Forgejack
Recruit
Raising
In 1823 and 1824 the size of the British Army was increased by the raising of six regiments of foot, numbered the 94th-99th.
The raising of the 97th Regiment was authorised by a royal warrant dated 25 March 1824: the colonelcy was given to Major General Sir James Lyon, with the headquarters to be established at Gosport.It was the sixth regiment of foot to have borne the number "97", the others having been short-lived war-raised units that existed at various periods during the Seven Years' War, the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.On 30 March the headquarters of the regiment were moved to Winchester, by which time recruiting parties were active throughout the United Kingdom.[5] By June 1824 the regiment had been brought up to full strength.[6]
"Earl of Ulster's"
The bulk of the regiment was recruited in Ireland, and it was initially regarded as an Irish unit. This led to it being given sky blue facings derived from the colour of the ribbon of the Order of St. Patrick. The colour of the facings led to the 97th gaining the nickname The Celestials. The Irish connection was reinforced in September 1826 when the regiment was granted the additional title of "Earl of Ulster's". This was an additional title in the Peerage of Ireland borne by Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany.The Latin motto Quo fas et gloria du**** was granted to the regiment in the following month.
Rank Structure - Line Companies
Officers NCOs Enlisted
Colonel Col Sergeant Major SM Lance Corporal LCpl
Lieutenant Colonel LtCol Colour Sergeant CSjt Private Pte
Major Maj Sergeant Sjt Recruit Rct
Captain Capt Corporal Cpl
Lieutenant Lt
Ensign Ens
Service to 1854
Soon after its formation the 97th Foot was ordered to Ceylon to relieve the 45th (Nottinghamshire Sherwood Foresters) Regiment of Foot.[11] They arrived in 1825, and were to spend 11 years on the island.In November 1832, the regiment's cricket team played the Colombo Cricket Club at the Rifle Green in Colombo, in the first recorded cricket match in Ceylon (Sri Lanka).
The regiment returned to the United Kingdom in 1836, arriving at Portsmouth aboard HMS Jupiter in September.[14] From 1836-1841 the regiment was stationed at various garrisons in England and Ireland.In 1841 the regiment sailed from Cork for the Ionian Islands, and was stationed at Corfu until 1847.They moved to Malta in 1847 before departing for Halifax, Nova Scotia in the following year, relieving the 23rd (Royal Welch Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot.The regiment returned to England in May 1853.By March 1854 it seemed inevitable that war would break out with the Russian Empire, and the 97th Foot were ordered to "hold themselves in readiness" to proceed to the Crimea.The regiment formed part of an expeditionary force that left Southampton in May 1854.They found themselves diverted to Greece, where they formed part of an Anglo-French occupation force suppressing the Uprising in Epirus.In November 1854 they were selected as one of six infantry battalions to form reinforcements for the forces in the Crimea.
Website http://97thregimentoffoot.enjin.com/
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