75th Foot

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Origin and History

The regiment was raised on April 28 1758 from the second battalion of the 37th Foot.

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

• from 1759 to 1762: Colonel Boscawen
• in 1762: Colonel Marescoe Frederick

The regiment was disbanded in 1763 after its return to England.

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.

In February 1760, the regiment relieved the 68th Foot as garrison of Jersey island.

In May and June 1761, a detachment of the regiment reinforced the expedition against Belle-Isle.

In 1762, the regiment was sent to Portugal to assist the Portuguese army against the invading Spanish army. It arrived from Belle-Ile in July. Colonel Marescoe Frederick was employed as a brigadier, and Lieutenant-Colonel Corbett Parry and Major Maurice Cane held in Portugal the local ranks of colonel and lieutenant-colonel. It accompanied the other British regiments to Coimbra and the Alvito, but not much is recorded of its activities in the Alentejo and Estremadura except that in the early days in July it achieved rather good relations for billeting and supply with the Portuguese authorities at Santarem.

In 1763, the regiment returned to England where it was disbanded.

Uniform

Very few information is available about the uniform of this regiment: its distinctive colour was red, the lining of the coat buff and its regimental braid white with 2 green and 2 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

Uniform in 1762 - Source: Richard Couture from a template by Frédéric Aubert
N.B.: detailed regimental lace not illustrated because the exact pattern is unknown

Uniform Details

Headgear	Musketeer black tricorne laced white and a black cockade (left side) Grenadier British mitre with: a red 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 red headband edged white probably wearing the number 75 in the middle part behind; pompom of an unknown colour
Neckstock	white
Coat	brick red lined buff and laced white (white braid with 2 green and 2 yellow 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 red 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 red 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 buff
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 buff, 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 red, with the king's cypher and crown, and the number “LXXV” 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 "LXXV" 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 "LXXV" in gold Roman numerals. The Union in the upper left corner.

King's Colour - Copyright: Kronoskaf

Regimental Colour - Copyright: Kronoskaf

References

Fortescue, J. W.: A History of the British Army Vol. II, MacMillan, London, 1899

George II, The Royal Clothing Warrant, 1751

Kirby, Mike, The British Contingent - Uniform Information, Seven Years War Association Journal, Vol. XII No. 3

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

O'Hara, Danny, Eighteenth Century Wargaming Resources On-Line

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.