A Brief History of the 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment

The Regiment was raised in 1689 on the Roodee, Chester for service under William III. It next served in its home county in 1988. During the intervening 300 years, it has spent much time on garrison duty in the Empire.

It has a tradition of having had a detachment at Dettingen. There it won the distinction of wearing the oak leaf whilst parading for Royalty and also on certain Regimental days. The story is that the 22nd protected the King, who was commanding the field, from being taken prisoner by the French. The King picked a sprig of oak from a nearby tree and presented it to them. The Regiment itself at the time was in the Mediterranean, however.

The taking of Louisburg in Nova Scotia was its most famous 18th-century event; the Grenadier Company going on with Wolfe to Quebec. A 22nd Grenadier appears to have been present at the death of Wolfe along with Ensign Browne. The regiment proceeded after the Seven Years War to the West Indies and yellow fever, finally taking its place in New York for the American War.

A spell in India led to the 22nd being the only English Regiment in Sir Charles Napier’s force to conquer the Scinde. The great battle at Meeanee on 17 February 1843 is celebrated as the Regimental Day. the Regiment spent most of the 19th century in the Indian sub-continent or its dependencies.

A 2nd Battalion was raised in 1814 for a short while and re-raised in 1858. It fought in the Boer War in South Africa in 1900. This battalion was amalgamated with the 1st at the end of World War II.

In the Great War 38 battalions were raised by the Cheshire Regiment. At the outset of the war in 1914 the 1st Battalion was exposed to the brunt of two German Army Corps at the village of Audregnies near Mons. Their heroic stand saved the British Expeditionary Force from a disaster and is celebrated as a second Regimental Day on 24 August. This Battalion was in every major action in France throughout the war and won 35 Battle Honours.

The Territorial and New (Kitchener's) Army Battalions fought in France, Gallipoli, Sinai, Palestine, Salonika and Mesopotamia. the 12th Battalion won the French Croix de Guerre. Over 8,000 officers and men gave their lives.

Between the wars the two regular battalions served in India, Sudan, Palestine and Malta and became noted for their sport and athletic prowess.

Just prior to World War II the Regiment was armed with the Vickers Machine Gun and became a Support Regiment for the duration of the war.

At the outbreak of war the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Battalions TA were re-established. A 30th Battalion (Home Defence) and 39 Home Guard battalions made up the Regimental roll.

The 2nd Battalion was at Dunkirk, North Africa and Italy before returning to be part of the initial landing at Normandy. The 1st Battalion was in North Africa and Malta during the siege and finally in NW Europe. the 6th and 7th Battalions fought in Italy.

Since the war the 1st Battalion has served in numerous operational areas: Malaya, Cyprus, Northern Ireland and recently in Bosnia under the United Nations.

The Regiment now consists of a 1st Battalion and 3rd Battalion (Volunteer). This latter unit is once more a support battalion as history repeats itself.

22ND (Cheshire) REGIMENT 1996

The 1st Battalion (Regular) is a light role battalion about to go to Northern Ireland on a two-year tour. (contact 01244 327617.)

The 3rd Battalion (Volunteer) is a TA Battalion (part-time) which is based in Cheshire as a Fire Support Battalion using MILAN anti-tank missiles, 81mm mortars and General Purpose Machine Guns. (contact 01244 390958.)

The Recruiting Area is the old traditional County Palatine of Chester (Cheshire) which includes post-1974 Cheshire, the Wirral and Stockport, Altrincham (Trafford MBC) areas and part of Tameside MBC.