Battalion company, 33rd Regiment of Foot (1776)Flank Company Officer on Campaign (1815)Serjeant Major, 33rd Regiment of Foot (1815)(VC) Private Henry Tandey, The Duke of Wellington’s Regiment (1918)(VC) Private Richard Burton, The Duke of Wellington’s Regiment (1944)(2012-2013) Colonel Leonidas(2013-2016) Colonel St3fan |
| War of the Spanish Succession: First officially formed in 1702 as Huntingdon's Regiment, registered at the 33rd Regiment of Foot in 1715. Valencia de Alcantara 1705, Zaragossa 1710.
War of the Austrian Succession: Dettingen 1743, Fontenoy 1745, Rocoux, Lauffeld 1747.
American Revolutionary War: During this conflict the regiment became known as 'the Pattern' and was reputably the best trained regiment in the British army. in 1782 the Regiment was formally associated with Yorkshire, becoming the 33rd (1st Yorkshire West-Riding) regiment of foot. Upon their return to England in 1786 the Regiment also acquired the nickname of 'The Havercake Lads', the havercake being an oat pancake, a traditional staple in the north of England, held aloft by the recruiting party serjeants. Sullivan's Island, Long Island, Harlem Heights, Fort Washington 1776, Brandywine, Germantown, White Marsh 1777, Monmouth 1778, Charleston, Camden 1780, Guilford Court House, Green Spring, Yorktown 1781.
India: In 1797 the 33rd was sent to India where it took part in the Fourth Mysore War, which resulted in the defeat of Tipoo Sahib, ‘The Tiger of Mysore’, and the award of the Battle Honour Seringapatam. Mysore, Seringapatam 1799.
Napoleonics: Returning to England after 16 years abroad, the regiment was ordered in 1813 to carry out 'King’s Duty', standing guard at Windsor Castle. Six months later it departed again for Holland where it took part in the attack on Bergen-op-Zoom before Napoleon was exiled to Elba. The 33rd was still in Holland when Bonaparte escaped Elba and returned to France. Forming part of Halkett’s 5th Brigade in Alten’s 3rd Division they saw action at Quatre Bras. Marching back to Waterloo they were formed in the centre of the ridge between Hougomont and La Haye Sainte. Here they withstood the French attacks all day, finally repulsing even Napoleon’s elite Imperial Guard. Between the 16th and 18th June 1815, the 33rd suffered a total of 277 casualties from a strength of 561, almost half their men. Flanders 1795, Isle de Bourbon 1810, 100 days campaign, Quatres Bras, Waterloo 1815.
1852: The First Duke of Wellington dies; The following year, on the 18th of June 1853, the first anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo following his death, the title of '33rd The Duke of Wellington’s Regiment” was conferred on the 33rd Regiment by Queen Victoria, due to the Duke’s long and close personal connection with the Regiment.
Crimean War: Alma, Inkerman 1854, Sevastopol 1855.
The Indian Mutiny: 1857 -1858
Abyssinia: 1867 The 33rd remained in India until 1867 after the mutiny. In that year a punative expeditionary force was formed to rescue two British Government representatives and several European missionaries who had been imprisoned by King Theodore, the half insane ruler of Abyssinia (now Ethiopia). The 33rd led the attack storming Magdala and in the process received two VC’s. The Regiment was also granted the Battle Honour ‘Abyssinia’ and awarded a campaign medal. This was the last occasion the 33rd carried their Colours into action.
Childer Reforms 1881: The 33rd and 76th Regiments of Foot, along with two battalions of 6th West York Militia, are amalgamated to form 'The Duke of Wellington's Regiment' (four battalions), the 33rd becoming the 1st Battalion.
