The 65th (2nd Yorkshire, North Riding) Regiment of Foot was an

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

of the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

, raised in 1756 as the 2nd Battalion,

12th Regiment of Foot 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1 ...

. Under the

Childers Reforms The Childers Reforms of 1881 reorganised the infantry regiments of the British Army. The reforms were done by Secretary of State for War Hugh Childers during 1881, and were a continuation of the earlier Cardwell Reforms. The reorganisation was ...

it amalgamated with the

84th (York and Lancaster) Regiment of Foot The 84th (York and Lancaster) Regiment of Foot was a regiment in the British Army, raised in 1793. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 65th (2nd Yorkshire, North Riding) Regiment of Foot to form the York and Lancaster Regiment, with ...

to become the 1st Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment in 1881.Swinson, p. 165Wickes, pp. 94–95

History

Seven Years' War

The formation of the regiment was prompted by the expansion of the army as a result of the commencement of the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754� ...

. On 25 August 1756 it was ordered that a number of existing regiments should raise a second

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...

; among those chosen was the

. The 2nd Battalion of the 12th Regiment of Foot was formed on 10 December 1756 and renumbered as the 65th Regiment of Foot on 21 April 1758. It was sent to the fever ridden

West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...

to aid in the capturing of the French islands of

Guadeloupe Guadeloupe (; ; gcf, label=Antillean Creole, Gwadloup, ) is an archipelago and overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. It consists of six inhabited islands—Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Désirade, and the ...

in January 1759 and

Martinique Martinique ( , ; gcf, label=Martinican Creole, Matinik or ; Kalinago: or ) is an island and an overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France. An integral part of the French Republic, Martinique is located in th ...

in January 1762. It was also involved in the expedition to capture Havana, Cuba in June 1762. In 1764 the regiment returned to England, where it refilled its ranks.

American War of Independence

In 1768 the regiment was shipped to

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

as part of the garrison. The regiment's first action in the

American War of Independence The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

was at the

Battle of Bunker Hill The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought on June 17, 1775, during the Siege of Boston in the first stage of the American Revolutionary War. The battle is named after Bunker Hill in Charlestown, Massachusetts, which was peripherally involved in ...

in June 1775 where their

Grenadier A grenadier ( , ; derived from the word '' grenade'') was originally a specialist soldier who threw hand grenades in battle. The distinct combat function of the grenadier was established in the mid-17th century, when grenadiers were recruited fr ...

and

Light Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye. Visible light is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400–700 nanometres (nm), corresponding to frequencies of 750–420 tera ...

Companies were involved in the attack. In 1776 the remnants of the regiment were drafted into other regiments and the officers sent home to reform. In 1782 the regiment received a county title and became the 65th (The 2nd Yorkshire, North Riding) Regiment of Foot. In 1788 the Anglo-French War broke out and the regiment was sent to the fortress at

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

in 1782. After this regiment was sent to Canada in 1784 and to

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

in 1791. In 1793 the regiment was shipped back to the West Indies and took part in the attack on

Santo Domingo , total_type = Total , population_density_km2 = auto , timezone = AST (UTC −4) , area_code_type = Area codes , area_code = 809, 829, 849 , postal_code_type = Postal codes , postal_code = 10100–10699 (Distrito Nacional) , websi ...

in September 1794 and an attack on Martinique in February 1794 and an attack on

Saint Lucia Saint Lucia ( acf, Sent Lisi, french: Sainte-Lucie) is an island country of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean. The island was previously called Iouanalao and later Hewanorra, names given by the native Arawaks and Caribs, two Amerindian ...

in April 1794.

Napoleonic Wars

The regiment was shipped to South Africa in 1800 and then on to

Ceylon Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

where it was involved in the Kandian War in 1802. It transferred to India in May 1803 and took part in the Second Anglo-Maratha War later that year. The regiment was dispatched to the island of

Mauritius Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label=Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It incl ...

in December 1810 where it took part in the capture of the island. In 1811 it returned to India: it was briefly involved in the campaign against the

Oman Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of t ...

Coast

Pirates Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...

in the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Persis, Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a Mediterranean sea (oceanography), me ...

in 1819 as well as numerous uprisings and small wars in India. The regiment returned to England in August 1822.

The Victorian era

In 1829, the regiment returned to the West Indies. Subsequently it carried on to

Guiana The Guianas, sometimes called by the Spanish loan-word ''Guayanas'' (''Las Guayanas''), is a region in north-eastern South America which includes the following three territories: * French Guiana, an overseas department and region of France * ...

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

. It then went back to Canada to help suppress the rebellions of 1837 and 1838 before returning home in 1841. Most of the regiment embarked from

Woolwich Woolwich () is a district in southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. The district's location on the River Thames led to its status as an important naval, military and industrial area; a role that was maintained throu ...

on the vessel "Java" for

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

on 18 May 1846. The regiment saw action in the

First Taranaki War The First Taranaki War (also known as the North Taranaki War) was an armed conflict over land ownership and sovereignty that took place between Māori people, Māori and the New Zealand government in the Taranaki district of New Zealand's North ...

of 1860 to 1861 and in the Waikato campaign of 1863 to 1864, during which Colour-sergeant Edward McKenna and Lance Corporal John Ryan won their

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

es at

Camerontown Camerontown or Cameron Town was a British Army supply depot used during the Invasion of the Waikato during the New Zealand Wars in 1863, and later a small settlement. Location The depot was on the north bank of the lower Waikato River, west of Tu ...

