1688.03.08 Duke of Norfolk's Regiment of Foot
also known until 1751 by the names of other colonels
1747 ranked as 22nd Foot
1751.07.01 22nd Regiment of Foot
1782.08.31 22nd (the Cheshire) Regiment of Foot
1881.07.01 The Cheshire Regiment
reorganised as the county regiment of Cheshire, encompassing also its Militia and Volunteer infantry [see below]
2007.08.24 to unite with The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regt, and The Staffordshire Regt, to form The Mercian Regiment

The oak leaf has been incorporated in the badge since 1743 when the unit distinguished itself at the battle of Dettingen, it is also in the Regimental Colour.

The old Colours are in Chester Cathedral with a comprehensive museum at Chester Castle.

Battle Honours WW1

Great War (38 battalions): Mons, Le Cateau, Retreat from Mons, Marne 1914, 18, Aisne 1914, 18, La Bassee 1914, Armentieres 1914, Ypres 1914, 15, 17, 18, Nonne Bosschen, Gravenstafel, St. Julien, Frezenberg, Bellewaarde, Loos, Somme 1916, 18, Albert 1916, 18, Bazentin, Delville Wood, Pozieres, Guillemont, Flers-Courcelette, Morval, Thiepval, Le Transloy, Ancre Heights, Ancre 1916, Arras 1917, 18, Vimy 1917, Scarpe 1917, 18, Oppy, Messines 1917, 18, Pilckem, Langemarck 1917, Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Broodseinde, Poelcappelle, Passchendaele, Cambrai 1917 18, St. Quentin, Bapaume 1918, Rosieres, Lys, Estaires, Hazebrouck, Bailleul, Kemmel, Scherpenberg, Soissonais-Ourcq, Hindenburg Line, Canal du Nord, Courtrai, Selle, Valenciennes, Sambre, France and Flanders 1914-18, Italy 1917-18, Struma, Doiran 1917, 18, Macedonia 1915-18, Suvla, Sari Bair, Landing at Suvla, Scimitar Hill, Gallipoli 1915, Egypt 1915-17, Gaza, El Mughar, Jerusalem, Jericho, Tell 'Asur, Palestine 1917-18, Tigris 1916, Kut al Amara 1917, Bagdad, Mesopotamia 1916-18

Suzanne Lennon writes: My Grandad had an elder brother, one that I had no solid information on. Well, as the new 1911 census has now been made available on line, I have managed to trace him. His name was Thomas Bertram Lockett (born c.1890). He is listed as being 21 in 1911, and it appears he was enlisted firstly in the Cheshire Regiment, then the KSLI, then again in the Cheshire Regiment. I think his regiment numbers were 4347 / 26325 / 68847 Copyright of image: Suzanne Lennon.

The Picture. The Great War soldier depicted in the photo is a Private soldier of The Cheshire Regiment, about 6ft tall and well built. He is armed with a P14 Rifle a .303 five round internal magazine weapon. Introduced in 1913 and intended as a more accurate service rifle, it proved difficult to maintain in muddy conditions and was soon relegated to snipers only and the SMLE retained. Information supplied by: Michael Whitworth - Head of Commercial Operations The Manchester Museum - The University of Manchester The Bayonet: The standard issue bayonet was about half a metre long (blade was 43cms, handle extra) and when on the end of a rifle held by a determined soldier was a fearsome weapon. The Bandolier The equipment worn is the Pattern '03 bandolier equipment. This has 9 pouches, each holding 10 rounds each, thus a total of 150 rounds of .303" were carried; each soldier was also expected to carry a further 10 rounds in the haversack. Left Arm. Here he has a Wound Strip which signifies past service and sustained wound, this soldier has returned to service and looks very fit.

Battle Honours WW2

Second World War: Dyle, Withdrawal to Escaut, St. Omer-La Bassée, Wormhoudt, Cassel, Dunkirk 1940, Normandy Landing, Mont Pincon, St. Pierre La Vielle, Gheel, Nederrijn, Aam, Aller, North-West Europe 1940, '44-45, Sidi Barrani, Capture of Tobruk, Gazala, Mersa Matruh, Defence of Alamein Line, Deir el Shein, El Alamein, Mareth, Wadi Zeuss East, Wadi Zigzaou, Akarit, Wadi Akarit East, Enfidaville, North Africa 1940-43, Landing in Sicily, Primosole Bridge, Simeto Bridgehead, Sicily 1943, Sangro, Salerno, Santa Lucia1, Battipaglia, Volturno Crossing, Monte Maro, Teano, Monte Camino, Garigliano Crossing, Minturno, Damiano, Anzio, Rome, Gothic Line, Coriano, Gemmano Ridge, Savignano, Senio Floodbank, Rimini Line, Ceriano Ridge, Valli di Comacchio, Italy 1943-45, Malta 1941-42

4th Battalion: South Africa 1901-02
5th, 6th Battalions: South Africa 1900-02

1. awarded 1958 as "St. Lucia" and amended 1974.

