The Regular Infantry of the British Army

The Reorganisation of 1881

The Cardwell and Childers reforms culminated in the complete reorganisation of the infantry. Each regiment was to have two regular battalions. The one battalion regiments were amalgamated in pairs. The numbering of the Regiments of Foot was abolished and all regiments got names.


This table is in the order of precendence of the Regiments of Foot and shows what their destination was. More information about the changes between 1881 and 1914 is in the second table below.

	Titles in 1881
Grenadier G^ds ⇶		The Grenadier Guards
Coldstream G^ds ⇉		The Coldstream Guards
Scots G^ds ⇉		The Scots Guards
1^st R^egt of Foot ⇉		The Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment)
2^nd R^egt of Foot ⇉		The Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment)
3^rd R^egt of Foot ⇉		The Buffs (East Kent Regiment)
4^th R^egt of Foot ⇉		The King’s Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment)
5^th R^egt of Foot ⇉		The Northumberland Fusiliers
6^th R^egt of Foot ⇉		The Royal Warwickshire Regiment
7^th R^egt of Foot ⇉		The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)
8^th R^egt of Foot ⇉		The King’s (Liverpool Regiment)
9^th R^egt of Foot ⇉		The Norfolk Regiment
10^th R^egt of Foot ⇉		The Lincolnshire Regiment
11^th R^egt of Foot ⇉		The Devonshire Regiment
12^th R^egt of Foot ⇉		The Suffolk Regiment
13^th R^egt of Foot ⇉		Prince Albert’s Light Infantry (Somersetshire Regiment)
14^th R^egt of Foot ⇉		The Prince of Wales’s Own (West Yorkshire Regiment)
15^th R^egt of Foot ⇉		The East Yorkshire Regiment
16^th R^egt of Foot ⇉		The Bedfordshire Regiment
17^th R^egt of Foot ⇉		The Leicestershire Regiment
18^th R^egt of Foot ⇉		The Royal Irish Regiment
19^th R^egt of Foot ⇉		The Princess of Wales’s Own (Yorkshire Regiment)
20^th R^egt of Foot ⇉		The Lancashire Fusiliers
21^st R^egt of Foot ⇉		The Royal Scots Fusiliers
22^nd R^egt of Foot ⇉		The Cheshire Regiment
23^rd R^egt of Foot ⇉		The Royal Welsh Fusiliers
24^th R^egt of Foot ⇉		The South Wales Borderers
25^th R^egt of Foot ⇉		The King’s Own Borderers
26^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
27^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
28^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Gloucestershire Regiment
29^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Worcestershire Regiment
30^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The East Lancashire Regiment
31^st R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The East Surrey Regiment
32^nd R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry
33^rd R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regiment)
34^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Border Regiment
35^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Royal Sussex Regiment
36^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The Worcestershire Regiment
37^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Hampshire Regiment
38^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The South Staffordshire Regiment
39^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Dorsetshire Regiment
40^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Prince of Wales’s Volunteers (South Lancashire Regiment)
41^st R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Welsh Regiment
42^nd R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)
43^rd R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Oxfordshire Light Infantry
44^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Essex Regiment
45^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Sherwood Foresters (Derbyshire Regiment)
46^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry
47^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment
48^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Northamptonshire Regiment
49^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Princess Charlotte of Wales’s (Berkshire Regiment)
50^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment)
51^st R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The King’s Own Light Infantry (South Yorkshire Regiment)
52^nd R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The Oxfordshire Light Infantry
53^rd R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The King’s Light Infantry (Shropshire Regiment)
54^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The Dorsetshire Regiment
55^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The Border Regiment
56^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The Essex Regiment
57^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Duke of Cambridge’s Own (Middlesex Regiment)
58^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The Northamptonshire Regiment
59^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The East Lancashire Regiment
60^th R^egt of Foot ➡		The King’s Royal Rifle Corps
61^st R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The Gloucestershire Regiment
62^nd R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Duke of Edinburgh’s (Wiltshire Regiment)
63^rd R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Manchester Regiment
64^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Prince of Wales’s (North Staffordshire Regiment)
65^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The York and Lancaster Regiment
66^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The Princess Charlotte of Wales’s (Berkshire Regiment)
67^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The Hampshire Regiment
68^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Durham Light Infantry
69^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The Welsh Regiment
70^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The East Surrey Regiment
71^st R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Highland Light Infantry
72^nd R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, The Duke of Albany’s)
73^rd R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)
74^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The Highland Light Infantry
75^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Gordon Highlanders
76^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regiment)
77^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The Duke of Cambridge’s Own (Middlesex Regiment)
78^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, The Duke of Albany’s)
79^th R^egt of Foot →		The Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders
80^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The South Staffordshire Regiment
81^st R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment
82^nd R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The Prince of Wales’s Volunteers (South Lancashire Regiment)
83^rd R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Royal Irish Rifles
84^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The York and Lancaster Regiment
85^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The King’s Light Infantry (Shropshire Regiment)
86^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The Royal Irish Rifles
87^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	Princess Victoria’s (Royal Irish Fusiliers)
88^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Connaught Rangers
89^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	Princess Victoria’s (Royal Irish Fusiliers)
90^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
91^st R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	Princess Louise’s (Sutherland and Argyll Highlanders)
92^nd R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The Gordon Highlanders
93^rd R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	Princess Louise’s (Sutherland and Argyll Highlanders)
94^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The Connaught Rangers
95^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The Sherwood Foresters (Derbyshire Regiment)
96^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The Manchester Regiment
97^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment)
98^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The Prince of Wales’s (North Staffordshire Regiment)
99^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The Duke of Edinburgh’s (Wiltshire Regiment)
100^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Prince of Wales’s Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians)
101^st R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Royal Munster Fusiliers
102^nd R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Royal Dublin Fusiliers
103^rd R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The Royal Dublin Fusiliers
104^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The Royal Munster Fusiliers
105^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The King’s Own Light Infantry (South Yorkshire Regiment)
106^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The Durham Light Infantry
107^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The Royal Sussex Regiment
108^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
109^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The Prince of Wales’s Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians)
The Rifle Brigade ➡		The Prince Consort’s Own (Rifle Brigade)
1^st West India R^egt →	1^st Bⁿ,	The West India Regiment ¹
2^nd West India R^egt →	2^nd Bⁿ,	The West India Regiment ¹

