Royal Leicestershire Regiment

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The Royal Leicestershire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, with a long history that began in 1688. It served in many wars over three centuries and, in 1964, was merged into The Royal Anglian Regiment. Part of its lineage continues today in the 4th (Leicestershire) Battalion of the Royal Anglian Regiment.

Origins and early service
- On 27 September 1688, Colonel Solomon Richards was tasked with raising a regiment in the London area. In its early years it was often known by the name of its colonel. After a failed siege relief at Derry in 1689, Richards was replaced by George St George.
- The regiment served in Flanders during the Nine Years’ War (1693–1697) and fought at Fort Knokke and Namur in 1695.
- In the War of the Spanish Succession, it fought at Kaiserswerth, Venlo and Huy (1702–1703) and later in Portugal, including sieges at Valencia de Alcántara, Alburquerque and Badajoz, and the capture of Ciudad Rodrigo (1706–1707).
- It returned to England in 1709 and in 1715 helped suppress the Jacobite rising, fighting at Sheriffmuir.
- The regiment moved to the Balearic Islands and Ireland before, in 1751, being numbered the 17th Regiment of Foot.

Leics in North America and the age of empire
- The regiment went to Nova Scotia in 1757 for the French and Indian War, taking part in the sieges of Louisbourg (1758), Ticonderoga (1759) and the capture of Montréal (1760). It also served in the West Indies and Ireland, returning to England in 1767.
- It fought in the American War of Independence, including at the Battle of Long Island (1776), White Plains, Fort Washington, Princeton, Brandywine, Germantown, and Monmouth. A notable action at Stony Point in 1779 saw a bold night attack by a detachment; later actions included Guilford Court House (1781) and Yorktown (1781).
- In 1782 the regiment received the county title Leicestershire, becoming the 17th (Leicestershire) Regiment of Foot. It returned to England in 1786 after service in Nova Scotia.

Two centuries of expansion and frontier service
- The regiment expanded to two battalions in 1799 and fought in the Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland (1799). It moved to India in 1804 and saw action in the Gurkha War and the Third Maratha War, earning its badge of a royal tiger in 1825 to mark its long service in Asia.
- It served in Australia from 1830 to 1836 and was involved in frontier conflicts in New South Wales, including actions at Moreton Island and nearby Minjerribah.
- The regiment fought in the First Anglo-Afghan War (1839) and later in the Crimean War (Sevastopol, 1854). A second battalion was raised in 1858.

Garrison, reform and the Leicestershire title
- In 1881, under reforms, the regiment became The Leicestershire Regiment. It absorbed local militia and rifle volunteers and maintained two battalions, with a Territorial Force presence added in 1908.
- A famous anecdote from this era concerns the 1887 execution of a Leicestershire Regiment private in India, which is believed to have inspired Rudyard Kipling’s poem Danny Deever.

World War I and interwar years
- At the start of World War I, the regiment expanded dramatically, eventually numbering up to 19 battalions. They served on the Western Front (France and Belgium), in Mesopotamia (Iraq) and in Palestine.
- The 1st Battalion fought on the Western Front; the 2nd landed in France with the Garhwal Brigade and later served in Mesopotamia and Palestine. Other battalions served in France, at Le Havre, and in Italy and Greece at various times. Several members earned the Victoria Cross for gallantry during the war.
- After the war, the 1st Battalion served in Ireland and later in Cyprus, Egypt and India. The 3rd (Militia) Battalion was suspended in 1921 and disbanded in 1953; the 4th/5th Bns and other Territorial units formed the postwar structure.

Second World War
- The 1st Battalion, a regular unit, fought in the Malayan Campaign and, after heavy losses and capture, reformed in 1942. The 2nd Battalion served in the Western Desert, Greece, Crete, Tobruk, Ceylon and India, fought with the Chindits in Burma, and participated in the Italian Campaign.
- The 5th Battalion saw action in Norway, the Dunkirk evacuation, North Africa, Italy and Greece before being disbanded after the war. The 7th and 8th Battalions, formed in 1940, served in home defence, later in India and the Chindits. The 44th (The Leicestershire Regiment) Anti-Aircraft Battalion (Royal Engineers) briefly supported the regiment before converting to artillery roles.
- The war left the regiment with significant casualties but also notable achievements in many theatres of operation.

Postwar and amalgamation
- In 1946 the regiment was granted royal status, becoming the Royal Leicestershire Regiment. The 2nd Battalion was abolished in 1948, while the 5th Battalion (Territorial) was reformed.
- The regiment joined the Forester Brigade in the late 1940s, sharing depots with other East Midlands regiments and basing at Glen Parva. The 1st Battalion served in the Korean War (1951–1952) and later in various postings including the Middle East and Africa.
- In 1964, The Royal Leicestershire Regiment was amalgamated into The Royal Anglian Regiment as part of a nationwide reform. The 1st Battalion of the Royal Leicestershire Regiment became the 4th (Leicestershire) Battalion of The Royal Anglian Regiment. The Leicestershire connection remained in the regiment’s insignia, and the lineage continued through the new corps.
- The Leicestershire heritage is celebrated in the Royal Leicestershire Regiment Museum, part of Newarke Houses Museum in Leicester.

Battle honours and legacy
- The regiment earned numerous battle honours from its many campaigns across three centuries. It produced several Victoria Cross recipients and left a lasting mark on British military history.