Dorsetshire regiment

The 39th Regiment of Foot began in Ireland in 1702. It was raised by Colonel Richard Coote and was originally named Cootes Regiment. They were nicknamed “The Green Linnets.”

In 1756, Lieutenant Colonel John Campbell raised the 54th and 56th regiments of Foot and in 1757 they became collectively known as 54th.

On 1st July 1881 the 39th Regiment of Foot became the 1st Dorsetshire Regiment and the 54th Regiment of Foot the 2nd Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment. In 1897 the Dorsets took part in the storming of Dargai and other operations which included Saran Sare and the Waran Valley. And it was here that Private Vickerty was awarded the VC.

The 2nd Battalion was ordered out on the 11th November 1899 and with the relief force fought at Spioenkop & Vaalkranz. Mobilization was complete by 24 November 1899 when the battalion mustered 21 officers and 944 other ranks; of these 583 were serving soldiers and 361 reservists.

Officers were Colonel Law, Majors Lynch (2IC), Banks and Lushington; Captains Mansel, Tugwell, Household, Rowley, Leslie, Chichester and Butler; Lieutenant Godman was transport officer and Lt. Kearney Quartermaster.

 During the First World War ten battalions served in France and Flanders, the 1st Battalion at Mons, in the Gallipoli Penninsula and in the Middle East. The 2nd Battalion was the first unit to land in Mesopotamia on 6th November 1914 to protect Persian Gulf oil supplies for the British Forces. From Mesopotamia the 2nd Battalion moved to Palestine.

See Angloboerwar site for an in depth look at the regiment