Mutineers at Sleaford 1689

In March 1689 they were moved to Lincolnshire where they were involved in their first action. The Royal Regiment (Royal Scots) were involved in a mutiny at Ipswich which ended when the mutineers numbering 500 were overtaken near Sleaford. The Queen’s were part of a cavalry force under General De Ginkel, including Dutch troops and Colonel Langston’s Horse (disbanded in 1692). The Queen’s Horse outflanked the mutineers and they were forced to surrender. However, around 40 Scotsmen had detached themselves to find quarters for the others in Sleaford. The Queen’s Horse were sent there to arrest them at the Angel Inn but the Scots resisted and there were casualties. One Scots sergeant and three men were killed. None of the cavalry were injured.

Newry and Dundalk 1689 - 90

The regiment had some service in Scotland from April 1689, investing Edinburgh Castle which surrendered on 13 June. They then fought rebels at Forfar in August. But King James was gathering a rebel army in Ireland so the Queen’s Horse sailed from Scotland to Belfast in October1689. At that time their strength was 450, organised into 9 Troops. They spent a miserable winter in Ireland and had to cope with the hostility of the Catholic Irish who waged a guerrilla campaign. In Feb 1690 the regiment was taken from Newry as part of a reconnaissance towards Dundalk. They captured Bedloe’s Castle and rounded up 1,500 head of cattle to take back to Newry.

William III acceded to the throne on 13 Feb 1689 with his wife Queen Mary II. He arrived in Ireland in June 1690 and reviewed his army at Dundalk on the 17th. They numbered around 36,000 to 40,000. At the battle of the Boyne the Queen’s Horse mustered 360 men. William’s cavalry consisted of:

The 1st Troop of Life Guards
The 3rd Troop of Life Guards (disbanded 1746)
The Royal Horse Guards (Blue)
Dutch Life Guards
The Queen’s Horse (KDG)
Villier’s 3rd Horse (2DG)
Coy’s 6th Horse (5DG)
Byerley’s Horse (6DG)
Schomberg’s 8th Horse (7DG)
Russell’s Horse (disbanded 1692)
Langston’s Horse (disbanded 1692)
Wolseley’s Horse (disbanded 1692)

Battle of the Boyne, 1 July 1690

Battle of the Boyne

James chose to place his army on the south side of the River Boyne near Drogheda, about 20 miles south of Dundalk. William’s army had gathered on the north side on 30 June, the day before the battle. It began as a contest between the infantry of the two sides with some cavalry being used to find ways over the river to outflank the Jacobites. By 10am William could see that James had depleted his main force in the centre, sending them to face the threat of the attacks on his flanks, so he ordered the infantry to cross the Boyne. When the outnumbered Jacobites began to retreat, William sent in the cavalry which he led himself.

The initial success of the cavalry advance was marred by boggy ground, and the Irish cavalry took advantage of their confusion. A regiment of English infantry under Lord Cutts bravely repulsed the Irish attack giving William time to re-form the cavalry. They attacked the Irish infantry who began to withdraw at the sight of the charging regiments of Horse. Only the Irish Foot Guards stood firm. The Irish Cavalry once more came to the rescue of the wavering infantry but this was a temporary reprieve as they soon fled the field. The rest of the battle consisted of skirmishing between the English and Irish cavalry that went on for half an hour, giving James’s army of Irish and French troops time to retreat toward Dublin. The casualties were not heavy and the Jacobite defeat resulted in James sailing for France, never to return.

Siege of Limerick, August 1690

After the Battle of the Boyne the Queen’s Horse bivouacked near Duleek but then went on to Dublin. The bulk of the regiment stayed there while a detachment accompanied the army to besiege Limerick. There was a well defended camp established in front of the city walls manned by three regiments of Irish Horse and two of infantry. On 3 August a force of 1,000 men including the Queen’s Horse attacked it and drove them out of their trenches.

The main part of the regiment was called upon to reinforce an escort of guns and wagons going from Dublin to Limerick but did not catch up with the convoy in time. The Jacobite general Patrick Sarsfield had successfully attacked and destroyed the wagons and guns at Ballyneety. The miserable siege of Limerick dragged on in pouring rain with the defenders suffering deprivation. William gave up and lifted the siege at the end of August.

