85th Regiment of Foot (Bucks Volunteers)

The 85th (Bucks Volunteers) Regiment of Foot was a British Army line infantry regiment. During the Childers Reforms it was united with the 53rd (Shropshire) Regiment of Foot to form the King's Shropshire Light Infantry.

Service history

The 85th was raised in 1793 by George Nugent, their colonel, in Buckinghamshire for service during the French Revolutionary Wars. They first saw action in the Netherlands, before moving to the West Indies. In 1806 they returned to Britain and converted to a Light Infantry role, renaming as the 85th (Bucks Volunteers) Light Infantry. Two years later they were serving under Wellington in the Peninsular campaign and fought at Fuentes de Oñoro and Badajoz. In 1814 they were dispatched to America and saw action in the last phase of the War of 1812. In particular, they carried out a successful attack on 8 January 1815 on the American positions on the west bank of the Mississippi during the Battle of New Orleans.

In 1815 they received a royal association becoming the 85th (Bucks Volunteers) Duke of York's Light Infantry, and in 1821 the 85th (Bucks Volunteers) King's Light Infantry.

In 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms the 85th amalgamated with the 53rd (Shropshire) Regiment of Foot to become the 2nd battalion, the King's Shropshire Light Infantry.

Sources

• Wickes, HL Regiments of Foot (1974) ISBN 0-85045-220-1