Military Heritage of the War of 1812: an Update on the Infantry Regiments of the British Army

Compiled by Donald E. Graves

In my revised edition of J.M. Hitsman's Incredible War of 1812, published in 1999, I attached an appendix showing the modern descendants of the British units that fought in North America in 1812-1815. In the last two years, there has been a major re-organization of the British army which has sadly seen many proud old regiments disappear from the order of battle and new regiments formed. The list below updates that contained in the Hitsman book and the titles in italics indicate recent changes.

War of 1812 Designation                    Title in 2007

1st Foot                                                The Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland
3rd Foot                                               The Princess of Wales 's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires)
4th Foot                                                The King's Own Royal Border Regiment
5th Foot                                                The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
6th Foot                                                The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
7th Foot                                                The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
8th Foot                                                The King's Regiment
9th Foot                                                The Royal Anglian Regiment
13th Foot                                              2nd Battalion, The Rifles
16th Foot                                              The Royal Anglian Regiment
21st Foot                                              The Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland
27th Foot                                              The Royal Irish Regiment
29th Foot                                              1st Battalion, The Mercian Regiment
37th Foot                                              The Princess of Wales 's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires)
39th Foot                                              1st Battalion, The Rifles
40th Foot                                              The Queen's Lancashire Regiment
41st Foot                                              2nd Battalion, The Royal Welsh
44th Foot                                              The Royal Anglian Regiment
49th Foot                                              1st Battalion, The Rifles
57th Foot                                              The Princess of Wales 's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires)
58th Foot                                              The Royal Anglian Regiment
60th Foot                                              2nd Battalion, The Rifles
62nd Foot                                             3rd Battalion, The Rifles
64th Foot                                              2nd Battalion, The Mercian Regiment
70th Foot                                              The Princess of Wales 's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires)
76th Foot                                              3rd Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment (Duke of Wellington's)
81st Foot                                              The Queen's Lancashire Regiment
82nd Foot                                             The Queen's Lancashire Regiment
85th Foot                                              3rd Battalion, The Rifles
88th Foot                                              Disbanded in 1922 as The Connaught Rangers
89th Foot                                              The Royal Irish Regiment
90th Foot                                              Disbanded in 1968 as The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
93rd Foot                                              The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland
95th Foot                                              2nd Battalion, The Rifles
97th Foot                                              Disbanded in 1818 as the 96th Foot
98th Foot                                              3rd Battalion, The Mercian Regiment (Staffords)
99th Foot                                              Disbanded in 1818 as the 98th Foot
100th Foot                                            Disbanded in 1922 as The Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians)
102nd Foot                                           Disbanded in 1818 as the 100th Foot
103rd Foot                                            Disbanded in 1817
104th Foot                                            Disbanded in 1816