31st (Huntingdonshire) Regiment of Foot
Encyclopedia
The 31st Regiment of Foot was an infantry
regiment of the British Army
formed in 1702 and amalgamated into The East Surrey Regiment in 1881.
in 1697 the war came to an end. Villier's Regiment was duly disbanded in 1698.
. Villiers was commissioned to reform his regiment as marines. In February 1702 George Villier's Regiment of Marines (or the 2nd Regiment of Marines) was reraised.
The unit took part in the capture and defence of Gibraltar
in 1704 – 1705. It subsequently took part in a number of actions in the Mediterreanean and Spain, including the capture of Barcelona
and Majorca. The regiment's title changed with the name of its colonel: Alexander Luttrell in 1703, Joshua Churchill in 1706 and Sir Henry Goring
in 1711.
in 1713 the war came to an end. The majority of the marine regiments were disbanded, with some retained and converted to line infantry. Gorings Marines were one of these and became Sir Henry Goring's Regiment of Foot, with precedence as 31st regiment of foot, although it continued to be known by the name of its colonel until 1751.
The unit saw action repelling the Jacobite rising
of 1715. They then spent twenty-six years manning garrisons in Ireland and England.
in 1739, and in the following year took part in the Battle of Dettingen
. It was at this engagement that the unit received the nickname "Young Buffs". They were part of a force led into action by King George II
who mistook them for the 3rd Regiment of Foot, who were known as '"the Buffs" due to their buff facings and waistcoats, the sovereign called out, "Bravo, Buffs! Bravo!". When one of his aides, an officer of the 3rd Regiment of Foot, corrected the monarch, he then cheered, "Bravo, Young Buffs! Bravo!". It was subsequently at the Battle of Fontenoy
in 1745 where it suffered heavy losses, returning to England later in the year. They were posted to Minorca
in 1749.
was issued declaring that in future regiments were no longer to be known by their colonel's name, but by the "Number or Rank of the Regiment". Accordingly Lieutenant-General Henry Holmes's Regiment was renamed as the 31st Regiment of Foot. The 31st returned to Great Britain in 1752, remaining there until 1765. A second battalion was formed in 1756, and was reconstituted as the 70th Regiment of Foot in 1758.
. In 1782 all regiments of the line without a royal title were given a county designation and the regiment became the 31st (Huntingdonshire) Regiment of Foot. Following the ending of that war the 31st formed part of the garrison of Quebec
before returning to England in 1787.
, including the Battle of Talavera in 1809, Albuera
in 1811, Vittoria and Nivelle
in 1813, and Orthes in 1814. The 31st was reduced to a single battalion regiment in 1814 when the two battalions merged in Sicily.
With the outbreak of war with Afghanistan
in 1839, the regiment moved to the country and fought with Sir George Pollock
’s avenging army at the Battle of Kabul
in 1842.
and the Sikh Empire broke out in 1845. The 31st, who had returned to India from Afghanistan in 1840, were part of the British force at the battles of Mudki
, Ferozeshah
, Aliwal
and Sobraon
.
and taking part in the capture of the Taku Forts
. The regiment remained in China until 1863, and was involved in suppressing the Taiping Rebellion
. For the regiment's remaining separate existence it was based at various garrisons in the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Malta.
came into effect, and the 31st Foot was paired with the 70th (Surrey) Regiment of Foot
to form the East Surrey Regiment
. The 70th had originally been formed as the 31st's 2nd Battalion in 1756.
Following a number of amalgamations since 1959, the lineage of the 31st Foot is continued today by the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment
.
s:
Two further honours were granted to the successor East Surrey Regiment for the services of the 31st Foot. In 1882 the battle honour "Dettingen" was allowed and in 1909 "Gibraltar 1704–1705" was awarded.
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
regiment of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
formed in 1702 and amalgamated into The East Surrey Regiment in 1881.
