66th (Berkshire) Regiment of Foot
| 66th (Berkshire) 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 |
| Size | One battalion (two battalions 1803–1816) |
| Garrison/HQ | Brock Barracks, Reading |
| Colors | Facings – Green |
| Engagements |
Napoleonic Wars Anglo-Nepalese War Second Anglo-Afghan War |
The 66th (Berkshire) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army raised in 1756 and amalgamated with the 49th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) (Hertfordshire) Regiment of Foot to form the Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Berkshire 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 19th Regiment of Foot. The 2nd Battalion of the 19th Regiment of Foot was formed on 10 December 1756 and renumbered as the 66th Regiment of Foot on 21 April 1758. The regiment was posted to Jamaica in 1764 and then returned home in 1773. The regiment was given a county designation as the 66th (Berkshire) Regiment of Foot in 1782. In April 1785 the regiment embarked for the West Indies and was garrisoned at Saint Vincent before leaving for Gibraltar in January 1793.
In early 1796 the regiment returned to the West Indies and were based on Saint-Domingue where many of the troops caught fever. The regiment returned to Jamaica in September 1798 and moved to Nova Scotia in early 1799 and on to Newfoundland in May 1800 before returning home in October 1802.
A second battalion was raised in July 1803. The 1st battalion embarked for Trincomalee in Ceylon in March 1804 and then moved on to India in April 1814. From India it was deployed to Nepal in late 1815 for service in the Anglo-Nepalese War.
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