1755 Corps of Marines and Marine Department

On 23 January 1755 the government ordered a mobilisation of the fleet and general press in preparation for war with France. With this mobilisation came a movement for the re-establishment of a Marine Force, as had been the case in all previous wars since the Second Anglo-Dutch War. But the government and Admiralty were slower than the public in the anticipation of this new Marine Force. By January the press was beginning to report that ‘a regiment of Marines is to be raised directly’, even stating later that there were to be ‘four regiments’. Other papers speculated that the ten regiments from the last war would be re-raised. This was not an unreasonable speculation as all previous marines had been formed into regiments and there was no public expectation that something different would be established. However, rumours were growing that something new was being thought about: ‘4000 Marines are to be raised, and that they are to be formed into Companies of 100 Men each, and to be under the Command of Majors on Half-Pay; and the other Officers are likewise to be taken from among those who are upon Half-Pay’. These companies were reported to have ten men out of each company taken from Guards' regiments to be made sergeants and corporals. This policy connected with the previous regimental formations, and the order was later confirmed by the Admiralty in May. But the Admiralty was clearly ending its policy of regiments of marines and instead looking for something new; possibly even ‘independent companies’.