THE CEYLON MALAY REGIMENT

The first British forces commanded by Col. James Stuart, to arrive in Ceylon landed about 4 miles north of Trincomalee on 3rd August 1795, with approximately 2,700 men. About two weeks after landing Fort Frederick and Fort Osternberg were captured and a week later Stuart embarked for Point Pedro. After capturing Kayts he continued on his coastal march and by mid November, Mannar and Kalpitiya were taken. Chilaw and Negombo were abandoned by the Dutch in early February 1796 and Colombo eventually capitulated on 15th February 1796, together with the remaining Dutch settlements – Kalutara, Galle and Matara. In a few months the British replaced the Dutch occupation of the Maritime provinces of Ceylon and this was the beginning of the formation of the Ceylon Regiments.

There were several regiments in the Dutch army during this time and the ONLY troops who opposed the British in 1796 were Malays serving as independent companies, proof the Malays’ faithfulness to their masters. However, after the Dutch ceded control of Ceylon to the British, under an agreement between them, 5 companies of Malays were transferred into the British Army which led to the formation of the Malay Rifle Regiment to be later named as the Ceylon Rifle Regiment. In 1801, the regiment was transferred to the King’s service (King George III – 1760-1820) under Col. Josiah Champagne and brought to a strength of ten companies, by the enlistment of a further batch of Malays from the Dutch service in St. Helena.

1807 – Re-designated as the 1st Ceylon Rifle Regiment.

1814 – Received 400 Malay recruits and was later to become a Light Infantry Corps.

1818 – Re-named 1st Ceylon Rifle Regiment

1820 – After 6 years of service as a Light Infantry Unit, the 1st Regiment became a Rifle Corps with 11 companies.

1827 – The title was changed to Ceylon Rifle Regiment. An unofficial account of the Ceylon Rifle Regiment, published in 1834, gives the total strength of all ranks as 1824, comprised chiefly of Malays with European Officers.

1844 – More Malays were recruited.

1873 – The Regiment was ordered to be struck off establishment and ceased to exist in 1874.

After the Rifles were disbanded many of these soldiers, especially the Malays were drafted into the Police.

WILLIAM HUNSLEY was a military artist and topographer who also worked as a draughtsman for the East India Company in Madras during the years 1837-43. His engravings included three figures of uniforms of the Ceylon Malay Rifle Corps of JEMDAR, SEJEANT & CORPORAL ranks. (See pics)

(Note: Could not find any pics of uniform of the Subedar rank - our great grand father, Casim Camis was one in 1869).

Copy and paate from FM

23 July 2019: 7.09 pm