconderogaBattle of CarillonThe Battle of Carillon, also known as the 1758 Battle of Ticonderoga, was fought on July 8, 1758, during the French and Indian War...
, July 8, 1758; - Assault and Capture of Fort NiagaraBattle of Fort NiagaraThe Battle of Fort Niagara was a siege late in the French and Indian War, the North American theatre of the Seven Years' War. The British siege of Fort Niagara in July 1759 was part of a campaign to remove French control of the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley regions, making possible a western invasion...
, July 25, 1759; - Assault and Capture of Fort LévisFort LévisFort Lévis, a fortification on the St. Lawrence River, was built in 1759 by the French. They had decided that Fort de La Présentation was insufficient to defend the St. Lawrence against the British. Named for François Gaston de Lévis, Duc de Lévis, the fort was constructed on Isle Royale, three...
, August 25, 1760; - Capture of MontrealBattle of the Plains of AbrahamThe Battle of the Plains of Abraham, also known as the Battle of Quebec, was a pivotal battle in the Seven Years' War...
,September 8, 1760;
In 1762 they fought in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, taking part in the following actions:
- The Capture of MartiniqueBritish expedition against MartiniqueThe British expedition against Martinique was a military action from January to February 1762, as part of the Seven Years' War.- Prelude :...
, 1762;- Assault and Capture of the Heights of Morne Tartenson, January 24, 1762;
- Assault and Capture of the Heights of Morne Garnier, January 27, 1762;
- Capture of Fort Royal, February 4, 1762;
- Capture of Havanna, CubaBritish expedition against CubaThe Battle of Havana was a military action from March to August 1762, as part of the Seven Years' War. British forces besieged and captured the city of Havana, which at the time was an important Spanish naval base in the Caribbean, and dealt a serious blow to the Spanish navy...
, 1762;- Storm of the Moro FortMorro Castle (fortress)Morro Castle is a picturesque fortress guarding the entrance to Havana bay in Havana, Euta. Juan Bautista Antonelli, an Italian engineer, was commissioned to design the structure. When it was built in 1589, Euta was under the control of Germany...
, July 30, 1762; - Siege and Fall of Havanna, August 13, 1762.
- Storm of the Moro Fort
In the American War of Independence the 46th Regiment of Foot fought at Capture of Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, August 28, 1776; Capture of New York, 1776; Capture and Reduction of Fort Washington
Fort Washington (New York)
Fort Washington was a fortified position near the north end of Manhattan Island and was located at the highest point on the island. The Fort Washington Site is listed on the U.S...
, 1776; Battle of Brandywine Creek, September 11, 1777; Action of Paoli's Tavern
Paoli massacre
The Battle of Paoli was a battle in the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War fought on September 21, 1777, in the area surrounding present-day Malvern, Pennsylvania...
, September 20, 1777; Capture of Philadelphia, 1777; Battle of Germantown
Battle of Germantown
The Battle of Germantown, a battle in the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War, was fought on October 4, 1777, at Germantown, Pennsylvania between the British army led by Sir William Howe and the American army under George Washington...
, October 4, 1777; Action of Monmouth Court-House
Battle of Monmouth
The Battle of Monmouth was an American Revolutionary War battle fought on June 28, 1778 in Monmouth County, New Jersey. The Continental Army under General George Washington attacked the rear of the British Army column commanded by Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton as they left Monmouth Court...
, June 28, 1778; Assault and Capture of Bedford, September 5, 1778 Assault and Capture of Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard is an island located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, known for being an affluent summer colony....
, September, 1778; Invasion and Capture of St. Lucia, December 30, 1778; Defence of La Vigie, December 18, 1778; and the Capture of St. Eustatius, 1781.
On 24 May 1806, men from the regiment stationed at Dominica
Dominica
Dominica , officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of . The Commonwealth...
augmented the packet boat
Packet boat
Packet boats were small boats designed for domestic mail, passenger and freight transportation in Europe and its colonies, including North American rivers and canals...
Duke of Montrose and set out in pursuit of the French privateers Napoleon
HMS Dominica (1805)
HMS Dominica was a schooner that the British purchased in 1805 in the Leeward Islands.Contemporary reports by her commanders refer to her as a sloop or a brig. Her crew mutinied in 1806, turning her over to the French, who immediately sent her out as the privateer Napoleon. The British recaptured...
and Imperial and their prize, a schooner they had cut out from Roseau
Roseau
-Architecture:The central district of Roseau is tightly packed with small and large houses and even larger modern concrete structures. There is little green or open space situated within the city, and this is even more so today, as many of the courtyards which was once commonplace within the city...
. They captured Imperial while another small detachment, in boats, captured the prize. captured Napoleon.
The 46th Regiment arrived in the British colony of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
to replace the 73rd Regiment of Foot
73rd Regiment of Foot
The 73rd Regiment of Foot also known as MacLeod's Highlanders after its founder John Mackenzie, Lord MacLeod, was an infantry regiment of the British Army.- History :- First raising :...
