108th (Madras Infantry) Regiment of Foot explained

Unit Name:108th Regiment of Foot
Dates:1766–1774
1777–1796
1854–1881
Country: East India Company (1766–1858)
United Kingdom (1858–1881)
Branch: Madras Army (1766–1862)
(1862–1881)
Type:Infantry
Size:One battalion (two battalions 1777–1796)
Garrison:
  1. Madras Presidency
  2. St Lucia Barracks, Omagh
Battles:Indian Rebellion

The 108th Regiment of Foot (Madras Infantry) was an infantry regiment of the British Army. However, it was raised initially as part of the Madras Army, by the East India Company (EIC) in 1766.

In the aftermath of the Indian Rebellion (1857), the British government took control of the Presidency Armies and the 108th became also known by the name 3rd Madras Infantry. Finally, under the Childers Reforms of 1881, the regiment was amalgamated with the 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot, to form the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.

History

East India Company

The regiment as first raised by the East India Company as the 3rd Madras European Regiment, when it was formed from the 1st Madras Europeans in 1766.[1]

It served in India until 1774, when it was absorbed by the 1st and 2nd Madras Europeans in 1774.[1] Re-raised as a separate regiment in 1777, the 108th was disbanded in 1796.[1] The regiment was re-raised as the 3rd Madras (European) Regiment in 1854, and then saw action in India in 1857 during the Indian Rebellion.[2]

British Army

After the Crown took control of the Presidency armies in the aftermath of the Indian Rebellion, the regiment became the 3rd Madras Infantry in November 1859.[1] It was then renumbered as the 108th Regiment of Foot (Madras Infantry) on transfer to the British Army in September 1862.[1] It embarked for England in 1876.[2] As part of the Cardwell Reforms of the 1870s, where single-battalion regiments were linked together to share a single depot and recruiting district in the United Kingdom, the 108th was linked with the 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot, and assigned to district no. 64 at St Lucia Barracks, Omagh.[3]

On 1 July 1881 the Childers Reforms came into effect and the 108th amalgamated with the 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot to form the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.[1]

Battle Honours

Battle honours of the regiment were:[1]

Regimental Colonels

Colonels of the Regiment were:[1]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 108th Regiment of Foot (Madras Infantry) . regiments.org . 5 September 2016 . bot: unknown . https://web.archive.org/web/20060310120028/http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/inf/108-862.htm . 10 March 2006 .
  2. Web site: 108th (Madras Infantry) Regiment of Foot: Locations. https://web.archive.org/web/20060513201440/http://www.regiments.org/deploy/uk/reg-inf/108.htm. dead. 13 May 2006. Regiments.org. 1 April 2017.
  3. Web site: Training Depots. https://web.archive.org/web/20060210172841/http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/depot/1873.htm. dead. 10 February 2006. Regiments.org. 16 October 2016.