Shropshire Brochure Final(5) - Flipbook - Page 10
LOCAL INTEREST
In the winter of 1755, to face a French
threat in North America, King George II
ordered Colonel William Whitmore, of
Apley, near Bridgnorth, to “raise, form
and discipline” a new regiment, which
was numbered the 55th Regiment of
Foot. A year later it was renumbered the
53rd and twenty years later it took part
in the American War of Independence. In
1782 it was retitled the 53rd (Shropshire)
Regiment of Foot.
Meanwhile, in 1759 the King’s Volunteers
were raised by Colonel John Crawford
at Shrewsbury Castle and soon became
the 85th Regiment of Foot. Having served
in the Seven Years War against France
(1756-63), the 85th spent the American
War of Independence on garrison duty
in the West Indies, where it lost most
of its soldiers to disease. Reformed to
fight against Napoleon’s France, it was
designated Light Infantry in 1808 and
distinguished itself during the Peninsular
War. In 1814 it was sent to the United
States, which had declared war on Great
Britain, and whilst there it captured
American colours (now on display in
Shrewsbury Castle) and burned down the
White House in Washington.
In 1881, the 53rd (Shropshire) Regiment
of Foot and the 85th (King’s) Light
Infantry amalgamated to form the King’s
Shropshire Light Infantry (KSLI), and a new
Headquarters was built at Copthorne,
Shrewsbury. The KSLI fought in the Boer
War and, in the First World War, formed
eight battalions for service on the Western
Front, Salonika and Palestine. During
the Second World War, the 1st, 2nd and
4th (Territorial) battalions fought in North
Africa, Sicily, Italy, France, Holland and
Germany.
After the Second World War, the 1st
Battalion distinguished itself in Korea,
whilst the 4th (Territorial) Battalion
maintained units in Shrewsbury,
Wellington, Madeley, Bridgnorth,
Oswestry and Whitchurch. In 1961,
the Light Infantry Brigade Depot was
established at Copthorne Barracks. In
1968 the KSLI amalgamated with the
other county Light Infantry regiments to
form The Light Infantry and recruiting
and training of regulars and reservists
continued in Shrewsbury.
The Rifles is now represented in
Shropshire by E Coy 8th Battalion The
Rifles, still based on the Copthorne site.
Most detachments of the Shropshire Army
Cadet Force wear The Rifles cap badge,
there are four branches of the KSLI, LI
and Rifles Association in the county, and
The Rifles is proud to have been granted
the Freedoms of Shrewsbury, Telford
and Wrekin, Oswestry, Bridgnorth, Much
Wenlock and Ludlow.
The 'Croix de Guerre' Ribbon