THE Cheshire Regiment has its origins in 1689 when, on the accession of William and Mary, new regiments were raised to resist James II's attempt to regain the throne.

Henry, Duke of Norfolk, raised and equipped on the Wirral peninsula and around Chester a new regiment, which, at first known by the names of its successive colonels, later became the 22nd Regiment of Foot, and finally, the Cheshire Regiment in 1782.

Its first campaign came in the autumn of 1689 when the regiment proceeded with an army, under General Schomberg, to Ireland, where it took part in the siege and capture of Carrickfergus.

In the following year it was present at the Battle of Boyne, and in 1691 at the capture of Athlone and the Battle of Aughrim.

When the American war of Independence broke out in 1775 the regiment took part in a campaign against the colonists, accompanying expeditions against Long Island and Rhode Island. Its colonel was killed at the famous battle of Bunker Hill.

Throughout the rest of 18th and 19th Centuries the regiment found itself in almost every campaign waged in various parts of the British Empire.

As the 20th Century dawned the 2nd Battalion fought against the Boers in South Africa.

During the First World War from 1914-18, no less than 38 battalions of the Cheshire Regiment were raised.

At the close of the battle of Mons on August 24 1914 the 1st Battalion was left exposed to the attack of two German Army corps at a village called Audregnies. Their heroic stand saved the British Expeditionary Force from disaster but left them with a staggering 750 casualties. This day is celebrated as a second Regimental Day.

Territorial and New Army Battalions of the Regiment fought on many fronts in France, especially at Ypres, in Gallipoli, in Sinai, in Palestine, in Salonika and in Mesopotamia.

Just prior to the Second World War all battalions were converted to the support machine gun role and the regiment became a support unit for the duration of the war.

The 2nd Battalion and 7th Battalion took part in the assault landings in Sicily in 1943 after which, still in the 50th Division, the 2nd Battalion came home and took part in the assault landing on D-Day on June 6, 1944.

After the war, infantry regiments were reduced from two regular battalions to one. The 1st was placed in suspended animation and the 2nd took its title and colours.

The territorials were reduced to two Battalions, the 4th and the 7th. With the formation of the Territorial Army Voluntary Reserve the 4th and 7th were joined to become the 4th/7th Battalion but even this disappeared in 1971.

With a smaller Territorial Army, Cheshire provided A Company (Stockport) 1st Battalion Mercian Volunteers and later C Company (Ellesmere Port) 2nd Battalion Mercian Volunteers.

In 1986 the 3rd (Volunteer) Battalion, The Cheshire Regiment was embodied as part of the TA enhancement programme, to include A and C Companies, Mercian Volunteers.

The regular battalion, since the war, has served in the UK and many other countries.

From 1986-88 it mounted Queen's Guard and other public duties in London based at Caterham. In late 1988 it returned to The Dale, Chester, to celebrate the Tercentenary on the Roodee in 1989.

Under threat of amalgamation it exchanged tours with the Staffordshire Regiment to get a last visit to Germany.

The ensuing and successful tour in Bosnia under United Nations auspices positively helped to save the regiment from amalgamation in 1991.