The Maltese Light Infantry was a

light infantry Light infantry refers to certain types of lightly equipped infantry throughout history. They have a more mobile or fluid function than other types of infantry, such as heavy infantry or line infantry. Historically, light infantry often fought ...

battalion 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 ...

which existed from 1800 to 1802 in

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

, then a British protectorate. It consisted of eight companies of Maltese soldiers, and it saw action in the

French Revolutionary Wars The French Revolutionary Wars (french: Guerres de la Révolution française) were a series of sweeping military conflicts lasting from 1792 until 1802 and resulting from the French Revolution. They pitted French First Republic, France against Ki ...

. It was the second Maltese unit in British service, after the Maltese Cannoneers. British troops first arrived in Malta in 1798 in order to aid the Maltese in their rebellion against the French. On 10 December 1799, the 30th and 89th Regiments of Foot arrived from Sicily in order to enforce the blockade of Valletta, which was being held by the French. By February 1800, the commander of the British forces in Malta Brigadier-General Thomas Graham informed his superiors that he was intending to raise a Maltese force to fight in the blockade. The first two companies of the Maltese Light Infantry were set up on 2 April 1800, and by May the unit had eight companies of 100 men each. It was temporarily commanded by Captain James Weir of the

Royal Marines The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...

, before being transferred to Brigadier-General Moncrieff on 9 June 1800. Sergeants from the 30th and 89th Regiments became subaltern officers in the Maltese Light Infantry. Soldiers in the battalion were paid 8 d a day, and their uniforms consisted of blue-grey coats which had red facings and gold lace, along with nankeen trousers. The battalion fought in the blockade alongside both Maltese irregular forces and British regular troops, until the French surrendered in September 1800. By the beginning of 1801, the battalion had 747 men garrisoned at

Fort Manoel Fort Manoel ( mt, Forti Manoel or ''Fortizza Manoel'') is a star fort on Manoel Island in Gżira, Malta. It was built in the 18th century by the Order of Saint John, during the reign of Grand Master António Manoel de Vilhena, after whom it ...

and

Fort Ricasoli Fort Ricasoli ( mt, Forti Rikażli) is a bastioned fort in Kalkara, Malta, which was built by the Order of Saint John between 1670 and 1698. The fort occupies a promontory known as Gallows' Point and the north shore of Rinella Bay, commanding th ...

, with a detachment at

Fort St. Angelo Fort St. Angelo ( mt, Forti Sant'Anġlu or ''Fortizza Sant'Anġlu'') is a bastioned fort in Birgu, Malta, located at the centre of the Grand Harbour. It was originally built in the medieval period as a castle called the ''Castrum Maris'' ( en, C ...

. Although the battalion was intended for local service, 300 volunteers were sent to

Elba Elba ( it, isola d'Elba, ; la, Ilva) is a Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino on the Italian mainland, and the largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago. It is also part of the Arcipelago Toscano National ...

on 22 September 1801 on board HMS ''Athenienne''. They arrived on 11 October, relieving the besieged British garrison during the

Siege of Porto Ferrajo The siege of Porto Ferrajo was a French attempt to force the surrender of the Tuscan fortress town of Porto Ferrajo (now Portoferraio) on the island of Elba following the French occupation of mainland Tuscany in 1801 during the French Revoluti ...

. The detachment in Elba returned to Malta in April 1802, and the battalion was disbanded upon the expiration of the two-year period for which its men had enlisted. Many of the soldiers re-enlisted in the newly formed

Maltese Provincial Battalions The Maltese Provincial Battalions were infantry battalions in the British Army which existed from 1802 to 1815 in Malta, then a British protectorate and later a colony. According to the Treaty of Amiens of 1802, Britain was to evacuate Malta and ...

. The regimental colours of the Maltese Light Infantry were presented to Major Weir. In 1884, his son returned them to Malta and Governor

Arthur Borton Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Drummond Borton (1 July 1883 – 5 January 1933) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Biogra ...

presented them to the

Royal Malta Fencible Artillery Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a c ...

. They were then deposited in the

Palace Armoury The Palace Armoury ( mt, L-Armerija tal-Palazz) is an arms collection housed at the Grandmaster's Palace in Valletta, Malta. It was the main armoury of the Order of St. John in the 17th and 18th centuries, and as such it was the last arsenal esta ...

in Valletta.

References

{{reflist British light infantry Infantry battalions of the British Army Military history of Malta Military units and formations established in 1800 Military units and formations disestablished in 1802 1800 establishments in Malta 1802 disestablishments in Malta