Name : Murray's Regiment of Foot Started : 1743 Ended : 1751 Previous Regiment Lineage(s) : ---------------------------------------- Price's Regiment of Foot (1741 - 1743)
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Subsequent Regiment Lineage : ---------------------------------------- 46th Regiment of Foot (1751 - 1782) 46th (South Devonshire) Regiment of Foot (1782 - 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 2nd battalion of the regiment existed from 1756 to 1763 (when it became the 71st), another was formed about 1796 and disbanded about 1802 and another existed from 1804 to 1814. The present 2nd battalion (the 46th) arose thus:- With the increase to the Army and the Navy in 1741, appear regiments numbered from the 54th to the 60th. One of these, the 57th, was present at the battle of Gladsmuir, near Prestonpans, and Falkirk; and on the general reduction of the army in 1748, when one Line and ten marine regiments were disbanded, it became the 46th, and wore yellow facings. In 1757 it sailed for America, and suffered severely in the abortive attempt on Fort Ticonderoga, the siege of Fort Niagara, and the attack on Fort Leir during the conquest of Canada. Thence it sailed to form part of the expedition against Martinique, Grenada, St. Lucia, and Havannah. Returning to Great Britain, after a short stay it left again for America, where it landed in 1776, and took part in the battles of Long Island, White Plains, Fort Washington, Pecks Hill, Brandywine, Germanstown, and Monmouth Court House.
After a night attack made by the Light company (then forming with other such units a "light battalion"), shortly after Brandywine, in which some three hundred Americans were bayoneted, the enemy declared it would give no quarter to their assailants, whereupon the survivors of the attacking party dyed their feathers red to prevent others suffering in their stead. The right for the Light company of the 46th to wear the red feather was confirmed in 1833, and, on the abolition of "light companies," the whole battalion wore a red ball on the shako. In 1778 the 46th embarked for St. Lucia; there it again distinguished itself, and was permitted in consequence to wear a white plume instead of the red and white tuft usually worn; but the light company still wore the white feather. It took part in suppressing the Carib Insurrection of 1795, which, insignificant as it was, led to thirteen engagements and a loss of four-fifths of the regimental strength.
Its next active service was at Dominica in 1805. There, attacked by a much more stronger body of French from Roseau, the 46th defended the town with the greatest bravery until obliged to abandon it and march across the island to Fort Prince Rupert. For this gallant conduct against great odds the 46th was authorised to wear "Dominica" on the colours. Detachments also served in a small naval engagement in 1806, and two years later took part in the capture of Martinique and Guadaloupe. The regiment was in New South Wales and India from 1813 to 1832, seeing much trying service against bushrangers, etc., on the one station, and Mahratta insurgents on the other. Present in the Crimean War, "Sevastopol" was added to the list of honours; and finally the regiment took an active part in the Egyptian campaign of 1882, where it fought at the two battles of Kassasin and Tel-el-Kebir, and shared in the Nile campaign of 1884-85.
