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Historical military art prints of the Oxfordshire
and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry now part of the Royal Green Jackets from the
first world war. Military art prints published by Cranston Fine Arts. |
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The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Regiment, (43rd and 52nd) became in 1958
The 1st Green Jackets
The King's Royal Rifle Corps became the 2nd Green Jackets, and The
Rifle Brigade became the 3rd Green jackets.
THE OXFORDSHIRE AND BUCKINGHAMSHIRE LIGHT INFANTRY (43RD AND 52ND)
Raised in 1741 as the 54th Foot, becoming in 1748 The 43rd of Foot, and in
1755 changed to the 54th Foot and in 1757 the 52nd Foot.
In 1881 These two Regiments became the 1st and 2nd battalions of the
Oxfordshire Light Infantry and again changing in 1908 to the Oxfordhsire and
Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
Battle Honours shown on standards
 | 1756 - 1763, Quebec, (1759) Martinique (1762) Havannah
during the Seven Years War |
| 1789 - 1791 Mysore during the Third Mysore War |
| 1790 - 1793 Hindoostan in India |
| 1793 - 1802 Martinique during the French Revolutionary Wars |
| 1808 - 1814 Vimiera, Corunna, Busaco, Fuentos d'Onoro, Ciudad Rodrigo,
Badajoz, Salamanca, Vittoria, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive, Orthes, Toulouse during the
Peninsula war |
| 1815, Battle of Waterloo |
| 1851 - 1853 South Africa during the Eighth Kaffir War |
| 1857 - 1858 Delhi, during the Indian Mutiny |
| 1863 - 1865 New Zealand |
| 1899 - 1902 relief of Kimberley, Paardeburg, during the Boer War |
| 1914 - 1918 Mons, Ypres, Langemarck, Nonne Bosschen, Somme, Cambrai,
Piave, Doiran, Ctesiphon, defence of Kut Al Amara during the First World War |
| 1939 - 1945 Cassel, Ypres Comines Canal, Normandy Landing,
Pegasus Bridge, Reichswald, Rhine, Enfidaville, Salerno, Anzio, Gemmano Ridge. |
VICTORIA CROSS AWARDS Six members of the regiments have been awarded the Victoria Cross,
three during the Indian Mutiny, one during the Third Maori War and Two during
the First World War
The Oxfordshire Light Infantry
The 43rd Foot, formerly the Monmouthshire
Light Infantry, and linked, from 1873 to 1881, with the 53rd,
was combined with the 52nd Oxfordshire Light Infantry, which
had been up to then linked with the 85th, to form the present
regiment. The 1st
battalion was raised in 1741, and assembled at Winchester; but it did not
receive its numerical title until 1751.
Its county title was bestowed in 1782, and it was made light
infantry in 1803. Its first
active service was in North America in 1757, etc., where it was present at
Louisburg and Nova Scotia, and took an active part in the storming of the
heights of Abraham at Quebec, earning from the French the encomium that
“they levelled and fired absolument comme un coup de canon.”
It shared in the defence of Quebec, at Montreal and Sillery; and
also saw fighting at Martinique and Havannah.
Returning home in 1764, the regiment was sent back ten years later
to America, to take part in the War of Independence, and shared in the
fighting and heavy loss at Lexington, Concord, and Bunker’s Hill; at
Long Island, White Plains, Fort Washington, and New York Island; at
Quaker’s Hill, and other affairs, until the capture of York Town.
Then it went home, but was soon sent to the West Indies, to take
part in the attacks on Martinique, St. Lucia, and Guadaloupe in 1794.
The 43rd was at Copenhagen, and afterwards saw much and
distinguished service in the Peninsula: first at Vimiera, where the men
displayed the greatest gallantry; next, under Moore, at Corunna, where, it
is said, “many men came to take their places in the ranks crawling on
hands and knees, so fearfully lacerated were their feet;” and finally,
with the 52nd and 95th, as part of Crawford’s
Light Brigade. With it the 43rd
saw almost continous fighting. It was at the Coa, Busaco, Pombal, Redinha, Castelnuova,
Fuentes d’Onor, Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz, Sabugal, Salamanca (where it
advanced “in line for a distance of three miles under a cannonade with
as clean and firm a front as at a review”), Vittoria, Vera, Bidassoa,
Nivelle, Nive, Orthes, and Toulouse.
