55th Regiment of Foot

The Border Regiment

Chronology

• 1755 raised in Stirling by George Perry as the 57th Regiment of Foot
• 1757 re-ranked as the 55th Regiment of Foot
• 1782 became the 55th (Westmorland) Regiment of Foot
• 1881 amalgamated with the 34th (Cumberland) Regiment of Foot to become the 2nd Battalion The Border Regiment
• 1959 amalgamated with The King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) to become 2nd Battalion, King's Own Royal Border Regiment as part of the King's Division
• 2006 merged with the other regiments of North West England to become 3rd Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's Lancashire and Border)

Service in British India

• 1830 India
• 1834 Coorg Campaign
• 1840 1st China War
• 1863 India
• 1864 Bhutan
• 1864 Madras
• 1865 Lucknow
• 1869 Dum Dum
• 1869 Dewanghiri
• 1869 Chakratta
• 1873 Cherat
• 1874 Roorkee
• 1875 Delhi
• 1890 Multan
• 1897 Quetta
• 1899 Bareilly
• 1902 Burma
• 1929 Rawalpindi
• 1931 Landi Kotal
• 1934 Ferozepore
• 1938 Calcutta
• 1941 Poona
• 1942 Ceylon
• 1943 India/Burma

The Ogilby Trust website Book Search has details of the book 55th Regiment in India; or, a record of events during six years' service in India; 1863 to 1869 by Sergeant Major T H Vickers, published Chakrata: 55th Regimental Printing Press, 1871 second edition. 254 pages and 16 pages. "An excellent example of its type, this history was produced entirely by other ranks ('Printers: Privates J Hanrahan and B Flaherty; Book-Binder, Sergeant G Bremner') and published on a moveable press. The text has a full roll of the men who left for India in 1863, lists of casualties including women and children, notes on marches and a good 30 page account of the Bhootan campaign. The 16 pages added to the second edition reprint a prize essay on the dress of British infantry".

It is not known where this book may be located, perhaps it may be in the collection of the regimental museum, see below, or at the National Army Museum. It is not in the British Library catalogue

Transfers from other regiments in India

Some men transferred from the 48th Regiment of Foot in 1834, when it returned to England.

External Links

Wikipedia

• 55th Regiment of Foot
• The Border Regiment
• King's Own Royal Border Regiment

Other

• 55th (the Westmoreland) Regiment of Foot including deployments Regiments.org, an archived website.
• The Border Regiment including deployments: 1st Battalion, 2nd Battalion Regiments.org, an archived website.
• 55th Regiment of Foot www.britishempire.co.uk
• Cumbria's Military Museum: The Museum of the Border and King's Own Royal Border Regiments It houses the collections of Cumbria’s County Infantry Regiment – the 34th Cumberland and 55th Westmorland Regiments 1702-1881, which became The Border Regiment 1881-1959.
• Black Soldiers in Northamptonshire Regiments of the British Army wellingboroughrec.org.uk. William Damerun, a Eurasian enlisted at age 7 and served in the 74th Foot 24/09/1800-27/09/1805 (under age), the 94th Foot, period not noted, but under age, the 69th Foot 25/09/1807-19/07/1824, the 48th Foot 20/07/1824-31/07/1834, and the 55th Foot, 01/07/1834-30/11/1837 when he was discharged on medical grounds. He was a musician by trade. His brother James joined the 69th Foot 01/08/1808 as a drummer, aged 7 or 8, served in the same regiments and was discharged from the 55th Foot on medical grounds 30/11/1842

Historical Books on-line

• A historical account of the services of the 34th & 55th regiments, the linked line battalions in the 2nd or Cumberland & Westmorland subdistrict brigade, from the periods of their formation until the present time by George Noakes 1875. Archive.org. Note content is only given for first three and a bit chapters and the history of the two regiments is intertwined. The Regiment arrived in India in 1830 in Madras page 73, went to China in 1841 page 78, and left for Calcutta in 1863,page 143
• Madras Quarterly Medical Journal Extensive reports by the Regimental Surgeon on the 55th's unhealthy stationing at Secunderabad in 1836/37 (Google Books)
• Diary of 2/4th Battalion the Border Regiment, 1914-19 in India and Afghanistan. This Battalion was formed during the First World War and was part of the Territorial Force. Archive.org
  • Includes a list of those who died