| 16th (Bedfordshire) Regiment of Foot The Bedfordshire Regiment The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment | |
|---|---|
 Badge of the Bedfordshire Regiment (c. 1914–1918) | |
| Active | 1688–1958 |
| Country |  Kingdom of England (1688–1707) Kingdom of Great Britain (1707–1800) United Kingdom (1801–1958) |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Role | Line infantry |
| Garrison/HQ | Kempston Barracks, Kempston[1] |
| Nickname(s) | The Old Bucks The Peacemakers The Featherbeds[2] |
| Colours | Deep yellow facings until 1881, white thereafter[3] |
| March | The Mountain Rose until 1882, La Mandolinata from 1882 |
| Anniversaries | Blenheim Day, August (The Battle of Blenheim, 1704) |
| Engagements | Nine Years War, War of the Spanish Succession, American War of Independence, Second Boer War, Irish War of Independence, First World War, Second World War |
The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment was the final title of a line infantry regiment of the British Army that was originally formed in 1688.[3][4][5][6][7] After centuries of service in many conflicts and wars, including both the First and Second World Wars, the regiment was amalgamated with the Essex Regiment in 1958 to form the 3rd East Anglian Regiment (16th/44th Foot). However, this was short-lived and again was amalgamated, in 1964, with the 1st East Anglian Regiment (Royal Norfolk and Suffolk) and 2nd East Anglian Regiment (Duchess of Gloucester's Own Royal Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire), and the Royal Leicestershire Regiment to form the present Royal Anglian Regiment.
- ^ "The History of Kempston". Kempston Town Official Guide. Local Authority Publishing. Archived from the original on 10 June 2011. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
- ^ Farmer, John S. (1984). The Regimental Records of the British Army. Bristol: Crecy Books. p. 109. ISBN 0 947554 03 3.
- ^ a b Farmer, John S (1901). The Regimental Records of the British Army: a historical résumé chronologically arranged of titles, campaigns, honours, uniforms, facings, badges, nicknames, etc. London: Grant Richards. pp. 108–109.
- ^ Swinson, Arthur (1972). A Register of the Regiments and Corps of the British Army. London: The Archive Press. pp. 103–104. ISBN 0-85591-000-3.
- ^ "The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment". Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 18 January 2008. Retrieved 30 September 2010.
- ^ Cannon, Richard (1848). Historical Record of the Sixteenth or Bedfordshire Regiment of Foot: containing an account of the formation of the regiment in 1688, and its subsequent services to 1848. London: HMSO.
- ^ Wickes, H L (1974). Regiments of Foot: A History of the Foot Regiments of the British Army. Reading, Berkshire: Osprey Publishing. pp. 25–26. ISBN 0-85045-220-1.