Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 4.djvu/178

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [ii s. iv. AUG. 26, 1911.

in Switzerland for the British service. The result, the Regiment de Rolle, was employed in the Mediterranean and in Egypt, its ranks being increased by Swiss prisoners and deserters from Napoleon's army.

In 1812 the remnants of the Franco- Irish regiment of Dillon, which had passed from the French to the British service at the Revolution, were incorporated in the Regi- ment de Rolle, and it went to Spain, operat- ing against Marshal Suchet in Catalonia. The regiment was next quartered in Corfu, whence in 1816 it was transported to Venice and disbanded. Half the men were Catholics and half Protestants.

There was another Swiss regiment, that of De Meuron, which had an even more interesting career ; but as it was not at Maida, and is not asked for by MR. TEW, I will not further allude to it. Much other information about these Swiss regiments in European armies will be found in an article by Lieut. -General F. H. Tyrrell in The Journal of the Royal United Service Institution, April, 1897. R. S. PENGELLY.

12, Poynders Road, Clapham Park, S.W.

Although the 6 1st Regiment was stationed in Sicily in 1805, its two flank companies were present at the battle of Maida. A very full account of this battle is given in The Journal of the Royal Artillery, vol. xxxiv., in a lecture by Prof. C. W. C. Oman.

De Watteville's German Regiment was embodied in 1801. It served in the Mediter- ranean, and bore the honour " Maida " for its services in that battle. In the War of 1813-14 it was employed in Canada. At the attack on the enemy's position at Snake Hill, 15 August, 1814, its loss was 34 killed and 27 wounded, while 83 men missing were supposed to have been destroyed in the explosion of the powder magazine that resulted from the assault. On 17 September at Fort Erie the regiment was again actively employed, and furnished additional gunners to the artillery. The regiment was dis- banded in 1816. See 'Extinct Regiments of the British Army,' by A. E. Sewell, in vol. xxxi. of The Journal of the Royal United Service Institution.

The Regiment of De Rolle was a Swiss regiment, raised in December, 1794. It first appeared in the ' Army List ' in 1802. It was employed in Egypt, and bore the

Sphinx" and "Egypt," as honorary dis- tinctions, for its services in 1801. It was disbanded in 1816. JOHN H. LESLIE

" Maida " is borne on the colours of the Gloucestershire Regiment, this honour hav- ing been won by the present second battalion, the late 61st (South Gloucestershire) Regi- ment of Foot. From 1803 to 1814 the 61st had two battalions, but its second battalion remained at home during the whole course of its existence. The first battalion of the 61st served in Malta in 1803-4 ; and in Naples, under Sir James Craig, in 1805. Afterwards it went to Sicily, and the flank companies took part in the descent on Cala- bria and the battle of Maida. Subsequently the whole battalion was employed in restoring order in Calabria. The battalion went from Sicily to Gibraltar in 1807.

According to * The Records and Badges of the British Army ' by Chichester and Burges- Short, the honour " Maida " is also borne by the following existing regiments :

Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, won by the first battalion, formerly known as the 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot.

Royal Sussex Regiment, first battalion, formerly the 35th Regiment of Foot.

Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, won by the second battalion, late 81st (Loyal Lincoln Volunteers) Regiment of Foot.

Northamptonshire Regiment, won by the present second battalion, late 58th (Rutland- shire) Regiment of Foot.

Seaforth Highlanders, for whom it was won by the second battalion, originally the 78th (Highland) Foot, or Ross-shire Buffs. G. YARROW BALDOCK, Major.

I can give MR. TEW. some information regarding the first part of his query. Regi- ments are now known " territorially " ; formerly they were known by numbers, which were often changed. The present Gloucestershire Regiment was previously- the 28th, North Gloucestershire, and the 61st, South Gloucestershire. An * His- torical Record of the 61st Foot ' was pub- lished in 1844. There is a coloured frontis- piece showing the colours, but " Maida " is not on them. The share of the 61st Foot at that battle is detailed on pp. 20-22, and it is stated that it is commemorated by that word being used on the " appointments '* of the grenadiers and infantry.

The official ' Army List ' does not help us, and ' Hart's Army List ' has no 61st, but deals with the 28th as the Gloucestershire Regiment. The 28th is a regiment of dis- tinction, and has seen much service, but no history, public or private, has been published. In ' Hart's Army List ' there is a list of honours, ranging from " Ramilies "