Volume I
1758. Britain is locked into the Seven Years War.
A French invasion was feared.
In preparation for this, a request was put forth to the Parliament for the formation of more regiments.
Colonel H. C. Wylly, C.B neatly compiles the history of The Manchester Regiment, from its earliest conception in 1758, through to 1883. The history of this powerful regiment is filled with battles and victories.
The men’s strength, courage and dedication are captured in this monumental piece of work.
Despite the relative infancy of the Regiment, the men were called upon in the battle against France. There was no holding back, the men were fully armed and prepared for the battle that was to come.
Further action came during the American War of Independence including the Battle of Bunker Hill.
Wylly, in this historical account provides the reader with a sense of importance that surrounded the 63rd Regiment, despite having been newly formed. The Regiment’s loses are also meticulously detailed.
However, Wylly also shows the regiment’s darker side. Around 1770, a significant rise in crime saw the expulsion or imprisonment of several men.
In 1798 Britain faced a different war with France, and fresh fears of invasion.
Further regiments were formed. Among them, the 96th Regiment of Foot, which would later be merged with the 63rd to form the Manchester Regiment.
Initially formed as the Minorca Regiment, it consisted of German Speaking Spanish prisoners of war.
Famous for withstanding the powerful French Cavalry at the Battle of Alexandria, the Minorca regiment earned accolade after accolade.
Also included are the actual communications that were sent in relation to the movements of the regiment, instructions and orders from the King, as well as the Court’s opinion on the crimes committed.
Volume II
From the fields of South Africa to the shell holes of Flanders, the Manchester Regiment fought hard.
The history of this famous regiment continues with further accounts of its battles and victories, including the roles they played in the Boer War in South Africa and the Great War.
Two Manchester Regiment battalions served during the Boer War.
Fighting with the Imperial Light Horse, the Manchesters launched a major assault on the Boers.
For their actions in in this assault two privates of the Manchester Regiment were honoured with the Victoria Cross.
When the world was plunged into the Great War, the Manchester Regiment fought in the trenches of the Western Front and bled in the dust of Mesopotamia and Palestine.
It was a long and hard fought war, but the Regiment’s resilience and determination was duly noted by command.
After the First World War the 1st Battalion were stationed in Ireland. The was over, but the fighting was not…
In addition to the all-encompassing account of the wars fought in by the Regiment, Wylly includes information on the colours, badges, regulations – including the regulation hair style what facial hair could or could not be shaved.
Praise for the History of the Manchester Regiment
‘A monumental work’ - Major-General Sir Vere B. Fane
Harold Carmichael Wylly (1859-1932) was a British colonel and military historian.
Colonel Wylly published a number of military-based books, including a biography of Sir Joseph Thackwell. His later works specialised in the First World War. Colonel Wylly served in many wars including the Anglo-Egyptian War and the Second Boer War.
