The 9th (East Norfolk) Regiment
The 9th Foot was raised in 1685 by King James II during the time of the Monmouth Rebellion.
It was numbered 9th Foot in 1751, to which the title East Norfolk was added in 1782.
On 1 July 1881, the infantry were given a geographical connection with an appropriate territorial title in place of the regimental number. The 9th Regiment became The 1st Battalion The Norfolk Regiment.
The Norfolk Regiment received its Royal prefix in June 1935 during the jubilee of King George V.
In 1959, The Royal Norfolk Regiment merged with The Suffolk Regiment to form The East Anglian (Royal Norfolk and Suffolk) Regiment.
The regimental badge is the image of Britannia, which is believed to have been granted by Queen Anne in recognition of the regiment's distinguished conduct at the Battle of Almanza in 1707. During the War of the Spanish Succession, the 9th covered the retreat of Lord Galway, thus upholding the honour of Great Britain.
The 1st/9th (East Norfolk) Regiment
1854 9th (East Norfolk)
3 Mar 1854 The 9th Foot arrived from Ireland with 505 men fit for duty. A part of the 9th Foot was quartered at Fort St Elmo, the rest at the School for Girls, and the Castellaria in Merchant Street Valletta.
20 May The Steamer Karnak left Cork on 20 May with 60 private soldiers, 3 women and 10 children of 3rd Regiment of Foot, 5 private soldiers, 7 women and 15 children of 9th Regiment of Foot, 102 private soldiers, 6 women and 9 children of 62nd Regiment of Foot, and 47 private soldiers, 2 women and 0 children of 68th Regiment of Foot. The ship was under the medical charge of Assistant Surgeon Andrew risk 23rd Regiment. It arrived at Malta on 31 May 1854. There had been no casualties or sick during the voyage other than a single case of measles.
18 Apr The 9th Foot formed part of the reserve at Verdala Barracks until required in the east during the war with Russia.
10 Oct The 9th Foot moved from Fort Verdala to Fort St Elmo and Auberge Bavarie Valletta vice The 3rd (East Kent–The Buffs) Regiment of Foot.
Nov 1854 The 9th Foot left for Turkey and the Crimea. The regiment (20 officers, 544 men) landed at Balaklava on 27 Nov 1854. It was marched at once to the Lines before Sebastopol and placed on duty in the trenches. The weather was wet, cold and tempestuous. Cholera made its appearance on 29 November. In the course of that and the following day, 13 cases occurred of which 6 proved fatal; 81 fell ill in December out of a strength of 544 men.
The regiment had suffered much from fever at Malta during autumn. Many men were embarked for service in the Crimea while still convalescing, and not yet fully fit to encounter the hardships and deprivations of their new positions.
Baptisms in 1854:
- 11 Jan Mary Jane Amelia Hamner born 5 November 1853, daughter of Margaret and CSgt William James Hamner 49th Regiment.
- 18 Apr Georgiana Cox born on 9 March 1854, daughter of Emma and QM Sgt Harry Cox.
- 2 May Elizabeth Anna Maria Jeffreys born on 18 April 1854, daughter of Eliza and Sgt Robert Jeffreys.
- 7 May Andrew James Rees born on 23 April 1854, son of Elizabeth and Pte George Rees.
- 11 Aug Charles Sheaves born on 22 July 1854, son of Winifred and Sgt John Sheaves.
- 25 Aug Elizabeth Emma Briggs born on 18 July 1854, daughter of Harriet and CSgt John Briggs.
- 17 Sep Mary Ann Bradley born on 5 September 1854, daughter of Matilda and Sgt John Bradley.
- 18 Sep Cecilia Louisa Harrington Hawes born on 12 September 1854, daughter of the late Cecilia Priscilla nee Yelverton and Capt George Harrington Hawes.
- 25 Oct Thomas William Stewart born 3 October 1854, son of Eliza Louisa and School master Thomas Walker 9th Regiment.
- 29 Nov John Thomas Ernshaw born 11 November 1854, son of Ellen and Pte John Ernshaw.
