71st Foot

Hierarchical Path: Seven Years War (Main Page) >> Armies >> British Army >> 71st Foot

Origin and History

The regiment was raised on April 28, 1758 from the second battalion of the 32nd Foot.

During the Seven Years' War, the regiment was under the command of:

• from 1758 to 1763: Colonel Petitot

The regiment was disbanded at the end of the war, in 1763.

Service during the War

As of May 30, 1759, the regiment was stationed in Scotland and counted one battalion for a total of 900 men.

In 1761, some soldiers were detached from the regiment to recruit the new 115th Royal Scottish Lowlanders.

Uniform

Very few information is available about the uniform of this regiment: its distinctive colour was white and its regimental braid white with 2 black and 1 red stripes. The uniform illustrated below is based on these sole details, other details have been reconstructed based on the hypothesis that the uniform followed the instructions of the Royal Clothing Warrant of 1751.

Privates

Uniform in 1759 - Copyright Kronoskaf

Uniform Details

Headgear	Musketeer black tricorne laced white and a black cockade (left side) Grenadier British mitre with: a white front edged white embroidered with white scroll work and with a white King's cypher surmounted by a crown (yellow with red cushions, white pearls and ermine headband); a small red front flap edged white with the white horse of Hanover surmounted by the motto "Nec aspera terrent"; red back; a white headband edged white probably wearing the number 71 in the middle part behind; pompom of an unknown colour
Neckstock	white
Coat	brick red lined white and laced white (white braid with 2 black and 1 red stripes) with 3 pewter buttons and 3 white buttonholes (same lace as above) under the lapel Collar none Shoulder Straps brick red (left shoulder only) fastened with a pewter button Lapels white laced white (same lace as above) with 7 pewter buttons and 6 white buttonholes (same lace as above) Pockets horizontal pockets laced white (same lace as above) Cuffs white slashed cuffs laced white (same lace as above) with 4 pewter buttons and 4 white buttonholes (same lace as above) on the sleeve above each the cuff Turnbacks white
Waistcoat	brick red edged white (same lace as above)
Breeches	brick red
Gaiters	white with black buttons brown, grey or black during campaigns (black after 1759)
Leather Equipment	Crossbelt white Waistbelt white Cartridge Box black Bayonet Scabbard black Scabbard black Footgear black shoes

Troopers were armed with a “Brown Bess” muskets, a bayonet and a sword.

Officers

Officers of the regiment wore the same coat as the private soldiers but with the following differences:

• silver gorget around the neck
• a silver aiguilette on the right shoulder
• silver lace instead of the normal lace
• a crimson sash

Officers wore the same headgear as the private soldiers under their command; however, officers of the grenadier company wore a more decorated mitre cap.

Officers generally carried a spontoon; however, in battle some carried a musket instead.

Musicians

The drummers of the regiment were clothed in white, lined, faced, and lapelled on the breast with red, and laced in such manner as the colonel shall think fit for distinction sake, the lace, however, was of the colours of that on the soldiers' coats.

The front or fore part of the drums was painted white, with the king's cypher and crown, and the number “LXXI” under it. The rims were red.

Colours

Once more, if this new regiment abided by the Royal Clothing Warrant of 1751, its colours would have looked like those illustrated hereafter.

King's Colour: Union with its centre decorated with a rose and thistle wreath around the regiment number "LXXI" in gold Roman numerals.

Regimental Colour: red cross of St. George in a white field with its centre decorated with a rose and thistle wreath around the regiment number "LXXI" in gold Roman numerals. The Union in the upper left corner.

King's Colour - Copyright: Kronoskaf

Regimental Colour - Copyright: Kronoskaf

References

George II, The Royal Clothing Warrant, 1751

Lawson, Cecil C. P., A History of the Uniforms of the British Army - from the Beginnings to 1760, vol. II

Mills, T. F., Land Forces of Britain the Empire and Commonwealth through the Way Back Machine

Schirmer, Friedrich: Die Heere der kriegführenden Staaten 1756 - 1763. Edited and published by KLIO-Landesgruppe Baden-Württemberg e.V., Magstadt, 1989

United Services Magazine 1863, Issue 3

N.B.: the section Service during the War is mostly derived from our articles depicting the various campaigns, battles and sieges.

Acknowledgements

Digby Smith for information provided on this junior regiment.