The Cheshire Regiment [UK]

Authors and Contributors this page: T.F. Mills, Eardley Bryan

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Page created 15 July 2000. Corrected and updated 16.07.2006

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	The Cheshire Regiment
crest and tie by A. Melville-Brown	United Kingdom

Titles & Lineage

History

Battle Honours

Colours, Standards & Guidons

Uniforms & Badges

Colonels-in-Chief

Colonels

Biography & Gallantry Awards
Traditions
Alliances
Associations, Forums, Re-Enactors
Museums, Monuments, Memorials
Bibliography

How to find information about individuals who served in this corps


	1688.03.08	Duke of Norfolk's Regiment of Foot also known until 1751 by the names of other colonels
	1747	ranked as 22nd Foot
	1751.07.01	22nd Regiment of Foot
	1782.08.31	22nd (the Cheshire) Regiment of Foot
	1881.07.01	The Cheshire Regiment reorganised as the county regiment of Cheshire, encompassing also its Militia and Volunteer infantry [see below]
	2007.08.24	to unite with The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regt, and The Staffordshire Regt, to form The Mercian Regiment


		The Cheshire Regiment (Army site)
		The Cheshire Regiment (Regimental site - new)
		The Cheshire Regiment (Regimental site - old)
		The 22nd (Cheshire Regiment), by Eardley Bryan (unofficial Regimental site)
		History of the Regiment, by Eardley Bryan (Regimental site - new)
		The Cheshire Regiment, by Glenvil Roberts.
		Regimental History and Information (Regimental site)
		Early History , by Eardley Bryan.
		The Cheshire Regiment, by Chris Baker (The British Army in the Great War).
		The Cheshire Regiment, by Brad Chappell (The Regimental Warpath 1914-1918)
		First World War and Inter War Years, by Eardley Bryan.
		Second World War and Post War Years, by Eardley Bryan.
		Future of the Regiment (Army site)

	*RHQ and Depot:*
		RHQ: The Castle, Chester (1873-2007)
		21st Depot Battalion at Chichester [1855-1871]
		18th Brigade Depot at Chester [1873-1881]
		22nd Regimental District at Chester [1881-1905]
		Welsh Border, at Shrewsbury [1905-1921]
		West Lancashire Area, at Shrewsbury [1921-1948]
		K Group, at Oswestry [1948-1968]
		Mercian Brigade, at Lichfield [1948-1968]
		Prince of Wales's Division at Lichfield [1968-2007]

	*Regulars:*
		1st Battalion [1688-2007]
		1st Battalion (Army site)
		2nd Battalion [1814-1814, 1858-1948]

	*Militia and Special Reserve:*
		Militia, Volunteers and Territorials, by Eardley Bryan.
		3rd Battalion (1st Royal Cheshire Regiment of Militia) [1881-1953]
		4th Battalion (2nd Royal (Cheshire Regiment of Militia) [1881-1908]

	*Territorials and Volunteers:*
		Territorials (Regimental site)
		Militia, Volunteers and Territorials, by Eardley Bryan.
		1st Volunteer Battalion [1881-1908]
		2nd (Earl of Chester's) Volunteer Battalion [1881-1908]
		3rd Volunteer Battalion [1881-1908]
		4th Volunteer Battalion [1881-1908]
		5th Volunteer Battalion [1881-1908]
		4th Battalion [1908-1921, 1939-1967]
		4th/5th (Earl of Chester's) Battalion [1921-1939]
		4th/7th (T) Battalion [1967-1971]
		5th (Earl of Chester's) Battalion [1908-1921]
		6th Battalion [1908-1920]
		7th Battalion [1908-1967]
		Mercian Volunteers [1967-1988]
		3rd (V) Battalion [1988-1999]
		The King's and Cheshire Regiment [1999-2006]

