West Surrey Reg

Home ] Up ] Hampshire Regiment ] [ West Surrey Reg ] East Surrey Reg ] Royal East Kent ] Royal West Kent ] Royal Sussex ] Middlesex Regiment ]

Google
 
Web www.regimental-art.com

History of the West Surrey Regiment. Military art prints of the West Surrey Regiment now part of the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment. Military art prints published by Cranston Fine Arts.

The Queens (Royal West Surrey Regiment)   This regiment was raised by Lord Peterborough in1661 as part of the garrison of Tangier when that fortress was a British possession, forming the dowry of Queen Catherine.  It served there from 1662 to 1684, and throughout all that period saw much hard fighting, with little intermission, against the Moors under Gaylan, Sultan of Fez, and the Emperor of Morocco, during which time it “behaved to admiration,” and educated in the art of war both Ensign Churchill of the Guards-afterwards the Duke of Marlborough-and Mordaunt, Earl of Peterborough.  Owing to want of pecuniary support, the king ordered the fortifications to be abolished, and the place abandoned.  Among its noteworthy commanding officers up to this time had been Colonel Kirke, “a loose and bold soldier of fortune,” who in the Monmouth rebellior gained an unenviable notoriety.    After the death of Charles 2nd the Tangier Regiment became the “Queen Dowager’s Regiment of Foot,” and under its old colonel, Kirke, as brigadier, formed part of the forces sent to relieve Londonderry in 1689, and also fought at the Boyne, Limerick Birr, Lanesborough, Athlone, Aughrim, ect.    During 1692-97 the Queen’s served at intervals in Flanders, and saw active service at Landen and Namur; in 1702, with Ormonde’s army of 14,000 men, it took part in the operations against Cadiz; and was at Vigo Bay, where the colonel of the regiment Sir H. Bellasis, was dismissed the service by sentence of court-martial for “looting.”  Under Marlborough it served in 1700, and did such brilliant service in the defence of Tongres, where with another battalion it bravely defended the town against 40,000 French under Villwroy, that it hence received the title of “Royal,” and the motto “Pristine virtutis memor.”  But none the less it was compelled to surrender, and remained prisoner of war until after the capture of Huy.    In 1705 it served at the siege of Valencia de Alcantara, Albuquerque, and Badajoz; in 1706 at Alcantara, Convent of St. Francis, and Ciudad Rodrogo; in 1707 at Almanza, where it again capitulated after severe loss; in 1793 it served as marines under Howe and was present on the “glorious 1st of June, 1794,” at the Helder in 1799, and at Egmont-op-Zee; in Egypt in 1801, at the landing at Aboukir and the siege of the fort at Alexandria, at Rosetta and Fort St. Julien, at Rahmanie, Cairo, and the siege of Alexandria, receiving medals from the “Grand Signior” for its services.  It also received the badge of the Sphinx and “Egypt” from the king.  Returning home, one of the transports, containing three companies, was captured by the French.    In the Peninsula it saw much service after 1808.  It was at Roleia and Vimiera, under Wellesley; and at Corunna, where Private Evans, though shot through the heart, lingered for sixteen days.  A detachment was at Talavera-the regiment at Salamanca, Vittoria, and the Pyrenees, at the Nivelle, and at Toulouse, earning the distinction to bear “Peninsula” and seven battles on its colours for the campaign.   It was engaged in the first Afghan War at Cabool, Ghuznee, and Khelat; in the Kaffir War, 1851-53; in the China War of 1860, at the Taku Forts and Pekin.   A 2nd battalion, raised in 1794, was incorporated with the 1st on 1797.  This was reformed in 1858, and added “Burma, 1885-87” to the colours for service in that country.   The scarlet uniform has blue facings; but at one time these were green.  The “Paschal Lamb” is borne on the button (with the crown and “The Queen’s” within a circle giving the territorial title), on the tunic collar, helmet-plate, forage-cap, and waist-plate (with the motto, “Pristine virtutis memor”).  The “Lamb” badge is supposed by Mr. Cannon to have been given in memory of Catherine of Braganza, after whom the regiment was first named; but this is doubtful.  The other badges are the royal cipher within the Garter (borne on the colours), and the Sphinx and “Egypt”; and the other motto, “Vel exiviae triumphant.”   Like many of the old regiments, the Queen’s had in 1685 “company colours,” reduced bayonets were introduced to three, one for each division of the pikemen, and one for the musketeers.  The Queen’s retained the third colour until 1752, longer apparently than other regiments of the Line.  The Militia battalion is the 2nd Royal Surrey (1759), which formerly wore a star similar to that of the Coldstream Guards, and which was conferred for efficiency in 1803.  The Volunteer battalions are the 1st (Croydon), 2nd (Reigate), and 4th (Kennington  Park), in green and scarlet; the 3rd (Rotherhithe) wears scarlet with blue facings.   The old nickname was “Kirke’s Lambs,” either from the name of one of its colonels and the nature of its badge, or for the regiment’s share in the severities after Sedgemoor.  The “Sleepy Queen’s” was also given, after the regiment allowed Brennier to escape at Almedia in 1811.   The depot was in Guildford.  Army and Auxiliary Forces" Colonel C. Cooper King, R.M.A. , 1894

Reccomended Items :

Masters of the Sky by Richard Taylor.

