The 66th (Berkshire) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1758 and amalgamated into The Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Berkshire Regiment) in 1881.
It took part in the Battle of Maiwand in 1880. The bravery of the English soldiers astounded the Afghans. The British had almost lost the battle and only 11 men were left. An Afghani officer described their end. "These men charged from the shelter of a garden and died with their faces to the enemy, fighting to the death. So fierce was their charge, and so brave their actions, no Afghan dared to approach to cut them down. So, standing in the open, back to back, firing steadily, every shot counting, surrounded by thousands, these British soldiers died. It was not until the last man was shot down that the Afghans dared to advance on them. The behaviour of those last eleven was the wonder of all who saw it"
Officiers who died in the last stand in the garden included: Captain Walter Roberts, Lieutenant Maurice Edward Rayner, Lieutenant Richard Trevor Chute, Second Lieutenant Walter Rice Olivey and Second Lieutenant Arthur Honywood.[1]
The regiment was raised by the redesignation of the 2nd Battalion, 19th Regiment of Foot in April 1758, ranked as the 66th Regiment of Foot. In 1782 they took a county title as the 66th (Berkshire) Regiment of Foot.
External links
- 66th (Berkshire) Regiment of Foot, regiments.org
References
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