List of British units in the American Revolutionary War

This is a list of British units in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) who fought against the American rebels and their French, Spanish and Dutch allies in the thirteen North American colonies, including battles in Florida and the West Indies. In addition to the regular army it includes German auxiliary units (known collectively as Hessians), and militia and provincial units formed from Loyalists, West Indians, and Canadians.

No battle honours were ever awarded to British regiments who fought in America as it was seen by the British to be a civil war. Four battle honours were, however, awarded for actions against the French and Spanish in the West Indies and other theatres.

Only three British Army regiments (23rd Dragoons and the 73rd and 78th Foot) raised during the period of the war, many of whom were intended for North America, survived the post-war reduction in the Army. The 23rd Dragoons aka 19th Light Dragoons served in India; the 73rd (renumbered 71st in 1786) later became part of the Highland Light Infantry while the 78th (renumbered 72nd in 1786) became part of the Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-Shire Buffs) in 1881.

Note: An Infantry Unit not listed is the 2nd Regiment of Foot aka Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey); however the 1st Battalion -along with the Honourable Artillery Company-suppressed the Gordon Riots in London 1780. Neither did the 11th Regiment of Foot {Devonshire} nor the 12th Regiment of Foot {Suffolk}; nor the 25th Regiment of Foot aka King's Own Scottish Borderers at Sussex; nor the 32nd Regiment of Foot at Cornwall; the 36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot at Herefordshire; nor the 39th (Dorsetshire) Regiment of Foot at East Middlesex nor 41st (Welsh) Regiment of Foot nor 51st (2nd Yorkshire West Riding) Regiment of Foot nor the 81st Regiment of Foot (Aberdeenshire Highland Regiment) take part in the American Revolution. The 86th Regiment of Foot (Rutland Regiment), the 87th Regiment of Foot, and the 90th Regiment of Foot (Yorkshire Volunteers) were stationed in the West Indies. The 72nd Highlanders; 83rd Regiment of Foot (Royal Glasgow Volunteers) and the 95th (Yorkshire) Regiment of Foot did take part in defeating a French invasion of Jersey in 1781 (the Battle of Jersey).

Artillery

 * Royal Regiment of Artillery
 * Royal Irish Regiment of Artillery {did not fight as a unit but as drafts for British forces}

Cavalry

 * 16th The Queen's Lancers aka the 16th (or The Queen's) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons
 * 17th Regiment of (Light) Dragoons

Foot Guards
Brigade of Guards (raised from drafts of 1st Regiment of Foot Guards, Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, and 3rd Regiment of Foot Guards)


