A (Brief) History of the 44th Foot

1793 - 1816

This page will provide a very brief overview of the actions of the first and second battalions of the 44th (East Essex) Regiment of Foot throughout the period. For a more in depth look at their history, please click the button below.

1793 - Ireland

1794: Flank Companies West Indies; battalion companies Low Countries

1795: Flank Coys West Indies, battalion companies return to England

1796: Whole battalion in West Indies

1797: West Indies

1798: England

1799: Gibraltar

1800: Gibraltar and then sail for Malta and the east.

1801: Land in Egypt with General Abercrombie’s army. Battles at Aboukir, Mandora and sieges of Cairo and Alexandria.

1802: Ireland

1803: Formation of 2nd Battalion (both in Ireland)

1804: England (1/44); Ireland (2/44)

1805 - 1808: Malta (1/44)

1804 - 1809: Channel Islands (2/44)

1809: Sicily (1/44)

1810 -1813: Sicily (1/44)

1810: Cadiz and then Lisbon/Lines of Torres Vedras (2/44)

1811: Sabugal, Coa, Fuentes de Onoro (2/44)

1812: Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz, Salamanca, Burgos, Villa Muriel. Form 4th Provisional Battalion with 2/30th (2/44)

1813: Return to UK to recruit and then sail for Low Countries in Dec 1813 (2/44)

1813: Sail for eastern Spain (1/44)

1814: Operations in eastern Spain around Tarragona. Upon peace, sail for North America from Bordeaux. See action at Bladensburg, Baltimore, Washington DC. (1/44)

1814: Operations around Antwerp. Storm of Bergen-op-Zoom (2/44)

1815: Siege of New Orleans (1/44)

1815: Quatre Bras, Waterloo, march on Paris (2/44)

1816: 2/44 Moves to England and is disbanded