Wellington's Peninsula Regiments 2

51 Pages·2003·6.062 MB·English

by  Mike Chappell, Mike Chappell

Wellington's Peninsula
Regiments (2)
The Light Infantry
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 3
THE EVOLUTION OF LIGHT INFANTRY 5
• lHlh n:'lllun COlltillental armil',
• Expcriclln' in l'orth ,\mcrica
• IIll' Rl'\oluuonan \\'ar..- Frl'llch lank,
MIKECHAPPELLcom.slrom I\ri,.lill·' lIIl'ICl.'llan rl'g:iml'lll'>
.nAIde...hotf.mllywtIh
BritishArmyconnaoeUons BRITISH LIGHT INFANTRY 1800-1808 10
str.tchlngback.....e..1
generations.HeenUsted.s • rhl' lil~1 l.ig:ht Illl;Hlln reg:ill1l'llh
• t_~priv.teIntheRoy.l • luhn ~IO(lIl'.mel Kt'IHIt'lh ~1,IClo..t'llIit'
H.mpshlreR81JlmentIn 1852. • Thl' ~It()rndilk~\..ICJll - offin,.-.;tr.tin<.'<! in 11ll' ralth
o...erthenext22y.....of
'hl' tllllllo..illj.{..oldil·f
Infantrysoldiering,m.ny
• Light inl;unn mll~lo..t't.:.,md .Ulllllllliitioll
of!homspentwithttoe
GIouc..terRegiment, 1M • TIll' ,lo..inni,hinK lint"
helde....ry..nk.ndINIny
regimentalappointments THE REGIMENTS:
uptoW01 .ndR81JI....nt.1
THE 43Ro (MONMOUTHSHIRE) AND
SergeantMajor.Heretired
in 1874,asRSMofth.e 52No (OXFORDSHIRE) LIGHT INFANTRY 17
1stBattalionTheW.....
RegimentIRlfleVolunteenl,
anerseeing..rvlcelnMalaya, THE 51ST (2ND YORKSHIRE, WEST RIDING)
CyPNS,Swaziland,Libya, LIGHT INFANTRY 35
Germ.ny,Ulsterandhom.
garrisons.Hebet.npainting
militarysUbJectsIn 1~8 THE 68TH (DURHAM) LIGHT INFANTRY 38
andsincethenh.sg..lned
worldwidepopularity.,
THE 85TH (BUCKS VOLUNTEERS)
• mlllt.ryIlhnt..lor, Mike
haswritten.ndlIIustr.ted LIGHT INFANTRY 39
m.nybooksfor Osprey,
SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY 43
THE PLATES 43
INDEX 48
_._---
OSPREY
Men-at-Arms· 400
PUBLISHING
Wellington's Peninsula
Regiments (2)
The Light Infantry
Mike Chappell
Sene~edItor MartInWinO' lw
F...,~..Gr$lII(lnl""''''l\lOoIby0IprtyPubIoVoing, Acknowledgements
en..ee:-.CI'Ia!*Way.BolIe)o,0>_0)(2ilPUn<\.,;1Klngdom,
EmM~com Theauthorw~10thanktheloIowlnglorlheIthelpinthe
preparauon01ltlistItle:JeMySpencer-SmothendChnsllOlllaTorre
o:1CJO.t0IllreyPuIlIisIwogLtd. 01theNa\JOn8llvrnyMuseum,Chelsea;rmWardend!hestaffof
-theP-rinc8Cotlsort'sUbrary,AIdlnhot;Colonel(ReId)J.MArllett
,.tIQI'II:t__ "-'\romrf'/,..-.gfor.".~DIPfI"aIesn><ty, andL.Jeutfll'lal'll-GoionelDavIdStanley01!heRoyalGrew!Jackets
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"""'_Act.1......I*'I"'_~....,.I.-~_ PeterDuckers01!heStwopsIweRegmentalM~;and
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EI'NII uoeoe;:.,dio"'~
WELLINGTON'S PENINSULA
REGIMENTS: THE LIGHT INFANTRY
THE PENINSULAR WAR
m: lllSTOII.Y OF BRrnl"S sl~lIldingor J"('gular ;!rlm is ;\ long and
honourable one which rcaches !l<\ck mOl"(' than ,hn.'l' cell1mit's
to the rotoralion ofthe English mon;lIdll ill 1660. III thai time
iLS regiments have been sent o\'c~as10 figlll mam war<; in the name
of their ling (01' queen), war'S from \\hich Ihe, have t1slI;llh returned
ill uiumph. despite often being poolh kd. badh prcp;llcd and fe\1
in number. The\'continue. quilt' propcrh. 10 10th' Illicit.' in Iho~ b."'lilies
from which the\' emerged Ihe victor... COlllllll'IllOl",;llillg their
Aminiaturepot1raltofMaiM imohcmCIllin the like!>ofMindcn. Qut:bt:c.Alexandriaand $al,nll.lIlC3
Macleodofthe"3rdLight
I}\ marking their anni\·ers.1.ries\\;Ih parades and feasting.