Item Price : £110

McRoberts Reply by Geoff Lea. (B)

Item Price : £62

The Queens Royal West Surrey Regiment by Richard Caton Woodville

Open edition print. Image size 8 inches x 12 inches (20cm x 31cm). Price £14.00


Original chromolithograph , circa 1900, a plate from His Majestys Territorial Army by Walter Richards. Image size 7 inches x 11 inches (18cm x 28cm). Price £80.00

ITEM CODE UN0477

The 2nd The Queens (Royal West Surrey) by Frank Feller (P)

Ready to purchase from our secure site?
Click the editions below.

Original chromolithograph published 1880. £70.00
Reccomended Items :

Distant Dispersal by Graeme Lothian. (E)

Item Price : £125

Breaking the Silence by Keith Aspinall. (B)

Item Price : £38

The 2nd The Queens (Royal West Surrey) by Frank Feller (P)

Original chromolithograph published 1880. Image size 9 inches x 6 inches (23cm x 15cm). Price £70.00

ITEM CODE UN0490

Reccomended Items :

On Finals for Christmas by Keith Woodcock. (B)

Item Price : £38

Golden Arrow by Terence Cuneo.

Item Price : £150

Captain (Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel) B. C. Freyberg, D.S.O., Leading The Assault On A Fortified Village.

After having been twice wounded, Captain Bernard Cyril Freyberg, D.S.O., of the Royal West Surrey Regiment and Royal Naval Division, organised the attack on a strongly fortified village, and leading the assault, captured the village and five hundred prisoners in this operation her was wounded. Later in the afternoon, he was again wounded severely, but refused to leave the line until he had issued final instructions. He was awarded the V.C. for most conspicuous bravery and brilliant leading.

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 DTE0884

Grenadier, 2nd Foot  1715 by P H Smitherman

Ready to purchase from our secure site?
Click the editions below.

£24.00
Reccomended Items :

Fire for Effect by David Pentland.

Item Price : £85

The Attack on Villers Bocage by Ivan Berryman.

Item Price : £95

Grenadier, 2nd Foot 1715 by P H Smitherman

The details for this image come from two contemporary wooden figures, painted in colour, and made for some purpose at which we can now only guess. The hat is of the familiar grenadier shape with a stiff front and the bag behind standing up with its tuft showing. As is usual, the bag in this case was red, and the tuft white. The stiff front was usually of the regimental facing colour, in this case blue, but here the front is red, with an elaborately embroidered design incorporating the Prince of Wales feathers. This badge was displayed because on the accession of King George I in 1692 the regiment became the Prince of Wales Own Regiment of Foot, a title which it retained until the Princess of Wales became Queen, and the regiment became the Queens Own Regiment of Foot. The lamb displayed on the little flap was the family crest of the House of Braganza, to which Charles IIs queen belonged. As part of her dowry she brought the colony of Tangier, to garrison which the 2nd Foot was raised in 1661 as the Tangier Regiment. The lamb and the motto, Pristimae virtutis memor, also on the little flap, are still displayed by the regiment. The elaborate lace on the coat, particularly that on the sleeve, should be noted. The grenadier is wearing long woollen socks pulled up over his knees, instead of the spatterdashes shown previously. The wooden figure from which these detail come was possibly displayed at the gates of the barracks in which the regiment was stationed, and so might well show the dress worn by the sentry on duty nearby, which would probably include stockings rather than spatterdashes. He is shown with a plug bayonet. This has a wooden handle which was wedged in the end of the barrel of the flintlock. At about this time this was superseded by the ring bayonet, similar to that in use today, which allowed the weapon to be fired with it in position.

ITEM CODE PHS0007

 

Captain (Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel) B. C. Freyberg, D.S.O., Leading The Assault On A Fortified Village.      After having been twice wounded, Captain Bernard Cyril Freyberg, D.S.O., of the Royal West Surrey Regiment and Royal Naval Division, organised the attack on a strongly fortified village, and leading the assault, captured the village and five hundred prisoners in this operation her was wounded.  Later in the afternoon, he was again wounded severely, but refused to leave the line until he had issued final instructions.  He was awarded the V.C. for most conspicuous bravery and brilliant leading.