. The regiment returned home in October 1865 having become known as the "Royal Tigers" at home and as the "Hickety Pips" to the

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

due to their pronunciation of the number 65. The regiment returned to England in 1866 and then went to Ireland in 1867 to help suppress the

Fenian The word ''Fenian'' () served as an umbrella term for the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) and their affiliate in the United States, the Fenian Brotherhood, secret political organisations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries dedicated ...

s. It then embarked at Queenstown on the vessel "Serapis" for India on 11 January 1871. The regiment was initially based in

Agra Agra (, ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about south-east of the national capital New Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra is ...

. Concerns were raised in House of Commons because of the 919 troops from the regiment serving in India, 579 were under the age of 20: the

Secretary of State for War The Secretary of State for War, commonly called War Secretary, was a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, which existed from 1794 to 1801 and from 1854 to 1964. The Secretary of State for War headed the War Office and ...

agreed to rectify the issue. The regiment moved to

Lucknow Lucknow (, ) is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is also the second largest urban agglomeration in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and division ...

in January 1874, to Danapore in November 1877 and to

Morar Morar (; gd, Mòrar) is a small village on the west coast of Scotland, south of Mallaig. The name Morar is also applied to the northern part of the peninsula containing the village, though North Morar is more usual (the region to the south wes ...

in October 1880. As part of the

Cardwell Reforms The Cardwell Reforms were a series of reforms of the British Army undertaken by Secretary of State for War Edward Cardwell between 1868 and 1874 with the support of Liberal prime minister William Ewart Gladstone. Gladstone paid little attention ...

of the 1870s, where single-battalion regiments were linked together to share a single depot and recruiting district in the United Kingdom, the 65th was linked with the

, and assigned to district no. 7 at Pontefract Barracks in

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...

. On 1 July 1881 the

came into effect and the regiment amalgamated with the 84th (York and Lancaster) Regiment of Foot to form the York and Lancaster Regiment. The 65th Foot became the 1st Battalion while the 84th Foot became the 2nd Battalion.

Battle honours and distinctions

The regiment was awarded the following

battle honours A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible. In European military t ...

for display on the regimental colours: *The Royal Tiger badge superscribed "India"In consideration of the distinguished conduct of the 65th Regiment during the period of its service in India and Arabia, His Majesty has been pleased to approve of that Regiment hearing on its colours and appointments the figure of the royal tiger, with the word "India" superscribed, and also the word " Arabia" beneath the figure and the number of the Regiment, to commemorate the services of the Corps in those countries. *Arabia (unique to this regiment) *New Zealand 1860–61 In 1909 the successor York and Lancaster Regiment were awarded the honours ''Guadeloupe 1759'' and ''Martinique 1794'' for the service of the 65th Foot.

Victoria Crosses

Victoria crosses awarded to men of the regiment were: *Colour Sergeant Edward McKenna

New Zealand Wars The New Zealand Wars took place from 1845 to 1872 between the New Zealand colonial government and allied Māori on one side and Māori and Māori-allied settlers on the other. They were previously commonly referred to as the Land Wars or the M ...

(7 September 1863) *Private John Ryan New Zealand Wars (7 September 1863)

Colonels

Colonels of the Regiment were:

65th Regiment of Foot

*1758–60: Lt-Gen Robert Armiger *1760–64: Lt-Gen George Cholmondeley, Viscount Malpas *1764–70: Lt-Gen Hon. Alexander MackayRaikes, p. 1 *1770–79: Lt-Gen Edward Urmston *1779–83: Lt-Gen Thomas Calcraft

65th (The 2nd Yorkshire, North Riding) Regiment of Foot – (1782)

*1783–88: Gen

Earl of Harrington Earl of Harrington is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain that was created in 1742. History The earldom of Harrington was granted in 1742 to William Stanhope, 1st Baron Harrington, the former Secretary of State and then Lord President of ...

*1788–97: Lt-Gen John Gunning *1797–1814: Gen Edmund Stevens *1814–51: F.M. Thomas Grosvenor *1851–55: Gen

Samuel Benjamin Auchmuty General Sir Samuel Benjamin Auchmuty (28 April 1780 – 30 April 1868) was an Anglo-Irish soldier. Military career He was the second son of Col. Samuel Auchmuty and his wife, Elizabeth Domvile Savage, only daughter of Francis Savage. Auchmuty ...

*1855–57: Lt-Gen Henry Balneavis *1857–69: Gen Robert Bartlett Coles *1869–76: Lt-Gen Sir

Robert Walpole Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, (26 August 1676 – 18 March 1745; known between 1725 and 1742 as Sir Robert Walpole) was a British statesman and Whig politician who, as First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Leader ...

*1876–81: Lt-Gen Robert Newton Phillips

References

Sources

* * * * * * *

External links

Standing Orders for the 65th Regiment
{{Regiments of Foot Infantry regiments of the British Army Regiments of Yorkshire York and Lancaster Regiment Military units and formations in the North Riding of Yorkshire Military units and formations established in 1756 Regiments of the British Army in the American Revolutionary War Military units and formations disestablished in 1881 1756 establishments in Great Britain