Essex Regiment

The Essex Regiment was the line infantry regiment of the British Army that recruited from the geographical county of Essex. As such, its regimental district included parts of north-east Greater London: the modern London Boroughs of Barking & Dagenham, Havering, Newham, Redbridge and Waltham Forest.

The regiment was formed on 1 July 1881. It had two regular battalions, formed by the re-designation of the 44th (East Essex) and 56th (West Essex) Regiments of Foot which dated from 1741 and 1755 respectively. The 3rd and 4th Battalions were formed from the two county militia regiments.

There were also four volunteer battalions, formed from rifle volunteer corps in the county. In 1908 these became the 5th-8th (Territorial Battalions. Of these the 6th Battalion was based in West Ham and the 7th in Walthamstow.

The regiment was expanded by voluntary enlistment and conscription in the First and Second World Wars. The Mayor and Corporation of West Ham helped raise the 13th (West Ham) Service Battalion in December 1914, which fought on the Western Front until its disbandment in 1918.

In 1958 the regiment was amalgamated with the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment to form the 3rd East Anglian Regiment. Since 1964 it has formed part of the Royal Anglian Regiment.