Infantry,!.heherooftheo.'enee
There arc episodes. howc\cl: \\hcll thc achk...·cmcnl'i of !hll1.ielilar
oftheeoa ero..l", InJul,
1810.MlICleodwa.killed at Ilritish annies so shine from the pages ofhi!>IOI"\ th.lt the\ Gill onh be
the alonnlng 0'8adajoo.InAprll described as glorious. Perhaps tht., IIne"t of Ihese \\';IS Ihe Peninsular
1812.Note that••• fieldoffic;.,. War of 180i-H \\·hen. led b\ Sir Arthur Wellesle\. I:ller lSI Duke of
heis portJ"lly.clw..rtnt......lr Welliugton.asmall British force lightingbc!>ide Ponuglle!>CandSpanish
01epaulett••OVer.pairof
allies drove from the Iberian Peninsula the numericalh SU!>CI;orforces
Lightinlantry'wl",s'.
(Author'scollection) of :-"apolcon's Ft"anee. It was a\\"arofhard lightingmerdifficult terrain,
ill \\Ilidl both sidessuffered terriblyfrom PI;\~ltioll.exhamtingmarches
and an inhospitable climate. As it dC\'c\oped it lied down hundreds
of lhous:lIlds of ~apoleon's troop" - wrch needed d'iCwhcre.
particularly after the disastrous failure of the emperor's Russian
campaign of 1812- ill altempts to ...uppn'ss ell(' ilHIlITeetion of
the peoplc of Spain and to dekat lhe British-Allied force!>,
Evcntually thc French were drhcll acro:-s the Pyn~nees anti
well into lhe south of their hOIlll'land hefore Napoleon,
under pressure dst:wllt:rc by thc combincd forces ofRussia,
Prussia alld Austria, accepled derc.H, abdicatcd alld went
il110 his first exile, Oil Elba, in tIlt.' springof IHlt!.
While ncver aspiring \0 Napoleon's vi~ioll,111' genius,
unleashed br the emperor's ah:-ollltt: political pO\\'cr. in
terms of professional ~oldicring Wellington \\,;\S argllablv
the best commander ofhis limes; amlulltlcl his leadership
the British regimenl'iin the Peninsulaaellit'\cd aSllCcessioll
ofSHInning \;ctories until it secmed that. wiIII him at lheir
head. l.he\ were invincible. Mam reaSUll!>Il.I\'e been <!(h';lIlced
for this exu-aordinarv flowering of111i1ita.... elfccti\cllc!>S, but
high on am' list mUSl be Wcllington·... talents as a genel"al
combined \\;th British regimcnt...tl isprit tI, (OIP5 - lhat special
mixture of faclors that produced within a regimcnt or battalion
a 1c\'c1 ofmorale \\'hich enabled it to ('ndure thc ~hod.of battle and
fight on unulthe ellenwbroke, Ata ume \\hcn wleliersofothcr'Innie!> 3
!
•
,
•
•
o
:)/J,NY7
sought inspiration from political idealism, the worship of their God
Acontemporary map 01
Portugal, Spain and southern and his saints, or the pr'aisc oftheir emperor, the British soldier looked
Franceatthetime ofthe no further for thal which sustained him than his regimellt. His
PeninsularWar. comrades, his leaders, the n.:gimcntal colours and title were (and still
(Author'.collection)
are) langible things, morc suited to a British characterwhich C\"CIl today
finds S<1.usfaction and C1-U0}'lllCIll in clubs, pubs and the communal
'support' ofsports.