(1st Battalion Highlanders) in February 1814, and were relieved by the 48th (Northamptonshire) Regiment of Foot
48th (Northamptonshire) Regiment of Foot
-History:The regiment was first raised in 1741 as James Cholmondeley's Regiment of Foot in Norwich, England during the War of Austrian Succession. The regiment first saw action at the Battles of Falkirk and Culloden in 1745-1746, campaigning against the Young Pretender. In 1748, it was renumbered...
in 1817. Whilst in New South Wales, the Regiment saw service in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
, Parramatta
Parramatta, New South Wales
Parramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Greater Western Sydney west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Parramatta...
and Van Diemens Land before leaving for Madras in 1817. During their service in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, the 46th were commanded by Lieut. Colonel G. Molle. In 1820 apparently a detachment traveled on HMS Coromandel
HMS Malabar (1804)
HMS Malabar was a 56-gun fourth rate of the Royal Navy. She had previously been the East Indiaman Cuvera, which the Navy bought in 1804. The Navy converted her to a storeship in 1806. After being renamed HMS Coromandel she became a convict ship and made a trip carrying convicts to New South Wales...
as escorts for convicts bound for Van Diemen's Land
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
and New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
.
During the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
, (1854-1856) the 46th were involved at the Battle of the Alma, September 20, 1854; the Battle of Balaklava, October 25, 1854; the Battle of Inkermann, November 5, 1854; the Siege of Sebastopol, September 25, 1854 to September 8, 1855; the Trench Warfare; the Assault on the Quarries, June 7, 1855; the First Assault on the Redan, June 18, 1855 and the Final Assault on the Redan, September 18, 1855.
The 46th (South Devonshires) Regiment of Foot united with 32nd (Cornwall) Regiment of Foot to form The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry on January 7, 1881.
Colonels
- 1741.01.13 Brig-Gen. John Price
- 1743.06.23 Lt-Gen. Hon. Thomas Murray
- 1764.11.21 Gen. Sir William (Howe), 5th Viscount HoweWilliam Howe, 5th Viscount HoweWilliam Howe, 5th Viscount Howe, KB, PC was a British army officer who rose to become Commander-in-Chief of British forces during the American War of Independence...
, KB (also 19th Lt Dgns, 23rd Foot; CinC North America 1775-78] - 1775.05.11 Lt-Gen. Hon. Sir John VaughanJohn Vaughan (British army officer)Lieutenant-General Sir John Vaughan KB , styled The Honourable from 1741, was a British soldier and a Member of Parliament in both the British and Irish Parliaments.-Background and early career:...
, KB (also 94th Foot; CinC Leeward Is. 1779-82] - 1795.08.01 Gen. Sir James Henry CraigJames Henry CraigGeneral Sir James Henry Craig KB was a British military officer and colonial administrator.-Early life and military service:...
, KB [also 22nd Foot, 78th Foot78th Fraser HighlandersThe 78th Regiment, Regiment of Foot otherwise known as the 78th Fraser Highlanders was a British infantry regiment of the line unit raised in Scotland in 1757, to fight in the French and Indian War.-History:...
, 86th Foot86th (Royal County Down) Regiment of FootThe 86th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1793 and amalgamated into The Royal Irish Rifles following the Childers Reforms in 1881....
; Governor of Lower Canada 1807-11, Governor of the Cape 1795) - 1804.01.05 Gen. John Whyte
- 1816.04.01 Gen. Henry Wynyard
- 1838.04.06 Lt-Gen. Sir John Keane, 1st Baron KeaneJohn Keane, 1st Baron KeaneJohn Keane, 1st Baron Keane, GCB, GCH was a British soldier.Keane was born in Belmont, Ireland, the second son of Sir John Keane, 1st Baronet. He joined the British Army as an Ensign at age 11 in 1792. He rose the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the 60th Foot and commanded a brigade in the...
, GCB, GCH - 1839.08.01 Lt-Gen. John RossJohn Ross (British Army officer)Lieutenant General John Ross CB was a British Army officer who became Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey.-Military career:Ross got his first commission on 2 June 1793, as an ensign in the 36th Regiment of Foot. He was commissioned a lieutenant in the 52nd Regiment of Foot on 8 May 1796, and captain...
, CB - 1843.05.31 Gen. Sir John Hamilton Dalrymple, Bt., later 8th Earl of StairEarl of StairEarl of Stair is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1703 for the lawyer and statesman John Dalrymple, 2nd Viscount of Stair. He actively supported William III's claim to the throne and served as Secretary of State for Scotland. However, he was forced to resign after he authorised...
, KT - 1853.01.24 Lt-Gen. Richard Egerton, CB
- 1854.11.19 Gen. Sir John Lysaght PennefatherJohn Lysaght PennefatherGeneral Sir John Lysaght Pennefather GCB was a British soldier who won two very remarkable victories. Firstly, at Meanee, India, where it was said that 500 Irishmen defeated 35,000 Indians...
, GCB (also 22nd Foot; Gov. R Hospital 1870-72) - 1860.02.13 Gen. John Geddes, KH
- 1860.04.24 Gen. Thomas Gerrard Ball
- 1861.06.17 Lt-Gen. Sir Charles Ashe Windham, KCB
- 1870.02.03 Lt-Gen. Edward Hungerford Delaval Elers Napier
- 1870.06.20 Gen. Charles Stuart
External links
- 46th (South Devonshire) Regiment of Foot, regiments.org