73rd Foot
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Origin and History
The regiment was raised on April 28 1758 from the second battalion of the 34th Foot.
During the Seven Years' War, the regiment was under the command of:
- in 1759: Colonel Browne
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 England and counted 1 battalion for a total of 900 men.
Uniform
Very few information is available about the uniform of this regiment: its distinctive colour was full green and its regimental braid white with white, blue and deep yellow 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

N.B.: detailed regimental lace not illustrated because the exact pattern is unknown
Headgear |
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Neckstock | white | ||||||||||||
Coat | brick red lined full green and laced white (white braid with white, blue and deep yellow stripes) with 3 pewter buttons and 3 white buttonholes (same lace as above) under the lapel
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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 |
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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 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 full 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 fore part of the drums was painted full green, with the king's cypher and crown, and the number “LXXIII” 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 "LXXIII" in gold Roman numerals.
Regimental Colour: full green field; centre device consisting of a rose and thistle wreath around the regiment number "LXXIII" in gold Roman numerals. The Union in the upper left corner.
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.