However they came by their fighting spirit, Wellington'5 Peninsula
4 regimentsserved him well. winning 19 pitched banks and inlllllnerable
other combats, laying len sieges and taking four great fortresses, and
killing, wounding or caplllring 200,000 ofthe enemy to bring the duke
his honours, position and great wealth. All they asked ill fdurn was
for 'that bugger with the long nose' to lead them to further victoJies
(especially if these brought them 'the spoils of ,,,';If' - prize 1Il0ney,
plunder and dJink). He rdrcl) failed to do so; but the cost ....,LS great.
FOrlY thousand of his mcn died during his GlIllpaigns, their bodics
thrown naked (since their clothes had "tlue) illlo unmarked graves,
rh'ers or p)TeS, orsimpl)' left for the .....olves and crows,
Theaccount that follows tellsthesto....'ofanumberoflhe'iC regiments
- those convened to light infanl.I)-, a role that found them ever the first
into b..'lule,
THE EVOLUTION OF LIGHT INFANTRY
ThroughoUl the 18th centu...., inf:lIItr, weapons and 1:lctics .....ere
de e1oped and tested in aseriesofEuropean wan. that h.'d tothesvstelll
de e1oped by the Pmssi:m dlillmasters being acloptcd b\ the annics
of most of the n:tuons imohed. Their infantn were trained b\' rOle
:md harsh discipline 10 march and m:IIl<>eU\Te, shoulder to llhoulde-r,
in columnar fonnauons, before deplming inlo linc 10 confrolll the
enelll\ .....ith rolling,·o\ll.")'Sofmuskeu.... in theensuing siaugillerofsuch
fireflghts ,iClon' - according Iu theon - went to the ~idc \\'hich could
continue 10 mailllain formation as enenH lire look its toll. while itself
keeping upsLCad, and regular fire,
Warwa.<; prepared for on the (hill square. \,'here infanu...'spent houl'S
ofe\crydavpcrformingthe('\'olutiono;rC'quircdoflhem in hattie,Alwa}'S
umler tlte critical supcnisioll of their onicl'l~and 1l001<,omlllissioned
officers, thcy marched likc clockwork to\~ 10 the orders rclaved to them
by dnllllbeal, and tbey handled their hl'a\"\' muskets wilhin the close
confinl.'S of r,mks and files as the) pr,lctiscd Ihe 'manual exercise' of
loading, filinf.;', and bavonel lhnlSL~. ""loving as pan ofa gre:ll machine,
Ihe individual soldierwas not required to think for him~lf,only co keep
hisplace in the ranksand tolisten for thecot1llnandsIhat applied to him.
Ilis greate<;t motivation was fear of the pllnishnwnt that would follow
swiftly and bnltally- any mistakc th;1I he made.
