West Yorkshire Regiment The West Yorkshire Regiment ( Prince of Wales ' s Own ) ( 14th Foot ) was an infantry regiment of the British Army . In 1958 it amalgamated with The East Yorkshire Regiment ( 15th Foot ) to form The Prince of Wales ' s Own Regiment of Yorkshire . On 6 June 2006 The regiment was amalgamated with the Green Howards and the Duke of Wellington ' s Regiment ( West Riding ) to form the Yorkshire Regiment ( 14th / 15th , 19th and 33rd / 76th Foot ) . History . The regiment was raised by Sir Edward Hales in 1685 by order of King James II . One of the nine new regiments of foot , raised to meet the Monmouth rebellion it was termed Hales ' s Regiment . The regiment served in Flanders between 1693 and 1696 and gained its first battle honour at Namur in 1695 . In 1694 the regiment took precedence as the 14th Regiment of Foot . 1715 saw the regiment moved to Scotland to fight the Jacobite Rebellion . In 1727 the regiment played a major part in defending Gibraltar against the Spanish , where it remained garrisoned for the next 15 years . 1745 saw the regiment in Flanders fighting at Fontenoy before being recalled to Scotland to fight ' 45 Rebellion . Fighting at Falkirk and Culloden , becoming the 14th of Foot in 1751 . The regiment returned to Gibraltar in 1751 for another 8 year stay . In 1759 , when stationed at Windsor , it was granted royal permission to wear the White Horse of Hanover signifying the favour of the King . In 1768 , the regiment under Lieutenant Colonel William Dalrymple , arrived in Boston via Halifax , during the crisis surrounding the Townshend Acts . In a show of force , the 14th and 29th were marched though the town to erect a tent city on Boston Common . Detachments of the two regiments were sent to take possession of Faneuil Hall , the " unofficial " headquarters of the Sons of Liberty where they seized all of the firearms stored there . In 1770 the 14th although at the ready in their barracks did not play a part in the " Boston Massacre " . Captain Thomas ( 29th Foot ) was the officer of the day in charge of the duty detail ( 29th of Foot ) that faced the crowds outside of the Customs House . The crowd that gathered began taunting the detail until a shot , then volley was fired into the crowd , three civilians were killed outright and two more died later . Captain Preston and the detail went to trial and were defended ( successfully ) by Lawyer John Adams thus ending tensions between the crown and the citizens of Boston for the time being . The 14th would remain part of the Boston Garrison until 1772 . In 1772 , the 14th arrived in St Vincent as part of the force to subjugate the maroons . Due to bush fighting and disease the regiment is depleted in numbers , it stayed for two years and is then scheduled to return to England in 1774 . Due to the rising tensions in the colonies the regiment return is cancelled and instead it is redeployed piecemeal , under Major Jonathan Furlong to St Augustine , Florida and Providence Island , Bahamas In 1775 , General Gage orders the Providence Island , Bahamas company of the 14th along with a detachment of " not less than 60 men " to be drawn from the regiment at St Augustine , Florida to Virginia . As of 23 October , the 14th was represented in Virginia by the following : Present Sick Captains 4 Sergeants 9 Corporals 2 Lieutenants 5 Corporals 12 Privates 8 Ensigns 4 Drummer 1 Surgeons Mate 1 Privates 124 On 6 November , a stockade fort ( Fort Murray ) is finished just northeast of the great bridge on a small island in the marsh . On 16 November , Lord Dunmore marches 350 troops consisting of the 14th of Foote , Royal Marines , Seamen , Queen ' s Loyal Virginians ( Loyalist ) , Norfolk Militia of Loyalist and Loyal Ethiopians ( ex slaves ) to Kemp ' s Landing . A short successful engagement is fought and heartily won . On 28 November , Lt Wallace , one sergeant , one corporal , 25 soldiers , loyalist and loyal Ethiopians defend against the first rebel attack on the fort . On 9 December , the 14th leads the assault , at the bridge they replace the planks that had been previously removed ( to keep the rebels from crossing ) and cross the bridge . The bridge was no wider than to allow 6 abreast , therefore , a battle line could not be formed until the troops were on the other side . Upon seeing the troops crossing the bridge , rebel sentries fire three rounds alerting the main force . While the bridge planks were being replaced ( taking some time ) the rebel forces begin a series of heavy volley fire . As the troops filter over the bridge they form a line and begin to advance . At 50 yards the rebels lay down a devastating fire and force the British to falter and fall back . Captain Fordyce rallies the troops and again advances , again there is a devastating fire . Captain Fordyce along with two Lieutenants are killed . At this point the line breaks . There is a general retreat across the bridge to the fort . Men of the Culpepper Minute Battalion follow over the bridge and continue firing on the retreating troops . As the day goes on , the rebels come out to the field of battle and care for