57th Foot
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Origin and History
The regiment was created at Manchester on December 27 1755. One company from the 3rd Foot and another from the 20th Foot were drafted to the new regiment to form its basis. In March 1756, the regiment was transferred to Gloucester and most of the recruits came from Gloucestershire and Somerset. It initially ranked as the "59th Regiment of Foot".
On December 25, 1756, when the "50th" and "51st" regiments of foot were disbanded. The "59th" officially became the "57th Regiment of Foot".
During the Seven Years' War, the regiment was commanded by:
- since December 27, 1755 to February 16, 1757: colonel John Arabin
- from March 22, 1757 to November 4, 1767: David Cunynhame
Service during the War
By the end of April 1756, the regiment was at Exeter. At the beginning of June, it sailed from Plymouth to reinforce Gibraltar where it arrived about the end of the same month. In July, after Byng's failed attempt to rescue Minorca six weeks earlier, Hawke organised a second relief expedition. A few companies of the regiment were part of the troops embarked aboard his fleet. However, Hawke arrived to late to prevent the capitulation of Fort St. Philip and the loss of Minorca. Nevertheless, he cruised in the area until the beginning of October when he returned to Gibraltar. Late during the same year, part of the regiment took part to a minor raid against Algeciras
From 1757 to 1763, the regiment remained at Gibraltar, assuming garrison duty, and occasionally serving as marines aboard the fleet.
Uniform
Privates
| Headgear |
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| Neckstock | white | ||||||||||||
| Coat | brick red lined lemon yellow and laced lemon yellow with 3 pewter (???) buttons and 3 lemon yellow buttonholes under the lapel
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| Waistcoat | brick red laced lemon yellow | ||||||||||||
| Breeches | brick red | ||||||||||||
| Gaiters | white with black buttons brown, grey or black during campaigns (black after 1759) | ||||||||||||
| Leather Equipment |
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Troopers were armed with a “Brown Bess” muskets, a bayonet and a sword.
Officers
Officers of the regiment wore the same uniforms as the private soldiers but with the following differences:
- a gold gorget around the neck
- a gold aiguillette on the right shoulder
- gold lace instead of the normal white lace
- a crimson sash
Officers wore the same headgear as the private soldiers under their command. However, officers of grenadiers wore a more decorated mitre than the privates.
Officers were usually armed with a spontoon. However, in action, some carried a musket rather than the usual spontoon.
Musicians
Musicians wore lemon yellow coats lined red and a mitre cap decorated with a trophy of drums and flags rather than the King's cypher.
Colours
King's Colour: Union with its centre decorated with the regiment number "LVII" in gold Roman numerals within a wreath of roses and thistles on the same stalk.
Regimental Colour: Lemon yellow field, Union in the upper left canton, centre decorated with the regiment number "LVII" in gold Roman numerals within a wreath of roses and thistles on the same stalk.
References
Fortescue, J. W., A History of the British Army Vol. II, MacMillan, London, 1899
George II, The Royal Clothing Warrant, 1751
Mills, T. F., Land Forces of Britain the Empire and Commonwealth through the Way Back Machine
Wyatt, J. W., A Gloucestershire Regiment in the Seven Years' War , Transactions, Vol. 96, Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society: 1978, pp. 60-68