The perfenion of such a systelll had been reached ill thc I'russian
ArtilY ullder Frcdclick lhe Great (171~6), Ilis -"llccession of\'iclories
in the wars that blighted celllral Europe from 1741 176~ established
I<)
him :LS the leading strategist and tactician of his age, and his methods
I\'ere ~llIdied and copied widely. I'\llt lht'r(' had beCIl times ,,'hen
Frederick's :11"I11)' had lound itsl'lf disa(h~lI11aged by the harassmenl
of what history has been pleased to cal1 'guerrillas'. panicularlr lhose
opcr:ning in the pay of Ausuia. The Allstro-Ilungal"ian Empire '\'as
able lO dr.t.w on the senicc of numerous bands of irregulars recruited
among peoplesacclLStomed to the usc ofarms ill lhdre\'el)'da) lin,:'s for
hUllling, prOlccting their herds and \il1age-" from marauders. and
pursuingOlheraco\ities oftell oc)'ond thl' law,
Toface theearliestofFrederick's incursionstheAusuiamsummoned
'the Trans)'l"anians, Croates, and other irrCJo~ular and undisciplined
corps, - ~larshal $a."e appointed Ch\;ms, <lnd regiments .....ere then 5
II
raised - called Li~hl Tmop~', Al~o pressed into
, .}
~i11libr~cr\'iccwcrc lhe hlllosar~and border troops
who had kept AII~tria'~ Mluth-ealotenl fi'ontiers
ah",insl Ihe inClll....iom of lhe TlIl'k.~. becoming in
the proct"lo) experl ill the .ms of ~kinnilohillg
I and ~oUling,Although di~lIIi'\scdas thic\'e~ and
•
muH!cre.... b\ Iheir eJl(~mic~. Ihe~e 'light' forccs
mad\:" .1 ,ufiicierllh \,llll.tb1e contributiun Ihal
olher natiom fdl cUlllpelled to r;liloe similar units
to combat Ihem,
h W:\l> 1O\\~lr(h hunter~ ,md g;:lmcl..ecpers thai
Prussia and herallie<; IUnwd to rcemit their units
of liglll Iroop~. naming tlll'm jiigel"S and. in the
French locl"\ice. Chas)Cur~ - both terms mean
'hunlCrs', Skilk'd in marl..5lllan~hip.obser\'ation
and concealment. the~e nll'll brought with them
the green clothing th.it \\.b to become the
ul1ifonll of mo,t light tr()op~. and Ihe hunting
horns thc\ would Illol' to COllllllUl1icall' orders.
Thilo pl"Olifcl~Hion oflight infant.. \\~tio witne~ed
by the I\rili<;h anni(', that GIIllI>'"ligned on the
Contill(,Ilt, particularh during the &'\'el1 'ears'
\\'ar (Ii56--(3).\'0hell the\ \\erel.tl'gch (OlltcnlLO
depend on the light troops oftheir('oenn;1Il allies
- t"xcepi fOI r;li~ill!{ two li!{ht mfant.. regiments.
Keilh's Ilighl,mdefS ,mdC,llnplX'lr) IIighlanders.
Thisprint,sherMen.z.I, -.tly I\m it \\~LS campaigning against the French, the nati\'es and e\"entuall\"
typifl.stn.opinion01light Illl.' rebellious colonists in America that brought home the need for
tToopsh.ldbyIOtOst0'Europe" Ir;lined light infantn in the Brilbh l>cryi(t~,
military.."'bll.........tInIn.
At fir"t small groups of colonists and Indians \\'el"(' paid to prO\ide
18thc.ntury, Its.howw•
:.comingand illldligellce l>eryiccs; but in Ii55 a 62ml (RO\<l1 American)
Prvul.nch.pl.ln01th<I sev.n
y....' W.rrebukingloot..... RegimentofFool \\'ilSraisedb) Colonels Bouquet and Ilaldimand.These
01hisown.rmy_.tright,two IWO Swiss soldicrs-of-fortulle tr.lined till' fOlll' hattalions 01 the regiment
Cl"Ollts01VonKI.Ist's FreeCorps. (soon renumbered to60th) 100 as 'toqualif\" for the ~l"r\"in'ofthe Woods
- to load al\(I fire lyingon till' ground and \...neding- to march ill order,
slowand f;LSt in all sorts ofground - [and toI pilch and fold their tents,
and to IX" accustomed to pack up ami ClIT)' their IIl:CCl>l>ilit'l> in the 1110S1
t.:ommodioLls manner'. III addition to Lltt' regulars ofthe 60th. bodies of
'1~lIlge...;· wert' r.lised from among tht' Inc,,) colonisls.1 •
Like LIlt, Austrian Empire, Ilritain 100 had a regioll of hilb ;md
mOlllllains poplliated by l1erce, hardy and independent \\len versed in
anllS. It W<lS from the north of Scolland that sewl,11 regimellL<; of
llighlandcrs \\'ere sent toAmerica, where tlu:ywere to prove IIIOSt adept
al light infantry duties and olX'I'lIiom.
From 1758. all British infant'1' hallalions \\'ere ordered to train one of
theircompanies ,LS light trooplo. For w;ll-fare in the fUI('stsofArm."liea the
regulation llnifonll ofthe I~ritish inf,lIlU"\' \\,1.'> adapted to prO\ide a more
comfOltlblcand Icssconspicuollscostullle,and equipm('1H waseitherdis
C.trdedoradaptedtoaIIO\\'frec..-dom ufIno\"lIIelll. Knapsackswerecarried
in the manner of Indians, from wholll the light troops copied items of
drcsssuch as leggingsand moccasinsand weaponssuch as tomahawks.
