Regiments
Of the Malta Garrison
16th (Bedfordshire)

The 16th (Bedfordshire Regiment)

Bedfordshire Regt
The Star of the Order of the Bath, superimposed upon the Star of the Order of the Garter, in the centre is the Garter and motto, within which is a Hart crossing a ford.

The 16th Foot was raised in 1688 as Colonel James Douglas' Regiment of Foot. In 1751 it became the 16th Regiment of Foot and in 1782 it was given the county association with Buckinghamshire. In 1809, the county title was exchanged with the 14th at the request of the colonel of that regiment, to become the 16th (Bedfordshire) Regiment of Foot.

On 1 July 1881 the 16th Foot became The 1st Battalion The Bedfordshire Regiment. The Hart, the badge of the Hertford Militia, was incorporated into the badge in 1881, when the Hertford Militia became a battalion of the Bedfordshire.

In 1919, the name Hertfordshire was incorporated into the title under Army Order 269. This was in recognition of the men from Hertfordshire who served with the Bedfordshire Regiment during the Great War.

In 1958 the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment amalgamated with the Essex Regiment to become the 3rd/East Anglian Regiment.

The 1st/Bedfordshire Regiment

On 1 July 1881 the 16th Foot became The 1st Battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment.

1890 1st/Bedfordshire

verdala plan
TNA:MPH 1/912 Plan of Verdala Barracks 22 Apr 1854

12 Feb 1890 The 1st/Bedfordshire embarked at Portsmouth from Aldershot. It disembarked at Malta on 21 Feb 1890 and replaced the 2nd/Border Regiment which left for India.

It had an average strength of 582 men with 468 admissions (804.1/1000 mean strength) into hospital and 9 deaths (15.46/1000 mean strength). 10 invalids returned to England.

Its average constantly sick was 29.13 (50.05/1000 mean strength). The average sick time to each soldier was 18.27 days. The average duration of cases of sickness was 22.72 days.

The 1st/Bedfordshire Regiment was quartered at Verdala Barracks on the Cottonera side of the Grand Harbour for 11 months with detachments at Pembroke Camp for 4 months.

20 Dec 1890 The Bedfordshire Regiment embarked for Bombay.
It was relieved in Malta by the 2nd/Royal Scots Regiment.

Baptisms in 1890:

Burials in Rinella Military Cemetery in 1890:

1891 1st/Bedfordshire

9 May 1891 The 1st/Bedfordshire Regiment disembarked at Bombay on 7 Jan 1891. A detachment remained in Malta until May 1891. It had an average strength of 4 men with 3 admissions and 2 deaths and 4 invalids returned home.

Baptisms in 1891:

Burials in Rinella Military Cemetery in 1891:

The 1st/5th Bedfordshire Regiment

1915 – 5th Bedfordshire

The 1st/5th Bedfordshire Regiment embarked at Devonport on 26 July 1915. It disembarked on the Gallipoli Peninsula on 10 August.

Burials in Pietà Military Cemetery in 1915:

The 1st/Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment

1925 1st/Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire

Nov 1925 Arrived from Aldershot.

1926 1st/Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire

1 Jan 1926 Strength: 26 officers and 598 men.

1 Oct Strength: 27 officers and 797 rank and file.

1927 1st/Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire

1 Jan 1927 Strength: 28 officers and 828 men.

Feb Left for Shanghai as part of the International Defence Force during China's Civil War between nationalists and communists. The regiment was tasked to protect the port and the European population in Shanghai.

1 Apr 1927 Strength: 0 officers and 39 men.

1928 1st/Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire

1 Jan 1928 Strength: 0 officers and 38 men.

1929 1st/Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire

1 Jan 1929 Strength: 0 officers and 37 men.

Bibliography