 * 1st Battalion
 * 2nd Battalion

Line Infantry

 * 1st (Royal) Regiment of Foot
 * 3rd Regiment of Foot, or The Buffs
 * 4th (The King's Own) Regiment of Foot
 * 5th Regiment of Foot
 * 6th Regiment of Foot
 * 7th Regiment of Foot (Royal Fusiliers)
 * 8th (The King's) Regiment of Foot
 * 9th Regiment of Foot
 * 10th Regiment of Foot
 * 13th Regiment of Foot
 * 14th Regiment of Foot
 * 15th Regiment of Foot
 * 16th Regiment of Foot
 * 17th Regiment of Foot
 * 18th (or Royal Irish) Regiment of Foot
 * 19th Regiment of Foot
 * 20th Regiment of Foot
 * 21st Regiment of Foot (Royal North British Fusiliers)
 * 22nd Regiment of Foot (Cheshire Regiment)
 * 23rd Regiment of Foot (Royal Welch Fusiliers)
 * 24th Regiment of Foot
 * 26th Regiment of Foot
 * 27th (Enniskillen) Regiment of Foot
 * 28th Regiment of Foot
 * 29th Regiment of Foot
 * 30th Regiment of Foot
 * 31st Regiment of Foot
 * 33rd Regiment of Foot
 * 34th Regiment of Foot
 * 35th Regiment of Foot
 * 37th Regiment of Foot
 * 38th Regiment of Foot
 * 40th Regiment of Foot
 * 42nd (Royal Highland) Regiment of Foot
 * 43rd Regiment of Foot
 * 44th Regiment of Foot
 * 45th Regiment of Foot
 * 46th Regiment of Foot
 * 47th Regiment of Foot
 * 48th Regiment of Foot
 * 49th Regiment of Foot
 * 50th Regiment of Foot
 * 52nd Regiment of Foot
 * 53rd Regiment of Foot
 * 54th Regiment of Foot
 * 55th Regiment of Foot
 * 57th Regiment of Foot
 * 59th Regiment of Foot
 * 60th (Royal American) Regiment of Foot
 * 62nd Regiment of Foot
 * 63rd Regiment of Foot
 * 64th Regiment of Foot
 * 65th Regiment of Foot
 * 69th Regiment of Foot
 * 70th Regiment of Foot (Glasgow Lowland)
 * 71st Regiment of Foot (Frasers Highlanders)
 * 74th Regiment of Foot (Argyleshire Highlanders)
 * 76th Regiment of Foot (Macdonald's Highlanders)
 * 79th Regiment of Foot (Royal Liverpool Volunteers)
 * 80th Regiment of Foot (Royal Edinburgh Volunteers)
 * 82nd Regiment of Foot (1777)
 * 83rd Regiment of Foot (Royal Glasgow Volunteers)
 * 84th Regiment of Foot (Royal Highland Emigrants) (Loyalist)
 * 85th Regiment of Foot(Westminster Volunteers)
 * 86th Regiment of Foot (Rutland Regiment)
 * 87th Regiment of Foot
 * 88th Regiment of Foot
 * 105th Regiment of Foot (Loyalist)
 * 110th Regiment of Foot {Loyalist{?}-see below

H.M. Marine Forces

 * 1st Battalion
 * 2nd Battalion

American Establishment

 * 1st American Regiment, formerly the Queen's Rangers
 * 2nd American Regiment, formerly the Volunteers of Ireland, placed on British establishment in 1782 as 105th Foot
 * 3rd American Regiment, formerly the New York Volunteers
 * 4th American Regiment, formerly the King's American Regiment, placed on British Establishment in 1782 possibly as the 110th Regiment of Foot.
 * 5th American Regiment, formerly the British Legion, placed on British establishment in 1782 as Tarleton's Dragoons

