The King's Own Light Infantry (South Yorkshire Regiment)
The 51st Foot was raised in the West Riding of York, in December 1755, at the start of the Seven Years War. It was renumbered 51st in 1757, after two intervening regiments were disbanded.
The 51st Regiment became a Light Infantry Corps in 1809 when it was designated the 51st (2nd Yorkshire West Riding Light Infantry) Regiment.
In 1821, it added the title The King's Own to its name to become The 51st (2nd Yorkshire West Riding The King's Own Light Infantry) Regiment.
On 1 July 1881, the 51st (2nd Yorkshire West Riding The King's Own Light Infantry) Regiment of Foot merged with the 105th (Madras Light Infantry) Regiment, to become The King's Own Light Infantry (South Yorkshire Regiment).
The 51st became The First Battalion The King's Own Light Infantry (South Yorkshire Regiment).
The 105th became The Second Battalion The King's Own Light Infantry (South Yorkshire Regiment).
On 1 June 1887, the regimental title altered to The King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry.
In 1959 the regiment became The King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
On 10 July 1968, the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, the King's Shropshire Light Infantry (53rd Foot and 85th Foot), the Durham Light Infantry (68th Foot and 106th Foot), and the Somerset and Cornwall Light Infantry, merged to form The Light Infantry.
1822 – 51st (2nd Yorkshire West Riding) Regiment of Foot.
The 51st Regiment were stationed in Corfu. Invalids from the Ionian Islands were sent to the Convalescent Station in Malta. Some had their families on the island.
Baptisms in 1822:
- 13 Oct Catherine Baker born 26 Sep 1822, daughter of Catherine and Sgt George Baker deceased.
1823 – 51st (2nd Yorkshire West Riding) Regiment of Foot.
The 51st Regiment were stationed in Corfu.
Baptisms in 1823:
- 9 Mar Charles Barrow born 26 Feb 1823, son of Elizabeth and Pte George Barrow.
Burials in 1823:
- 2 Feb Death of John Murphy aged 26 years from paralysis. He was an invalid of the 51st Regt on his passage to England from the Ionian Islands. He was said to have been
quite idiotic and beyond all hopes of recovery, so that little could be done for him except to attend to his diets. Five small tumours were discovered in the spinal marrow.
- 1 Apr Charles Barrow aged 1 month, son of Elizabeth and Pte George Barrow.
1824 – 51st (2nd Yorkshire West Riding) Regiment of Foot.
Burials in 1824:
- 3 Apr Cpl Francis Wood aged 39 years.
1825 – 51st (2nd Yorkshire West Riding) Regiment of Foot.
Burials in 1825:
- 8 May Pte James Linton aged 15 years.
1826 – 51st (2nd Yorkshire West Riding) Regiment of Foot.
Baptisms in 1826:
- 1 Aug Conrad Bingham William Rains born 6 March 1821, son of Ann Eve and Brevet Major William Kingdom Rains.
Capt W Kingdom Rains 51st (The 2nd Yorkshire West Riding) Regt held the rank of brevet major from 17 November 1825.
He was placed on the half pay on 1 June 1826.
Burials in 1826:
- 7 Jan Pte James Chipping aged 35 years.
The 51st (2nd Yorkshire West Riding) or The King's Own Light Infantry
1854 51st (2nd Yorkshire West Riding KOLI)
Mar 1854 The 51st arrived in Malta.
6 Apr A detachment of 220 men left for Turkey.
1855 51st (2nd Yorkshire West Riding KOLI)
Oct 1855 The detachment returned to Malta. It encamped on the Horn Works outside Floriana.
Burials in 1855:
- 19 Sep Pte George Leech 51st Regiment aged 24 years.
- 30 Oct Pte Francis Ross aged 24 years.
1856 51st (2nd Yorkshire West Riding KOLI)
1856 Strength 740 men. The battalion was at Floriana Camp.
9 June 1856 The 51st embarked for England.
Burials in 1856:
- 2 Jan Pte Thomas Holt 51st Regiment aged 22 years.
- 15 Jan Pte James Harisson 51st Regiment aged 27 years.
- 6 Mar Pte James Roe aged 27 years.
- 7 Mar Pte Charles Vedmore aged 22 years.
- 27 May Pte John Leonard aged 31 years.
The 2nd/King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry) (South Yorkshire Regiment)
1 July 1881 The 105th Regiment became The 2nd Battalion The King's Own Light Infantry (South Yorkshire Regiment).
1885 2nd/King's Own Light Infantry (South Yorkshire Regiment)
27 Dec 1884 The 2nd/King's Own Light Infantry (South Yorkshire Regiment) left York for Portsmouth on 26 December 1884 and embarked for Malta. The regiment disembarked in Malta on 6 January 1885.
The 2nd/South Yorkshire Regiment had an average strength of 841 men.
It had 888 admissions into hospital with 16 deaths. 11 invalids returned to England.
Its average constantly sick was 51.88. The average sick time to each soldier was 22.40 days. The average duration of cases of sickness was 21.30 days.
At the beginning of April, five companies of the 2nd/South Yorkshire Regiment were moved from Verdala Barracks Cottonera to the forts on the eastern extremity of the island, about 5 miles distant. The men were encamped on the glacis of the forts, but during the day occupied the rooms within and had their dinners there. This move was said to have improved the health of the men.
1886 2nd/King's Own Light Infantry (South Yorkshire)
(Pieta' Military Cemetery).
The 2nd/South Yorkshire Regiment was stationed in Valletta for 12 months with detachments at Gozo and Pembroke Camp. It had an average strength of 1030 men.
It had 924 admissions into hospital with 11 deaths including 1 among the invalids.
20 invalids returned to England. Its average constantly sick was 59.66. The average sick time to each soldier was 21.14 days. The average duration of cases of sickness was 23.56 days.
26 Dec 1866 Captain David Bruce AMS carried a postmortem examination on a twenty year old private soldier of the regiment who had died from undulant fever. Bruce prepared stained sections of spleen, and identified micrococci in enormous numbers. Bruce remarked: whether these micrococci have any causal significance in this fever, must remain very doubtful until more cases are examined.
Baptisms in the Garrison Church, Valletta in 1886:
- 3 Sep Edith Frances Elizabeth Page daughter of Mary Ann and CSgt William Augustus Page of Fort Lower St Elmo Valletta, born on 23 Aug 1886.
- 7 Sep Minnie Melita Wilson daughter of Louisa and Bdsm James Wilson of the Camerata, Valletta, born on 27 Aug 1886.
- 10 Sep Agnes Hannah Leanora Geary daughter of Agnes Annie and CSgt Edward Geary of Fort Upper St Elmo Valletta, born on 29 Aug 1886.
- 5 Nov Albert Edward Jupe son of Ann and Sgt Henry Jupe of the Camerata, Valletta, born on 18 Oct 1886.
- 17 Dec Alma Florence Turner daughter of Hannah and QMSgt William Frederick Turner of Fort St Elmo, Valletta, born on 3 Dec 1886.
- 23 Dec Ida Ester Livies daughter of Ionia Rebecca and CSgt Alfred Ernest Livies of Fort St Elmo, born on 9 Dec 1886.
Burials in Pietà Military Cemetery in 1886:
- 6 Jun Bugler James Keyes aged 18 years 6 months.
1887 2nd/King's Own Light Infantry (South Yorkshire)
The 2nd/South Yorkshire Regiment had an average strength of 122 men.
It had 88 admissions into hospital with 1 death. 4 invalids returned to England.
Its average constantly sick was 5.77. The average sick time to each soldier was 17.26 days. The average duration of cases of sickness was 23.93 days.
18 Feb 1887 The 2nd/King's Own Light Infantry (South Yorkshire Regiment) embarked for Karachi where it disembarked on 7 March 1887.
Baptisms in the Garrison Church, Valletta in 1887:
- 30 Jan Thomas William Holden son of Elizabeth and Sgt John Holden of the Camerata Valletta, born on 9 Jan 1887.
- 30 Jan Joseph George Green son of Mary Ann and CSgt Joseph Green of the Camerata Valletta, born on 18 Jan 1887.
- 25 Feb Elizabeth Morris daughter of Maggie and Pte William Morris of the Camerata Valletta, born on 18 Feb 1887.
Burials in Pietà Military Cemetery in 1887:
- 27 Dec Pte A Bartlett aged 30 years.
- 31 Dec Pte G Coates aged 25 years.
1893 – 2nd/King's Own Light Infantry (South Yorkshire)
Burials in Rinella Military Cemetery in 1893:
- 6 Feb W Spence aged 26 years, died at Cottonera.
The 2nd/King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry)
1902 2nd/King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry)
13 Oct 1899 The 2nd/Yorkshire Light Infantry arrived in South Africa.
28 Oct 1902 The 2nd/Yorkshire Light Infantry embarked at Durban on the Staffordshire on 7 October and disembarked in Malta on 28 October 1902.
1903 2nd/King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry)
1903 The battalion was stationed at St Georges Barracks Pembroke.
Burials in Pietà Military Cemetery in 1903:
- 27 Jan Pte Richard Archer, aged 29 years.
- 13 Nov Sgt John Robert Scarr, aged 40 years.
- 11 Dec Pte Arthur Fitch aged 23 years, died at Pembroke and was buried in Rinella Military Cemetery.
1904 2nd/King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry)
(Mtarfa Military Cemetery)
1 Mar 1904 HQ Coy, "A" Coy, "B" Coy, "F" Coy and "H" Coy embarked for Crete on the Dunera. A wing of 500 men remained in Malta.
Baptisms in the Garrison Church in 1904:
- 23 Oct John Guthrie born on 28 September 1904, son of Rebecca and Sgt Robert Guthrie, resident at No 5 married quarters Mtarfa Barracks.
Burials in Mtarfa Military Cemetery in 1904:
- 21 Mar Sgt Arthur Lingwood "E" Coy aged 24 yrs 2 mths died on 18 March 1904.
- 15 June Mary Vier aged 2 hrs daughter of Sgt Herbert Vier.
- 15 July Pte J. W. Smith aged 24 yrs.
- 29 July Pte Charles E. Hoult "G"Coy aged 27 yrs 7 mths died at Citta Vecchia Hospital on 28 July 1904.
- 30 July Alfred Charles Noel Audsley aged 7 mths child of Farrier Sgt Audsley 2nd/Yorkshire Mounted Infantry.
1905 2nd/King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry)
Jan 1905 The battalion was in Crete with a wing of 500 men on rear party at Malta.
1 Mar The 2nd/Yorkshire Light Infantry embarked for England.
The 3rd/King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry)
1901 3rd/King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry)
June 1901 The 3rd/King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry) arrived from England.
Burials in 1901:
- 3 July George Taylor aged 23 years, died at Cottonera and was buried in Rinella Military Cemetery.
- 8 July R. Ed. Cecil Hewes aged 5 months, died at Cottonera and was buried in Rinella Military Cemetery.
- 9 Sep Maud Elsie Holliday aged 6 years of Mtarfa Barracks was buried in Mtarfa Military Cemetery.
- 19 Dec Pte Walter Pemberton aged 19 yrs in Gozo Cemetery.
Burials in Pietà Military Cemetery in 1901:
- 9 Aug Pte Albert Sims, aged 24 years.
- 10 Aug Pte William Kirkhill aged 19 years 4 months.
- 4 Dec Pte James Cowen aged 20 years, based in Gozo but died at Malta.
1902 3rd/King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry)
23 Mar 1902 The 3rd/King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry) consisting of HQ Coy and 6 companies, 10 officers, 1 officer's wife and 3 children, 1 warrant officer, 29 sergeants, 6 buglers, 425 rank and file, 4 soldier's wives and 11 children, embarked for Liverpool on board the Menes. The men disembarked on 2 April.
The 3rd/King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry) was disbanded.
The 1st/King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry)
1921 1st/King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry)
1 Apr 1921 Strength: 28 officers, 720 rank and file.
Bibliography
- Farmer J. S., 1984. The regimental records of the British Army Reprint Edition, Trowbridge, Wiltshire: Crecy Books.
- Edwards T. J., 1980. Regimental Badges First Edition, Tonbridge, Kent: Ernest Benn Ltd.
- Famous Units. The National Army Museum. Available from http://www.nam.ac.uk/research/famous-units.
- TNA:WO 379/11. Stations of Regiments 1859–1900.
- TNA:WO 156/113. Register of burials September 1853 to June 1862.
- TNA:WO 156/115. Register of burials in the military cemetery Rinella from January 1890 to January 1908.
- TNA:WO 379/11. Stations of Regiments 1859–1900.
- Record of the Services of British Regiments - Fifty first (Second York West Riding) or the King's Own Light Infantry Regiment. The Naval and Military Magazine (1827) i; 367. London 1827.