Saturday 29 April 2023

Flags of Spanish Infantry Regiment Zamora 1728-1768

Descended from a tercio first raised April 1580. Very busy in the late 16th and through the 17th centuries.

With the French army in the War of the Spanish Succession. In 1706 it was at Ramillies and later capitulated at Ostend in July that year. It went to Spain in 1710. The 1st battalion went to Catalonia and the 2nd to Old Castile. The two battalions were reunited in 1713 and were stationed in Extremadura until September 1716. Became the Regimiento de Zamora in 1715.

The regiment garrisoned Pescara in 1734 at the beginning of the War of the Polish Succession. It joined the main Spanish army in Tuscany in 1735. In 1736 in returned to Spain.

In the War of the Austrian Succession the 2nd battalion served with the fleet and was in the naval combat of Cap Sicié near Toulon. It then returned to Ceuta. In 1745 the regiment went to Camp Gibraltar and in 1746 returned to Africa, where the 2nd battalion was in garrison at Ceuta. In 1748 the regiment went to Cadiz. After garrison duty at Oran in 1751-4 the regiment returned to Cadiz.

During the Seven Years War the regiment marched towards the Portugusese border to join the Spanish army gathering there and commanded by the Marquis de Sarria. The 2 battalions took up their quarters in villages near Ciudad Rodrigo. As part of the brigade of the Count de Maceda the regiment took part in the siege and capture of Almeida on 25th August. Then as part of the brigade of Ribaguero the regiment advanced to Salvatierra, which place surrendered on 9th September. The fortified town of Segura surrendered shortly after. Operations ended shortly after.

Ranked 8th in the Seven Years War.



[Information summarised from the Kronoskaf account which has much more detail on the earlier history of the regiment. I've also had a look at the very full mid-19th century source which Kronoskaf uses and it was gratifying to see that even with my rusty schoolboy Spanish (from over 50 years ago!) I could make sense of much of it. Isn't it amazing what arcane material can be found on the 'Net these days!]

And this was the uniform in 1759: