Former members of the Wiltshire Regiment remembered their fallen comrades at an historic battle in India when they visited Devizes on Sunday to commemorate the battle that made the regiment’s name.

Some 80 old comrades gathered outside the Wyvern Club, formerly the regimental club, in Church Walk before processing to St James’s Church nearby for a srevice of remembrance.

After that they returned to the Wyvern Club for a remarkable ceremony that recalls the day whethe NCOs had to take charge of the battle as all the officers had been killed or injured.

Most people only know Ferozeshah from the road of the same name near Cannings Hill but it dates back to a brave encounter in India in 1845 during the First Sikh War.

A British force made up of the 62nd Regiment, subsequently the Wiltshire Regiment, faced an enemy 35,000 strong armed with more than 100 guns with less than 18,000 troops and 63 guns.

The victory cost 18 out of 23 officers and 281 out of 580 other ranks killed or wounded. When battle resumed the following day, most of the companies of the 62nd were led by sergeants.

As a result, the tradition of handing over the regimental colours to the sergeants’ mess for one day was founded and this tradition was duly marked on Sunday. It is the first time the ceremony has taken place in Devizes, which was the regimental base for many years.

Among the VIPs attending the ceremony was General Crabtree, formerly of the Wiltshire Regiment and Duke of Edinburgh’s Royal Regiment (Berkshire and Wiltshire), town mayor Coun Kelvin Nash, Major R K Yuill, Officer Commanding HQ Company 4 Rifles from Bulford and Major Mark Laverick, Officer Commanding A Company 6 Rifles.