Grenadier, 2nd Foot  1715 by P H Smitherman  The details for this image come from two contemporary wooden figures, painted in colour, and made for some purpose at which we can now only guess.  The hat is of the familiar grenadier shape with a stiff front and the bag behind standing up with its tuft showing.  As is usual, the bag in this case was red, and the tuft white.  The stiff front was usually of the regimental facing colour, in this case blue, but here the front is red, with an elaborately embroidered design incorporating the Prince of Wales feathers.  This badge was displayed because on the accession of King George I in 1692 the regiment became the Prince of Wales Own Regiment of Foot, a title which it retained until the Princess of Wales became Queen, and the regiment became the Queens Own Regiment of Foot.  The lamb displayed on the little flap was the family crest of the House of Braganza, to which Charles IIs queen belonged.  As part of her dowry she brought the colony of Tangier, to garrison which the 2nd Foot was raised in 1661 as the Tangier Regiment.  The lamb and the motto, Pristimae virtutis memor, also on the little flap, are still displayed by the regiment.  The elaborate lace on the coat, particularly that  on the sleeve, should be noted.  The grenadier is wearing long woollen socks pulled up over his knees, instead of the spatterdashes shown previously.  The wooden figure from which these detail come was possibly displayed at the gates of the barracks in which the regiment was stationed, and so might well show the dress worn by the sentry on duty nearby, which would probably include stockings rather than spatterdashes.  He is shown with a plug bayonet.  This has a wooden handle which was wedged in the end of the barrel of the flintlock.  At about this time this was superseded by the ring bayonet, similar to that in use today, which allowed the weapon to be fired with it in position. 
Regimental Books Available:

History of the Queen's Royal (West Surrey) Regiment in the Great War.  by Col H C Wylly (1925)

The history of the regiment in the Great War in which eleven out of twenty-seven battalions went on active service on the Western Front, in Italy, Gallipoli, Egypt, Palestine, Mesopotamia and India.  8,000 died, two VCs were won.

Post: UK- £5.00 (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)

To order your copy: secure order form

Paperback Book serial number NMP5394.         308 pages. Price £22

 

 

SHOWCASE PRODUCT

EDITIONS

Bloodied but Unbeaten - Chris Collingwood (SAVE £2000) - Price : £13000

Major John Gilmour - Ivan Berryman (SAVE £1000) - Price : £2400

Last Man Out - Mark Churms (SAVE £2500) - Price : £3500

The Final Salvo - Anthony Saunders (SAVE £2000) - Price : £2800

The Battle of the Somme - Jason Askew (SAVE £2000) - Price : £4500

ARTIST
Featured Artist - Chris Collingwood



Chris has produced a wealth of impressive paintings from the Napoleonic War, American Civil War, English Civil War, and a variety of Portraits of Great Military Leaders, He also has produced superb paintings of Pirates, a particular favourite of his. Chris studied at Berkshire College of Art 1966 - 1970 and then worked for Halas and Batchelor as a background artist. In the golden age of book cover illustration Chris made the Gunslinger, Crow and Herne series his own. To this day the shelves of high street booksellers are full of his work. Perhaps his best known popular pieces are in the now famous Jorvik Centres paintings which form the focus of the exhibitions promotion and won a travel industry award. In recent years his best work has been paintings, such as SPQR, Anne Bonny, Mary Reid and Calico Jack Rakam and Blackbeard in Damnation Seize My Soul. His super realistic style, using oils, brilliantly reflects the techniques, passion and depth of the old masters. He has a particular love of portraiture, which his portraits of Wellington and William of Orange certainly reflect, along with others from the English Civil War, his love of the subject. He is also fascinated by the awful romance of weaponry and war. Chris uses traditional Dutch paints made today, as in 1664, and is meticulous in his research and attention to detail, so scarce in our modern throw away society. Sir Anthony Van Dyke, William Dobson, Sir Peter Lely and Fortunio Matania played a vital part in his formative years. He also is much influenced by Meissonier and De Neuville.

Save £1000's on Original Oil Paintings!



Save up to £4,000 on original paintings by some of the top military, naval and aviation artists.

Huge savings on Original Art!!

View All Original Paintings in This Offer!

DETAIL IMAGES





EXTRAS

More Items from our database

The Machine Guns - Battle of Amiens, France, 8th August 1918 by David Pentland.



Alfred Rubbel at Kursk by David Pentland.



Wittmann at Villers Bocage, Normandy, 0900 hrs, June 13th 1944 by David Pentland. (APB)



See more military art at www.directart.co.uk
See more Nicolas Trudgian Art at www.nicolastrudgianprints.com

This website is owned by Cranston Fine Arts.  Torwood House, Torwoodhill Road, Rhu, Helensburgh, Scotland, G848LE

Contact: Tel: (+44) (0) 1436 820269.  Fax: (+44) (0) 1436 820473. Email:

More sites :     www.worldnavalships.com   www.nicolastrudgianprints.com   www.markchurms.co.uk     www.armynavyairforce.co.uk    www.roberttaylorprints.com