•
I s..MM3Il3,Cc*noI-.e-T_ISIo-I1Uf:!}
Aftef tbe Sc\'ell Years' War light companies were ordered to be
disbanded: and although they were r~sta.blished in 1771, they wert:
found to be lacking in the fonner skills during the first skirmishes with
the rebellious AmeriCOlll colonists in 1775. Still a frontier people, the
Americans readilv found hunters and woodsmen within their ranks who
wcn~ already expert at seoming and skinnishing. Many were also adept
in the use of the rilled musket, a skill brought to the New World by
German seulers and de\'e1oped br Nnclican gunsmiths and rinemen,
It ....'as soon apprcciafCd that rcd coats, pipe-claycd belts and close
fonnations prO\ided C;is) targets for Nllerican rifles. As the Amelican
Re\'Olution wore on a Ilumber of units of light u'oops were raised,
includingthe 'legions' ofC.oloncisTarleton and Simcoe,\-arious'ranger'
units, and at le~iSt OIlC unit of riflemen under a C.'pl.,in Ferguson, P.'ntlngbyE,D.yaof•
Light companit..'S of Line regiments \,ere grouped into 'light infallln m.mlMrofthellihtcom~ny
battalions'; and the C.cnnan Illcrcenar) units hired b\ the Blitish ofthe2nd FootGu.rd., 17112;
com~'" ttd.~dterofthe
go\'enlmelll added their light troops, During the campaigns of this
COld.t....'"wtti'\ PI.te.<\3.
st:\'en-\'earwara hal'(l-\,:OI1 expertise in light infantn operntions W;:IS built le_rtaytheTnltlt_.ofthe
lip once ;'gain, N.tlonel Army MUHum)
'Inl' British annil"S in Americ;:\ were C\'enllLalh forced 10la\ dO\"1 their
anns - in ()lIe C"dSe. to 'an ull<lisciplinl-d rabble; but Ihe\'wefe all \\'ou<b
men: that is marksmen - ifthere had ocen in that rBlitishl am1\' about:l
thousandwell-U'ainl--dChas~eurs, thatann\'','ouldlIOt ha\'ebeen lost- had
halfofthem beCIl Chas.selil'S, il \,'ould havc marchcd to Alooll\, cven to
Nc..... York,' 111e I~n was Ihere for all 10 sc..-e; bm "ith the los... of the
AmeJiGIIlcolonies the BJitish rt~gim('nlSwere brought home,thesu'ength
ofthe ann)' was dmstiC;:llly I'educt,'d. and Ihe impollance ofIighl infantr\'
in twoAmedc..tn \,~IrsO\'er30,"cars....~tS,III bm forgollen,
The contillued policy of raising light regimellts for particular cam
paignsonlytodisband themwhen theirscn'iceswere no10ngel'I'equired
did not make for efficient light infantry in Ihe Blitish senice, at a time
when Continental armies .....ere increasing Iheir Iighl infantry regiments
and, in some cases. arming and tmining riflemen as pan ofthem. The
attilude of most senior l\riti~h ollicel'S \0 [he 'light bobber'" used in
funel;ca ma)'be foulld in theirlelLers: the)'wished itgoneasswifu)':1Sthe
II1CII101)' of their ignominioLls defeat by thc militias and frontiersmen
ofthe new republic. And so, as Europe mo\'cd towards the 25-year-long
tU1'1lloil - tile \'irtual I,'orld war- \lla\ [he end ofthe 18th cenlltr)'would
bring.CreatBritain"lloI,'cd herann>,todcclinc instl'('nglh and dliciency,
while those ofher fUlUre enemies massed.
