View source for 108th Regiment of Foot Madras Infantry

{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = 108th Regiment of Foot
| image =
| caption =
| dates = 1766–1774<br>1777–1796<br>1854–1881
|country=[[File:Flag of the British East India Company (1801).svg|23px]] [[East India Company]] (1766–1858)<br>{{flag|United Kingdom}} (1858–1881)
|allegiance=
|branch=[[File:Flag of the British East India Company (1801).svg|23px]] [[Madras Army]] (1766–1862)<br>{{army|United Kingdom}} (1862–1881)
| type = [[Infantry]]
| role = 
| size = One battalion (two battalions 1777–1796)
| command_structure =
| garrison =

# [[Madras Presidency]]
# [[St Lucia Barracks, Omagh]]

| garrison_label =
| nickname =
| patron =
| motto =
| colors =
| colors_label =
| march =
| mascot =
| equipment =
| equipment_label =
| battles =[[Indian Rebellion of 1857|Indian Rebellion]]
| anniversaries =
| decorations =
| battle_honours =
| battle_honours_label =
| disbanded =
| notable_commanders =
}}
The '''108th Regiment of Foot (Madras Infantry)''' was an [[infantry]] regiment of the [[British Army]]. However, it was raised initially as part of the [[Madras Army]], by the [[East India Company]] (EIC) in 1766.

In the aftermath of the [[Indian Rebellion]] (1857), the British government took control of the [[Presidency Armies]] and the 108th became also known by the name '''3rd Madras Infantry'''.<ref name=regiments/> Finally, under the [[Childers Reforms]] of 1881, the regiment was amalgamated with the [[27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot]], to form the [[Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers]].

==History==
[[File:William Anson McCleverty.jpg|thumb|left|General [[William Anson McCleverty|William McCleverty]], colonel of the regiment in the 1860s]]

=== East India Company ===

The regiment as first raised by the [[East India Company]] as the '''3rd Madras European Regiment''', when it was formed from the [[102nd Regiment of Foot (Royal Madras Fusiliers)|1st Madras Europeans]] in 1766.<ref name=regiments>{{cite web|url=http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/inf/108-862.htm |title=108th Regiment of Foot (Madras Infantry) |publisher=regiments.org |access-date=5 September 2016 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060310120028/http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/inf/108-862.htm |archive-date=10 March 2006 }}</ref>

It served in India until 1774, when it was absorbed by the 1st and [[105th Regiment of Foot (Madras Light Infantry)|2nd Madras Europeans]] in 1774.<ref name=regiments/>
Re-raised as a separate regiment in 1777, the 108th was disbanded in 1796.<ref name=regiments/>
The regiment was re-raised as the '''3rd Madras (European) Regiment''' in 1854, and then saw action in India in 1857 during the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857|Indian Rebellion]].<ref name=locations>{{cite web|url=http://www.regiments.org/deploy/uk/reg-inf/108.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060513201440/http://www.regiments.org/deploy/uk/reg-inf/108.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 May 2006|title=108th (Madras Infantry) Regiment of Foot: Locations|publisher=Regiments.org|access-date=1 April 2017}}</ref>

=== British Army ===
After the Crown took control of the [[Presidency armies]] in the aftermath of the Indian Rebellion, the regiment became the '''3rd Madras Infantry''' in November 1859.<ref name=regiments/> It was then renumbered as the '''108th Regiment of Foot (Madras Infantry)''' on transfer to the [[British Army]] in September 1862.<ref name=regiments/> It embarked for England in 1876.<ref name=locations/>
As part of the [[Cardwell Reforms]] of the 1870s, where single-battalion regiments were linked together to share a single depot and recruiting district in the United Kingdom, the 108th was linked with the [[27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot]], and assigned to district no. 64 at [[St Lucia Barracks, Omagh]].<ref name=training>{{cite web|url=http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/depot/1873.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060210172841/http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/depot/1873.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 February 2006|title=Training Depots|publisher=Regiments.org|access-date=16 October 2016}}</ref>

On 1 July 1881 the [[Childers Reforms]] came into effect and the 108th amalgamated with the 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot to form the [[Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers]].<ref name=regiments/>
==Battle Honours==
Battle honours of the regiment were:<ref name=regiments/>
* Central India

==Regimental Colonels==
Colonels of the Regiment were:<ref name=regiments/>

*1862–1868: Lt-Gen. Sir [[George Cornish Whitlock]], KCB
*1868: Lt-Gen. Arthur Cunliffe van Notten Pole
*1868–1875: Gen. [[William Anson McCleverty]]
*1875–1880: Gen. [[John Hamilton Elphinstone Dalyrmple]], CB
*1880–1881: Gen. Sir [[Edward Greathed|Edward Harris Greathed]], KCB

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*{{cite web |url=http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/inf/108-862.htm |title=108th Regiment of Foot (Madras Infantry) |access-date=April 15, 2007 |last=Mills |first=T.F. |work=regiments.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071220001237/http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/inf/108-862.htm |archive-date=2007-12-20 |url-status=dead }} Includes chronological index of titles.

{{Royal Irish Regiment}}
{{Regiments of Foot}}

[[Category:Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1854]]
[[Category:Honourable East India Company regiments]]
[[Category:Infantry regiments of the British Army]]
[[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1881]]
[[Category:1854 establishments in India]]