The 4th The King's Own Royal Regiment
The 4th or The King's Own Regiment traces its origins to the 2nd Tangier Regiment of Foot. This was raised in Devonshire in 1680, by Charles, Earl of Plymouth, son of Charles II, to defend Tangier which had been ceded to Charles II on his marriage to Catherine of Braganza, Infanta of Portugal. The 2nd Tangier Regiment returned to England in 1684.
In 1684, the 2nd Tangier Regiment became The Duchess of York and Albany's Regiment. The following year, this was altered to The Queen's, on the Duchess becoming Queen Consort. In 1715, after King George I ascended to the throne, another alteration took place to The King's Own.
The 4th Foot was the first regiment to join William of Orange on his landing at Torbay on 4 November 1688. King William granted the regiment the title the King's Own and directed to be borne on its Colours The Lion of England as the badge of the regiment. On 1 July 1690, the 4th was at the battle of the Boyne.
From 1704 to 1710, it served as a Marine Corps on board the fleet as the Queen's Marines. It was present at the capture of Gibraltar (1704–05). In 1715, the regiment resumed its position among the Land Forces of the Crown as The King's Own Regiment.
From 1751 to 1867, the regiment bore the title of The 4th or The King's Own Regiment. In 1867, it became The 4th (The King's Own Royal) Regiment. A second battalion was formed in 1858.
On 1 July 1881, the infantry were given a geographical connection with an appropriate territorial title in place of the regimental number. The 4th (The King's Own Royal) Regiment became The 1st Battalion The King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment) and adopted the Red Rose of Lancaster as one of its badges.
In 1920 the regimental title changed to the King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster).
On 1 October 1959 the King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) amalgamated with the Border Regiment, to form the King's Own Royal Border Regiment.
The King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) bears the Battle Honour Malta 1941–42.
The 1st Battalion/The 4th or The King's Own Regiment
1854 1st/4th Regiment
25 Apr 1854 The 1st/4th Regiment embarked at Scotland with 814 men fit for duty. It encamped on the Horn Works outside Porte de Bombes.
10 Apr The battalion left for Turkey on board the Emue for service in the Crimea.
Baptisms in 1854:
- 6 Aug Maria Shadbolt born on 12 July 1854, daughter of Elizabeth and Pte George Shadbolt.
Burials in 1854:
- 5 Apr Pte James Billows aged 37 years.
- 13 Apr Pte Joseph Jones aged 19 years.
1855 1st/4th Regiment
Burials in 1855:
- 1 Jan Pte John Harvey.
1856 1st/4th Regiment
Burials in 1856:
- 4 July Pte George McCartney.
The 1st/The 4th or The King's Own Regiment
The 1st/4th The King's Own Regiment arrived at Barbados from Gibraltar in January 1879. In November 1881, it returned to England from the West Indies having been ordered home on account of the prevalence of yellow fever at that station, and in consequence of the officers and men of the corps having suffered very severely from the disease.
1895 1st/King's Own (Royal Lancaster)
24 Sep 1895 The 1st/Royal Lancaster Regiment left Bowerham Barracks, Lancaster. It embarked at Portsmouth and disembarked in Malta on 4 Oct 1895.
It had an average strength of 126 men with 152 admissions (1206.30/1000 mean strength) into hospital and 1 death (7.94/1000 mean strength).
Its average constantly sick was 8.37 (66.43/1000 mean strength). The average sick time to each soldier was 24.25 days. The average duration of cases of sickness was 20.10 days.
The 1st/Royal Lancaster Regiment was quartered at Pembroke Camp for 3 months.
Burials in 1895:
- 7 Oct 1895 Amelia Selliott, aged 8 months was buried in Pietà Military Cemetery.
Baptisms in 1895:
- 22 Dec Mabel Selliott born 18 Dec 1895, daughter of Mary and Sgt William Benjamin of Floriana.
1896 1st/King's Own (Royal Lancaster)
The 1st/Royal Lancaster Regiment had an average strength of 872 men. It had 760 admissions (871.6/1000 mean strength) into hospital with 10 deaths (11.47/1000 mean strength). 20 invalids returned to England.
Its average constantly sick was 51.09 (58.59/1000 mean strength). The average sick time to each soldier was 24.44 days. The average duration of cases of sickness was 24.60 days.
The 1st/Royal Lancaster Regiment was quartered at Mtarfa Barracks for 12 months. It was the first regiment to occupy the newly constructed barracks. In July 1896, there were nine cases of enteric fever with five deaths at Mtarfa Barracks (Imtarfa).