From the oUlbreak of the French Re\'olmion in Ii89 lhe Ikitish
go\'crnmcnt viewed eV('lll.. acl'OSS the English Channel with growing
apprehension, as it made enorL~ LO repair the neglect its army had
sunered following the American Re\'olution. These enorts had barely
begun when I'~lr broke nut in 1793, and it hecamc necessan' tosend an
cxpedition to Flanders to COUlller the French :muies menacing the -
Netherlands, The poor showing of ulis force revealed the dismal statc
ofthc British f\nnyat atimewhensuch manl>o\,'eras it could mllSlCI'\\';"LS
dispersed around the globe in places as di\'erse as the l\lediteffillle;III,
U1e West Indit.."S and India, .....ith a large force guarding Ireland from a
LhrC:llened invasion by the French,
The Frellch Arm\' had developed ne\\' and potelll l..acLics since the
RC\'olution. gre;nl" incre'iSing the strength oflight infant~'in order 10 7
harr)' all enem), as ncvcr beforc prior to <I dccisivc assault b)' infantry ill
column. Fired b)' rcvolutionary fervour. the French infalllry seemed
invincible. Ob~cn'en aho noted the increase in the numbers of their
lig-ht troop1'l, and the \\';1)' in which the\' made best usc ofcover to do~e
I\'ith tlwir(·lIl'm\' bcfOl'C l-aking his linc with IllUskCln' in order to CO\'er
tht' deplo\'mellt of an.illcn, GI\';.th} and the infallll'\' of the Lint'. III
Brit..'lin it \\';.L'i \\ell understood thaI Ihe coumer 10 the tactics of thl:
French Anm \\';.L'i 10oppose their Iighl infalllr\'with a 'iimilar force: but
such a force could not be 1";liscd and lr.tined <II short nOlice, It \\";IS 10
I.'lke some "car..bcfore a rl.--org<mi....ltion could be
eITccled and the I1rsl regiments ofregular British
--
lighl infanu"\ LOok the l1eld.
The nlilish AI111\' of 1793 \\";1S badh in need
of reform: it ....';.11l bareh 40,000 strong, and its
administration could not h;l\c been worse. Each
\
colond ofa regimelll ran it 'IS the proprietor of
a busine". somc look.illK after thl:ir iuwstment
and100menol. AI .llillll:\\hen batll~\\ere fougln
10 drills, there ....'as no laid-down f0l111 of drill.
Commis~ion~....l:l"e purchased \\ith little regarolo
the suitabilit\ ofthe !HtI'chaseras an officer. Fe\\'
officers studied their profession, while all \\'ho
could gre\\ rich b, bilking the meagre p;1\" of
the common ...oldier through the Stoppages that
bought hi'i ratioll'i, clothing and equipment. In
1795Fredelid"Dul..eorYork.. lx'Glmecommander
in<hief, and sct about the mOllulllcntal task
of reforming the am1\' - a difficult enough task
in peacetime, and an almost impossible OIlC in
time of".tr.
In Ihe 'itfllKKlc 10 rOlisc new regiments for
the war with FI";UlCe the problem ofthe 'ihonage
of lighl troop~ in the I\ritish scnke W,1S at I1rst
tackled by hiring- them, ~krccnaricscamc from
the Gt'nnan states, frollt amollgthose Frenchmen
still lo}'ll to [heir dead king, from regimcnL~
formcrl}' in Dutch pa)', and - odd as it mayscem
from the Catholics of IrclalL(l, previollsly pre
I"('l'lIcd from elllistm<:;lIt into the Hritish Ann}'
L:att'!" several Swiss regimcllIs werc broughl intn
Uritish par.l
~Ian)'ofthese mel'cenary regimentsw<:;rc raised
as light infallll}" especiall)' Gel1nan units ~uch
a~ l-I()ll1pe~ch'~ Chas~ellrs. I10mpesch's Light
Infantn', Loewenstein's Ch'iSseurs. Ll"ltIinck's,
Rohan's [jght Infanu")', Ihe Salm-Kirburg Light
Infant!"\",WaldSlcin's,and R.;ullsey'sYorkChasseul"S,
TIleS(' units not only made up the shonfall in
light illfanu"\',<.-speciall)'for the lightingin the Lo.....
Commies, but they brought into Blitish senice
28MMM3211:US,EJn.g,W1F'""'fIIIT_..sm..tIs...c.(1J:
8 11'93-1802,_l2t 18Q)-I5