On the embarkation of the Service companies, the Depôt companies of the 1st Battalion had been moved to Walmer, where they arrived on January 1, 1852. During the time they were there, the Colonel-in-Chief, the Duke of Wellington, when at his adjacent residence, Walmer Castle, used frequently to come into the barrack square with his grandchildren. These were his last visits; for he died there on September 14. From that day until November 10 a party consisting of 1 officer, 2 sergeants, 2 corporals, a bugler and 36 Riflemen, was daily furnished by the Depôt to guard his honoured remains at Walmer Castle. At nine o’clock on the night of November 10 their great Chief was removed to London; and on that occasion the whole Depôt escorted his body to the Railway station at Deal by torchlight.
The Depôt companies remained at Walmer during the rest of this year.
In May the 2nd Battalion left Kingston and proceeded in steam vessels to Quebec; where they embarked on June 1 on board H.M.S. ‘Simoom;’ and starting for England on the 3rd arrived at Portsmouth on the 26th. On disembarkation they moved by Railway to Canterbury and occupied barracks.
Soon after their arrival there the Battalion was inspected (on July 13) by their former Lieutenant-Colonel, Sir George Brown, then Adjutant-General of the Forces.
On November 17 they proceeded to London in order to be present at the funeral of the Colonel-in-Chief, the Duke of Wellington, and were billeted at Chelsea. On the 18th they headed the funeral procession from the Horse Guards to St. Paul’s.[217] And the following day they returned to their quarters at Canterbury.
Field Marshal His Royal Highness, Albert, Prince Consort, succeeded the Duke of Wellington as Colonel-in-Chief on September 23.
No change took place in the stations of the 1st Battalion until June 13, 1853, when Captain Glyn’s company, under the command of Lieutenant the Hon. H. Clifford, marched from Fort Beaufort to the Blinkwater post; relieving Captain Woodford’s company which joined the Head-quarters on the same day.
On June 29, Captain Rooper’s company marched from Fort Beaufort to the Chumie-neck; relieving Captain Hardinge’s company, which left the Chumie on the next day and joined Head-quarters.
On October 8 the Battalion having received orders to be concentrated previous to returning to England, Captains Rooper’s, Somerset’s, Lord Alexander Russell’s, and Glyn’s companies came in from their several detachments on the 10th, 11th and 12th, and joined Head-quarters at Fort Beaufort.