	*Hostilities-Only Units* (First and Second World War, including T.A. duplicates):
		2/4th Battalion [1914-1915]
		3/4th Battalion [1915-1919]
		2/5th (Earl of Chester's) Battalion [1914-1918]
		3/5th (Earl of Chester's) Battalion [1914-1918]
		5th (Earl of Chester's) Battalion [1939-1947]
		2/6th Battalion [1914-1917]
		3/6th Battalion [1915-1916]
		6th Battalion [1939-1947]
		2/7th Battalion [1914-1918]
		3/7th Battalion [1915-1916]
		8th (Service) Battalion [1914-1919]
		8th (Home Defence) Battalion [1939-1941]
		9th (Service) Battalion [1914-1919]
		10th (Service) Battalion [1914-1918]
		11th (Service) Battalion [1914-1918]
		12th (Service) Battalion (Pioneers) [1914-1919]
		13th (Service) Battalion [1914-1918]
		14th (Reserve) Battalion [1914-1915]
		15th (1st Birkenhead) (Service) Battalion [1914-1919]
		16th (2nd Birkenhead) (Service) Battalion [1914-1918]
		17th (Reserve) Battalion [1915-1916]
		18th (Labour) Battalion [1916-1917]
		19th (Labour) Battalion [1916-1917]
		20th (Labour) Battalion [1916-1917]
		21st (Labour) Battalion [1916-1917]
		22nd (Labour) Battalion [1916-1917]
		23rd Battalion [1917-1919]
		24th (Home Service) Battalion [1918-1919]
		30th Battalion [1941-1946]
		51st (Service) Battalion [1917-1919]
		52nd (Service) Battalion [1917-1919]
		53rd (Service) Battalion [1917-1919]
		1st Garrison Battalion [1915-1919]
		2nd Garrison Battalion [1915-1919]
		3rd (Home Service) Garrison Battalion [1915-1917]
		1st Manx (Service) Company

	*Cadets:*
		Cheshire Cadets (Regimental site - new)
		Cheshire Cadets (Regimental site -old)


	Louisburg, Martinique 1762, Havannah, Meeanee, Hyderabad, Scinde, South Africa 1900-02 Great War (38 battalions): Mons, Le Cateau, Retreat from Mons, Marne 1914, 18, Aisne 1914, 18, La Bassee 1914, Armentieres 1914, Ypres 1914, 15, 17, 18, Nonne Bosschen, Gravenstafel, St. Julien, Frezenberg, Bellewaarde, Loos, Somme 1916, 18, Albert 1916, 18, Bazentin, Delville Wood, Pozieres, Guillemont, Flers-Courcelette, Morval, Thiepval, Le Transloy, Ancre Heights, Ancre 1916, Arras 1917, 18, Vimy 1917, Scarpe 1917, 18, Oppy, Messines 1917, 18, Pilckem, Langemarck 1917, Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Broodseinde, Poelcappelle, Passchendaele, Cambrai 1917 18, St. Quentin, Bapaume 1918, Rosieres, Lys, Estaires, Hazebrouck, Bailleul, Kemmel, Scherpenberg, Soissonais-Ourcq, Hindenburg Line, Canal du Nord, Courtrai, Selle, Valenciennes, Sambre, France and Flanders 1914-18, Italy 1917-18, Struma, Doiran 1917, 18, Macedonia 1915-18, Suvla, Sari Bair, Landing at Suvla, Scimitar Hill, Gallipoli 1915, Egypt 1915-17, Gaza, El Mughar, Jerusalem, Jericho, Tell 'Asur, Palestine 1917-18, Tigris 1916, Kut al Amara 1917, Bagdad, Mesopotamia 1916-18 Second World War: Dyle, Withdrawal to Escaut, St. Omer-La Bassée, Wormhoudt, Cassel, Dunkirk 1940, Normandy Landing, Mont Pincon, St. Pierre La Vielle, Gheel, Nederrijn, Aam, Aller, North-West Europe 1940, '44-45, Sidi Barrani, Capture of Tobruk, Gazala, Mersa Matruh, Defence of Alamein Line, Deir el Shein, El Alamein, Mareth, Wadi Zeuss East, Wadi Zigzaou, Akarit, Wadi Akarit East, Enfidaville, North Africa 1940-43, Landing in Sicily, Primosole Bridge, Simeto Bridgehead, Sicily 1943, Sangro, Salerno, Santa Lucia¹, Battipaglia, Volturno Crossing, Monte Maro, Teano, Monte Camino, Garigliano Crossing, Minturno, Damiano, Anzio, Rome, Gothic Line, Coriano, Gemmano Ridge, Savignano, Senio Floodbank, Rimini Line, Ceriano Ridge, Valli di Comacchio, Italy 1943-45, Malta 1941-42 4th Battalion: South Africa 1901-02 5th, 6th Battalions: South Africa 1900-02 1. awarded 1958 as "St. Lucia" and amended 1974.


		The Colours, by Eardley Bryan.

