53rd Regiment of Foot

53rd Regiment of Foot
Colours of the 53rd Regiment
Active	1755–1881
Country	Kingdom of Great Britain (1755–1800)  United Kingdom (1801–1881)
Branch	British Army
Type	Infantry
Size	One battalion (two battalions 1803–1817)
Garrison/HQ	Copthorne Barracks, Shrewsbury
Nickname(s)	"Brickdusts", "Red Regiment"
Colors	Red Facings
Engagements	American Revolutionary War French Revolutionary Wars Napoleonic Wars First Anglo-Sikh War Second Anglo-Sikh War Indian Rebellion
Commanders
Notable commanders	William Whitmore Sir John Abercromby

The 53rd (Shropshire) Regiment of Foot was a British Army regiment founded in 1755. The regiment amalgamated with the 85th Regiment of Foot (Bucks Volunteers) to form the King's Shropshire Light Infantry in 1881.

The regiment was raised in Northern England by Colonel William Whitmore as the 55th Regiment of Foot for service in the Seven Years' War. It was re-ranked as the 53rd Regiment of Foot, following the disbandment of the existing 50th and 51st regiments, in 1756. The regiment embarked for Gibraltar in 1756 and, after returning home, moved to Ireland in 1768.

The regiment left for North America in spring 1776 and arrived at Quebec City in May 1776 to help raise the siege of the city by Continental Army troops during the American Revolutionary War. It served under Sir Guy Carleton at the Battle of Trois-Rivières in June 1776 and the Battle of Valcour Island in October 1776. Its flank companies (Grenadier and Light infantry) were with General John Burgoyne during the ill-fated Saratoga campaign. Men from the other eight companies served under Major Christopher Carleton of the 29th Regiment of Foot during Carleton's Raid in 1778 and during the Burning of the Valleys campaign in 1780. Lieutenant Richard Houghton of the 53rd led the Royalton raid in 1780 burning three towns in eastern Vermont. In 1782 the regiment adopted a county designation and became the 53rd (the Shropshire) Regiment of Foot. The regiment returned to England in 1789.