¹ This took place in 1888


This table is in the order of precendence of the new regiments. It also shows the title changes and battalions raised and disbanded from 1881-1914.

	Titles in 1881			Changes from 1881 - 1914

Grenadier G^ds ⇶		The Grenadier Guards	⇶					⇶

Coldstream G^ds ⇉		The Coldstream Guards	⇉	1897: 3^rd Bⁿ raised				⇶

Scots G^ds ⇉		The Scots Guards	⇉	1899: 3^rd Bⁿ raised		⇶	1906: 3^rd Bⁿ disbanded	⇉

				1900:	The Irish Guards			→

1^st R^egt of Foot ⇉		The Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment)	⇉					⇉

2^nd R^egt of Foot ⇉		The Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment)	⇉					⇉

3^rd R^egt of Foot ⇉		The Buffs (East Kent Regiment)	⇉					⇉

4^th R^egt of Foot ⇉		The King’s Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment)	⇉					⇉

5^th R^egt of Foot ⇉		The Northumberland Fusiliers	⇉	1900: 3^rd Bⁿ and 4^th Bⁿ raised		➡	1907: 3^rd Bⁿ and 4^th Bⁿ disbanded	⇉

6^th R^egt of Foot ⇉		The Royal Warwickshire Regiment	⇉	1898/1900: 3^rd Bⁿ and 4^th Bⁿ raised		➡	1907: 3^rd Bⁿ and 4^th Bⁿ disbanded	⇉

7^th R^egt of Foot ⇉		The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)	⇉	1898/1900: 3^rd Bⁿ and 4^th Bⁿ raised				➡

8^th R^egt of Foot ⇉		The King’s (Liverpool Regiment)	⇉	1900: 3^rd Bⁿ and 4^th Bⁿ raised		➡	1901: 3^rd Bⁿ and 4^th Bⁿ disbanded	⇉

9^th R^egt of Foot ⇉		The Norfolk Regiment	⇉					⇉

10^th R^egt of Foot ⇉		The Lincolnshire Regiment	⇉					⇉

11^th R^egt of Foot ⇉		The Devonshire Regiment	⇉					⇉

12^th R^egt of Foot ⇉		The Suffolk Regiment	⇉					⇉

13^th R^egt of Foot ⇉		Prince Albert’s Light Infantry (Somersetshire Regiment)	⇉	1912:	Prince Albert’s (Somerset Light Infantry)			⇉

14^th R^egt of Foot ⇉		The Prince of Wales’s Own (West Yorkshire Regiment)	⇉					⇉

15^th R^egt of Foot ⇉		The East Yorkshire Regiment	⇉					⇉

16^th R^egt of Foot ⇉		The Bedfordshire Regiment	⇉					⇉

17^th R^egt of Foot ⇉		The Leicestershire Regiment	⇉					⇉

18^th R^egt of Foot ⇉		The Royal Irish Regiment	⇉					⇉

19^th R^egt of Foot ⇉		The Princess of Wales’s Own (Yorkshire Regiment)	⇉	1902:	Alexandra, Princess of Wales’s Own (Yorkshire Regiment)			⇉

20^th R^egt of Foot ⇉		The Lancashire Fusiliers	⇉	1898/1900: 3^rd Bⁿ and 4^th Bⁿ raised		➡	1906: 3^rd Bⁿ and 4^th Bⁿ disbanded	⇉

21^st R^egt of Foot ⇉		The Royal Scots Fusiliers	⇉					⇉

22^nd R^egt of Foot ⇉		The Cheshire Regiment	⇉					⇉

23^rd R^egt of Foot ⇉		The Royal Welsh Fusiliers	⇉					⇉

24^th R^egt of Foot ⇉		The South Wales Borderers	⇉					⇉

25^th R^egt of Foot ⇉		The King’s Own Borderers	⇉	1887:	The King’s Own Scottish Borderers			⇉