Badges:

An acorn leaved and clipped.

Uniform:

?-1881: scarlet; facings: buff
1881-1904: scarlet; facings: white
1904-1953: scarlet; facings: buff
1953-2007: blue; facings: buff; piping: buff
headdress:


	1977.03.01	Lt-Gen. HRH Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales, KG, KT, GCB, AK, QSO, ADC


	*Note:* biographical links are to Eardley Bryan's regimental site

	1689.03.08	Col. Henry (Howard), 7th Duke of Norfolk, KG [also 12th Foot]
	1689.09.28	Lt-Gen. Sir Henry Bellasis [also 2nd Foot, 6th Foot]
	1701.06.28	Maj-Gen. William Selwyn [also 2nd Foot]
	1702.06.20	Maj-Gen. Thomas Handasyde
	1712.04.03	Lt-Gen. Roger Handasyde [also 16th Foot]
	1730.08.25	Lt-Gen. William Barrell [also 4th Foot, 28th Foot]
	1734.10.30	Gen. The Hon. James St. Clair (Baron Sinclair -- did not assume title) [also 1st Foot]
	1737.06.27	Maj-Gen. John Moyle [also 36th Foot]
	1738.12.13	Brig-Gen. Thomas Paget [also 32nd Foot]
	1741.08.12	Maj-Gen. Richard O'Farrell
	1757.07.11	Maj-Gen. Edward Whitmore
	1762.03.29	Gen. Hon. Thomas Gage [also 11th Light Dgns, 17th Light Dgns, 60th Foot, 80th Foot; C-in-C North America]
	1782.04.18	Lt-Gen. Charles O'Hara [also 74th Foot; Gov. Gibraltar 1795-98]
	1791.04.02	Gen. David Dundas, GCB [also 1st Dgn Gds, 2nd Dgns, 7th Hussars, Rifle Bde; QMG 1796-1803; C-in-C]
	1795.12.23	Maj-Gen. William Crosbie [also 89th Foot]
	1798.06.18	Lt-Gen. John Graves Simcoe [also commandant Queen's Rangers; Col. 81st Foot]
	1806.10.30	Gen. Sir James Henry Craig, KB [also 46th Foot, 78th Foot, 86th Foot; Gov. Lower Canada 1807-11, Gov. Cape 1795]
	1809.09.18	Gen. The Hon. Edward Finch [also 54th Foot]
	1843.11.21	Lt-Gen. Sir Charles Napier, GCB [also 97th Foot; CinC India]
	1853.09.19	Lt-Gen. Sir William Francis Patrick Napier, KCB [also 27th Foot]
	1860.02.13	Gen. Sir John Lysaght Pennefather, GCB [also 46th Foot; Gov. R Hospital 1870-72]
	1872.05.10	Lt-Gen. George Thomas Conolly Napier, CB [also 96th Foot]
	1873.05.06	Gen. Sir Trevor Chute, KCB
	1886.03.13	Gen. Frederick Darley George, CB [also 76th Foot]
	1888.06.03	Gen. Sir William Montagu Scott McMurdo, GCB [also 15th Foot, 69th Foot; Hon. Col. Engr & Railway Transport Vols]
	1894.03.03	Gen. David Anderson
	1909.10.08	Lt-Gen. Sir Charles Tucker, GCB, GCVO [also S Staffs Regt]
	1911.09.11	Maj-Gen. William Henry Ralston, CB
	1914.04.15	Maj-Gen. Sir Edward Ritchie Coryton Graham, KCB, KCMG
	1928.12.04	Lt-Gen. Sir Warren Hastings Anderson, KCB [QMG 1927-30]
	1930.12.11	Col. Arthur Crookenden, CBE, DSO
	1947.01.14	Brig. Geoffrey Parker Harding, CBE, DSO, MC
	1950.05.27	Lt-Gen. Arthur Ernest Percival, CB, DSO, OBE, MC, DL
	1955.12.26	Maj-Gen. Thomas Brodie, CB, CBE, DS0
	1962.01.01	Gen. Sir Charles Harington, GCB, CBE, DSO, MC
	1968.06.01	Lt-Gen. Sir Napier Crookenden, KCB, DSO, OBE [also Col. Cmdt. PoW Div.]
	1971.06.01	Maj-Gen. Peter Lawrence de Carteret Martin, CBE
	1978.04.01	Brig. Michael Donald Keen Dauncey, DSO, DL
	1985.03.31	Brig. William Keith Lloyd Prosser, CBE, MC
	1992.04.02	Brig. Alfred James MacGregor Percival, OBE
	1999.02.17	Maj-Gen. Keith Skempton, CBE
	2006.02.17	Col. Andrew Richard Darwen Sharpe, OBE


		Victoria Crosses, by Mike Chapman (VC Reference).
		VCs in the Cheshire Regimental Museum, by Iain Stewart.
		Names to be Honoured, by Eardley Bryan.


