BATTLE HONOURS FOR SERVICES IN FLANDERS, 1793-1799
Lincelles--Nieuport--Villers-en-Couches--Beaumont--Willems--Tournay
--Egmont-op-Zee.
These seven names record engagements between the allied forces
of Prussia, Austria, and Great Britain, with the French at the
outbreak of the Revolutionary War in 1793 and 1794. Our army, which
was composed of British, Hanoverians, and Hessians, was under
the command of the Duke of York. His Royal Highness, who was but
eight-and-twenty, had studied his profession in Berlin, and was
a thorough partisan of the red-tape and pipe-clay system of the
Prussian army. He possessed undeniable courage, with but little
experience; and as all his movements were controlled, on the one
hand, by the Cabinet at home, and on the other by the Austrian
Commander-in-Chief, it is a matter for small wonder that the
results of the campaign were something less than negative. At the
opening of the operations the British troops at the disposal of the
Duke consisted of three cavalry brigades, composed of the Blues;
the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 6th Dragoon Guards; the Royal Scots
Greys and Inniskilling Dragoons, with the 7th, 11th, 15th, and
16th Light Dragoons. His infantry was made up of three battalions
of the Guards, the 14th (West Yorks), 37th (Hampshire), and 53rd
(Shropshire) Regiments--the three latter brigaded under Sir Ralph
Abercromby, an officer of very considerable experience.
In 1794 it became necessary to strengthen the army very largely,
and by the month of July of that year the Duke of York had under
his command some 26,000 British troops, distributed as under:
First Cavalry Brigade: 2nd and 6th Dragoon Guards, the Scots
Greys, and the Inniskilling Dragoons.
Second Cavalry Brigade: The Blues, 3rd and 5th Dragoon Guards,
and the Royal Dragoons.
Third Cavalry Brigade: 7th, 11th, 15th, and 16th Light Dragoons.
Fourth Cavalry Brigade: 1st Dragoon Guards, the 8th and 14th
Light Dragoons.
Brigade of Guards: 1st Battalion of the Grenadiers, the
Coldstream and the Scots Guards.
First Infantry Brigade: The Buffs, 63rd (Manchesters), and 88th
(Connaught Rangers).
Second Infantry Brigade: 8th (King's Liverpool Regiment), 33rd
(West Riding Regiment), and 44th (Essex).
Third Infantry Brigade: 12th (Suffolks), 36th (Worcesters), and
55th (Border Regiment).
Fourth Infantry Brigade: 14th (West Yorkshire), 37th (Hampshire),
and 53rd (Shropshire).
Fifth Infantry Brigade: 19th (Yorkshire), 42nd (Black Watch), and
54th (Dorsetshire).
Sixth Infantry Brigade: 27th (Inniskilling Fusiliers--two
battalions).
Seventh Infantry Brigade: 40th (South Lancashire), 57th
(Middlesex), 67th (Hampshire), and 87th (Royal Irish Fusiliers).
There is ample evidence to show that all these regiments were
actually under fire during the campaign in Flanders, yet of the
twenty-two infantry regiments employed, only ten bear on their
colours any record of the share they took in the operations
undertaken against revolutionary France. All regiments that served
under Wellington in Spain and Portugal bear the word "Peninsula" on
their colours and appointments; all which served under Cornwallis
in India, the honour "Mysore"; all which landed in the Crimea bear
the honour "Sevastopol"; whilst the distinction "South Africa" was
conferred on every battalion of Volunteers which sent a company to
guard Boer prisoners. Surely, then, the regiments which fought and
bled under the Duke of York have a claim to some recognition of
their services.
LINCELLES, AUGUST 18, 1793.
This battle honour is peculiar to the three senior regiments of the
Brigade of Guards--
Grenadier Guards.
Coldstream Guards.
Scots Guards.
--and commemorates one of the many actions fought in Flanders at
the outset of the Revolutionary War with France. The Brigade, under
Lord Lake, had just arrived at Menin, _en route_ to the Siege
of Dunkirk. When the sound of firing was heard, and information
reached the Duke of York that the Prince of Orange had met with a
sharp rebuff at the hands of the French, he immediately ordered
the Brigade of Guards to march to the assistance of the Prince.