South Africa: In 1900 the 1st Battalion DoW arrived in South Africa from where it was soon sent forward as part of the force whose task was first to relieve Kimberley and then to capture the Boer capitals at Bloemfontein and Pretoria. The Boers were forced to give battle at Paardeberg on 18th February where, after being besieged for ten days, 4,000 Boers were obliged to surrender. This was the first major defeat for the Boers and a turning point in the war. Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, South Africa 1900–02
First World War: The 2nd Battalion, was fully operational in France by 18th August shortly after the outbreak of war. On 24th August six German divisions came up against the two divisions of II Corps at Mons. Despite their overwhelming superiority the German attack crumbled in the face of the superb musketry of regiments of the 3rd and 5th Divisions. Mons was followed by a retreat towards Paris but the tide was turned at the Marne and the Germans withdrew. Now began ‘the race to the sea’ as each army tried to outflank the other. At Ypres, during October and November, a desperate battle was fought as the Germans tried to break through to Calais. They were stopped but the British battalions were, by then, down to a quarter of their strength. The old regular army had effectively died at Ypres, but it had set a superb example of skill and bravery for new armies which were being raised in the UK at that time to follow. Mons, Le Cateau, Retreat from Mons, Marne 1914 and 1918, Aisne 1914, La Bassée 1914, Ypres 1914, 1915 and 1917, Nonne Bosschen, Hill 60, Gravenstafel, St. Julien, Aubers, Somme 1916 and 1918, Albert 1916 and 1918, Bazentin, Delville Wood, Pozières, Flers-Courcelette, Morval, Thiepval, Le Transloy, Ancre Heights, Arras 1917 and 1918, Scarpe 1917 and 1918, Arleux, Bullecourt, Messines 1917 and 1918, Langemarck 1917, Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Broodseinde, Poelcappelle, Passchendaele, Cambrai 1917 and 1918, St Quentin, Ancre 1918, Lys, Estaires, Hazebrouck, Bailleul, Kemmel, Bethune, Scherpenberg, Tardenois, Amiens, Bapaume 1918, Drocourt-Quéant, Hindenburg Line, Havrincourt, Épehy, Canal du Nord, Selle, Valenciennes, Sambre, France and Flanders 1914–18, Piave, Vittorio Veneto, Italy 1917–18, Suvla, Landing at Suvla, Scimitar Hill, Gallipoli 1915, Egypt 1916.
Third Anglo-Afghan War: Afghanistan 1919.
2nd World War: Immediately as war broke out the 1st Battalion DoW was sent to France, where little happened until May 1940, when the Germans attacked. In the ensuing retreat to Dunkirk the 1st Battalion formed part of the rearguard covering the embarkation of the BEF. In 1942 the battalion landed in North Africa and took part in several battles, notably at Djebel Bou Aoukaz in 1943. The following year it participated in the landing at Anzio and subsequently saw some of the most desperate fighting of the war, particularly at Monte Ceco in October 1944, where Private Richard Burton was awarded a VC. Dunkirk 1940, St. Valery-en-Caux, Tilly sur Seulles, Odon, Fontenay Le Pesnil, North-West Europe 1940 and 1944–45, Banana Ridge, Medjez Plain, Gueriat el Atach Ridge, Tunis, Djebel Bou Aoukaz 1943, North Africa 1943, Anzio, Campoleone, Rome, Monte Ceco, Italy 1943–45, Sittang 1942, Paungde, Kohima, Chindits 1944, Burma Campaign (1942–44).
Korea: The 1st Battalion had set sail for Korea in 1952, as a result of the United Nations decision to support the United States in resisting the invasion of South Korea, by its Communist neighbours from the North. The Battalion found themselves in the front line on May 13, With the Battalion occupying a position called the Hook. Virtually from Day one the regiment was under fire from snipers, mortars and artillery, continuing for eight days. On the night of the 28th/29th May, following a huge artillery barrage, swarms of Chinese troops attacked the British positions on the Hook. Initially knocked back the Dukes fought back fiercely to recapture their positions. Being highly trained and aware of the importance of their position, 1st Battalion kept their heads and held the Chinese off. During the time on the Hook three officers and 17 ranks were killed, 95 men were wounded and 32 were reported missing. 'My God those Dukes were marvellous. In the whole of the last war I never saw anything like that bombardment. But they held the Hook, as I knew they would' said Brigadier Kendrew. The Hook 1953, Korea 1952–53.