The regiment also had 116 cases of malarial fevers in a large draft which had arrived from India in February. There were no deaths.
Baptisms in 1896:
- 21 Feb Nellie Melita Rogers born 3 Feb 1896, daughter of Ellen and CSgt Charles Rogers of Mtarfa.
- 21 Feb Marguerite Heap born 26 Jan 1896, daughter of Margaret and Sgt John Heap of Mtarfa.
- 5 Mar Nellie Elizabeth Wilson born 16 Jan 1896, daughter of Letitia and Sgt Maj George Wilson of Mtarfa.
- 29 Apr Amy Elizabeth Jones born 7 Apr 1896, daughter of Alice and CSgt Benjamin Jones of Mtarfa.
- 21 May Arthur Ernest Reeves born 28 Apr 1896, son of Clara Ann Jane and Sgt Walter Reeves of Mtarfa.
- 13 Nov Arthur Taylor born 9 Oct 1896, son of Amy and Sgt George Taylor of Mtarfa.
- 13 Dec Winifred Lydia Lelliot born 15 Nov 1896, daughter of Mary and Sgt William Benjamin Lelliot of Pembroke Camp.
Burials in Rinella Military Cemetery in 1896:
- 11 Aug Pte Walter Crane aged 23 years, died at Cottonera.
- 17 Aug James Smith aged 20 years 9 months, died at Cottonera.
- 11 Nov Arthur Brown aged 24 years, died at Cottonera.
Burials in Pietà Military Cemetery in 1896:
- 6 Feb Pte David Metcalf aged 22 years 11 months.
- 23 May George Bindley aged 22 years.
- 29 June Infant Richard Ornerod Bradshaw aged 6 months.
- 10 July Pte Launcelot Lancaster Parker aged 20 years 10 months.
- 11 July Pte Frederick Beckett aged 21 years.
- 1 Aug Pte Robert Thompson aged 24 years.
- 16 Aug Infant Marguerite Heap aged 6 months, daughter of Sgt John Heap from Mtarfa.
- 14 Sep Infant Nellie Rogers aged 7 months, daughter of CSgt C Rogers.
1897 1st/King's Own (Royal Lancaster)
QM Sgt 1st Bn King's Own Regt died 28 Aug 1897 aged 33 yrs. (Ta' Braxia Cemetery)
The 1st/Royal Lancaster Regiment had an average strength of 858 men. It had 714 admissions (832.2/1000 mean strength) into hospital with 6 deaths (6.90/1000 mean strength). 32 invalids returned to England.
Its average constantly sick was 50.34 (58.67/1000 mean strength). The average sick time to each soldier was 21.42 days. The average duration of cases of sickness was 25.73 days.
The 1st/Royal Lancaster Regiment was quartered at Mtarfa Barracks for 3 1/2 months and Lower St Elmo Barracks for 7 months. It embarked for Hong Kong on 25 Nov 1897, where it arrived on 26 December.
Baptisms in 1897:
- 19 Feb Herbert Charles Dove born 20 Jan 1897, son of Sarah Matilda and Sgt Charles Dove of Mtarfa Barracks.
- 10 Mar Sydney Tom Cooley born 14 Feb 1897, son of Emma Mary and Sgt Sydney Billem Cooley of Valletta.
- 21 Mar Lilian Clara Rogers born 16 Feb 1897, daughter of Ellen and CSgt Charles Rogers of Mtarfa.
- 31 Mar Valentine Heap born 14 Feb 1897, child of Margaret and Sgt John Heap of Mtarfa.
- 29 Apr Ivy Kathleen Thorp born 17 Mar 1897, daughter of Elizabeth and CSgt James Thorp of Fort St Angelo.
- 5 May Amy Florence Hawkins born 29 Mar 1897, daughter of Amy Annie and Band Sgt William Frederick Hawkins of Valletta.
- 27 July Walter Lawrence Reeves born 19 June 1897, son of Clara Anne Jane and Sgt Walter Reeves of Fort Salvatore.
- 2 Sep Alice Louisa Lingard born 12 Aug 1897, daughter of Caroline Louisa and Sgt Herbert Lingard of Valletta.
- 26 Sep Eleanor Bradshaw born 14 Sep 1897, daughter of Emmeline and Sgt Richard Ormerod Bradshaw of Fort St Angelo.
