General John Longfield CB
Appointed Colonel of the Regiment on 19th April 1868 at which time it was the 29th Regiment of Foot.
General Longfield was the son of John Longfield of Longueville, near Marlow. He was appointed Ensign of the King's Regiment of Foot on the 28th June 1825 and progressed through the ranks, becoming Lieutenant on 26th September 1828, Captain on 30th January 1835, Major on 19th November 1844, Lieutenant-Colonel on 3rd April 1846 and Brev. Colonel on the 20th June 1854.
He was Brigadier General in Bengal from May to November 1855, April to December 1856 and June 1857 to April 1859. He commanded the 2nd Brigade at the siege of Delhi, India in 1857 when his brigade was in reserve during the assault, and served in the city of Delhi during the six days' in the fighting that ensued.
On the 3rd August 1860 he was promoted to Major General and on the 19th April 1867 was appointed Colonel of the 29th Regiment of Foot. A year later on the 5th September 1869 he was promoted to Lieut.-Colonel and became a full General on the 19th July 1876.
On the 11th April 1881, a General Order resulted in a change of the Regiment organisation, titles and uniforms of the regiments of the line. So it was that on the 1st July 1881 the infantry of line , and militia, should be organised in territorial regiments, each of four battalions; the 1st and 2nd being line battalions and the remainder the militia. The words "regimental district" were also substituted for "sub-districts". To the 29th "Worcester" district, were allotted the 29th (or the Worcestershire) Regiment, the 36th (Herefordshire) Regiment, and two battalions of the Worcestershire Militia. These four battalions now formed "The Worcestershire Regiment", the uniform of which was ordered to be scarlet, with white facings, and rose pattern lace.
Following the changes General Longfield continued as Colonel of the 1st Battalion Worcestershire Regiment until 19th December 1881 when he handed over to Lieut.-General Somerset. General Longfield then transferred back to his old regiment the 8th King's to take up the Colonelcy of that Regiment.
He died at Kilcoleman, near Bandon on the 27th February 1889.