Provincial Units

 * American Legion (Loyalist)
 * American Volunteers
 * Armed Boat Company
 * Black Company of Pioneers (also known as the Black Pioneers)
 * British Legion (placed on American establishment in 1781 as 5th American Regiment)
 * Bucks County Dragoons (absorbed by British Legion in 1780)
 * Butler's Rangers
 * Caledonian Volunteers (formed part of the British Legion in 1778)
 * Campbell's Dragoon (South Carolina Dragoons)
 * Canadian Companies
 * De Lancey's Brigade
 * Detroit Volunteers claims descent from Roger's Rangers-later became 1st Battalion 119th Field Artillery Regiment, Michigan National Guard USA.
 * Diemar's Troop of Black Hussars (also known as Diemar's Hussars)
 * Duke of Cumberland's Regiment
 * Duchess County Company
 * Emmerich's Chasseurs
 * Fenwick's Dragoons (South Carolina Dragoons)
 * Forshner's Independent Company
 * Georgia Light Dragoons
 * Georgia Loyalists
 * Governor Wentworth's Volunteers
 * Guides and Pioneers
 * Harkimer's Batteau Company
 * Hierlihy's Corps
 * James Island Light Dragoons
 * King's American Dragoons
 * King's American Regiment (placed on American establishment in 1781 as 4th American Regiment)
 * King's Rangers
 * King's (Carolina) Rangers
 * King's Orange Rangers
 * King's Royal Regiment of New York
 * Kinloch's Light Dragoons (formed part of the British Legion in 1778)
 * Locke's Independent Company
 * Loyal American Rangers
 * Loyal American Regiment
 * Loyal Foresters
 * Loyal New Englanders
 * Loyal Rangers
 * Loyal Rhode Islanders
 * Maryland Loyalists Battalion
 * Nassau Blues
 * Newfoundland Regiment (placed on British establishment in 1782)
 * New Hampshire Volunteers
 * New Jersey Volunteers (Skinner's Greens)
 * Newport Artillery Company (Rhode Island) 1741
 * New York Volunteers (placed on American establishment as 3rd American Regiment in 1779)
 * North Carolina Highlanders
 * North Carolina Independent Company
 * North Carolina Independent Dragoons
 * Pennsylvania Loyalists
 * Philadelphia Light Dragoons (formed part of the British Legion in 1778)
 * Prince of Wales's American Volunteers
 * Provincial Light Infantry
 * Queen's Rangers (placed on American establishment in 1779 as 1st American Regiment);claims descent from Roger's Rangers
 * Roman Catholic Volunteers
 * Royal American Reformers
 * Royal Fencible Americans
 * Royal Garrison Battalion (placed on British establishment in 178
 * Royal Georgia Volunteers
 * Royal Highland Emigrants (placed on British establishment in 1779 as 84th Foot)
 * Royal Nova Scotia Volunteer Regiment
 * Saint John's Volunteers
 * Starkloff's Dragoons (South Carolina Dragoons)
 * South Carolina Rangers
 * South Carolina Royalists
 * Stewart's Troop of Light Dragoons
 * Van Alstine's Batteau Company
 * Volunteers of Ireland (placed on American establishment in 1779 as 2nd American Regiment)
 * Volunteers of New England
 * West Florida Royal Foresters
 * West Jersey Volunteers

Militia

 * Charleston Militia
 * Charleston Volunteer Battalion
 * Collett's Independent Company
 * Detroit Militia
 * East Florida Militia
 * Georgia Artillery
 * Georgia Militia
 * German Independent Company
 * Independent Troop of Black Dragoons (also known as Black Pioneer Troop)
 * Loyal Commissariat Volunteers
 * Loyal Ordnance Volunteers
 * Loyal Volunteers of the City of New York
 * Massachusetts Militia
 * Massachusetts Volunteers
 * McDonald's Company of Volunteers
 * Minorca Volunteer Company
 * New Jersey Militia
 * New York City Militia
 * New York Independent Highland Volunteers
 * New York Marine Artillery Company
 * New York Militia
 * New York Rangers
 * North Carolina Militia
 * North Carolina Volunteers
 * Nova Scotia Militia
 * Nova Scotia Volunteer Militia Regiment
 * Quebec City Militia
 * Quebec Militia
 * Saint John's County Volunteers (South Carolina)
 * South Carolina Militia
 * South Carolina Volunteers
 * Westchester Chasseurs
 * West Florida Militia

Local Volunteer Corps

 * Adams Company of Rangers
 * Bay Fusiliers
 * Brant's Volunteers
 * Bucks County Volunteers
 * Detroit Volunteers
 * Dunlop's Corps
 * East Florida Rangers
 * East Florida Volunteers
 * Georgia Light Dragoons
 * Georgia Rangers
 * Georgia Rifle Dragoons
 * King's Loyal Americans
 * Mackay's Corps
 * McAlpin's Corps of Royalists
 * Mosquito Shore Volunteers
 * Natchez Volunteers
 * Negro Volunteers
 * Newfoundland Volunteers
 * Queen's Loyal Rangers
 * Queen's Loyal Virginia Regiment (absorbed by Queen's Rangers in 1776)
 * Queen's Royal Rangers
 * Rattan and Black River Volunteers
 * Royal Bateaux Volunteers
 * Royal Ethiopian Regiment
 * Virginia Light Horse
 * Virginia Volunteers
 * Volunteers of Augusta
 * West Florida Provincials
 * West Florida Refugees

