12th Regiment of Foot
Chronology
- 1685 raised as Duke of Norfolk's Regiment of Foot
- 1751 became 12th Regiment of Foot
- 1752 became the 12th (the East Suffolk) Regiment of Foot
- 1758 2nd Battalion redesignated as 65th (2nd Yorkshire, North Riding) Regiment of Foot
- 1959 amalgamated with the 1st Battalion The Royal Norfolk Regiment and became 1st Battalion, 1st East Anglian Regiment (Royal Norfolk and Suffolk)
- 1964 amalgamated with the three other remaining regiments of the East Anglian Brigade and became 1st Battalion (Royal Norfolk and Suffolk) East Anglian Brigade
Campaigns
4th Mysore War
The 12th Regiment of Foot first embarked for the East Indies in June 1796 on board the East Indiamen "Rockingham", "Lord Hawkesbury", "Airlie Castle" and "Melville Castle". They were convoyed by the frigate "Fox". Lists of the officers and men of the regiment that boarded these ships have been transcribed from the ships' logs held at the British Library and put online on the fibis search website. Wives that accompanied the men are also listed.
The regiment arrived in Madras in January 1797 and remained in India until 1810. During its time in India the regiment saw action in the 4th Mysore War taking part in the Battle of Seringapatam 1799 on the 4th May 1799.
Afghan War
The regiment embarked again for India from Ireland in July 1864 aboard the "Alnwick Castle", "Trafalgar", Calcutta" and "Alquis". The First Battalion saw action in the 2nd Afghan War 1878-80.
From 1864 to 1907 the Suffolk Regiment always had at least one battalion serving in India. In St Mary's Church, Bury St Edmunds, there is a brass plaque commemorating the 266 officers and men of the Second Battalion who died in India from 1864 to 1878.
World War II
The Suffolk Regiment were also in India during World War II.
Suffolk Regiment Archive
The Suffolk Regiment Archives are held at the Suffolk Record Office in Bury St Edmunds.
An index of individuals listed in the "Suffolk Regimental Gazette" held at the Bury St Edmunds branch of Suffolk Record Office is also being put online on the FIBIS search site.
External Links
12th Regiment of Foot Wikipedia
1st East Anglian Regiment Wikipedia
Royal Anglian Regiment Wikipedia