the wounded of both sides . Captain Leslie will later come out to the front of the fort and bow to the rebels in thanks for care of the wounded . Lord Dunmore reports only 50 men killed but from the blood and carnage on the field , bridge and fort , the rebels estimates there were many more . That evening the British abandon the stockade and return to Norfolk . Although the town is fortified , it was mostly situated on the sea side , were there is little threat ( continental navy ? ) . Because the town is so indefensible , it is soon abandoned . The retreat from the town is so swift that twenty cannons are left and spiked . The town ' s loyalists are offered a chance to escape , they all board choose to board the ships of the fleet ( also known as Dunmore ' s floating town ) . Having so many people on the ships of the fleet , shortages were felt almost immediately and health deteriorated quickly . More time would used in acquiring food and water than were used in service of quelling open rebellion in the colony . In late December , the war ship HMS Liverpool arrives giving the fleet enough firepower for Lord Dunmore make demands on the rebels . Lord Dunmore under a flag of truce reenters Norfolk . He demands food and water or he will use the firepower of the fleet against Norfolk . The rebels refuse . On 31 December , Lord Dunmore warns all women , children and loyalist to evacuate Norfolk as soon as possible . Evacuating troops burn 19 buildings on the wharf were snipers are thought to be . The fire spreads toward the rebels , this emboldens the rebel troops to burn and pillage more . At dawn on 1 January 1776 , the fleet opens fire on the town . Between the firing ( burning ) of the buildings and the fleet firing on the town , Norfolk burns for three days . 863 buildings were destroyed . After the fleet leaves , the rebels reoccupy what remains of the town but soon decide to burn even that to keep Lord Dunmore from using it . After all was said and done , 1 , 298 buildings were destroyed and the 5th largest city in colonial America ceased to exist . After Norfolk , the fleet leaves for Turkey Point near Portsmouth were it would base operations . While at Turkey Point there were a series of small raids and skirmishes . The fleet would stay at Turkey point only until late May when it would leave for Gwynn ' s Island . The last gasp of British rule in the Chesapeake is now at hand , following are the final engagements of Colonial Virginia Governor , Lord Dunmore : 1 June The fleet arrived at Gwynn ' s Island . Here , more small raids were carried out . 4 July The colonies make the split with Britain official when they ratify the " Declaration of Independence " . 10 July Gwynn ’ s Island , Cricket Hill 15 July St . George ’ s Island 16 July Potomac River 1 August The Burning of the Fleet Lord Dunmore finally bows to the inevitable . There would be no reinforcements from New York , ( due to politics at the main British Command ) . Rebel forces had forced his troops and government from Gwynn ' s Island and famine , decease and battle had taken their toll on the troops . Virginia was lost . On 9 August , the Fleet abandons the Chesapeake Bay and sails for New York In August , the fleet withdrew from the Chesapeake and headed to New York . The 14th was withdrawn from service , it being severely under strength from its disease and battle in both the Caribbean and Virginia . In New York the remaining men of the regiment where used to supplement other regiments in the area . The officers and music were sent back to Britain to recruit a new regiment . In 1777 , while in training in England , one company of the 14th and one company of the 15th Regiments were placed under the command of Col . Patrick Ferguson and sent to America to test the concept of the rifle company with the Col ’ s . new rifle . The rifle companies fought well in the battle of Brandywine in Pennsylvania on 11 September . After the experimental rifle companies were returned to England they were made the light companies of there respective regiments , thus ended the 14th Regiments participation in the American Revolution . In 1782 the 14th was named The 14th ( Bedfordshire ) Regiment . With the arrival of the French Revolution and the subsequent French invasion of the Low Countries caused troops to be sent to protect trade interests . The 14th gained its second battle honour around Lille . In 1793 at the battle of Famars in Flanders the 14th became the only regiment ever to win its regimental march in battle . It is the French revolutionary song “ Ca Ira ” . They returned to England in 1795 , then the Regiment was posted to the West Indies where it was on duty until 1803 . In February 1797 the regiment participated in the bloodless invasion of Trinidad . 