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Military uniform art prints of the
Royal West Kent Regiment by military artists Richard Simkin and Harry
Payne. All prints published by Cranston Fine Arts, the military print
company. |
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Two linked battalions – the 50th
(the Queen’s Own) and the 97th (Earl of Ulster’s) form the
above regiment.
The 50th was raised as the 52nd
of the line in 1755 or 1756, assuming its proper number after the
reductions of 1757. The
title, “West Kent,” was given it in 1782, that of the “Duke of
Clarence’s Regiment” in 1827, the “Queen’s Own” in 1831, and its
present designation fifty years later.
There had been one other of the same number- Shirley’s American
Provincials- formed in 1745; but this became the 50th in 1754,
and disappeared in 1757. Apparently
the present battalion was raised originally in Ireland, and in 1760 the
flank companies, only, of the regiment were engaged at Corbach,
Kirch-Denkern, and Wilhelmstahl, the rest of the regiment remaining in
cantonments. Returning home
in 1763, it sailed for the West Indies in 1772, was broken up in 1776, but
afterward recruited at Salisbury, to serve on board the fleet off Ushant.
In 1794 the 50th did good service in the attack on the
Martello towers on the coast of Corsica, at the assault of Conventional
Redoubt, the blockade of Bastia, and the siege of Calva.
The next campaign of the regiment was that of
Egypt, 1801, when it fought at Aboukir, Rackmani, Cairo, and Alexandria.
It saw much service in the Peninsula, at Vimiera and Corunna, where
it was commanded by Charles Napier, afterwards of Scinde; at Fuentes
d’Onor, Fort Napoleon, Bejar, Vittoria, the Pyrenees, the Niville,
Bayonne, Orthes, Aixe, Tarbes, and Toulouse.
During these operations it suffered heavy loss on several
occasions, especially in officers; but this was almost equalled by the
loss from yellow fever between 1819 and 1822, when the regiment was
serving in Jamaica. Its next
active service was in the first Burmah War of 1814; but, though it
proceeded to Moulmein, it soon returned to India, and shared in the hard
fighting at Punniar in 1842. Lieutenant
Crow and thirty-five convalescents from Cawnpore marched fifty-three miles in twenty-four hours to join the
regiment for this battle.
The 50th had suffered severly from shipwreck during its
existence, but of all the recorded instances that of 1844 is the most
curious; for on this occasion the Runnymede, conveying a detachment, was
thrown high and dry onshore. The
regiment next fought at Moodkee and Ferozeshah, capturing two Sikh colours;
and at Sobraon, where the regiment having taken a battery of guns, had to
retake it when it was re-manned in their rear.
The 50th saw service in the Crimea at the Alma, Inkerman,
and Sevastopol; and the “Queen’s Own” was the last to leave, as it
had been one of the first to land on, Russian soil.
Finally it took part in the New Zealand campaign of 1864, at Te
Rori, Weretoa, Kamaramea, and Putahi Pah; in the Egyptian campaign at
Kassassin (a detachment only
was present at Tel-el-Kebir); in the Gordon Relief Expedition, when both
battalions furnished a force of mounted infantry, which fought at Abu Klea
and Metemneh; and in the after operations in the Soudan at Ambigole Wells
and Ginniss. A 2nd
battalion of the 50th, raised in 1804, was absorbed by the 1st
in 1814.
The 2nd battalion, raised in 1824
as the 97th, was entitled the “Earl of Ulster’s in 1826.
It had five predecessors; the first from 1760-63; the second (which
was at Gibraltar), 1780-83; the third (the Strathspey Highlanders),
1794-95; the fourth (Queen’s Germans), 1802-18, when it had become the
96th; and the fifth, recruited as the 98th in 1804,
but disbanded as the 97th in 1818.
The first active service of the 97th was in the Crimea,
where it did good work during the siege of Sevastopol; and in 1857 it
embarked for India, seeing much hard fighting at Nusrutpore, Chanda,
Sultanpore, Ameerapore, Lucknow, the Kaiser Bagh, etc.
In 1881 it shared in the disasters of the Transvaal campaign.
Finnaly in the Gordon Relief campaign it furnished part of the
force of Mounted Infantry which marched across the Bayuda Desert from
Korti, and fought as stated above.