The names of twelve of these battles and “Peninsula” adorn the
colours. After the peace the
regiment embarked for America, and was under fire at New Orleans and at
Fort Bowyer, Mobile. Though
too late, on its return home, to take part in the Waterloo campaign, it
formed part of the Army of Occupation from 1815 to 1818, and also of that
in Portugal in 1827. Assisting
to suppress the Canadian insurrection in 1837, it saw no serious active
service until the Kaffir War of 1851-53, when it was present at the
Wateekloof and Berea. During
the Mutiny the 43rd marched from Bangalore to Calpee 1,300
miles-during the hot weather, and was employed at Kirwee, Bundeelcund,
etc. This campaign gained the
V.C. for Private Addison and Captain F.A. Smith.
In New Zealand it took part in the campaign of 1861-63, where the
loss was heavy, and has seen no further important war service since,
except against the Moplas in Malabar in 1873.
Among the distinguished officers of the regiment must be mentioned
the historian, Sir W. Napier.A 2nd battalion existed from 1804
to 1817, and served under Moore in Spain and at Walcheren, where the army
had 12,000 men on the sick list in fourteen days.
The present 2nd battalion, the old 52nd, has
an equally brilliant history with the 1st.
It is difficult to even summarise it.
It was raised at the 54th fifteen years after the 43rd,
and rendezvoused at Coventry; but it got its well-known number in 1757,
its county title in 1782, and its “Light Infantry” designation in
1803. Embarking for Canada in
1765, it was transferred to Boston in 1774, and fought at Concordm
Bunker’s Hill (where the grenadier company had only eight of its total
strength untouched), Brooklyn, Pell’s Point, White Plains, Fort
Washington, Rhode Island, Forts Montgomery and Clinton, Brandywine,
Wayne’s Skirmish, and Freehold. The
next active service of the 52nd was in India; at Cannanore
(where Private Taylor sounded the depth of the ditch under a heavy fire),
Dindigull, Bangalore, Savendroog (where the band played “Britons, Strike
Home” during the assault), Outredroog,
and Seringapatam (where the enemy lost 20,000 men), and Pondicherry. For these services “Hindoostan” was added to the colours. Two years after its formation it served in the French Coast
Expedition; and then at Bock, Minden, Corbach, and Warburg; at the defence
of Port Philip in Minorca in 1771, where, after an heroic struggle, during
which 1,900 out of a total of 2,600 had perished, the garrison was
compelled to surrender. But they marched out with all the honours of war, and “an
involuntary shout burst from the enemy as they passed, and many of the
French officers were affected to tears.”
In 1794 the regiment was engaged at Fiorenza and at Bastia, in
Corsica, where it captured a redoubt at the point of the bayonet, and
without firing; and in 1800 it didi good work in Ceylon; but its most
distinguished service was in the Peninsula, where it was sent in 1808.
The 51st was present at Corunna, and at Walcheren;
returning to Portugal, it fought at Fuentes d’Onor, Sabugal, Salamanca,
Badajoz, Vittoria, the Pyrenees, Nivelle, and Orthes, earning the right to
carry seven of these names and “Peninsula” on the colours.
In 1813 “every man of the 51st starting in pursuit of
the Fench, under Soult, put a sprig of laurel in his cap, ‘according to
an old custom of the corps,’ and the other regiments gave three cheers
as they passed by, the bands striking up the ‘Minden March.’”
In the campaign of 1815 it was on the left at Waterloo, and shared
in the storm of Cambray; but after that the 51st saw no further
active service until 1852, when it took part in the first Burmese War at
Pegu, Martaban, etc., while a detachment on board the H.E.I.C. steamer
Sesostris acted as marines at Rangoon, Bassein, etc.
A Burmese bell captured at Rangoon was presented after this
campaign, in 1858, to the City of York.
It assisted to suppress the Harzara insurrection in 1863, and
joined the Jowaki Expedition in 1877, completing its Indian service about
that time by forming part of the army for the Afghan campaign.
