3 YORKS History
The Duke of Wellington's Regiment were the last British regiment to carry four Colours on parade -the second pair were originally presented to the 76th Regiment of Foot in 1808. 'The Dukes' were the only regiment to be named after a 'commoner' - Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington.
THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON'S REGIMENT (WEST RIDING)
(33RD AND 76TH FOOT)
The Regiment was formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the Duke of Wellington's Regiment (33rd Foot) and the 76th Regiment of Foot. Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, served in and later commanded the Regiment.
During the First World War the Regiment raised twenty-four battalions, fourteen of which were engaged on active service on the Western Front, in Italy and at Gallipoli. The Regiment lost over 8,000 men, Five members of the Regiment were awarded the Victoria Cross and the Regiment was awarded sixty-three Battle Honours.
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In 1919, the 1st Battalion took part in the third Afghan War, returning home for service in Ireland in 1921. In 1922 it went to Germany for service with the Army of Occupation until It was posted to Malta in 1935, eventually returning to the UK in 1937. The 2nd Battalion was posted to Ireland in 1919 before it deployed to Egypt in 1922, Singapore in 1926 and India in 1928. In 1921 the Regiment's title was altered to the Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding). In the Second World War battalions of the Regiment took part in the campaigns of Dunkirk, North West Europe, North Africa, Italy and Burma.
The 1st Battalion was posted to Korea with the United Nations Forces in 1952, where it took part in the Battles for the Hook and was awarded two Battle Honours. Service since then has seen the Regiment in Hong Kong, Kenya, Germany, Gibraltar, Cyprus, Belize, Northern Ireland, the Falkland Islands, Bosnia, during which time Corporal Wayne Mills became the fist recipient of the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross, and Kosovo. More recently, it has served in Iraq for which the Regiment received a Theatre Honour. In 2005 the Regiment was awarded a Fahnenbande by the German Bundeswehr and in November 2005 the French town of Erquinghem Lys presented the Regiment with the keys to the Town, it is the first British Regiment to have been award the Freedom of any French Town.
Read more about
Waterloo Day, the Regimental Anniversary of the 3rd Battalion.
THE 33RD (THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON'S) REGIMENT OF FOOT
The 33rd Regiment was raised in 1702 by the Earl of Huntingdon and won its first Battle Honour in 1743 at Dettingen. It soon established a reputation for excellence and in 1774 it became known as 'The Pattern Regiment' having established the highest level of quality and professionalism that other regiments should attempt to achieve. It served with distinction in America (1776-1783) and India (1799).
Arthur Wellesley, later the 1st Duke of Wellington, joined the 33rd in 1793 and subsequently commanded it in the Netherlands and India. He was Colonel of the Regiment from 1806 to 1813. The Regiment served under his command at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Due to his particularly close personal connection with the Regiment, the title of 'The Duke of Wellington's Regiment' was awarded to it, by command of Queen Victoria, on the 18th June, 1853, the first anniversary of the battle following his death.
The Regiment served in the Crimea (1854-1856), Abyssinia (1867-1869) during which time Drummer Magner and Pte Bergin were awarded the Victoria Cross for service during the storming of the fortress of Magdala. Later service includes Rhodesia and South Africa (1900-1902), during which time Sgt James Firth was awarded a Victoria Cross.
The Regiment was formally linked to the West Riding of Yorkshire in 1782, in recognition of its then, already long established practice of recruiting its soldiers from that part of the country. The practice of recruiting parties carrying Havercakes on a sword led to the Regiment gaining the nickname of the Havercake Lads.
THE 76TH REGIMENT OF FOOT
The 76th Regiment was raised in 1787 for service in India, partly financed by the Honourable East India Company, The Regiment arrived there in 1788 and from 1790-1792 took part in the campaigns in Southern India which were to lead to the granting of the Battle Honour 'Mysore'.
The Regiment then moved north and in 1803 was in Cawnpore when war broke out against the Mahratta Chiefs in Hindoostan. The army was commanded by General Lord Lake and the only British infantry battalion in his force was the 76th, who fought in a series of outstanding victories, notably at Ally Guhr, Delhi, Leswaree and Deig. The members of the regiment became so battle scarred that they became known as the 'Immortals'. One of the Mahratta chiefs is quoted as saying of Lake's army: "They came here in the morning, looked over the wall, walked over it, killed all the garrison and retired for breakfast".
In the years between Waterloo and 1881 the 76th only fired shots 'in anger' during rioting in Wick, Scotland in 1847.