{{Use British English|date=August 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox military unit |unit_name=38th (1st Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot |image= |caption= |country={{flag|Kingdom of England}} (1705–1707)<br />{{flag|Kingdom of Great Britain}} (1707–1800)<br />{{flag|United Kingdom}} (1801–1881) |branch={{army|United Kingdom}} |type=Infantry |dates=1705&ndash;1881 |size=1 battalion (2 battalions 1804–1814) |ceremonial_chief= |nickname= |colors= |garrison=Whittington Barracks, Lichfield |march= |battles=American Revolutionary War<br />French Revolutionary Wars<br />Napoleonic Wars<br />Fifth Xhosa War<br />First Anglo-Burmese War<br />Crimean War<br />Indian Rebellion |notable_commanders= }} The '''38th (1st Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot''' was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1705. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 80th Regiment of Foot (Staffordshire Volunteers) to form the South Staffordshire Regiment in 1881.

==History== ===Early years=== [[File:The King's Head, Lichfield (1).JPG|thumb|Plaque in Lichfield commemorating the regiment's founding in March 1705]] thumb|upright|{{circa|1742}} engraving of a regimental private thumb|The remnants of the regiment's light company parading in 1855 thumb|Illustration of the regimental uniform in 1856

The regiment was first raised by Colonel Sir John Guise as '''Sir John Guise's Regiment of Foot''' in 1688 and then disbanded in England in 1694.<ref name=regiments>{{cite web|url=http://regiments.org/regiments/uk/inf/038-705.htm |title=38th (1st Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot |publisher=regiments.org |access-date=4 September 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060621025844/http://regiments.org/regiments/uk/inf/038-705.htm |archive-date=21 June 2006 }}</ref> It was raised a second time by General Luke Lillingston as '''Luke Lillingstone's Regiment of Foot''' with personnel from the previous regiment in 1694 and then disbanded in the West Indies in 1696.<ref name=regiments/>

The regiment was raised a third time at Lichfield by General Luke Lillingston as '''Luke Lillingstone's Regiment of Foot''' in March 1705.<ref name=regiments/> It was ranked as the 38th regiment in 1747.<ref name=regiments/> It was posted to Ireland later in the year and then sent to the West Indies in 1707.<ref name=nam>{{cite web|url=http://www.nam.ac.uk/research/famous-units/38th-1st-staffordshire-regiment-foot|title=38th (1st Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot|publisher=National Army Museum|access-date=12 November 2016}}</ref> On 1 July 1751 a royal warrant was issued which provided that in future regiments would no longer be known by their colonel's name, but would bear a regimental number based on their precedence: the regiment became the '''38th Regiment of Foot'''.<ref name=regiments/> It returned to Ireland in 1764 and then went to Boston in Massachusetts in 1774.<ref name=nam/> It fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill in June 1775 and at the Battle of Brandywine in September 1777 during the American Revolutionary War.<ref name=nam/> The regiment took a county title as the '''38th (1st Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot''' in 1782<ref name=regiments/> and returned to Ireland in 1790.<ref name=freer290>Freer, p. 290</ref>

===Napoleonic wars=== Following the outbreak of war with France,<ref name=freer290/> the flank companies of the regiment sailed for the West Indies and in March 1794 took part in the capture of Martinique. Meanwhile, the battalion companies of the 38th served in the Low Countries with the Duke of York. In 1796 the regiment was reunited in the West Indies and in May 1796 took part in the capture of Saint Lucia and the capture of Trinidad in 1797. After taking part in the capture of the Cape of Good Hope at the Battle of Blaauwberg in January 1806, it embarked for South America where it fought under General William Beresford at the capture of Montevideo in January 1807 and at the attack on Buenos Aires in July 1807 during the British invasions of the River Plate.<ref name=freer290/>

The 1st battalion embarked for the Peninsula in June 1808 and saw action at the Battle of Roliça in August 1808, the Battle of Vimeiro later in August 1808, and the retreat to Corunna under Lieutenant-General Sir John Moore in June 1809.<ref name=freer291>Freer, p. 291</ref> The 1st battalion also took part in the disastrous Walcheren Campaign in autumn 1809.<ref name=freer291/> The 1st battalion returned to the Peninsula in spring 1812 and took part in the Battle of Salamanca in July 1812,<ref name=freer294>Freer, p. 294</ref> the siege of Burgos in September 1812,<ref name=freer298>Freer, p. 298</ref> and the Battle of Vitoria in June 1813<ref name=freer305>Freer, p. 305</ref> as well as the siege of San Sebastián in September 1813.<ref name=freer306>Freer, p. 306</ref> It then pursued the French Army into France and fought at the Battle of Nivelle in November 1813,<ref name=freer307>Freer, p. 307</ref> at the Battle of the Nive in December 1813<ref name=freer307/> and at the Battle of Orthez in February 1814<ref name=freer307/> as well as at the Battle of Toulouse in April 1814<ref name=freer307/> and at the Battle of Bayonne later in April 1814.<ref name=freer307/> Meanwhile, the 2nd battalion took part in the Battle of Bussaco in September 1810 and the siege of Badajoz in March 1812.<ref name=freer291/>

