82nd Regiment of Foot (Prince of Wales's Volunteers) | |
---|---|
Active | 1793–1881 |
Country |
Kingdom of Great Britain (1793–1800) United Kingdom (1801–1881) |
Branch | British Army |
Type | Infantry Regiment |
Role | Infantry |
Garrison/HQ | Peninsula Barracks, Warrington |
Engagements |
French Revolutionary Wars Napoleonic Wars Crimean War Indian Rebellion |
The 82nd Regiment of Foot (Prince of Wales's Volunteers) was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1793. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 40th (the 2nd Somersetshire) Regiment of Foot to form the Prince of Wales's Volunteers (South Lancashire Regiment) in 1881.
The regiment was raised by General Charles Leigh as the 82nd Regiment of Foot, in response to the threat posed by the French Revolution, on 27 September 1793. It embarked for the West Indies in June 1795 and was deployed to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic in August 1795. On arrival, the regiment was sent to Port-au-Prince to reinforce the garrison there. Over the following year they repelled several attacks from French troops before returning to England in January 1799. The regiment also took part in an expedition to Quiberon Bay in June 1800 and then transferred to Minorca in July 1800 before returning home in June 1802. It absorbed the Prince of Wales's Volunteers in 1802, incorporating their name to become the 82nd Regiment of Foot (Prince of Wales's Volunteers).
A second battalion was raised in August 1804 but remained in the United Kingdom throughout the Napoleonic Wars. The 1st battalion saw action at the Battle of Copenhagen in August 1807 during the Gunboat War. It embarked for Portugal in early August 1808 for service in the Peninsular War and saw action at the Battle of Roliça in August 1808, the Battle of Vimeiro later that month and the Battle of Corunna in January 1809 as well as the subsequent evacuation. The battalion then took part in the disastrous Walcheren Campaign in autumn 1809.