Burials in Rinella Military Cemetery in 1897:
- 24 June Pte John Jones aged 23 years, died at Fort St Angelo.
- 21 Oct Walter Lawrence Reeves aged 4 months, son of Sgt Fort Salvatore.
- 26 Oct Arthur Jones born 25 Oct 1897, son of Alice and CSgt Benjamin Jones of Valletta.
Burials in Pietà Military Cemetery in 1897:
- 31 Oct Infant Arthur Jones aged 4 days, son of CSgt Jones.
- 16 Dec Pte Charles Triminer aged 22 years 2 months.
25 Nov 1897 The 1st/Royal Lancaster Regiment embarked for Hong Kong, leaving 12 men in Malta with 8 in hospital. It arrived in Hong Kong on 26 December 1897.
1898 1st/King's Own (Royal Lancaster)
Detachment of 118 men left for England.
Baptisms in 1898:
- 24 Jan John George Tyrrell born 18 Oct 1897, son of Florence Fanny and Band Master Harry William Tyrrell of Sliema.
The 1st/The 4th or The King's Own Regiment
1901 1st/King's Own (Royal Lancaster)
19 Nov 1901 The 1st Battalion Royal Lancaster Regiment arrived in Aldershot on 26 March 1900.
On 19 Nov 1901, it embarked at Southampton on the Sicilia, disembarking at Malta on 28 Nov 1901.
1902 1st/King's Own (Royal Lancaster)
Baptisms in the Garrison Church in 1902:
- 29 Oct John Ernest Ward born on 14 October 1902, son of Florence and Sgt John James Ward, resident at Cospicua.
Burials in Rinella Military Cemetery in 1902:
- 21 Jan Pte Henry Gilling aged 19 years, died at Cottonera Hospital.
- 29 June Arthur William Shearer aged 10 months, died at Cottonera.
- 7 July Joseph Henry Hutchinson aged 1 month, died at Cottonera.
- 27 July Pte Charles Stirland aged 29 years, died at Cottonera.
- 28 Dec Alice Fitton aged 3 months, daughter of Sgt Fitton died at Cottonera.
1903 1st/King's Own (Royal Lancaster)
Baptisms in the Garrison Church in 1903:
- 6 May Florence Beatrice Linton born on 27 March 1903, daughter of Florence Jane and Sgt Alexander Burnett Linton, resident at Polverista Barracks Cottonera.
17 Sep 1903 The 1st/King's Own (Royal Lancaster) embarked on the Soudan for Bombay, where it arrived on 2 Oct 1903.
Burials in Rinella Military Cemetery in 1903:
- 8 Jan John Chadwick Fitton aged 1 year 5 months, son of Sgt Fitton died at Cottonera.
- 24 Apr Francis Payne aged 24 years, died at Cottonera.
- 30 May W Cole aged 5 months, died at Zabbar.
- 19 July Pte Thomas C Hemus aged 32 years, died at Cottonera.
- 21 Aug L/Sgt William Thomas aged 24 years, died at Cottonera.
Burials in 1903:
- 13 Feb Pte John Jennings, aged 21 years 9 months, was accidentally shot on Pembroke Ranges on 11 Feb 1903. He was buried in Pietà Military Cemetery.
- 29 Apr Pte John Turner aged 19 years was buried in Mtarfa Military Cemetery.
The 2nd/The 4th or The King's Own Regiment
1864 2nd/4th The King's Own
4 June 1864 The 2nd Battalion The King's Own Regiment arrived from Corfu. The regiment had served in Corfu and Cephalonia since 2 June 1859.
In 1864, the regiment had an average strength of 450 men, 365 hospital admissions (811 admissions per 1000 of mean strength) with 3 deaths in hospital and 3 out of hospital (13.33 deaths per 1000 of mean strength).
1865 2nd/4th The King's Own
In 1865, the regiment had an average strength of 743 men. There were 587 hospital admissions (790 admissions per 1000 of mean strength) with 21 deaths in hospital, 1 out of hospital and 1 death among the invalids (32.30 deaths per 1000 of mean strength).
The 2nd/4th Regiment occupied Floriana Barracks; their families were in old badly constructed and dilapidated huts on the Hornwork of Floriana, which they shared with the families of the 100th Regiment. Floriana Barracks had been an old casemated store house, which had been adapted to accommodate the infantry. It was bounded on one side by a parapet which overlooked on to the Ospizio dei Vecchi and St Salvatore Counter Guard. On the other side was the Civil Hospital.