 

Cheshire Military Museum, Chester (Army Museums Ogilby Trust)

Deployment

1.07.01 1st Battalion, The Cheshire Regiment
1881 Guernsey
1883 England: Portland
1885 Gibraltar
1886 Egypt
1887 Burma
1891 India: Belgaum
1895 Bellary
1897 Secunderabad
1901 Quetta
1903 Bombay
1904 England: Lichfield
1909 Ireland: Belfast
1912 Londonderry
1914.08 France and Flanders 5 Div
1917.11 Italy
1918.04 France and Flanders
1919 England: Colchester
1920 Ireland: Raithdrum
1922.01 India: Lucknow
1924 Dinapore
1927 Poona
1929 Allahabad
1933 Landi Kotal
1934 Ambala
1936 Bombay
1937.05 MG bn [to 1947]
1938 Sudan
1940 Middle East ME Corps Troops
1941.07 Malta
1944.01 UK
1945.04 NW Europe 11 Armd Div
1945 Germany
1947 reduced to nil strength
1948.07.29 reconstituted as infantry by renumbering 2nd Battalion (technically "amalgamated")
1948 UK depot
1951.10 Egypt & Cyprus
1954 ?
1954.12 Berlin
1956.01 Germany: Sennelager 33 Bde
1958.04 Malaya
1960 England: Carlisle
1961 Northern Ireland: Ballykelly
1962 Germany: Münster 6 Bde, 2 Div
1964.09 (Cyprus) UNFICYP
1965.03 Germany: Münster 6 Bde, 2 Div
1966 England: Warminster Inf Demo Bn
1968 England: Weeton
1969 (Gulf: Bahrain)
1969 England: Weeton
1970.03 (Northern Ireland)
1970.08 England: Weeton
1970.10 Berlin Berlin Bde
1972.10 England: Weeton (42 or 24 Bde)
1973.02 (Northern Ireland)
1973.06 England: Weeton
1974.03 (Northern Ireland)
1974.07 England: Weeton
1975.05 Germany: Minden 11 Armd Bde
1976.03 (Northern Ireland)
1976.07 Minden 11 Armd Bde
1977.01 Minden 4 Armd Div
1978.03 (Northern Ireland)
1978.07 Minden 4 Armd Div
1979.03 England: Tidworth 8 Field Force
1980 Belize
1982.01 England: Tidworth 1 Inf Bde
1982.03 Northern Ireland: Ballykelly 8 Inf Bde
1984.01 Hong Kong
1986.02 England: Caterham London Dist
1986 (Belize)
1987 England: Caterham London Dist
1988.11 England: Chester 42 Bde
1988 (Falkland Islands)
1989 England: Chester 42 Bde
1990.05 (Northern Ireland)
1990.10 England: Chester 42 Bde
1991.03 (Northern Ireland)
1991.04 England: Chester 42 Bde
1991.11 Germany: Fallingbostel 7 Armd Bde
1992.10 (Bosnia)
1993.05 Germany: Fallingbostel 7 Armd Bde
1993.06 England: Oakington 54 Bde
1996.07 Northern Ireland: Ballykelly 8 Inf Bde
1998.10 England: Chepstow 160 Bde
2000.01 Cyprus: Dhekelia British Forces Cyprus
2002.05 England: Bulford (Kiwi Barracks) 1 Mech Bde
2002.06 (Northern Ireland)
2002.12 England: Bulford (Kiwi Barracks) 1 Mech Bde
2004.04 (Iraq) 1 Mech Bde (RifV Coy attached)
2004.10 England: Bulford (Kiwi Barracks) 1 Mech Bde
2005.08 Northern Ireland: Ballykinlar
2007.08.24 1st Battalion, The Mercian Regiment (Cheshire)
2007.08 England: Catterick 4 Bde

2nd Battalion

1881.07.01 2nd Battalion, The Cheshire Regiment
1881 India: Bengal
1885 Solon
1887 Burma
1889 England: Sheffield
1892 Aldershot
1895 Ireland: Buttevant
1898 Limerick
1899.10 South Africa 15 Bde
1902 England: Aldershot
1904 India: Madras
1909 Burma: Schwebo
1911 India: Jubbulpore
1915.01 France and Flanders 28 Div
1915.11 Macedonia
1919 UK
1921 Ireland: Ballymena?
1923 England: Strensall
1925 Tidworth
1929 Aldershot 1 Bde
1930 Malta
1935 England: York
1936 Palestine
1938 England: Aldershot MG bn, 1 Div
1939.09 France & Belgium 1 Inf Div, BEF
1940.02 France & Belgium 50 Inf Div, BEF
1941.06 Middle East
1943.07 Sicily
1943 Italy
1944.01 UK
1944.06 NW Europe
1944.12 UK
1945 UK
1946 Egypt
1946 Palestine
1948 Cyprus
1948.07.29 renumbered as 1st Battalion (technically