Name : 66th (Berkshire) Regiment of Foot Started : 1782 Ended : 1881 Previous Regiment Lineage(s) : ---------------------------------------- 2nd 19th Regiment of Foot (1756 - 1758) 66th Regiment of Foot (1758 - 1782)
----------------------------------------
Subsequent Regiment Lineage : ---------------------------------------- Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Berkshire Regiment) (1881 - 1885) Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire Regiment) (1885 - 1921) Royal Berkshire Regiment (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) (1921 - 1959) Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment (Berkshire and Wiltshire) (1959 - 1994) Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment (1994 - 2007) The Rifles (2007 - Present)
----------------------------------------
The 66th Foot, which is now the second battalion of the Berkshire Regiment, formed, in 1775, a 2nd battalion of the 19th Regiment, but three years later it was made independent under its late number. After much foreign service, during which its first colours were deposited in the Court House of Kingston, Jamaica, instead of the parish church of a county town, it was first actively engaged at St. Domingo between 1795 and 1797, where its loss from various amounted to 705 officers and men. Proceeding to India in 1806, it was with Ochterlony on the Nepaul frontier from 1814 to 1816, doing gallant service at Muckwanpore; and in 1817 it was amalgamated with a 2nd battalion, that had been raised in 1803, at St. Helena, where it remained as a guard over the Emperor Napoleon I until he died, when the regiment formed the guard of honour at his funeral at Longwood. In Canada, from 1827 to 1841, it assisted in the suppression of the rebellion of 1838, being present at the affair of St. Charles; during the Russian War it again served in North America.
The 66th was in India from 1857 to 1865, when it came home; to return there in 1870 and take part later in the Afghan War as part of the Kandahar Field Force. It was engaged with General Burrows at Girishk, fought with the mutinous troops of the Wali of Kandahar in 1880, and again in the defence of the city, as well as in the battle fought by Sir Frederick Roberts which finished the campaign. But meanwhile, with the exception of two companies in garrison at Khelat-I-Gilzai, the bulk of the regiment had shared in the brilliant but disastrous "affair" of Maiwand. No pen can describe the devoted bravery of the officers and men of the 66th on the 27th of July, 1880, when they fought against overwhelming odds. Olivey and Honeywood carried the colours, and the latter was heard to cry as he held the flag on high, "Men, what shall we do to save this?" when he fell dead, as did Sergeant Major Cuphage, who next tried to take it. Elsewhere a detachment of about a hundred fought till all were slain, the last survivors forming a group, till "standing in the open, back to back, firing steadily and truly, every shot telling, surrounded by thousands, these eleven officers and men died." A monument to the memory of these most gallant soldiers has since been erected in the public gardens at Reading.
The 66th had a distinguished 2nd battalion, mentioned above, from 1803 until 1817. It added the Peninsular battles to the honour-roll for its gallant services at the Douro, Busaco, Nivelle, Garros, Nive, Orthes, Toulouse, and Bayonne; and during the war its total loss was 547 officers and men, or more than half its strength. Forming part of the garrison of St. Helena in the early part of Napoleon's exile there, it was amalgamated in 1817 with the 1st battalion, which came from India for that purpose. Before the Afghan War the 66th had a regimental pet named "Bob." He was a dog, and was present at and survived the battle of Maiwand. He died at Chatham, and his dead body was stuffed to adorn the sergeants mess.
The original facings of the 66th were inherited from the 19th Regiment; now they are "Royal Blue." The regimental badge is a stag under an oak, which was worn by the Berkshire Militia.
