100th Regiment of Foot

There have been three regiments numbered "100" in the British Army's infantry of the line. The first 100th Regiment of Foot was embodied at Stirling, 1761, under command of Major Colin Campbell of Kilberrie. After its inspection the 100th Regiment was ordered to Martinique, where it was stationed until the peace of 1763, when it was ordered to Scotland and disbanded.

The second 100th Regiment of Foot, later 92nd Regiment of Foot and later the Gordon Highlanders, was raised in 1794. The Government accepted an offer made by the Marquis of Huntly, eldest son of the 4th Duke of Gordon to raise a Highland regiment on the Gordon estates. The Gordon Highlanders embarked for England at Fort George on 9th July 1794, and joined the camp on Netley Common, Hampshire where the corps was, the following month, put on the establishment as the 100th Regiment. About 1799 the regimental number was changed to "92nd," the former regiment of that number having been reduced.

The third regiment was the 100th Regiment of Foot (Prince of Wales Royal Canadians) a British infantry regiment raised in 1857 by officers of the Canadian Volunteers to serve in India in dealing with the Indian Mutiny. The regiment was embodied on the British Army establishment and numbered 100 in the infantry of the line. The full title was the 100th Regiment of Foot (Prince of Wales's Royal Canadians). The regiment was recruited in Canada in early 1858 and shipped to Shornecliffe Camp in England later that year. The battalion remained in England until 1863 when it proceeded on a tour of duty in Gibraltar and Malta until 1869, when it returned to England. In 1877 it proceeded to Bengal, remaining in India until 1895 when it returned home. In 1898 it was despatched to Halifax, Nova Scotia.

In the 1881 Cardwell reforms of the British Army, the 100th was retitled 1st Battalion the Prince of Wales Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians). The former 109th Foot became the 2nd Battalion.

109th Regiment of Foot

The 109th (Bombay Infantry) Regiment of Foot was the third regiment to bear that number. It was a British infantry regiment raised at Poona in 1853 from the 1st Bombay Fusiliers, the 2nd Bombay Light Infantry and recruits from the Honourable East India Company's depot at Warley in Essex. Their initial title was The 3rd Bombay European Regiment of the Honourable East India Company. They were known as the Brass Heads from their apparent immunity to sunstroke in India.

In 1860 the regiment was joined by 500 men of the Jaeger Corps who had volunteered from the Cape Colony for service in India on the outbreak of the Indian Mutiny. In 1862, on the amalgamation of British and HEIC forces, the 3rd Europeans and the Jaeger Corps were incorporated into the British Army as the 109th Foot. The regiment returned home from India in 1877. On 1 July 1881, as part of the Cardwell reforms of the British Army, the 109th became the 2nd Battalion, The Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians).

World War I

During WWI, the Leinsters raised a total of 7 battalions, based on the two regular and one reserve battalion which existed in August 1914. These battalions won a total of 32 battle honours and four Victoria Crosses. The regiment lost a total of 1,980 casualties during the war.

At the outbreak of WWI, the 1st Battalion was serving in Fyzabad, India. It sailed from Bombay in October 1914, landing at Plymouth on 16 November. It joined 82nd Brigade in the 27th Division at Morne Hill, Winchester and was deployed with that formation to France and Flanders, landing in Le Havre on 20 December 1914. In November 1915 the battalion was redeployed to the Gallipoli front, sailing from Marseilles on 26 November and arriving in Salonika on 11th December. In September 1917 it was withdrawn from Salonika to Egypt, landing at Alexandria on 18 September. In 1918 it was involved in the operations of 29th Brigade in the 10th Division in Palestine, ending the war in Nablus.

The 2nd Battalion was in Cork in August 1914. It joined 17th Brigade in 6th Division and was moved to Cambridgeshire. On 12 Sep 1914 the battalion landed in France at St Nazaire and spent the duration serving in France and Flanders. It was transferred to the 17th Brigade in 24th Division in Oct 1915 and to 73rd Brigade in 24th Division in Feb 1918.

The 3rd (Reserve), 4th (Extra Reserve) and 5th (Extra Reserve) Battalions were mobilised on 4 Aug 1914 at Birr, Maryborough and Drogheda respectively. These battalions served variously in Ireland, England and Scotland until May 1918 when they were amalgamated into the 3rd Battalion, that ended the war in Portsmouth Garrison.

The 6th (Service) Battalion was formed at Dublin in Aug 1914 as part of Kitchener's First New Army. In Sep 1914 it was moved to Fermoy at 29th Brigade in 10th Division, then later moved to The Curragh and Birr. In May 1915 it sailed to England, and moved to Basingstoke. On 9 Jul 1915 the battalion sailed from Liverpool for the Dardanelles arriving at Mudros, Greece on 26 Jul 1915. It landed at Anzac Beach, attached to the Australian and New Zealand Corps. On 29 Sep 1915, the battalion was withdrawn to Mudros and in early Oct 1915 was redeployed to Salonika. On 14 Sep 1917 it left Salonika for Egypt arriving at Alexandria on 19 Sep 1915. In May 1918 it sailed from France, landing at Marseilles on 1 Jun 1918. After various moves in France in 198th Brigade of 66th Division, it was disbanded on 12 Sep 1918 at Abancourt.

The 7th (Service) Battalion formed at Fermoy in Oct 1915 as part of Kitchener's Second New Army and was assigned to 47th Brigade in 16th Division. The battalion was at Kilworth in Jan 1915 and moved to England in Sep 1915, being based at Blackdown, Hampshire. On 18 Dec 1915 it landed in France at Le Havre on 18 Dec 1915. On 14 Feb 1918, the battalion was disbanded at Tincourt; the remaining personnel were transferred to the 2nd Battalion and to the 19th Entrenching Battalion.

The Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians) won the following battle honours during World War I:

France and Flanders: Aisne 1914; Armentieres 1914; Ypres 1915; Gravenstafel; St Julien; Frezenberg; Mount Sorrel; Somme 1916; Delville Wood; Guillemont; Ginchy; Arras 1917; Vimy 1917; Messines 1917; Ypres 1917; Pilckem; Langemarck 1917; Somme 1918; St Quentin; Bapaume 1918; Rosieres; Ypres 1918; Courtrai; France and Flanders 1914-1918.

Macedonia: Struma (1916); Macedonia 1915-1918.

The Dardanelles: Suvla; Sari Bair; Gallipoli 1915-1916.

Palestine: Gaza; Jerusalem; Tell 'Asur; Megiddo; Nablus; Palestine 1917-1918.

Disbandment

In 1922, on the creation of the Irish Free State, in common with five other Irish infantry regiments of the British Army, the Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians) was disbanded.

Text on this page © Iain Kerr. The Society would like to thank Iain Kerr, Phil Curme and James F. O' Sullivan for their invaluable help with this project.