“To the officers, non-commissioned officers, and privates of this regiment, His Excellency offers his thanks, and more particularly to Colonel O’Connell, whose zeal and constant attention must have so essentially contributed to maintain the discipline and good order of the corps under his command.”
The first two divisions of the regiment embarked on board the “Lord Suffield” and “Stentor” transports on the 2nd of December, and sailed the same day; the last division (head-quarters) embarked on board the “Henry Porcher” on the 8th. The first two ships reached Malta on the 20th of December, and performed the usual quarantine in the Lazaretto; but the “Henry Porcher” experienced such severe weather on the 10th and 11th off Capo de Gato, that she had to put back again to Gibraltar in distress. She, however, sailed again on the 15th, and the men landed in the Lazaretto on the 1st of January, 1830.
1830
In February, 1830, the depôt companies were removed from Ireland to Great Britain.
The service companies remained in St. Elmo barracks during the year 1830, and at the periodical inspection which took place in April, the Commanding Officer (Colonel O’Connell), by desire of Major-General the Honorable Frederick Cavendish Ponsonby, Lieut.-Governor of Malta, issued the following order:—
“Valetta, 5th April, 1830.
“The Commanding Officer has great pleasure in complying with the desire of the Major-General commanding, that he should express in regimental orders the General’s perfect satisfaction with everything he has this day seen of the regiment.”
On the 22nd of July, 1830, Colonel Maurice Charles O’Connell was promoted to the rank of Major-General; and on the 25th of the ensuing month the following farewell address was read to the regiment:—
“Major-General O’Connell, being removed from the SEVENTY-THIRD regiment by promotion, avails himself of the kindness of Major Lloyd, now commanding officer of the regiment, to address to it a few farewell words.