88th Regiment of Foot

88th Regiment of Foot (The Connaught Rangers)
Officers of the 88th in the Crimean War.
Active	1793-1881
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Army
Type	Line Infantry
Role	now defunct
Size	2 Regular Battalions at disbandment
Nickname(s)	The Devils Own
Motto(s)	Quis Separabit (Who shall separate us?(Latin Vulgate bible)
Engagements	Canada; Buenos Aires; The Peninsular Wars; The Crimea; Indian Mutiny,

The 88th Regiment of Foot (Connaught Rangers) ("the Devil's Own") was an infantry Regiment of the British Army, one of eight Irish regiments raised and garrisoned in Ireland. The regiment saw extensive service in the Peninsular War, Crimean War and Indian Mutiny, South Africa 1877-1881, South Africa 1899-1902 and The Great War 1914-1918. As part of the Cardwell-Childers reforms of the British Army, the regiment amalgamated with the 94th Regiment of Foot, to form the 1st and 2nd Battalions (respectively) of the Connaught Rangers on 1 July 1881.

The regiment was raised on 25 September 1793 from the men of Connaught by John Thomas de Burgh, 13th Earl of Clanricard.

The 88th Foot embarked in late 1806 on ships to take part in the secret attack on Buenos Aires. They languished on board for a month in Falmouth Harbour, then sailed as part of the convoy to Cape Town. There the troops were not allowed to go ashore. After some time they sailed, via St. Helena, to the Plate estuary, and in July 1807 attacked Buenos Aires. Given they had been on board ships for more than a half-year, they were likely in less than perfect physical condition - and also were fighting an "urban warfare" battle that favoured their Argentinian patriotic adversaries, they were not successful. One company of the 88th were ordered to remove the flints from their rifles before they went into action, which effectively rendered them defenceless. This action was taken to help reduce civilian casualties. Taking many casualties, the remainder of the 88th surrendered. They and the other troops were repatriated under a signed agreement that saw the British abandon their attempt to gain sovereignty over the Plate colonies. The 88th was among the first regiments to sail back towards Europe as part of the agreement. They left behind Lieut. William Parker-Carroll from Nenagh Co Tipperary (Later Sir William Parker-Carroll) who was apparently the only British Officer present who could speak Spanish. After the surrender, when things were a bit fraught, he appealed to the noble blood of their Castillian ancestors, following which he was carried shoulder high around the square in Buenos Ayres [ see Vol I, Regimental History of The Connaught Rangers, by Jourdain], and given a sword and a horse. Parker-Carroll negotiated the release of many prisoners of war taken earlier in the campaign and was debriefed by Lord Castlereagh on his return to London.