26^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)	⇉					⇉
90^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

27^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers	⇉					⇉
108^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

28^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Gloucestershire Regiment	⇉					⇉
61^st R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

29^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Worcestershire Regiment	⇉	1900: 3^rd Bⁿ and 4^th Bⁿ raised				➡
36^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

30^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The East Lancashire Regiment	⇉					⇉
59^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

31^st R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The East Surrey Regiment	⇉					⇉
70^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

32^nd R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry	⇉					⇉
46^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

33^rd R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regiment)	⇉					⇉
76^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

34^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Border Regiment	⇉					⇉
55^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

35^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Royal Sussex Regiment	⇉					⇉
107^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

37^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Hampshire Regiment	⇉					⇉
67^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

38^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The South Staffordshire Regiment	⇉					⇉
80^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

39^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Dorsetshire Regiment	⇉					⇉
54^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

40^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Prince of Wales’s Volunteers (South Lancashire Regiment)	⇉					⇉
82^nd R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

41^st R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Welsh Regiment	⇉					⇉
69^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

42^nd R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)	⇉					⇉
73^rd R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

43^rd R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Oxfordshire Light Infantry	⇉	1908:	The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry			⇉
52^nd R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

44^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Essex Regiment	⇉					⇉
56^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

45^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Sherwood Foresters (Derbyshire Regiment)	⇉	1908:	The Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment)			⇉
95^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

47^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment	⇉					⇉
81^st R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

48^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Northamptonshire Regiment	⇉					⇉
58^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

49^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Princess Charlotte of Wales’s (Berkshire Regiment)	⇉	1884:	The Princess Charlotte of Wales’s (Royal Berkshire Regiment)			⇉
66^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

50^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment)	⇉					⇉
97^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

51^st R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The King’s Own Light Infantry (South Yorkshire Regiment)	⇉	1882:	The King’s Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry)			⇉
105^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

53^rd R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The King’s Light Infantry (Shropshire Regiment)	⇉	1882:	The King’s (Shropshire Light Infantry)			⇉
85^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

57^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Duke of Cambridge’s Own (Middlesex Regiment)	⇉	1900: 3^rd Bⁿ and 4^th Bⁿ raised				➡
77^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

60^th R^egt of Foot ➡		The King’s Royal Rifle Corps	➡					➡

62^nd R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Duke of Edinburgh’s (Wiltshire Regiment)	⇉					⇉
99^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

63^rd R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Manchester Regiment	⇉	1900: 3^rd Bⁿ and 4^th Bⁿ raised		➡	1906: 3^rd Bⁿ and 4^th Bⁿ disbanded	⇉
96^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

64^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Prince of Wales’s (North Staffordshire Regiment)	⇉					⇉
98^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

65^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The York and Lancaster Regiment	⇉					⇉
84^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

68^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Durham Light Infantry	⇉					⇉
106^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

71^st R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Highland Light Infantry	⇉					⇉
74^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

72^nd R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, The Duke of Albany’s)	⇉					⇉
78^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

75^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Gordon Highlanders	⇉					⇉
92^nd R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

79^th R^egt of Foot →		The Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders	→	1897: 2^nd Bⁿ raised				⇉

83^rd R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Royal Irish Rifles	⇉					⇉
86^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

87^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	Princess Victoria’s (Royal Irish Fusiliers)	⇉					⇉
89^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

88^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Connaught Rangers	⇉					⇉
94^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

91^st R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	Princess Louise’s (Sutherland and Argyll Highlanders)	⇉	1884:	Princess Louise’s (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders)			⇉
93^rd R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

100^th R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Prince of Wales’s Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians)	⇉					⇉
109^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

101^st R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Royal Munster Fusiliers	⇉					⇉
104^th R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

102^nd R^egt of Foot →	1^st Bⁿ,	The Royal Dublin Fusiliers	⇉					⇉
103^rd R^egt of Foot →	2^nd Bⁿ,

The Rifle Brigade ➡		The Prince Consort’s Own (Rifle Brigade)	➡					➡

1^st West India R^egt →	1^st Bⁿ,	The West India Regiment ¹	⇉	1897: 3^rd Bⁿ raised		⇶	1904: 3^rd Bⁿ disbanded	⇉
2^nd West India R^egt →	2^nd Bⁿ,
¹ This took place in 1888

				1898:	The West African Regiment			→

The Regiments in 1881

The Regiments raised during the Second Boer War

The Regiments in 1914

The Battalions raised during the Great War

The Changes between the World Wars

The Regiments in 1939

The Regiments raised during World War II

Changes from 1958 to 1962

The Brigades in 1963

Changes from 1964 to 1970

The Regiments in 1971

Options for change: 1992 to 1994

The Regiments in 1995

Changes from 2003 to 2007

The Regiments in 2008

The Regiments in 2023

Alphabetic List of the Regiments