62nd Foot
| 62nd (Wiltshire) Regiment of Foot | |
|---|---|
| Active | 10 December 1756–1 July 1881 |
| Country |
 Kingdom of Great Britain (1756–1800) United Kingdom (1801–1881) |
| Branch |
 British Army
|
| Type | Line Infantry |
| Role | Line Infantry (at times Light Infantry) |
| Size | One battalion (two battalions 1808–1816) |
| Garrison/HQ | Le Marchant Barracks, Devizes |
| Nickname(s) | "The Springers" "The Moonrakers" "The Splashers" |
| Motto(s) | Honi Soit Qui Mal y Pense |
| March | "The Vly be on Turmit" (quick) "May Blossoms" (slow) |
| Anniversaries | 21 December (Ferozeshah) |
| Engagements |
Seven Years' War American Revolutionary War French Revolutionary Wars Napoleonic Wars First Anglo-Sikh War Crimean War |
The 62nd (Wiltshire) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, which was raised in 1756 and saw service through the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 99th (Lanarkshire) Regiment of Foot to form the Wiltshire Regiment in 1881.
The formation of the regiment was prompted by the expansion of the army as a result of the commencement of the Seven Years' War. On 25 August 1756 it was ordered that a number of existing regiments should raise a second battalion; among those chosen was the 4th Regiment of Foot. The 2nd Battalion of the 4th Regiment of Foot was formed on 10 December 1756 and renumbered as the 62nd Regiment of Foot on 21 April 1758. Because of a lack of available marine units, four companies of the regiment were assigned to Admiral Edward Boscawen's fleet as marines. In this capacity, they took part in the Siege of Louisbourg in June 1758. Following the capture of Louisbourg, the regiment participated in General James Wolfe's campaign to capture attack on Quebec. The regiment made a diversionary landing at Beauport to confuse the French.
Although the siege of Louisbourg was the regiment's first battle, it was more than a century before the War Office recognized the part they played. For decades, commanders of the regiment petitioned the War Office for the Louisbourg honour, which had been granted to the other eleven regiments present during the siege. However, the War Office continually refused, stating that there was no record of the regiment being present. This was true because the records which showed they were present were not held in the War Office. By acting as marines, they had been on the Royal Navy's books and thus the records verifying their part in the battle were held by the Admiralty. The regiment finally received the Louisbourg honour in 1910.
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