Associated

 * Associated Loyalists
 * Hatfield's Company of Partisans
 * Hazard's Corps of Refugees
 * James Stewart's Corps of Refugees
 * King's Militia Volunteers
 * Loyal American Association
 * Loyal Associated Refugees
 * Loyal Irish Volunteers
 * Loyal Newport Associators
 * Loyal Refugee Volunteers
 * Maryland Royal Retaliators
 * North Carolina Provincials
 * Pepperell's Corps
 * Robins Company of Partisans
 * Royal North British Volunteers
 * Sharp's Refugee Marines
 * Uzal Ward's Company of Volunteers

West Indian Forces

 * Barbados Militia
 * Barbadian Rangers
 * Black Carolina Corps
 * Grenada Militia
 * Jamaica Corps of Foot
 * Independent Companies (Jamaica)
 * Jamaica Legion (absorbed by Jamaica Volunteers in 1780)
 * Jamaica Light Dragoons
 * Jamaica Militia
 * Jamaica Rangers
 * Jamaica Volunteers
 * Turks Island Company

Principality of Anhalt-Zerbst

 * Rauschenplatt's Princess of Anhalt-Zerbst's Regiment (2 battalions, 1 infantry in Quebec (1778), and 1 "Pandour" in New York (1780))
 * Nuppenau's Jäger Company
 * Company of Artillery

Margrave of Ansbach and Bayreuth

 * 1st Regiment Anspach (later Regiment von Volt; 1st Anspach Battalion)
 * 2nd Regiment Bayreuth (later Regiment Seybothen; 2nd Anspach Battalion)
 * Anspach Jäger Company

Duchy of Brunswick

 * Dragoon Regiment Prinz Lüdwig Ernst
 * Grenadier Battalion Breymann
 * Light Infantry Battalion von Barner
 * Musketeer Regiment Riedesel
 * Musketeer Regiment Specht
 * Regiment Prinz Friedrich
 * Regiment von Rhetz
 * von Geyso's Jäger Company

Electorate of Hanover

 * 1st Battalion von Reden
 * 1st Battalion von Hardenberg
 * 1st Battalion la Motte
 * 2nd Battalion Prinz Ernst von Mecklenburg
 * 2nd Battalion von Goldacker
 * 14th Regiment
 * 15th Regiment

Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel)

 * Combined Regiment von Loos
 * Fusilier Regiment von Dittfurth
 * Fusilier Regiment Erbprinz (later Musketeer Regiment (1780))
 * Fusilier Regiment von Knyphausen
 * Fusilier Regiment von Lossburg
 * Grenadier Regiment von Rall (later von Woellwarth (1777); von Trümbach (1779); d'Angelelli (1781))
 * 1st Battalion Grenadiers von Linsing
 * 2nd Battalion Grenadiers von Block (later von Lengerke)
 * 3rd Battalion Grenadiers von Minnigerode (later von Loewenstein)
 * 4th Battalion Grenadiers von Koehler (later von Graff; von Platte)
 * Garrison Regiment von Bünau
 * Garrison Regiment von Huyne (later von Benning)
 * Garrison Regiment von Stein (later von Seitz; von Porbeck)
 * Garrison Regiment von Wissenbach (later von Knoblauch)
 * Jäger Corps
 * Leib Infantry Regiment
 * Musketeer Regiment von Donop
 * Musketeer Regiment von Trümbach (later Von Bose (1779))
 * Musketeer Regiment von Mirbach (later Jung von Lossburg (1780))
 * Musketeer Regiment Prinz Carl
 * Musketeer Regiment von Wutginau (later Landgraf (1777))

County of Hesse-Hanau

 * Janecke's Frei Corps of Light Infantry
 * Musketeer Regiment Erb Prinz
 * von Creuzbourg's Jäger Corps
 * Pausch's Company of Artillery

Principality of Waldeck

 * 3rd Waldeck Regiment