On 13 July an officer's servant and the wife of a private soldier fell ill with cholera. Panic ensued in the barracks which lasted for two days and two nights, when men and women became very agitated and convinced themselves that they had caught the disease. The men were transferred from their barracks and placed under canvas on the Floriana parade ground, three companies moved into huts on Notre Dame Ravelin. A hospital marquee was erected as it was too far to admit patients to the General Hospital in Lower Merchant Street Valletta. Infected bedding was destroyed and the excreta disinfected and buried in pits.
Despite these precautions more cases followed. Surgeon Benjamin Lane urged the removal of the troops to St George's Bay or Citta Vecchia, but the PMO, Inspector General Arthur Anderson placed them under canvas upon the adjoining parade ground. The men persisted in using the barracks by day but slept under canvas at night. From 13 to 20 July, cholera raged among the families. Surgeon Lane suggested all the families to be moved under tents upon the same ground as that occupied by the men.
In July there was a total of 21 sick with 15 deaths. In August 9 fell ill with 7 deaths. The last soldier died on 16 September. The 2nd/4th had a total of 31 sick and 23 deaths. Deaths from cholera occurred at Floriana Barracks (5), Floriana Pavilion (1), Notre Dame Ravelin (4), Horn Works (3), Valletta Hospital (2), and Floriana Encampment (8).
Memorial erected at Quarantine Bastion Cemetery Floriana by B Coy 4th Battalion King's Own Royal Regiment to their comrades who died of cholera in August 1865:
- Pte Thomas Bell
- Pte Samuel Rood
- Pte Griffin Bond
- William Brooks 2nd/4th KORR died of cholera 16 Sept 1865 aged 26 years. (Quarantine Bastion Cemetery Floriana).
1866 2nd/4th the King's Own
In 1866, the regiment had an average strength of 157 men. There were 68 hospital admissions (433.1 admissions per 1000 of mean strength) with 1 death in hospital (6.37 deaths per 1000 of mean strength).
27 Mar 1866 The 2nd/4th the King's Own embarked for Nova Scotia where it arrived on 21 April 1866. It was relieved in Malta by the 1st/8th Regiment.
The 2nd/The King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster)
Burials at the Naval Cemetery (Capuccini) in 1914:
- 13 Dec 9957 Pte A Appleton 2nd Battalion.
The 6th/The King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment)
1915 – 6th/The King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment)
The 6th Bn King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment was raised in Lancaster on 9 August 1914. It arrived in Gallipoli on 6 July 1915 and formed part of 13th (Western Division) 38th Brigade.
Burials at Pietà Military Cemetery in 1915:
- 3 Aug Pte Lythgoe J H aged 23 yrs.
- 22 Aug Pte Sumner J aged 26 yrs.
- 26 Aug Pte Cardwell J aged 22 yrs.
- 1 Sep Pte Walker J aged 22 yrs.
- 6 Sep Pte Mitchell J W aged 23 yrs.
- 15 Oct Pte Mossop G H aged 21 years.
The 8th/The King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster)
1941 8th/KORR (Lancaster)
2 Aug 1941 The 8th Battalion arrived at Malta. It had 33 officers and 810 men.
1942 8th/KORR (Lancaster)
1943 8th/KORR (Lancaster)
10 Oct 1943 The 8th Battalion left for Palestine. On 30 Jan 1944, it absorbed 58 survivors of the 1st Battalion. This had moved to Leros from Palestine in 1943 and was virtually annihilated in the German assault on the island.
Bibliography
- Farmer J. S., 1984. The regimental records of the British Army Reprint Edition, Trowbridge, Wiltshire: Crecy Books.
- Rudolf R., 1988. Campaign histories of the Infantry Regiments of the British Army, Hayward and Sons, Polstead Suffolk.
- Record of the services of British Regiments. The Fourth (The King's Own) Regiment of Foot. The Naval and Military Magazine Vol IV No VIII page 317, December 1828. London 1828.
- TNA:WO 379/15. Stations of Regiments 1901–1920.
- Boileau, J. P. H., A few remarks on yellow fever and on the movement of troops. Br Med J (1882), page 7, (Published 7 January 1882).
- TNA:WO 156/122; List of gravestones at the Military and Civil Cemetery 1801–1865 and the Quarantine Bastion Cemetery 1819–1867 compiled by the Rev D B L Foster Assistant Chaplain General Western Mediterranean in May 1939.
- 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.
- Register No 13. Burials No 8, Pietà Cemetery 1887–1908.