- 18 Dec John Saunders Wallace born 12 December 1854, son of Anne and Cpl John S Wallace.
Burials in 1854:
- 2 June Georgina Cox aged 84 days, daughter of Sgt Cox.
- 7 June Thomas Mosroney aged 1 year 2 months, son of Pte Thomas Mosroney.
- 24 June Andrew James Rees aged 2 months, daughter of Pte George Rees.
- 1 July Frederick Rudd son of Cpl Robert Rudd.
- 4 July Anna S C Borton aged 6 months, daughter of Lt Col Arthur Borton.
A. Borton became a Lt Col by purchase on 10 June 1853. He served in the First Afghan Campaign of 1842 and succeeded to the command of the regiment at Ferozeshah (21 December 1845) where he was severely wounded. - 22 July Elizabeth Hannah Ellison aged 1 year, daughter of Pte Isaac Ellison.
- 22 July Alfred Thomas White aged 1 year, son of Pte Isaac White.
- 12 Aug Margaret Briggs aged 26 years, wife of CSgt John Briggs.
- 4 Sep William Briggs aged 10 months, son of CSgt John Briggs.
- 19 Sep Cecelia Priscilla Hawes aged 24 years, wife of Capt George Harrington Hawes.
He became a captain 9th (East Norfolk) Regiment by purchase on 19 september 1848. - 6 Oct Sgt Alexander Polson aged 26 years.
- 10 Oct Pte John Snow aged 31 years.
- 10 Nov Elizabeth Emma Biggs aged 10 months, daughter of CSgt John Biggs.
- 12 Nov Pte Thomas Goss aged 20 years.
- 1 Dec Pte John Leslie attached to the 14th Regiment.
1855 9th (East Norfolk)
18 May 1855 A draft of 119 men arrived from England.
Burials in 1855:
- 21 Nov Frances Bethume aged 22 years, wife of Maj Bethume 9th Regiment.
1856 9th (East Norfolk)
Baptisms in 1856:
- 23 Jan Helena Mary Elizabeth Percy born 13 November 1855, daughter of Maria Gertrude and Capt William Percy.
The 1st/9th (East Norfolk) Regiment
1864 — 1st/9th (East Norfolk)
3 June 1864 The 1st/9th (East Norfolk) embarked at Cephalonia on 2 June 1864 and disembarked in Malta on 3 June.
18 June The 1st/9th (East Norfolk) embarked for Gibraltar where it arrived on 24 June 1864.
The 9th (East Norfolk) Regiment
1890 – The Norfolk
The 1st/Norfolk was at Wellington Barracks Madras, The 2nd/Norfolk was in Mandalay Burma.
Burials in Pietà Military Cemetery in 1890:
- 25 Feb Pte George Claxton aged 30 years, died at the Cottonera Hospital.
- 25 Feb Pte G Breeze 2nd/Norfolk Regt aged 26 years.
- 25 Feb Pte C Mensham 2nd/Norfolk Regt aged 23 years.
- 25 Feb Pte J Boughen 2nd/Norfolk Regt aged 29 years.
The 4th/Norfolk Regiment
The 4th/Norfolk recruited from Norwich landed at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli on 10 August 1915.
1915 – 1st/4th/Norfolk
Burials at Pietà Military Cemetery in 1915:
- 25 Sep Pte Kemp James William aged 35 years.
- 2 Oct Pte Jeffries William aged 22 years.
- 2 Oct Pte Sissen Albert Ernest aged 20 years.
The 5th/Norfolk Regiment
1915 – 5th/Norfolk
Burials at Pietà Military Cemetery in 1915:
- 3 Oct Pte Thompson G A aged 21 years.
The Norfolk Regiment
1925 – The Norfolk
1925 The Norfolk
1 Oct 1925 8 officers and 797 rank and file arrived at Malta on a short stay tour of duty. The battalion is no longer listed as being at Malta in the returns of 1 January 1926.
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.
- Badges of H M Services. Briggs and Co Ltd, Manchester.
- TNA:WO 379/11. Stations of Regiments 1859–1900.
- TNA:WO 156/113. Register of burials September 1853 to June 1862.