In that war the 51st was present at Ali Musjid, Zatra
Khel, at the numerous punitive expeditions about Jellalabad, and
Jugdulluck, etc. For
gallantry near Ali Musjid Lieutenant Reid gained the Victoria Cross.
The last name on the battle-roll is that of “Burma, 1885-87.”
The 2nd battalion of the regiment was the “2nd
Madras European Regiment,” and was formed in 1839, changing its name in
1858 to the “2nd Madras Light Infantry,” and, in 1861, to
the “105th Madras Light Infantry.”
It saw service in Madras and Burmah between 1839 and 1860.
The uniform is scarlet, the present facing blue; but those of the
51st were originally “grass green,” and were changed to
blue in 1821. The facings of
the 105th were yellow or “pale buff.”
On the button is worn the “Minden wreath,” a French horn,
or bugle, crowned, with a rose in the centre; the collar bears the bugle
and rose alone; the helmet-plate and waist-plate have in addition the
motto “Cede nullis,” which came from the 105th.
The 3rd battalion was formed from the 1st
West Yorks Militia, raised in 1759, and which was formerly a Rifle
Regiment. The only volunteer
battalion is the 5th West Riding (scarlet and blue), with head-
quarters at Wakefield. The
regiment has been called the “Kolis,” from the initial letters of the
words “King’s Own Light Infantry.” The
depot was at Pontefract.
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Piper Bill, Pegasus Bridge, Normandy, 13.00hrs, 6th June 1944 by David Pentland.
Commandos of 1st Special Service Brigade, led by Lord Lovat, are piped past the defenders of the Caen canal (Pegasus) bridge by piper Bill Millin. The bridge was originally taken in a coup de main attack by the gliders of 6th Airborne Divisions D Company, 2nd battalion Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, led by Major John Howard earlier that morning. Shortly afterwards the glider troops were reinforced by 7 Parachute Battalion, and together they held the area against German attacks until the main British forces landing at Sword beach could fight through to join them.
Signed limited edition of 1150 prints. Image size 25 inches x 15 inches (64cm x 38cm). Price £95.00
Limited edition of 50 artist proofs. Image size 25 inches x 15 inches (64cm x 38cm). Price £135.00
Limited edition of 50 giclee canvas prints. Image size 36 inches x 24 inches (91cm x 61cm). Price £590.00
Limited edition of 50 giclee canvas prints. Image size 30 inches x 20 inches (76cm x 51cm). Price £440.00
Original painting, oil on canvas, by David Pentland. Size 36 inches x 24 inches (91cm x 61cm). Price £2800.00
Postcard size 6 inches x 4 inches (15cm x 10cm). Price £2.00
ITEM CODE DHM1394
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The Longest Day Begins - Pegasus Bridge by Geoff Lea
Features the successful Horsa glider borne assault on the Caen Canal bridge at Benouville in Normandy at approx. 00.15hrs on D-Day, the 6th June 1944. Troops from the second battalion of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry led by Major John Howard took the bridge which later became known as Pegasus Bridge.
Limited edition of 1000 prints. Image size 23 inches x 15 inches (59cm x 38cm). Price £95.00
Limited edition of 50 artist proofs. Image size 23 inches x 15 inches (59cm x 38cm). Price £135.00
ITEM CODE DHM0286
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Operation Deadstick by Michael Turner
At 0016hrs on 6th June 1944 three Airspeed Horsa gliders, flown with outstanding skill by pilots from the Glider Pilot Regiment, and carrying airborne troops from the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry and Royal Engineers, landed within yards of the bridge over the Caen Canal at Benouville, Normandy. The audacious attack achieved complete surprise, and some fifteen minutes later the bridge had been secured, an objective of vital importance to enable the advance of the Allied Liberation Forces on D-Day.
Open edition print. Paper size 20 inches x 18 inches (51cm x 45cm). Price £39.00
ITEM CODE GT0086
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Battle of Waterloo by Chris Collingwood.
Officer and men of the 52nd Oxfordshire Light Infantry, flanked by the 95th Rifle Regiment at the turning point of the Battle of Waterloo 18th June 1815.
