Search British Garrison Deserters in South Australia

Each record includes a transcript. The amount of information listed varies, but the British Garrison Deserters in South Australia records usually include the following information about your ancestor:

• Name
• Age
• Birth place
• Regiment
• Notes

This is an index of British troops in South Australia who deserted their corps.

British troops arrived in South Australia with the very first settlers and remained in the colony until 1870. These garrisons had headquarters in the eastern colonies of Australia and usually were represented in Adelaide by a company only.

It is important to note some of the abbreviations used in this database, such as:

• b. = born
• m. = married
• d. = died
• bu. = buried

Chapman ISO place codes were used.

The regiments involved included:

• Royal Marines, from 1836–1838
• 1/96th Regiment of Foot (A Company), from 1841–1846
• 99th (Lanarkshire) Regiment of Foot, from 1846
• 11th Regiment of Foot, from 1845–1857
• 1/12th Regiment of Foot, from 1854–1863
• 2/40th Regiment of Foot (A Company), from 1852–1860
• Note: In the period between 1863 and 1866, imperial troops were diverted to the Maori Wars.
• 2/14th Regiment of Foot, from 1866–1867
• 50th Regiment of Foot, from 1867–1869
• 2/14th (the Buckinghamshire) Regiment of Foot, from 1866–1867
• 50th (the Queen’s Own) Regiment of Foot, from 1867–1869

Some detachments of the Royal Artillery Regiment served in Australia until 1870, including the 7th

Battalion (3 Company) from 1856. Various Engineers corps served in every colony.

Other Corps represented included: Commissariat Department, Ordnance Corps, Medical Corps,

Chaplains Department and Pay Corps. No cavalry regiments served in the Australian colonies.