	Motto:	Ich dien
	Nicknames:	The Lightning Conductors; The Red Knights; The Old Two Twos; The Peep-of-Day Boys; The Specimens
	Anniversaries:	Meeanee (17 Feb.)
	Freedoms:	Chester (1948), Macclesfield (1949: 7th Bn), Birkenhead (1960: 4th Bn), Stockport (1969), Ellesmere Port (1986), Neston (1986), Crewe 1986), Nantwich (1986), Vale Royal (1988), Halton (1988), 1989 Congleton (1989), Wirral (1996)
	Marches:	quick: Wha wadna fecht for Charlie? (trad.) slow: The 22nd Regimental Slow March (anon., 1772)
	Regimental Music, by Peter E. Ledder.
	Musicians:
	22nd (Cheshire) Regiment Association Band & Drums Branch, by Peter E. Ledder. 1st Battalion Bandmasters, by Peter E. Ledder. 2nd Battalion Bandmasters, by Peter E. Ledder. Drum Majors, by Peter E. Ledder.
	*Mascot:*
	*Miscellaneous Tradition Links:*
	The Regiment and Its County, Freedoms and Presentations, Sport, Secondments, by Eardley Bryan.


	The Cape Breton Highlanders	-1954
	2nd Battalion, The Nova Scotia Highlanders (Cape Breton)	1954-present
	22nd Battalion (The Richmond Regiment)	1930-1951

Unofficial Affiliation:
	5th Battalion (Napiers), The Rajputana Rifles



Regimental Alliances, by Eardley Bryan.


		The Cheshire Regiment Association (Regimental site - new)
		The Cheshire Regiment Association (Regimental site - old)
		Regimental Association, by Eardley Bryan.
		22nd Regiment of Foot - 18th Century Reenacting (New York; Brigade of the American Revolution)


		Cheshire Military Museum (Museum site)
		Cheshire Military Museum (Regimental site)
		Cheshire Military Museum, Chester (Army Museums Ogilby Trust)
		Cheshire Military Museum, Chester, by Henrik Teller (Simonides listing)
		Museum, Chapels, Memorial Garden, by Eardley Bryan.
		Carl's Cam: War Memorials in Cheshire, by Carl Rogerson


	Regimental Journal:
		*The Oak tree*.

	Full Histories:
		Cannon, Richard. Historical record of the Twenty-Second, or the Cheshire Regiment of Foot : containing an account of the formation of the regiment in 1689, and of its subsequent services to 1849. London : Parker, Furnivall and Parker, 1849. (Historical records of the British Army)
		Anderson, W.H. (Warren Hastings). The history of the twenty-second Cheshire Regiment : 1689-1849. London : Hugh Rees, 1920.
		Crookenden, Arthur. Twenty-second footsteps, 1894-1914; an account of life in the 22nd (Cheshire) regiment in those years. Chester, Eng. : Printed by W.H. Evans & Co., Ltd., 1956
		Rigby, Bernard. Ever glorious : the Story of The 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment, Vol. 1. Chester : The 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment, 1982. ISBN 0950814504

	Short Histories:
		*The First Battalion Cheshire Regiment, illustrated with brief historical account of the services of the regiment...* Quetta : Frederick Bremner, 1902.
		Simpson, Frank. The Cheshire Regiment or 22nd Regiment of Foot. [Chester, Eng. : G.R. Griffith, Printer], 1903. [reprinted from Chester Archaeological Society journal, v. 11]
		Simpson, Frank. The Cheshire Regiment or 22nd Regiment of Foot. [Chester, Eng. : s.n.], 1914. [reprinted from Chester chronicle]
		H.F.K. ; K., H. F. *Pride of regiment. 3rd ed. Chester, England : [s.n.*], 1919.
		Crookenden, Arthur. A short history of the twenty-second, or Cheshire regiment. [Chester : Printed by W.H. Evans & Co., Ltd.], 1936
		Crookenden, Arthur. A short history of the twenty-second, or Cheshire regiment. [Chester : Printed by W.H. Evans & Co., Ltd.], 1958
		Crookenden, Arthur. The 22nd (Cheshire Regiment) : a pocket history. Chester : printed by W.H. Evans, 1958.
		Barr, Ronald. *The Cheshire Regiment. Tempus (Images of England*)