Signed edition print. Image size 21 inches x 13 inches (53cm x 33cm). Price £42.00
Open edition prints. Image size 21 inches x 13 inches (53cm x 33cm). Price £36.00
Limited edition of 50 giclee canvas prints. Image size 36 inches x 28 inches (91cm x 71cm). Price £590.00
Limited edition of 50 giclee canvas prints. Image size 30 inches x 24 inches (76cm x 61cm). Price £460.00
ITEM CODE DHM0669
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Defeat of the Prussian Guard at Ypres, 1914, by the 2nd Battalion Ox and Bucks (52nd) by William Barnes Wollen.
Depicting the Ox and Bucks during close quarter combat amongst the forest area around Ypres. 1914.
Open edition print. Image size 25 inches x 15 inches (64cm x 38cm). Price £48.00
ITEM CODE DHM0199
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The Ox and Bucks Light Infantry by Harry Payne.
Open edition print. Image size 7 inches x 12 inches (18cm x 31cm). Price £14.00
ITEM CODE UN0038
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The 1st Buckinghamshire Battalion at Pozieres, 23rd July 1916 by William Barnes Wollen.
Open edition print. Image size 23 inches x 14 inches (59cm x 36cm). Price £48.00
ITEM CODE DHM0156
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Oxfordshire Light Infantry by Richard Simkin
Open edition print. Image size 9 inches x 12 inches (23cm x 31cm). Price £14.00
Original chromolithograph, published c.1888. Image size 10 inches x 13 inches (25cm x 33cm). Price £140.00
ITEM CODE UN0254
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An Officer & a Private of the 52nd Regiment of Infantry
Open edition print. Image size 9 inches x 11 inches (23cm x 28cm). Price £14.00
Coloured lithograph vignette. Image size 9 inches x 11 inches (23cm x 28cm). Price £180.00
ITEM CODE UN0358
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The 43rd Oxfordshire Light Infantry by G Douglas Giles (P)
Original chromolithographpublished 1880. Image size 9 inches x 6 inches (23cm x 15cm). Price £70.00
ITEM CODE UN0495
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Piper Bill, Pegasus Bridge, Normandy, 13.00hrs, 6th June 1944 by David
Pentland. Commandos of 1st Special Service Brigade, led by Lord Lovat, are
piped past the defenders of the Caen canal (Pegasus) bridge by piper
Bill Millin. The bridge was originally taken in a coup de main
attack by the gliders of 6th Airborne Divisions D Company, 2nd battalion
Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, led by Major John Howard
earlier that morning. Shortly afterwards the glider troops were
reinforced by 7 Parachute Battalion, and together they held the area
against German attacks until the main British forces landing at Sword
beach could fight through to join them.
The Longest Day Begins - Pegasus Bridge by Geoff Lea Features the successful Horsa glider borne assault on the Caen Canal
bridge at Benouville in Normandy at approx. 00.15hrs on D-Day, the 6th
June 1944. Troops from the second battalion of the Oxfordshire and
Buckinghamshire Light Infantry led by Major John Howard took the bridge
which later became known as "Pegasus Bridge".
Painting was signed by Major John Howard.
Operation Deadstick by Michael
Turner At 0016hrs on 6th June 1944 three Airspeed Horsa
gliders, flown with outstanding skill by pilots from the Glider Pilot
Regiment, and carrying airborne troops from the Oxfordshire and
Buckinghamshire Light Infantry and Royal Engineers, landed within yards of
the bridge over the Caen Canal at Benouville, Normandy. The audacious
attack achieved complete surprise, and some fifteen minutes later the
bridge had been secured, an objective of vital importance to enable the
advance of the Allied Liberation Forces on D-Day.
Battle of Waterloo by Chris Collingwood Officer and men of the 52nd Oxfordshire Light Infantry,
flanked by the 95th Rifle Regiment at the turning point of the Battle
of Waterloo 18th June 1815.
Defeat of the Prussian Guard at
Ypres, 1914, by the 2nd Battalion Ox and
Bucks (52nd) by William Barnes Wollen. Battle for Ypres.
