96th Regiment of Foot

Template:King's Regiment history The Minorca Regiment was raised in 1798 from prisoners of Swiss mercenary regiments in Spanish service while Minorca was under British control. The regiment took part in the expedition to Egypt in 1801, where a large French force, including the future Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, were attempting to conquer the country. During the battle at Alexandria, French cavalry charged the British infantry and seemingly looked like they would break through the lines, such was the ferocity of their charge, but The Minorca Regiment bravely advanced forward to meet the enemy and launched volley after volley into the mass of cavalry, with such devastating effect that the survivors retreated in the face of such an onslaught.

The regiment was to distinguish itself even further, when Private Antoine Lutz left the formation under his own initiative to re-take a French cavalry standard which had been recaptured by the French, having already been taken by a soldier of the 42nd (now The Black Watch). He showed great courage, shooting the French standard bearer and subsequently seizing the colour. However, it was not over, two other dragoons began to head for him. The private shot the horse from under one of the dragoons. The dragoon begged for his life and surrendered, despite the chaos happening in the engagement, his life was spared. The private was later awarded a Royal Bounty of £20 pounds per annum for life. A painting was also made, with him posing in uniform, holding the French standard he had captured. It is presently located in the Museum of the Manchester Regiment.

The regiment had certainly fought with honour and bravery, despite their origins had fought bravely for the British in the Egyptian Campaign. That year, the regiment was renamed the Queen's Own Germans and in 1805, was given the numeral 97th. The regiment also saw service in the Peninsula War, taking part in the Battle of Vimeiro, emulating their astonishing courage in the campaign in Egypt. The regiment was involved in many other famous engagements of the Peninsula War. They fought at Talavera, Busaco, Albuera and Badajoz. By 1816 the regiment was renumbered as The 96th (Queen's Own Germans) Regiment of Foot, though had now only a minimal element of foreign soldiers within its ranks, and was no longer considered a foreign corps in 1810. It was disbanded in 1818 in Ireland.

In 1824, the 96th, a descendant of the previous 96th, was established, inheriting the history and battle honours of their illustrious predecessor. The regiment was deployed to a variety of territories in the Western Hemisphere. The regiment was deployed to in the 1830s, before providing detachments for convict ships sailing to New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land, now Tasmania.

In 1843, during tensions between the British and native Maoris, a detachment from the regiment was dispatched to the northern island of New Zealand, fearing imminent trouble, largely caused by the Treaty of Waitangi which had been signed between the British and Maori in 1840. Trouble did occur, with confrontations occurring between the regiment and Maoris, before in one incident, the 63rd met a large Maori force and in response withdrew in the face of, what would be, almost certain destruction in the face of a numerically superior opponent. The First Maori War began on the 11th March 1845. The regiment took part in a number of engagements during the war, which lasted into early January 1846. In 1849, the 96th arrived in Calcutta in India, at that time, still under control of the British East India Company. They left the sub-continent in 1854, returning home to the UK, before deploying to Gibraltar for garrison service.

In 1862, the regiment was en-route to Canada when the ship they were sailing on hit a storm in the Azores. The 96th spent only a brief time in Canada, being deployed to South Africa in 1863, after a brief period back home in the UK. In 1868, the 96th deployed to British India, an entity only created ten years before. They remained there until 1873. The following year the regiment was officially deemed to be the direct descendant of The Minorca Regiment, later The 96th (Queen's Own Germans) Regiment of Foot.

In 1881 the 96th, due to Childer's Reforms, which introduced further changes from beginning of the Cardwell Reforms in 1873, amalgamated with the 63rd Regiment of Foot to form The Manchester Regiment.