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Maltese Regiments of the British Army

The Royal Regiment of Malta, 1805-1811.

The situation in the Mediterranean at the time had called for the need of a Maltese infantry regiment on the same footing as a British regiment of the line. In 1806, The Provincial Battalions were dissolved when the men serving in them were allowed to volunteer for this new regiment. Officers were a mixture of Maltese, British and German and the total compliment was 1,126 officers and men eligible for service overseas.

In November 1807 the regiment under Major Meade was ordered to join the Army in Sicily and in September 1808 proceeded to Milazzo and to Capri during October of the same year. 950 men under Major Hamill were expected to hold off a force of Murat's 6000 veteran French troops. The French succeeded in landing and after fierce fighting in which Major Hamill and several officers were shot by French skirmishers, the remaining 250 men from the Regiment surrendered in full military honours, after having exhausted all of its powder. The Colours were saved from falling into the hands of the enemy and there are various versions of to their fate.

What remained of the Regiment was returned to Malta in 1809 but by 1811 there was a difficulty in finding recruits due to other local corps having been raised for service in the Mediterranean and the Regiment was disbanded.

Extract from a brief by  Denis A. Darmanin.