During World war one there were three major battle for Ypres. (A
Belgium Town west of Flanders and South of Ostend) The first a British
Offensive between October and November 1914. The fighting was extremely
heavy and ended up with the Germans gaining the commanding ground around
Ypres including the Ridge of Messines. The British and French held the
saliant around Ypres which extended into the German line, This made
the area held by the British and French to be bombarded by three fronts
and nearly from the rear as well. The losses were estimated to be 150,000
casualties each on both sides.
The second Battle for Ypres (April to May 1917) opened with a Chlorine
gas attack by the Germans, This opened a large gap in the British lines,
But the Germans were unable to exploit the situation, before the British
had filled the gap with reserves. More gas attacks followed, and the
Allied forces had to withdrawal a small area ,making there incursion in
the German Line smaller.
The Third Battle for Ypres in July to November 1917, is known as
Passchendale. This Allied Offensive was fought by British, Canadian and Australian
troops and was launched with the aim to Capture the Belgium
ports held by the German's. Fought in very bad conditions in driving rain
and waterlogged ground. The Allies lost over 300,000 casualties for the
gain of only a few miles.
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Regimental Books Available: |
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The Oxfordshire Light Infantry was one of a number of
infantry regiments raised on the eve of the Seven Years War (1756 - 1763)
and initially numbered 54th Foot; two years later, in 1757, it was
renumbered 52nd. In 1782 the line regiments were given territorial
affiliations and the 52nd became the 52nd (Oxfordshire) Regt of
Foot. In 1803 it was designated Light Infantry and its title changed
accordingly to that shown in the title of this history. During the
hundred years or so covered in this historical record the regiment served
in Canada, America, India (before and during the Mutiny), Ceylon, the
Peninsula, France and the Netherlands. The first ten years were
spent in England and Ireland till, in 1765 the regiment sailed for
Canada. It took part in the American War of Independence in which it
suffered considerable casualties and finally returned to England at the
end of 1778. There followed a spell of fifteen years in India during
which it was involved in the Mysore War against Tippoo Sahib. From
1808 to 1814 the regiment was heavily engaged in the Peninsular War, of
the twenty-three battle honours awarded during that campaign the
Oxfordshires received thirteen and their losses amounted to 1,629
according to the casualty tables shown in the book. It was at
Waterloo where it distinguished itself in its flank attack against the
advancing Imperial Guard (The Old Guard) as it closed with the British
Guards Brigade. The record closes with the return of the regiment
from a second spell in India during which it was in action during the
Indian Mutiny. This book is set out on a year-by-year basis; there
are no chapters, just date headings starting from 1755 with the narrative
describing all the events involving the regiment in that year. Some
are very short, as , for example 1781: "The 52nd regiment, in 1781,
were encamped at Rye.". Other years, such as the years of the
Peninsular War, are full of detail, running into many pages and include
correspondence, divisional orders, extracts from despatches and so
forth. Casualty details appear in the text, officers named and
sometimes non-commissioned ranks. An appendix provides biographical
notes on a number of officers and on a few non-commissioned officers,
indicating where they are mentioned in the text, as in an index.
Unfortunately there is no separate index, and as there is no contents list
or chapter headings, it is not always easy to find a particular action or
event - unless you already know the date.
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Historical
Record of the Fifty-Second Regiment (Oxfordshire Light Infantry) From the
Year 1755 to the Year 1858. Compiled under the Dircetion of the
Committee and edited by W S Moorsom, late Captain. (1860)
To order your copy: secure
order form
Paperback Book serial number NMP2433.
455 pages. Price £19.95.
Post: UK- £4.00 (max post for multiple books £6.00).
For Europe £6.00 (each plus one charge of £3.00 recorded fee per
total shipment)
Rest of World £8.00 (each plus one charge of £3.00 recorded fee
per total shipment)
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A
History of the 2nd Battalion The Monmouthshire Regiment. by Capt G A
Brett. (1933)
A TF infantry battalion on the Western Front, converted
to divisional pioneers from 1 May 1916.
Post: UK- £4.00 (max post for multiple books £6.00).
For Europe £6.00 (each plus one charge of £3.00 recorded fee per
total shipment)
Rest of World £8.00 (each plus one charge of £3.00 recorded fee
per total shipment)
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To order your copy: secure
order form
Paperback Book serial number NMP3618.
155 pages. Price £14.50. |
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