| Bedfordshire Militia Bedfordshire Light Infantry 3rd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1558–1 April 1953 |
| Country |  England 1661–1707 Kingdom of Great Britain (1758–1800) United Kingdom (1801–1953) |
| Branch |  Militia/Special Reserve |
| Role | Infantry |
| Size | 1 Battalion |
| Part of | Bedfordshire Regiment |
| Garrison/HQ | Bedford (Kempston Barracks from 1876) |
| Motto(s) | Pro aris et focis ('For heath and home') |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Francis Russell, Marquess of Tavistock John FitzPatrick, 2nd Earl of Upper Ossory Sir John Osborn, 5th Baronet Sir Richard Gilpin, 1st Baronet Herbrand Russell, 11th Duke of Bedford Oliver Russell, 2nd Baron Ampthill |
The Bedfordshire Militia, later the Bedfordshire Light Infantry was an auxiliary military regiment in the English county of Bedfordshire. From their formal organisation as Trained Bands, in 1572 and their service during the Armada Crisis and in the English Civil War, the Militia of Bedfordshire served during times of international tension and all of Britain's major wars. The regiment provided internal security and home defence, relieving regular troops from routine garrison duties and acting as a source of trained officers and men for the Regular Army. It later became a battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment, and prepared thousands of reinforcements for the fighting battalions of the regiment in World War I. After 1921 the militia had only a shadowy existence until its final abolition in 1953.