56th West Essex Monument at Surat erected in 1867
The 56th West Essex Regiment of Foot performed many tours of duty in India.
In 1866 after another tour in India the Officers of the Regiment raised funds to pay for a monument to be erected in Surat, which at the time was a base and the gateway port to the Bombay Presidency area of Southern India.
The monument was in memory of over 300 Officers and men of the 56th Regiment who had died during the recent tour of duty.
This period had included the capture of the Isles of Reunion and Mauritius and action on mainland India during a turbulent period in its history. The largest contributor to deaths was illness which struck down so many of the Regiment.