Iraq: Iraq 2003 (Theatre Honour).
Yorkshire Regiment: In 2003 the Duke of Wellington's Regiment was amalgamated with the Green Howards (19th) and Prince of Wales Own Yorkshire (14th & 15th), to form the Yorkshire Regiment. Initially the 33rd branch of this Regiment survived as the 3rd battalion, later renumbered in 2020 back to the 1st battalion. In 1990 General Sir Charles Huxtable wrote, after vacating the colonelcy: 'We are not a smart, social regiment. We do not seek to be ever in the headlines. We do not pretend to have some special expertise. Indeed, perhaps what makes us special is that we do not seek to be any of those things. We are ordinary, straightforward folk who stick together. We have in the duke’s, some of the best soldiers in the world. I would back the duke’s soldier – the good, honest, straight forward, hardworking Yorkshireman – against any soldiers in the world.'
2012: | NWRLT (?) | 2013: | NWL Season 1 L1 (8th) | Light Company formed | Grenadier Company formed | 2014: | NWL Season 2 L1 (3rd) | 3rdFG InfCup (3rd/4th) | NWL Season 3 L1 (8th) | RGT Season 3 (9th/16th) | NWL Season 4 L1 (7th) | RGT Season 4 (9th/16th) | 2015: | NWL Season 6 League 2 (3rd) | NWL Season 5 L1 (11th) | Grenadier Company disbanded | Cavalry Troop formed | 2016: | NWBC Season 2 (2nd) | NWL Season 7 L2 (2nd) | RGL Season 2 (13th) | No.2 Company formed | 2017: | NWL Season 8 L1 (4th) | RGL Season 4 L1 (7th) | RGL Season 5 (7th) | CNWL Season 4, L2 (8th) | No.1 Company disbanded | No.3 & No.4 Companies formed | 2018: | TGL League 1 (3rd) | RGT Season 8 (5th/8th) | EIC Season 2 (5th/8th) | CNWL Season 5, L2 (9th) | No.4 Company disbanded | 2019: | NWBC Season 3 (3rd/4th) | RGT Season 9 (5th/8th) | EIC Season 3 (5th/8th) | CCL Season 2, L2 (5th) | No.3 Company disbanded | 2020: | NW2v2 Season 1 (2nd) | 2Lr GFT (1st & 3rd) | RGL Season 7 L2 (1st) | NWBC Season 4 (2nd) | RMT (5th/8th), | CL Season 1 (9th) | MRGL Season 1 (8th) | 2021: | RGL Season 8 L2 (2nd) | Cavalry 5v5 L2 (2nd) | EIC Season 4 (13th) | RGT Season 11 (9th) | NW 2v2 Season 2 (5th) | 2022: | NWBC Season 5 (1st) | RGT Season 12 (5th/6th) | NWIL L1 (6th) | EIC Season 5 (10th) | Horse Artillery Troop formed | 2023: | NWSC S1 (2nd) | RGL Season 9 L2 (4th) | 2024: | IBT Season 1 (5th) | NWSC S2 ( ) | Hall of Fame: | Community Regiments (33rd) | Entry Regiments (33rd) | Oldest Regiments (33rd) | Community Servers (33rd Siege) | Community Servers (Man vs Bots) |
| Influential Figures (MrSt3fan) | Community Hosters (Kincaid) | Community Mappers (Spoons) | Community Mappers (Kincaid) |
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| Grenadier company, 33rd Regiment of Foot (1776)Arthur Wellesley, Colonel of the 33rd (1795)Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1815)(VC) Drummer Michael Magner, 33rd Regiment - Abyssinia Campaign 1867/68Yorkshire Regiment cap badge (Present day)(2012-2016) Lieutenant Colonel Gurkha(2013-2021) Colonel Spoons |