Although the men had but just arrived from a long, hot, and tiring
march, Lake at once marched to the sound of the guns, covering the
six miles in a little over the hour; but on reaching Lincelles,
which was supposed to be in possession of the Duke of Orange, he
was met with a "whiff of grape-shot." The Guards, with their usual
dash, at once stormed the French redoubts, which they carried at
the point of the bayonet, capturing twelve guns, one stand of
colours, and close on 100 prisoners. The action was one of those
isolated affairs which had no bearing on the campaign, but merely
serve to show the superior stamina and discipline of the Brigade
of Guards. Taking into consideration the strength of the force
engaged, the casualties were undoubtedly heavy.
PRESENT AT LINCELLES.
Grenadier Guards 378 of all ranks.
Coldstream Guards 346 "
Scots Guards 398 "
CASUALTIES AT LINCELLES, AUGUST 18, 1793.
+------------------+-----------+-----------+
| |_Officers._| _Men._ |
| _Regiments._ +-----+-----+-----+-----+
| | K. | W. | K. | W. |
+------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+
|Grenadier Gds. | - | 5 | 21 | 44 |
|Coldstream Gds. | 1 | 2 | 8 | 47 |
|Scots Guards | - | 2 | 8 | 45 |
|Royal Artillery | 1 | - | 1 | 3 |
+------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+
NIEUPORT, OCTOBER, 1793.
This battle honour is borne by the Shropshire Light Infantry, and
commemorates the gallant defence of this town by the old 53rd
Foot, when besieged for ten days by a force of 12,000 French
troops, under Vandamme, who later became one of Napoleon's most
famous Marshals. With the 53rd were associated some artillery, a
half-company of the Black Watch, and two Hessian battalions--all
told, some 1,300 men; but the honours of the defence rested with
a regiment which throughout its career has ever borne the highest
reputation for steady gallantry.
CASUALTIES.
+---------------------+-----------+-----------+
| |_Officers._| _Men._ |
| _Regiments._ +-----+-----+-----+-----+
| | K. | W. | K. | W. |
+---------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+
|42nd Black Watch | - | - | - | 3 |
|53rd Shropshire L.I. | 1 | 1 | 12 | 32 |
+---------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+
VILLERS-EN-COUCHES, APRIL 24, 1794.
This is one of the four honours which the 15th Hussars has alone
the privilege of wearing. It records the gallantry of the regiment
practically under the eyes of the Austrian Emperor, when two
squadrons of the 15th charged side by side with the Austrian
Leopold Hussars, overthrowing a vastly superior body of the French,
taking three guns, and sabring, it is claimed, some 1,200 of the
enemy. The eight officers of the regiment were awarded the coveted
distinction of the Maria Theresa Order.
CASUALTIES AT VILLERS-EN-COUCHES.
+------------------+-----------+-----------+
| |_Officers._| _Men._ |
| _Regiments._ +-----+-----+-----+-----+
| | K. | W. | K. | W. |
+------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| 3rd Drag. Gds. | - | - | 38 | 2 |
| 1st R. Dragoons | - | - | 1 | 2 |
| 11th Hussars | - | - | 1 | - |
| 15th Hussars | - | 1 | 17 | 12 |
+------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+
BEAUMONT, APRIL 26, 1794.
This honour, which was not conferred until the year 1909, is borne
by the
Royal Horse Guards.
1st Royal Dragoons.
1st King's Dragoon Guards.
7th Hussars.
3rd Dragoon Guards.
11th Hussars.
5th Dragoon Guards.
16th Lancers.
There had been rumours after the fight at Villers-en-Couches that
General Mansel's brigade of cavalry, consisting of the Blues,
Royals, and 3rd Dragoon Guards, had not supported the 15th with
sufficient promptitude in the affair on April 22.[9] It was Minden
and Warburg over again. So when, on April 25, at Beaumont, General
Otto, the Austrian officer in command of the allied cavalry, led
his division against 20,000 unbroken French infantry, British
Dragoons and Austrian Hussars cheerfully essayed what seemed a mad
undertaking. The total loss of the allied cavalry amounted to 15
officers and 284 men killed and wounded, amongst the former being
General Mansel, who commanded the British heavies, two of his sons
figuring amongst the wounded. Forty-one guns and 750 prisoners were
taken, whilst the French casualties, it is said, numbered over
7,000, 1,200 being killed by the sabre alone.
CASUALTIES AT THE ACTION OF BEAUMONT, APRIL 26, 1794.