	Militia:


	Territorials/Volunteers:
		Claye, Herbert Sandford. Notes on the establishment of volunteers in Macclesfiedl in 1797, and other particulars of the early volunteer movement. Mecclesfiedl : Courier Office, 1894.
		Simpson, Frank. The Old Chester Volunteers and their Colour. Chester : printed by G.R. Griffith, 1911.
		McGuinness, J. H. *The first hundred years : the story of 4th Battalion, The Cheshire Regiment, 1859-1959. [s.l. : s.n.*, W.H. Evans], 1959.
		Terry, Astley. Historical records of the 5th Administrative Battalion Cheshire Rifle Volunteers. Sandbach : printed by Colour-Sergt. Eachus, 1879. [with annual supplements to 1896]
		Disbrowe, E.J.W. History of the Volunteer Movement in Cheshire, 1914-1920. Stockport : Swain & Co., 1920
		Simpson, Frank. The Chester Volunteers, with special reference to A Company, 3rd Volunteer Battalion, The Cheshire Regiment (1914-1920). Chester : The Courant Press, [1920]
		Dorning, H. The History of No. 3 Hale Platoon, A Company, 1st Volunteer Battalion The Cheshire Regiment, 1914-1919. Manchester : [s.n.], 1920.

	First World War:
		Crookenden, Arthur. The history of the Cheshire Regiment in the Great War ... [s.l. : s.n., printed by W.H. Evans], 1938.
		Crookenden, Arthur. The history of the Cheshire Regiment in the Great War ... 2nd ed. [s.l. : s.n., printed by W.H. Evans], 1939.
		Simpson, Frank. The First Battalion at Mons and the miniature colour. [Chester : printed by W.H. Evans], 1929.
		Simpson, Frank. *The Cheshire Regiment or 22nd Regiment of Foot; the First Battalion at Mons and the miniature colour*. 2nd ed. Chester : W.H. Evans, Sons & Co., Printers, 1929.
		Wolff, Anne. Subalterns of the foot : three World War I diaries of officers of the Cheshire Regiment. Worcester : A Square One Publication, 1992. ISBN: 187201755X
		Churton, W.A.V. The war record of the 1/5th (Earl of Chester's) battalion, the Cheshire reigment, August, 1914-June, 1919. Chester : Phillipson and Golder, 1920.
		Smith, Charles. War history of the 6th Battalion : the Cheshire Regiment (T.F.). [s.l.] : The 6th Cheshire Old Comrades' Association, Swain, 1932.
		Johnston, Harrison. Extracts from an officer's diary, 1914-18, being the story of the 15th and 16th Service Battalions The Cheshire Regiment (originally Bantams). Manchester: Geo. Falkner & Sons, 1919.
		Kelsall, D. Stockport lads together. [s.l. : s.n.], 1989.

	Second World War:
		Crookenden, Arthur. *The history of the Cheshire Regiment in the Second World War. [s.l.* : s.n., printed by W.H. Evans], 1949.
		Gleave, John. The jungle war with the First battalion, the Cheshire regiment in Malaya. [Chester, Eng.] : Chester Chronicle and Associated Newspapers, 1958.
		Durtnell, C.S. Do you remember? The adventure of 7th Bn. The 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment during the World War, 1939-45. [s.l.] : Pub. Privately, 1947.

	Special Topics:
		*Presentation of colours to the first, fourth and seventh battalions, the 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment by Her Majesty the Queen, the Roodee, Chester. 11 July 1957*. [Programme] [Chester, Eng., Printed by W.H. Evans, Sons & Co., Ltd., 1957.
		*22nd Regiment : marches & airs. [s.l.*] : P. Copy,

	Manuscripts and Archives:
		Orderly Books of the Crown Forces in America 1775-1784, compiled by John K. Robertson, Don Hagist, Todd Braisted, and Don Londahl-Smidt (RevWar'75)

	Links:
		The Cheshire Regiment in America 1763-65: bibliography, by US Military History Institute.