Predecessor regiment
In 1694, during the Nine Years' War, Sir Richard Atkins was authorised to raise a regiment of foot for service in Ireland. Sir Richard Atkins's Regiment of Foot was duly formed. In 1694 the colonelcy of the unit changed and it became Colonel George Villier's Regiment of Foot. With the signing of the Treaty of RyswickTreaty of Ryswick
The Treaty of Ryswick or Ryswyck was signed on 20 September 1697 and named after Ryswick in the Dutch Republic. The treaty settled the Nine Years' War, which pitted France against the Grand Alliance of England, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire and the United Provinces.Negotiations started in May...
in 1697 the war came to an end. Villier's Regiment was duly disbanded in 1698.
Regiment of Marines
By 1702 England was again involved in a European conflict which became known as the War of the Spanish SuccessionWar of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have...
. Villiers was commissioned to reform his regiment as marines. In February 1702 George Villier's Regiment of Marines (or the 2nd Regiment of Marines) was reraised.
The unit took part in the capture and defence of Gibraltar
Capture of Gibraltar
The Capture of Gibraltar by the Anglo-Dutch forces of the Grand Alliance occurred between 1–3 August 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession. Since the beginning of the war the Allies had been looking for a harbour in the Iberian Peninsula to control the Strait of Gibraltar and facilitate...
in 1704 – 1705. It subsequently took part in a number of actions in the Mediterreanean and Spain, including the capture of Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
and Majorca. The regiment's title changed with the name of its colonel: Alexander Luttrell in 1703, Joshua Churchill in 1706 and Sir Henry Goring
Goring Baronets
There have been two Baronetcies created for persons with the surname Goring, both in the Baronetage of England. The second creation came into the family through a special remainder in the patent creating the baronetcy...
in 1711.
Conversion to infantry
With the signing of the Treaty of UtrechtTreaty of Utrecht
The Treaty of Utrecht, which established the Peace of Utrecht, comprises a series of individual peace treaties, rather than a single document, signed by the belligerents in the War of Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht in March and April 1713...
in 1713 the war came to an end. The majority of the marine regiments were disbanded, with some retained and converted to line infantry. Gorings Marines were one of these and became Sir Henry Goring's Regiment of Foot, with precedence as 31st regiment of foot, although it continued to be known by the name of its colonel until 1751.
The unit saw action repelling the Jacobite rising
Jacobite rising
The Jacobite Risings were a series of uprisings, rebellions, and wars in Great Britain and Ireland occurring between 1688 and 1746. The uprisings were aimed at returning James VII of Scotland and II of England, and later his descendants of the House of Stuart, to the throne after he was deposed by...
of 1715. They then spent twenty-six years manning garrisons in Ireland and England.
War of the Austrian Succession
The regiment sailed to FlandersFlanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
in 1739, and in the following year took part in the Battle of Dettingen
Battle of Dettingen
The Battle of Dettingen took place on 27 June 1743 at Dettingen in Bavaria during the War of the Austrian Succession. It was the last time that a British monarch personally led his troops into battle...
. It was at this engagement that the unit received the nickname "Young Buffs". They were part of a force led into action by King George II
George II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
who mistook them for the 3rd Regiment of Foot, who were known as '"the Buffs" due to their buff facings and waistcoats, the sovereign called out, "Bravo, Buffs! Bravo!". When one of his aides, an officer of the 3rd Regiment of Foot, corrected the monarch, he then cheered, "Bravo, Young Buffs! Bravo!". It was subsequently at the Battle of Fontenoy
Battle of Fontenoy
The Battle of Fontenoy, 11 May 1745, was a major engagement of the War of the Austrian Succession, fought between the forces of the Pragmatic Allies – comprising mainly Dutch, British, and Hanoverian troops under the nominal command of the Duke of Cumberland – and a French army under Maurice de...
in 1745 where it suffered heavy losses, returning to England later in the year. They were posted to Minorca
Minorca
Min Orca or Menorca is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. It takes its name from being smaller than the nearby island of Majorca....
in 1749.