The original facings of the 50th were black, altered in
1831 to blue; those of the 97th were sky-blue, the only
regiment so dressed. Now the
scarlet uniform has royal blue facings, which with the officers are, “by
special authority,” of velvet. The
motto, “Quo fas et Gloria ducunt,” was granted to the 97th;
the White Horse and “Invicta” were the badges of the Kent Militia; the
50th contributes the royal crest and the Sphinx over
“Egypt.” The buttons have
the crest, as also has the collar and waist-plate (with the “Queen’s
Own Regiment”). The
helmet-plate bears the White Horse, the two mottoes, and the territorial
title. The Horse, with
“Invicta” and complete title, is worn on the forage-cap.
The 3rd and 4th battalions are furnished by
the West Kent Militia, which was raised in 1759, and divided into two
battalions in 1876. The
Volunteer battalions are the 1st Kent, Turnbridge (green and
green); the 3rd Kent, Blackheath (green and black); and the 4th
Kent, Woolwich Arsenal (green and scarlet).
The nicknames of the 70th have been “the Blind
Half-Hundred,” from the men suffering from ophthalmia in Egypt; the
“Dirty Half-Hundred,” from the men wiping their faces with their black
facings-or, as others state, “from blackening their faces through biting
the cartridges for Brown Bess;” the “Gallant Half-Hundred,” from
their bravery at Vimiera in 1808; and the “Devil’s Royals.”
The 97th was known as the “Celestials,” from the
colour of their facings.
The Museum is in Maidstone |
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Royal West Kent by Richard Simkin
Open edition print. Special Promotion : This print is HALF PRICE for a limited time only! Image size 9 inches x 12 inches (23cm x 31cm). Price £7.80
Original chromolithograph, published c.1888. Image size 10 inches x 13 inches (25cm x 33cm). Price £140.00
ITEM CODE UN0266
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Private Johnson Carrying off the sights and breechblock of a British gun.
During the fierce fighting at Neuve Chapelle on October 27th 1914, the men of the West Kent Regiment were forced to fall back, and in the retirement they abandoned a field gun. Recognising that it might be turned to deadly effect against themselves, Private George Henry Johnson, of the 1st Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment, and some of his comrades pluckily ran out to drag it in. They were, however obliged to abandon the attempt and amidst a hail of bullets, they returned to their lines. The enemy were now very near, and there was no cover except from small shrubs just in front of the gun. An idea, however, flashed across Johnsons mind. Rushing back to the gun he removed the sights and breechblock, and hurriedly returned with them across the open ground. For his courageous conduct Johnson was rewarded with the D.C.M.
First World War antique black and white book plate published c.1916-18 of glorious acts of heroism during the Great War. This plate may also have text on the reverse side which does not affect the framed side. Title and text describing the event beneath image as shown. Paper size 10.5 inches x 8.5 inches (27cm x 22cm). Price £13.00
ITEM CODE DTE0452
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The West Kent Regiment by Harry Payne.
Open edition print. Image size 7 inches x 12 inches (18cm x 31cm). Price £14.00
ITEM CODE UN0019
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Private
Johnson Carrying off the sights and breechblock of a British gun.
During the fierce fighting at Neuve Chapelle on October 27th
1914, the men of the West Kent Regiment were forced to fall back, and in
the retirement they abandoned a field gun.
Recognising that it might be turned to deadly effect against
themselves, Private George Henry Johnson, of the 1st
Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment, and some of his comrades pluckily
ran out to drag it in. They
were, however obliged to abandon the attempt and amidst a hail of
bullets, they returned to their lines.
The enemy were now very near, and there was no cover except from
small shrubs just in front of the gun.
An idea, however, flashed across Johnsons mind.
Rushing back to the gun he removed the sights and breechblock,
and hurriedly returned with them across the open ground. For his courageous conduct Johnson was rewarded with the
D.C.M.
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Regimental Books |
The
Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment 1881 - 1914 by Lieutenant-Colonel H D
Chaplin.
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 NMP7055. 174
pages. Price £12.50 |
The
Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment 1914 - 1919 by Captain C T Atkinson
Post: UK- £5.00 (max post for multiple books £6.00).
For Europe £7.00 (each plus one charge of £3.00 recorded fee per
total shipment)
Rest of World £9.00 (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 NMP7057. 630
pages. Price £24.00 |
The
Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment 1951 - 1961 by Lieutenant-Colonel H D
Chaplin.
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 NMP7056. 168
pages. Price £12.50 |
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