Historical Name:66th Berkshire Regiment of Foot
Faction: UK
Background Information:The 66th then garrisoned Canada (1799-1802), Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) (1804-14) and India (1814-17). The latter deployment included a brief stint in Nepal in 1815 during the Gurkha War (1814-16).
In 1803 the regiment had raised a 2nd Battalion. This remained in Ireland until 1809, when it was sent to the Peninsular War (1807-14). Its service there included the battles of Douro (1809), Talavera (1809), Albuera (1811), Vitoria (1813), Nive (1813) and Orthes (1814).
The ground where the 66th Regiment made their last stand at Maiwand, 1880The ground where the 66th Regiment made their last stand at Maiwand, 1880
NAM. 1961-12-560-1
At Albuera in May 1811 it lost its Colours and all but 52 of its men. The few survivors joined with those of four other regiments to form the Provisional Battalion. This was renamed the 1st Provisional Battalion in December 1812 and finally disbanded in October 1814.
The 66th raised a new 2nd Battalion in England, which sailed to St Helena in 1816 to guard the exiled Napoleon. In 1817 it was joined on the island by 1st Battalion. The two merged later that year. The regiment remained on St Helena until Napoleon’s death in 1821 and six of its grenadiers formed part of his burial party.
Unit Image:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n04MNBCdSkQ/Ut2yhiY3EhI/AAAAAAAAFfQ/LSH2mr145SE/s1600/BRITISHBa.jpgThe 66th are listed by CE Franklin as having yellowish-green facings, with the officers lace and buttons being silver. The facings later changed to the darker gosling green as depicted in the illustration above.