+--------------------------+-----------+-----------+
| |_Officers._| _Men._ |
| _Regiments._ +-----+-----+-----+-----+
| | K. | W. | K. | W. |
+--------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+
|R. Horse Gds. | 1 | - | 15 | 20 |
|1st King's Dragoon Guards | - | - | 6 | 13 |
|3rd Drag. Gds. | 2 | 2 | 15 | 8 |
|5th Drag. Gds. | - | 1 | 9 | 9 |
|1st Royal Dragoons | - | 1 | 6 | 13 |
|7th Hussars | - | - | 1 | 19 |
|11th Hussars | - | - | - | - |
|16th Lancers | - | - | 1 | 14 |
+--------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+
WILLEMS, MAY 10, 1794.
In the month of January, 1910, an Army Order was published
authorizing the following regiments to assume this battle honour:
Royal Horse Guards.
1st Royal Dragoons.
2nd Queen's Bays.
Scots Greys.
3rd Dragoon Guards.
6th Inniskilling Dragoons.
6th Carabiniers.
11th Hussars.
15th Hussars.
16th Lancers.
As at Beaumont a fortnight earlier, so here at Willems, our cavalry
showed themselves able to break the French infantry formation, even
when not pounded by artillery. Thirteen guns and 450 prisoners were
the trophies of the day, and fully 2,000 of the enemy fell under
the sabres of the British horse.
CASUALTIES AT THE ACTION OF WILLEMS, MAY 10, 1794.
+--------------------+-----------+-----------+
| |_Officers._| _Men._ |
| _Regiments._ +-----+-----+-----+-----+
| | K. | W. | K. | W. |
+--------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+
|Royal Horse Guards | - | 1 | 2 | 8 |
|2nd Drag. Gds. | - | - | 2 | 2 |
|3rd Drag. Gds. | - | - | - | 3 |
|6th Carabiniers | - | 1 | 7 | 19 |
|1st Roy. Drag. | - | - | - | 1 |
|2nd Scots Greys | - | 1 | 6 | 11 |
|6th Inniskill. | - | - | 3 | 7 |
|7th Hussars | - | - | - | 1 |
|11th Hussars | - | - | 7 | 3 |
|15th Hussars | - | - | - | 14 |
|16th Lancers | - | 2 | 13 | 7 |
+--------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+
TOURNAY, MAY 22, 1794.
An honour borne by the
West Yorkshire.
Hampshire.
Shropshire Light Infantry.
Just four days previously to the fight, the allied army, under
Field-Marshal Otto, had received a handsome beating at the hands
of the French. It is true we were hopelessly outnumbered, being
able to oppose but 18,000 to 64,000. Though beaten, we were not
disgraced. Fox's brigade, consisting of the three regiments above,
losing 520 of all ranks, whilst in the retirement the 7th and 15th
Hussars showed persistent gallantry. Nevertheless, it was a defeat,
for nineteen guns were left in the hands of the victors. We were
soon to learn that the failure on the part of the Archduke Charles
to support Otto and the Duke of York was a deliberate design
to discredit the British, and was due to jealousy of the Royal
Duke, who, if not a brilliant strategist, was at any rate a brave
commander, and ever solicitous for the comfort of his men.
On May 19 the Allies were concentrated in the immediate
neighbourhood of Tournay. The French were attempting to press home
their success of the preceding day. In the early morning of the
22nd Pichegru, who had hastened to assume command, attacked in four
columns. After some hours his superior numbers told, and the Allies
were gradually forced back. Then, late in the day, four brigades
were moved up to recapture the position of Pont-à-chin, which
practically commanded the Valley of the Scheldt. Fox's brigade,
having lost very heavily on the 18th, had been held in reserve, and
now numbered barely 600 men. At last, even they were pushed forward
into the fight, and, though entirely unsupported, these three
fine regiments, nobly responding to the Brigadier's call, dashed
forward, sweeping the French out of their hard-won vantage-ground
and capturing seven guns. This timely action turned the fortunes of
the day, and by nightfall the French had been beaten back, with a
loss of 6,000 men. So ended Tournay.
CASUALTIES AT THE BATTLE OF TOURNAY, MAY 22, 1794.
+------------------+-----------+-----------+
| |_Officers._| _Men._ |
| _Regiments._ +-----+-----+-----+-----+
| | K. | W. | K. | W. |
+------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+
|14th W. Yorks. | - | 1 | 5 | 29 |
|53rd Shrops. L.I. | - | 3 | 6 | 29 |
|37th Hampsh. | - | 3 | 1 | 30 |
|Royal Artillery | - | - | 1 | 2 |
+------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+
EGMONT-OP-ZEE, OCTOBER 2, 1799.