31st Regiment of Foot
On 1 July 1751 a royal warrantRoyal Warrant
Royal warrants of appointment have been issued for centuries to those who supply goods or services to a royal court or certain royal personages. The warrant enables the supplier to advertise the fact that they supply to the royal family, so lending prestige to the supplier...
was issued declaring that in future regiments were no longer to be known by their colonel's name, but by the "Number or Rank of the Regiment". Accordingly Lieutenant-General Henry Holmes's Regiment was renamed as the 31st Regiment of Foot. The 31st returned to Great Britain in 1752, remaining there until 1765. A second battalion was formed in 1756, and was reconstituted as the 70th Regiment of Foot in 1758.
American Revolutionary War
From 1776 to 1781 the 31st Foot were in North America during the American War of Independence, losing a large number of prisoners at the Battle of SaratogaBattle of Saratoga
The Battles of Saratoga conclusively decided the fate of British General John Burgoyne's army in the American War of Independence and are generally regarded as a turning point in the war. The battles were fought eighteen days apart on the same ground, south of Saratoga, New York...
. In 1782 all regiments of the line without a royal title were given a county designation and the regiment became the 31st (Huntingdonshire) Regiment of Foot. Following the ending of that war the 31st formed part of the garrison of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
before returning to England in 1787.
French revolutionary and Napoleonic wars
The 31st took part in minor engagements in the West Indies, the Netherlands, Sicily and Egypt. In 1805 a 2nd battalion was again formed. In 1808 the 2nd Battalion landed in Portugal, and took part in the Peninsular WarPeninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
, including the Battle of Talavera in 1809, Albuera
Battle of Albuera
The Battle of Albuera was an indecisive battle during the Peninsular War. A mixed British, Spanish and Portuguese corps engaged elements of the French Armée du Midi at the small Spanish village of Albuera, about 20 kilometres south of the frontier fortress-town of Badajoz, Spain.From...
in 1811, Vittoria and Nivelle
Battle of Nivelle
The Battle of Nivelle took place in front of the River Nivelle near the end of the Peninsular War . After the Allied siege of San Sebastian, Wellington's 80,000 British, Portuguese and Spanish troops were in hot pursuit of Marshal Soult who only had 60,000 men to place in a 20-mile perimeter...
in 1813, and Orthes in 1814. The 31st was reduced to a single battalion regiment in 1814 when the two battalions merged in Sicily.
First Anglo-Afghan War
Following years of garrison duty in various stations in Europe, in 1824 the 31st were ordered to India under Colonel Pearson and Major McGrego. Some 54 men of the regiment died on 1 March 1825 when their transport, the Kent, an East Indiaman caught fire in the Bay of Biscay. One woman and 20 children affiliated with the regiment also died. The remainder of the 20 officers, 344 soldiers, 43 women, and 66 children, belonging to the regiment that had embarked on the vessel were rescued. As the official record expresses it: “In the midst of dangers against which it seemed hopeless to struggle-at a time when no aid appeared, and passively to die was all that remained-each man displayed the manly resignation, the ready obedience, and the unfailing discipline characteristics of a good soldier.”With the outbreak of war with Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
in 1839, the regiment moved to the country and fought with Sir George Pollock
George Pollock
Field Marshal Sir George Pollock, 1st Baronet, GCB, GCSI was a British soldier.-Military career:Educated at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, Pollock was commissioned into the Bengal Artillery in 1803....
’s avenging army at the Battle of Kabul
Battle of Kabul (1842)
for other uses of the term see Battle of KabulThe Battle of Kabul was fought from August to October, 1842, between British and Afghan forces. It was the concluding engagement of the First Anglo-Afghan War. The British advanced on Kabul from Kandahar and Jalalabad to avenge the earlier Massacre of...
in 1842.
First Anglo-Sikh War
War between the East India CompanyEast India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
and the Sikh Empire broke out in 1845. The 31st, who had returned to India from Afghanistan in 1840, were part of the British force at the battles of Mudki
Battle of Mudki
The Battle of Mudki was fought on 18 December 1845, between the forces of the British East India Company and part of the Khalsa, the army of the Sikh Empire of the Punjab. The British army won an untidy encounter battle, suffering heavy casualties....
