4th (King’s Own) Regiment of Foot

To mark the 250th Anniversary of the Revolutionary War that led to the founding of the United States of America King & Country is once more returning to those epic battles that took place throughout the former British Colonies and the soldiers of both sides who fought them.

This first release of ‘Revolutionary Redcoats’ introduces 13 soldiers of the 4th Regiment of Foot, one of several ‘Royal Regiments’ that would serve in North America during the war.

Being designated a ‘Royal’ regiment was the usual reward as a battle honour for long and distinguished service in the field and allowed the regiment to have ‘Royal Blue’ as their facing colours on their uniforms.

The 4th Foot’s nickname was ‘Barrell’s Blues’, taken from the name of a former commanding officer who led the regiment form 1734-1749.

Following the British Army reforms of 1751 the regiment was retitled the 4th (King’s Own) Regiment of Foot and in 1775 was sent to North America.Over the next three years it took part in numerous actions including the battles of Lexington and Concord, Bunker Hill, Long Island and White Marsh.

The first British soldiers to die in the American Revolution were probably three men from the Light Company of the 4th Foot, who died at Concord Bridge in 1775.

In later centuries the 4th Foot became the King’s Own Royal Regiment and fought in the Crimean War… the Boer War and the First and Second World Wars.

Today it forms part of the modern British Army’s ‘Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment’.