British Army Dispositions 1854

The following is the disposition of the British Army early in the Crimean campaign. Wellington’s policy of “hiding” the army in the colonies had ended, but change takes time. Virtually the entire army at Home was dispatched to the Crimea, along with units from colonial stations.

In addition to the regular army, the militia was called out and became a new “Home Army”. 10 of the Militia Regiments volunteered for service in the Mediterranean*, the remainder formed a home army with upto 90 infantry and 29 artillery regiments.

Italics indicate regiments who would be deployed to the Crimea after the first wave.

Home Islands

England

Cavalry:

Household Brigade: 1^st Life Guards, 2^nd Life Guards and Royal Horse Guards

Heavy Brigade: 1^st Dragoon Guards, 2^nd Dragoon Guards, 6^th Dragoon Guards and 7^th Dragoon Guards

Light Brigade: 3^rd Light Dragoons, 5^th Lancers, 7^th Light Dragoons and 15^th Hussars

Infantry:

Guards Brigade: 1/1^st Guards, 2/1^st Guards, 2/Coldstream Guards, 2/Scots Fusilier Guards

9^th, 39^th, 51^st, 82^nd and 90^th (51^st Starts the year in India, returns home to recruit back to strength before deploying to Malta in early 1855, 9^th, 39^th and 90^th are in the Crimea by years end)

Ireland: 3^rd Dragoon Guards, 16^th Lancers, 72^nd and 96^th

Scotland: 80^th

Eastern Colonies

India

Cavalry: 9^th Lancers, 10^th Hussars, 12^th Lancers and 14^th Light Dragoons

Infantry: 8^th, 10^th, 18^th, 22^nd, 24^th, 27^th, 32^nd, 35^th, 43^rd, 52^nd, 53^rd, 1/60 Rifles, 61^st, 64^th, 70^th, 74^th, 75^th, 78^th, 81^st, 87^th, 94^th and 98^th (22^nd about to recalled to England)

Ceylon: 15^th and 37^th

Burma: 29^th and 84^th

Mauritius: 5^th and 85^th

China: 59^th

Australasia

New South Wales: 11^th and 40^th

Victoria: 12^th

Van Dieman’s Land (Tasmania): 99^th

New Zealand: 58^th and 65^th

Mediterranean

Ionian Islands: 2/1^st, 31^st, 34^th, 48^th and 71^st

Malta: 14^th, 62^nd and 1/91^st (91^st has deployed it’s depot elsewhere)

Greece: 3^rd and 97^th

Gibraltar: 13^th, 17^th, 25^th, 54^th, 66^th, 83^rd, 86^th, 89^th and 92^nd

Africa

Cape Colony: 2^nd, 6^th, 2/60^th Rifles, 73^rd and 2/91^st (2/91^st is a weak 4 company unit that is actually the mobilised depot of the 91^st, it is reabsorbed by the 91^st in 1855)

Natal: 45^th

North America

Barbados: 69^th

Bermuda: 26^th and 56^th

The Canadas: 16^th and 76^th

West Indies: 36^th and 67^th

Crimea

Cavalry Division

Heavy Brigade: 4^th Dragoon Guards, 5^th Dragoon Guards, 1^st Dragoons, 2^nd Dragoons and 6^th Dragoons

Light Brigade: 4^th Light Dragoons, 8^th Hussars, 11^th Hussars, 13^th Light Dragoons and 17^th Lancers

Light Division

1^st Brigade: 7^th, 23^rd, 33^rd and 2/Rifle Brigade (34^th added late 1854 from Ionian Islands))

2^nd Brigade: 19^th, 77^th and 88^th (90^th added late 1854 from England)

1^st Division

Guards Brigade: 3/1^st Guards, 1/Coldstream Guards and 1/Scots Fusilier Guards (97^th added late 1854 from Greece)

Highland Brigade: 42^nd, 79^th and 93^rd (71^st added late 1854 from Ionian Islands)

2^nd Division

1^st Brigade: 30^th, 55^th and 95^th (62^nd added late 1854 from Malta)

2^nd Brigade: 41^st, 47^th and 49^th

3^rd Division

1^st Brigade: 1/1^st, 38^th and 50^th (14^th and 89^th added late 1854 from Malta and Gibraltar)

2^nd Brigade: 4^th, 28^th and 44^th (9^th added late 1854 from England)

4^th Division

1^st Brigade: 20^th, 21^st, 57^th and 1/Rifle Brigade (17^th added late 1854 from Gibraltar)

2^nd Brigade: 46^th, 57^th, 63^rd and 68^th

By the 1855 campaigning season another cavalry brigade (The Hussar Brigade) was added by taking 2 regiments each from England and India and reorganising the regiments.

Also a 6^th Infantry Division (The Highland Division) was created by the addition of more battalions, and forming 2 new brigades (a new 2^nd Brigade for the 1^st Division (which had become 1^st Bde, Highland Division), and the new 2^nd Bde for the Highland Division)

* East Kent Regiment of Militia, 1st Royal Lancashire Regiment of Militia, Royal Westminster Middlesex Regiment of Militia, 2nd West York Regiment of Militia, "King's Own" Staffordshire Regiment of Militia, Royal Bucks King's Own Regiment of Militia, 3rd Royal Lancashire Regiment of Militia , Northamptonshire Regiment of Militia, Royal Berkshire Regiment of Militia and Royal Wiltshire Regiment of Militia