, Ferozeshah
Battle of Ferozeshah
The Battle of Ferozeshah was fought on 21 December and 22 December 1845 between the British and the Sikhs, at the village of Ferozeshah in Punjab. The British were led by Sir Hugh Gough and Governor-General Sir Henry Hardinge, while the Sikhs were led by Lal Singh.The British emerged victorious,...
, Aliwal
Battle of Aliwal
The Battle of Aliwal was fought on 28 January 1846 between the British and the Sikhs. The British were led by Sir Harry Smith, while the Sikhs were led by Ranjodh Singh Majithia...
and Sobraon
Battle of Sobraon
The Battle of Sobraon was fought on 10 February 1846, between the forces of the British East India Company and the Sikh Khalsa Army, the army of the Sikh Empire of the Punjab...
.
China
The 31st next saw active service in China, moving there in 1860 during the Second Opium WarSecond Opium War
The Second Opium War, the Second Anglo-Chinese War, the Second China War, the Arrow War, or the Anglo-French expedition to China, was a war pitting the British Empire and the Second French Empire against the Qing Dynasty of China, lasting from 1856 to 1860...
and taking part in the capture of the Taku Forts
Taku Forts
The Dagu Forts , also called the Peiho Forts are forts located by the Hai River estuary, in Tanggu District, Tianjin municipality, in northeastern China. They are located 60 km southeast of the Tianjin urban center.-History:The first fort was built during the reign of the Ming Jiajing...
. The regiment remained in China until 1863, and was involved in suppressing the Taiping Rebellion
Taiping Rebellion
The Taiping Rebellion was a widespread civil war in southern China from 1850 to 1864, led by heterodox Christian convert Hong Xiuquan, who, having received visions, maintained that he was the younger brother of Jesus Christ, against the ruling Manchu-led Qing Dynasty...
. For the regiment's remaining separate existence it was based at various garrisons in the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Malta.
Amalgamation
On 1 July 1881 the Childers reformsChilders Reforms
The Childers Reforms restructured the infantry regiments of the British army. The reforms were undertaken by Secretary of State for War Hugh Childers in 1881, and were a continuation of the earlier Cardwell reforms....
came into effect, and the 31st Foot was paired with the 70th (Surrey) Regiment of Foot
70th (Surrey) Regiment of Foot
The 70th Regiment of Foot was a regiment of the British Army formed in 1758 and united with the 31st Regiment of Foot in 1881 to form The East Surrey Regiment .- History :...
to form the East Surrey Regiment
East Surrey Regiment
The East Surrey Regiment was a regiment in the British Army formed in 1881 from the amalgamation of the 31st Regiment of Foot and the 70th Regiment of Foot...
. The 70th had originally been formed as the 31st's 2nd Battalion in 1756.
Following a number of amalgamations since 1959, the lineage of the 31st Foot is continued today by the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment
Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment
"PWRR" redirects here. For the railroad with these reporting marks, see Portland and Western Railroad.The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment is the senior English line infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division...
.
Battle honours
The 31st Foot were granted the following battle honourBattle honour
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 , uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible....
s:
- Talavera (27 July 1808: awarded 1823)
- Albuhera (16 May 1811: awarded 1816)
- Vittoria (21 June 1813: awarded 1823)
- Pyrenees (28 July – 2 August 1813: awarded 1817)
- Nivelle (10 November 1813: awarded 1823)
- Nive (9 – 13 December 1813: awarded 1823)
- Orthes (27 February 1814: awarded 1847)
- Peninsula (1808 – 1814: awarded to 2nd Battalion in 1815, to whole regiment in 1825)
- Cabool, 1842 (August – September 1842: awarded 1844)
- Moodkee (18 December 1845: awarded 1847)
- Ferozeshah (21 December 1845: awaded 1847)
- Aliwal (28 January 1846: awarded 1847)
- Sobraon (10 February 1846: awarded 1849)
- Sevastopol (1854 – 1855: awarded 1855)
- Taku Forts (12 August 1860: awarded 1861)
Two further honours were granted to the successor East Surrey Regiment for the services of the 31st Foot. In 1882 the battle honour "Dettingen" was allowed and in 1909 "Gibraltar 1704–1705" was awarded.