Name : Dubourgay's Regiment of Foot Started : 1723 Ended : 1732 Previous Regiment Lineage(s) : ---------------------------------------- Fox's Regiment of Marines (1702 - 1713) Borr's Regiment of Foot (1714 - 1723)
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Subsequent Regiment Lineage : ---------------------------------------- Paget's Regiment of Foot (1732 - 1738) Descury's Regiment of Foot (1738 - 1740) Huske's Regiment of Foot (1740 - 1743) Skelton's Regiment of Foot (1743 - 1745) Douglas's Regiment of Foot (1745 - 1747) Leighton's Regiment of Foot (1747 - 1751) 32nd Regiment of Foot (1751 - 1782) 32nd (Cornwall) Regiment of Foot (1782 - 1858) 32nd (Cornwall) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry) (1858 - 1881) Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry (1881 - 1959) Somerset and Cornwall Light Infantry (1959 - 1968) Light Infantry (1968 - 2007) The Rifles (2007 - Present)
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The 32nd was commanded in turn by Fox and Borr, and served afloat until 1713, when it was disbanded, but speedily reappeared as a regular Line regiment on the Irish establishment. During its marine service it had served in the Cadiz expedition, and at Vigo Bay; in the defence of Gibralter in 1704, and in Spain afterwards under Peterborough and Galway. It is reported to have fought at Dettingen and Fontenoy, returning to England to take part in the suppression of the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745 but it soon returned to the Continent, to be under fire again at Val and other battles of the campaign. From 1796 to 1798 it was at St. Domingo, where the loss in the first year to the regiment was 32 officers and nearly 1,000 men. Its next war services were at Copenhagen in 1807, and Cadiz; then in the Peninsula at Roleia and Vimiera,and later on at Corruna; transferred to Walcheren, the 32nd suffered loss like other regiments, but returning to the Peninsula, did good service at Badajoz, at Salamanca and the Arapeles, at Burgos, Pampeluna, the Pyrenees, Nivelle, the Nive, and Orthes. Nine of these names and "Peninsula" form the first on the regimental roll of fame; with "Dominica," which came from the 46th.
Returning home at the peace, the regiment formed part of Picton's Division in the campaign of 1815, and was present at Quatre Bras, Waterloo (when Kempt fell), and the occupation of Paris. No further active service was undergone until between 1830-41, against the insurgents in Canada, when Lieutenant Weir was treacherously murdered; but in 1846 and 32nd embarked for India, and shared in the glories and dangers of Mooltan, Sorajkhoond, and Goojerat. But the most glorious record of the 1st battalion of the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry is that of the Mutiny. Armed but with the "Brown Bess," it held the Residency at Lucknow until relieved by Havelock, while a detachment of seventy men at Cawnpore, under Captain Moore, died the death of brave men, when treacherously betrayed into Nana Sahib's hands. Under Maxwell it fought at Calpee, Lucknow and Cawnpore (again), and in Oude and the Trans-Gorgra operations. Victoria Crosses were won at this time by Lieutenant S. H. Lawrence, Captain H. G. Browne, Coporal W. Oxenham, and Private W. Dowling.