1803 saw the outbreak of the Napoleonic Wars , the British Army was expanded and the 14th formed a second battalion in Belfast in 1804 . In 1808 - 9 , the 2nd Battalion joined the Peninsular Army and gained the Battle Honour " Corunna " The 2 / 14th saw service in the Walcheren Campaign and was disbanded in 1817 . The 1st Battalion spent much of the war on garrison duty in Bengal . In 1809 the Regiment was re - titled The 14th ( Buckinghamshire ) Regiment . The 1 / 14th served in India for 25 years until 1831 . A third battalion was formed in 1813 and fought at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 . The 3 / 14th was disbanded in 1816 . Apart from taking part in campaigns against the French in Mauritius in 1810 and the Dutch in Java in 1811 , the latter adding another Battle Honour . The 14th then were posted to the West Indies , Canada , Malta and in 1855 the Regiment the served in the Crimean war . In 1876 the Prince of Wales , presented new Colours to the 1st Battalion and conferred on the 14th the honoured title of The Prince of Wales ' s Own . 1858 saw a second battalion raised once more and took part in the New Zealand Wars of 1860 - 6 and the Second Anglo - Afghan War 1879 - 80 . During 1880 the British army saw major changes , The " Childers Reforms " . The 14th was given the title " The Prince of Wales ' s Own ( West Yorkshire Regiment ) " . The Depot of the 14th was established at York . Second Boer War . 1899 saw the 2nd Battalion sent to the Second Boer War 1899 - 1902 in South Africa and after a number of engagements two members of the Battalion were awarded the Victoria Cross : Captain ( later Colonel ) Mansel - Jones in February 1900 , and Sergeant Traynor in February 1901 . The 1st , 2nd and 3rd Volunteer Battalions sent service companies to the Boer War and were granted the battle honour South Africa 1900 – 02 . Territorials . When the Territorial Force was created in 1908 , the Volunteer Battalions linked to the regiment became Territorial Battalions of the West Yorkshire Regiment : World War I . World War I saw numerous battalions of The Prince of Wales ' s Own ( West Yorkshire Regiment ) serving at Neuve - Chappelle , Loos , the Somme , Passchendaele , Ypres , Marne , Arras , Cambrai and Gallipoli . At its peak The West Yorkshire Regiment numbered 37 battalions , 66 Battle Honours were bestowed and four Victoria Crosses were awarded . The four TF battalions formed the West Yorkshire Brigade , which mobilised as 146 Brigade , 49th ( West Riding ) Infantry Division on the outbreak of World War I and served in France 1915 – 18 . They raised duplicate battalions ( 2 / 5th , 2 / 6th , 2 / 7th , 2 / 8th ) that constituted 185 Bde in 62nd ( 2nd West Riding ) Division , which also served in France 1917 – 18 . In 1915 they formed further reserve battalions ( 3 / 5th , 3 / 6th , 3 / 7th , 3 / 8th ) that served in the British Isles . Interwar years . The interwar years saw the Regular battalions serving in Germany , India , Kurdistan , Sudan , Palestine , Jamaica and Bermuda . In the Second World War , The 1st Battalion served in the Far East , The 2nd Battalion served in Africa and subsequently in the Far East and the various other battalions served in Iceland , France , Antwerp , the Scilly Isles , the Falkland Islands and as Home Defence . In 1936 the 8th ( Leeds Rifles ) Bn transferred to the Royal Artillery as 66th ( Leeds Rifles , The West Yorkshire Regiment ) Anti - Aircraft Brigade . In 1937 the 6th Bn became 49th ( The West Yorkshire Regiment ) Anti - Aircraft Battalion of the Royal Engineers , converting to a searchlight regiment of the Royal Artillery in 1940 . In April 1938 the 7th ( Leeds Rifles ) Bn converted to the armoured role as 45th ( Leeds Rifles ) Bn , Royal Tank Regiment . In June 1939 , the company at Morley was split off to form the cadre for a duplicate unit , the 51st ( Leeds Rifles ) Bn , Royal Tank Regiment . World War II . In 1942 2 / 5th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment was converted to armour , becoming 113th Regiment Royal Armoured Corps . They continued to wear their West Yorkshire cap badge on the black beret of the RAC . 51st ( Leeds Rifles ) RTR served in 25th Army Tank Brigade in the Italian campaign under the command of Brigadier Noel Tetley of the Leeds Rifles , who was the only Territorial Army RTR officer to command a brigade on active service . The regiment distinguished itself in support of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division in the assault on the Adolf Hitler Line in May 1944 . At the request of the Canadians , 51 RTR adopted the Maple Leaf as an additional badge , which is still worn by its successors , the Leeds Detachment ( Leeds Rifles ) , Imphal ( PWO ) Company , The East and West Riding Regiment . Postwar years . In 1948 the 1st and 2nd Battalions were amalgamated and were stationed in Austria . They then moved to Egypt and on to Malaya . After a tour of duty in Northern Ireland in 1955 - 56 , the 1st Battalion took part in the Suez Operation and was then stationed in Dover until the amalgamation in July 1958 . In 1956 the merged 45th / 51st ( Leeds Rifles ) RTR returned to the infantry role as 7th ( Leeds Rifles ) Bn West Yorkshire Regt and in 1961 it re - absorbed the 466th ( Leeds Rifles ) Light Anti - Aircraft Regt , RA , to form The Leeds Rifles , The Prince of Wales ' s Own Regiment of Yorkshire . Victoria Crosses . The following members of the Regiment were awarded the Victoria Cross :