===The Victorian era=== The regiment was sent to the Cape of Good Hope for service in the Fifth Xhosa War in 1818 and then to India in 1822 from where it was deployed to Burma for service in the First Anglo-Burmese War in 1824.<ref name=freer308>Freer, p. 308</ref> It returned to England in May 1836 and proceeded to Ireland in May 1837 before embarking for Zante in the Ionian Sea in September 1840.<ref name=freer308/> It went on to Gibraltar in March 1843 and to Jamaica in November 1845 before proceeding to Halifax, Nova Scotia in April 1848.<ref name=freer308/> After returning to England in August 1851, it was dispatched to the Crimea for service in the Crimean War in April 1854.<ref name=freer308/> It took part in the Battle of the Alma in September 1854, Battle of Inkerman in November 1854 and the siege of Sevastopol in winter 1854.<ref name=freer309>Freer, p. 309</ref> The regiment then embarked for India in August 1857 and saw action at the Capture of Lucknow in March 1858 during Indian Rebellion.<ref name=freer309/> It also took part in the expedition against the Black Mountain tribes in 1868 before returning to England in 1871.<ref name=nam/>

As part of the Cardwell Reforms of the 1870s, where single-battalion regiments were linked together to share a single depot and recruiting district in the United Kingdom, the 38th was linked with the 80th Regiment of Foot (Staffordshire Volunteers), and assigned to district no. 19 at Whittington Barracks in Lichfield.<ref name=training>{{cite web|url=http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/depot/1873.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060210172841/http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/depot/1873.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 February 2006|title=Training Depots|publisher=Regiments.org|access-date=16 October 2016}}</ref> On 1 July 1881 the Childers Reforms came into effect and the regiment amalgamated with the 80th Regiment of Foot (Staffordshire Volunteers) to form the South Staffordshire Regiment.<ref name=regiments/>

==Battle honours== The battle honours of the regiment were as follows:<ref name=regiments/> * ''South America'': Monte Video * ''Peninsular War'': Roliça, Vimiera, Corunna, Busaco, Badajoz, Salamanca, Vitoria, San Sebastián, Nive, Peninsula * ''First Anglo-Burmese War'': Ava * ''Crimean War'': Alma, Inkerman, Sevastopol * ''Indian Mutiny'': Lucknow * ''West Indies'': Guadeloupe 1759, Martinique 1762 (''awarded 1909 to successor regiment'')

==Regimental colonels== The colonels of the regiment were as follows:<ref name=regiments/> ;First raising *1688–1689: Sir John Guise *1689–1693: Jonathan Foulkes *1693-1694: Brig-Gen. Luke Lillingston * ''disbanded 1694''

;Second raising *1694–1696: Brig-Gen. Luke Lillingston * ''disbanded 1696''

;Third raising *1702–1705: ''vacant?'' *1705–1708: Brig-Gen. Luke Lillingston *1708–1711: Col. James Jones *1711–1717: Col. Francis Alexander *1717–1729: Col. Richard Lucas *1729–1735: Brig-Gen. Edward Jones *1735–1738: Brig-Gen. Hon. Robert Murray *1738–1739: Gen. Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough, KG *1739–1750: Lt-Gen. Robert Dalzell *1750–October 1750: Lt-Gen. Richard Philipps

;38th Regiment of Foot *1751–1756: Lt-Gen. Alexander Duroure *1756–1760: Maj-Gen. Sir James Ross, Bt. *1760–1761: Maj-Gen. David Watson *1761–1762: Maj-Gen. Andrew Robinson *1762–1766: Maj-Gen. Hon. Sharrington Talbot *1766–1775: Lt-Gen. Cadwallader Blayney, 9th Baron Blayney *1775–1796: Gen. Sir Robert Pigot, Bt.

;38th (the 1st Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot - (1782) *1796–1805: Gen. James Rooke *1805–1836: Gen. George James Ludlow, 3rd Earl Ludlow, GCB *1836–1836: Maj-Gen. Hon. Sir Charles John Greville, KCB *1836–1840: Gen. Sir Henry Pigot, GCMG *1840–1843: Lt-Gen. Sir Jasper Nicolls, KCB *1843–1862: Gen. Hon. Sir Hugh Arbuthnot, KCB *1862–1876: Gen. Sir William Mansfield, 1st Baron Sandhurst, GCB, GCSI *1876–1881: Gen. James Pattoun Sparks, CB

==References== {{reflist|30em}}

==Sources== *{{cite book|last=Freer|first=Major William J.|title=The Thirty-Eighth Regiment of Foot, now the First Battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment|year=1915|publisher=Harrison & Sons|url=http://www.britnumsoc.org/publications/Digital%20BNJ/pdfs/1915_BNJ_11_14.pdf}}

==Further reading== *{{cite book|last=Jones|first=James P.|title=A history of the South Staffordshire Regiment (1705–1923)|year=1923|publisher=Whitehead Brothers (Wolverhampton)}}

{{Mercian Regiment}} {{Regiments of Foot}}

Category:South Staffordshire Regiment Category:Infantry regiments of the British Army Category:Military units and formations established in 1705 Category:Military units and formations in Staffordshire Category:Regiments of the British Army in the Crimean War Category:Regiments of the British Army in the American Revolutionary War Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1881 Category:1705 establishments in England