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| 39th (Dorsetshire) Regiment of Foot | |
|---|---|
| Unit name | 39th (Dorsetshire) Regiment of Foot |
| Dates | 1702–1881 |
| Country | Kingdom of Great Britain, United Kingdom |
| Type | Infantry |
| Role | Line infantry |
| Garrison | Dorchester |
| Colors | White facings (early), buff facings (later) |
39th (Dorsetshire) Regiment of Foot was a line infantry regiment of the British Army raised in 1702 that saw service across Europe, North America, the Caribbean and Asia before its 1881 amalgamation. The regiment fought in major actions including the War of the Spanish Succession, the American Revolutionary War, the Peninsular War, and colonial campaigns in India and Burma. Its officers and men served under commanders and alongside units such as the Duke of Marlborough, Sir John Burgoyne, Sir John Moore, Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, and later in conjunction with the 35th (Royal Sussex) Regiment of Foot during administrative reforms.
Raised in 1702 during the War of the Spanish Succession by Colonel William Sarsfield, the regiment was numbered as the 39th Foot in the 1751 regimental numbering system promulgated under the authority of Henry Pelham. Early deployments included service in the Low Countries at engagements associated with the campaigns of the Duke of Marlborough and garrison duties in Ireland under the oversight of Viceroys such as the Earl of Strafford (1633–1641). Throughout the 18th century the 39th participated in expeditionary operations in the West Indies during conflicts tied to the War of Jenkins' Ear and the Seven Years' War, posting detachments to islands like Martinique and Guadeloupe.
During the American Revolutionary War the regiment was present in key operations in North America, including deployments to Boston, New York City, and the southern theatre around Charleston, South Carolina. Elements of the regiment fought in campaigns associated with commanders such as General William Howe and Sir Henry Clinton and were engaged in actions following the Battles of Long Island and White Plains. The 39th also served in counter-insurgency roles during campaigns against militia forces led by figures like Francis Marion and Daniel Morgan, and later formed part of garrison and line forces during sieges including the Siege of Charleston (1780).
Reconstituted in the build-up to the Napoleonic conflicts, the regiment served in the Peninsular War as part of the British Expeditionary forces commanded by Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington and saw action in battles around Badajoz and Salamanca. Under divisional commanders such as Sir John Moore and brigadiers from the British Army staff, the 39th earned a reputation for steadiness in line formations during the Grande Armée campaigns. Post-Napoleonic assignments included imperial duties in India during the period of the East India Company's transition, participation in the First Anglo-Burmese War and later service in Canada during civil disturbances. The regiment’s companies undertook garrison work at stations like Gibraltar, Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Madras.
The regiment’s establishment reflected the line infantry model standardized by the Board of Ordnance and the Horse Guards directives of the 18th and 19th centuries, comprising companies with grenadier and light company detachments in classic composite battalion organization. Uniforms evolved from the red coats with white facings common in the early 1700s to buff facings associated with county affiliations; equipment included the Brown Bess musket and later the Pattern 1853 Enfield rifled musket. Insignia incorporated devices such as the regimental number, county titles referencing Dorsetshire and specific cap badges that echoed royal cyphers used under monarchs like George III and Victoria.
The 39th received battle honours for actions in the Flanders Campaign, the Peninsula Campaign, and colonial sieges; titles recorded on colours and roll-calls included engagements such as Badajoz, Salamanca, and various West Indies actions. The regiment’s colours were paraded in ceremonies presided over by governors and military dignitaries including the Duke of Wellington and colonial governors of Jamaica and Bengal. Distinguished engagements also encompassed defensive and offensive operations during the American Revolutionary War and actions in Burma during imperial policing campaigns.
Colonels of the regiment over its history included career officers of the Georgian and Victorian eras, among them Colonels appointed from families and professionals tied to the British aristocracy and service elites of Westminster and the counties of Dorset and Somerset. Notable personnel who served with the 39th went on to prominence within the army and colonial administration, including officers later associated with the East India Company, parliamentary careers in Westminster and postings in the imperial civil service. The regiment produced subalterns and NCOs recognized in dispatches by commanders such as Sir John Moore and Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington.
Under the Childers Reforms of 1881, the 39th was amalgamated with the 54th (West Norfolk) Regiment of Foot to form the Dorsetshire Regiment, aligning the historic county title with the new regimental system. The reorganization linked depots at Dorchester and recruiting districts covering Dorsetshire, creating continuity of lineage preserved in the colours, rolls and battle honours retained by the Dorsetshire Regiment and later successor units in the Royal Regiment of Dorset lineage. Category:Infantry regiments of the British Army