The Sicilian Regiment (also known as The Royal Sicilian Regiment of Foot) was a light infantry regiment recruited from Sicily that served with the British Army during the Napoleonic wars, from 1806 to its disbandment in 1816. The Detachment of Royal Sicilian Volunteers At first, the unit was only a detachment of volunteers, raised in Sicily by Major General Sir John Stuart, once he had obtained permission from King Ferdinand I to recruit troops in Messina. This detachment, like several other foreign corps in British pay, was to be recruited from locals for the rank and file, with British officers. The detachment first experienced action within two months of its creation, when a small party (2 officers and 58 other ranks) at the Battle of Maida on 4 July 4, 1806. With two companies of the Royal Corsican Rangers, they were assigned to the light brigade commanded by Colonel James Kempt. After this victorious first mission the detachment returned to Messina. The following year, in March 1807, the Royal Sicilian Volunteers embarked for Constantinople in the mission led by General Alexander Mackenzie Fraser. This was later diverted to the Alexandria expedition of 1807. During this ill-fated mission the unit, now commanded by Colonel John Coape Sherbrooke, defended the Citadel of Qaitbay (which was nicknamed "the Cut"). After the end of the expedition, they returned to Messina and were allowed to resume recruiting troops. By this time, the regiment was made of ten companies, with two more being added in 1808. They were then sent to Malta to reinforce the garrison. The Royal Sicilian Regiment of Foot in 1808 the detachment of volunteers was raised to a proper regiment and issued its own set of regimental orders. At a ceremony at Floriana Barracks, Malta, on 2 March 1809, they were also presented with their regimental colours (a white flag with a black flying eagle, crowned, bearing an escutcheon with the three fleurs-de-lys of the Bourbon dynasty) by General Sir Hildebrand Oakes, commander of the British forces in Malta. The Regiment remained in Malta under Colonel Ronald C. Ferguson, who was appointed to command the regiment on 25 January 1809. At this point, each company of the regiment was formed as follows: 4 officers 6 sergeants 5 corporals 4 acting corporals 1 artisan 10 carabiniers (elite sharpshooters armed with rifles and sword bayonets) 2 buglers 68 privates In 1814, the Sicilian Regiment