66th Foot
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Origin and History
The unit was originally raised on September 20, 1756 as a second battalion of the 19th Foot. However, this second battalion was detached from its parent regiment on June 15, 1758 to form the “66th Regiment of Foot”.
During the Seven Years's War, the regiment was commanded by:
- from June 15, 1758: Sandford
- from ??? 1758 to at least May 1759: La Faussille
Service during the War
On October 26, 1758, two companies of the regiment, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Worge, embarked at Kinsale in Ireland to take part in the expedition against Gorée in Sénégal. On November 11, the amphibious expedition sailed for Sénégal. Worge had been appointed governor of Sénégal and, after the capture of Gorée on December 29, the fleet escorted him and his troops to Sénégal.
As of May 30, 1759, the regiment was stationed in Scotland and counted 1 battalion for a total of 900 men.
To do: campaigns from 1760 to 1762
Uniform
Privates
| Headgear |
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| Neckstock | white | ||||||||||||
| Coat | brick red lined yellowish green and laced white (white braid with 2 crimson stripes) with 3 pewter buttons and 3 white buttonholes (same lace as above) under the lapel (maybe shoulder wings like the parent unit)
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| Waistcoat | brick red laced white (same lace as above) | ||||||||||||
| Breeches | 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 with a "Brown Bess" muskets, a bayonet and a sword. They also carried a dark brown haversack with a metal canteen on the left hip.
Officers
Officers had silver lace lining the cuffs and lapels, a black cockade hat, and wore a red sash slung over the right shoulder. Sergeants wore straw gloves. Partizans were carried.
Musicians
The drummers of the regiment were clothed in yellowish green, 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 forepart of the drums were painted yellowish green, with the king's cypher and crown, and the number “LXVI” under it. The rims were red.
Colours
King's Colour: Union with its centre decorated with a rose and thistle wreath around the regiment number "LXVI" in gold Roman numerals.
Regimental Colour: yellowish green field with its centre decorated with a rose and thistle wreath around the regiment number "LXVI" in gold Roman numerals. The Union in the upper left corner.
References
Fortescue J. W., A History of the British Army Vol. II, MacMillan, London, 1899
Funcken, Liliane and Fred, Les uniformes de la guerre en dentelle
Lawson, Cecil C. P., A History of the Uniforms of the British Army - from the Beginnings to 1760, vol. II, p. 94
Mills, T. F., Land Forces of Britain the Empire and Commonwealth through the Way Back Machine
N.B.: the section Service during the War is mostly derived from our articles depicting the various campaigns, battles and sieges.