In 1799 a fresh attempt was made to wrest Holland from the French,
and Sir Ralph Abercromby was despatched to the Low Countries at
the head of a division to co-operate with the Russians. His force
consisted of a Brigade of Guards (one battalion from each of the
three regiments, with a composite battalion of the grenadier
companies of the whole Brigade) and two brigades of infantry,
under Generals Coote and John Moore. On April 17 a landing was
effected at Grote Keten, in face of the determined opposition of
a brigade of French troops, our total loss being 27 officers and
440 men killed and wounded. Before the end of the month Abercromby
had been reinforced by seven more battalions, and by September 20
the British forces had been brought up to a total of 30,000, with
H.R.H. the Duke of York once more in chief command, the whole being
distributed as follows:
Cavalry Brigade: 7th, 11th, and one squadron of the 18th Light
Dragoons.
First Brigade--Major-General D'Oyley: 1st Battalion Grenadier
Guards, and a composite battalion of the grenadier companies of
the whole Brigade.
Second Brigade of Guards--Major-General Burrard: 1st Battalion
Coldstreams, 1st Battalion Scots Guards.
Third Brigade--Major-General Coote: 2nd (Queen's), 27th
(Inniskillings), 29th (Worcesters), and 85th (Shropshire Light
Infantry).
Fourth Brigade--Major-General Sir John Moore: 1st (Royal Scots),
25th (King's Own Scottish Borderers), 49th (Berkshires), 79th
(Cameron Highlanders), and the 92nd (Gordon Highlanders).
Fifth Brigade--Major-General Don: 17th (Leicesters--two
battalions), 40th (South Lancashires--two battalions).
Sixth Brigade--Lord Cavan: 20th (Lancashire Fusiliers--two
battalions), and the 63rd (Manchesters).
Seventh Brigade--Lord Chatham: Three battalions of the 4th
(King's Own) and the 31st (East Surrey).
Eighth Brigade--H.R.H. Prince William: Two battalions of the
Northumberland Fusiliers and the 35th (Royal Sussex).
Ninth Brigade--Major-General Manners: Two battalions of the 9th
(Norfolks) and the 56th (Essex).
Reserve Brigade--Colonel Macdonald: The Royal Welsh Fusiliers and
the 55th (Border Regiment).
In garrison at the Helder were a battalion of the 35th (Royal
Sussex) and the 69th (Welsh).
After an indecisive action on September 19, the Duke of York
attacked the French on October 2 at Egmont-op-Zee, inflicting on
them a severe defeat. The brunt of the fighting fell on the Fourth
and Sixth Brigades, under Sir John Moore and Lord Cavan, Sir Ralph
Abercromby being present and exercising supreme command. Our losses
were very heavy, amounting to no less than 1,348 of all ranks
killed and wounded.
The following regiments alone have been authorized to bear the
honour "Egmont-op-Zee":
15th Hussars.
Royal Scots.
Lancashire Fusiliers.
King's Own Scottish Borderers.
Berkshire.
Manchester.
Cameron Highlanders.
Gordon Highlanders.
But the casualty rolls published in the Duke of York's despatch
show that many other regiments were engaged.
+----------------------------+-----------+-----------+
| |_Officers._| _Men._ |
| _Regiments._ +-----+-----+-----+-----+
| | K. | W. | K. | W. |
+----------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+
|7th Hussars | - | - | 2 | 11 |
|11th Hussars | - | - | 1 | 4 |
|15th Hussars | - | 1 | 2 | 2 |
|Royal Artillery | - | 1 | 9 | 65 |
|Grenadier Gds. | - | 3 | 6 | 52 |
|Royal Scots | - | 7 | 7 | 65 |
|The Queen's | - | - | 2 | 16 |
|K.O. Lanc. Reg. | - | 1 | 3 | 9 |
|Leicestershire | - | 2 | 2 | 5 |
|Lancs. Fus. | - | 1 | 3 | 40 |
|R. Welsh Fus. | - | 2 | 7 | 52 |
|K.O. Scottish Borderers | 2 | 8 | 34 | 67 |
|27th Inniskilling Fusiliers | - | 4 | 4 | 41 |
|29th Worcester | - | - | 8 | 35 |
|40th S. Lancs. | - | - | - | 3 |
|55th Border R. | - | 1 | 2 | 18 |
|49th Berkshire | 2 | 5 | 31 | 50 |
|63rd Manchest. | - | 1 | 1 | 36 |
|79th Cameron Highlanders | 1 | 4 | 13 | 58 |
|85th King's Own Shrop. L.I. | - | 4 | 7 | 67 |
|92nd Gordon Highlanders | 3 | 11 | 57 | 182 |
+----------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+