The Siege of Athlone, June 1691

The Queen’s Horse were in action at the Moat of Greenonge in February 1691, having been sent to deal with an enemy concentration at Ballymore. They slaughtered large numbers of infantry and chased the Irish cavalry towards Athlone. Ballymore surrendered on 8 June and the regiment joined the siege of Athlone where they fought dismounted in the trenches, and on 30 June had to wade through the Shannon breast high before the town could be captured. Athlone was believed to be impregnable but the town surrendered after 1,000 defenders were killed. On 4 July there was a staunch defence of a bridge near Ballinasloe by 20 of the Queen’s Horse along with 10 mounted grenadiers. They had been sent to recce the enemy camp but were surrounded by 400 Irish Horse in Clanoult woods. They defended the bridge with great bravery until half their number were killed.

Battle of Aughrim, 12 July 1691

The Irish Jacobite army was commanded by General Charles Saint-Ruhe who established a defensive position behind hedges and walls on a ridge not far from Ballinasloe, extending from the Castle of Aughrim on his left, to Kilcommoden on his right. They had the advantage of a marshy area to their front and the river Meldham beyond that. William’s army, commanded by De Ginkel, crossed the Shannon on 10 July and camped at Ballinasloe. On 12 July William’s army of 19,000 men confronted Saint-Ruhe’s position. The Queen’s Horse were in Ruvigny’s cavalry brigade. The battle started at 3pm with an attack on the Irish right led by the 3rd Horse (2DG). They fought doggedly and the Queen’s Horse was brought over to support them and help push the enemy back.

Battle of Aughrim

The English infantry advanced across the marshy bog but the regiments on the left centre being too far forward were attacked by the Irish cavalry so that they were pushed back to the bog. De Ginkel ordered the attack on the enemy left flank at Aughrim Castle which could be approached by a causeway, however, the Irish cavalry once more threatened the English infantry. The Queen’s Horse galloped along the causeway to support the infantry. But the Irish infantry had recovered from the English offensive and were advancing. It was at this point that the Queen’s Horse along with the rest of Ruvigny’s cavalry brigade made a gallant charge which De Ginkel later claimed to have been decisive.

At 8pm General Sait-Ruhe was facing defeat. He and his French Guards made a valiant effort to rally the Irishmen but just then a cannonball knocked his head off. Ammunition was running short and after another half hour of stout resistance on the Irish right at Kilcommodon the general retreat began. The troops defending Aughrim Castle had to surrender and the cavalry pursuit of the retreating army was underway. There was terrible slaughter committed by all the regiments of Horse until darkness brought it to a close, and the stragglers made their way to Limerick. Two thousand prisoners were taken but the battle had brought the death of 4,000 Irishmen. The English army had from two to three thousand casualties, with the Queen’s Horse losing 23 killed, 5 wounded, and 11 horses killed.

Battle of Landen or Neerwinden, 29 July 1693

The Queen’s Horse were moved to England in January 1692, but in August sailed across to the Netherlands. They had a new Colonel, Henry Lumley, who had been the lieutenant-colonel since 1688; Sir John Lanier had been killed at Steenkirk on 3rd August, where he was on the staff. King William’s Confederate army confronted the French under the Duke of Luxembourg, initially at Parck, but when the French besieged Huy, William’s army left its strong position, and was reduced in numbers when William unwisely left 8,000 troops to reinforce Liege and Maastricht. He then established himself at Neerhespen, north of Landen. The battle began with an artillery barrage at dawn on 29 July and developed into an infantry battle around Neerwinden and Neerlanden. The French outnumbered the Confederate army but were at first beaten back as they attacked the two villages.

Meanwhile the cavalry were kept out of the battle, waiting at some distance to the rear. William’s British cavalry consisted of the Queen’s Horse (KDG), The Life Guards, 4th Horse (3DG), 5th Horse (4DG) and the King’s Carabiniers (6DG). After six hours of fighting the Confederate army was on the back foot and unable to stand against the French who were able to bring up 12,000 fresh troops kept in reserve. The Maison du Roi, the French Household cavalry then made a flank attack on the Coldstream Guards and Royal Fusiliers but were beaten off by the Bavarian cuirassiers. However, the infantry were in retreat and the cavalry were given their chance of action when William led them in a charge to cover the retreat. The Queen’s Regiment were the first to form line and the Duke of Ormonde put himself at the head of one of their squadrons. They made several brave charges during which Ormonde was taken prisoner. The retreat was allowed to carry on in an orderly fashion only because of the determined attacks made by the Queen’s and the other regiments of Horse, including Galway’s Horse. The Queen’s Regiment lost two Standards at this battle. It was a clear victory for the French but they suffered 10,000 casualties against the 12,000 lost by William’s army.

Siege of Namur, July 1695

The regiment spent the winter of 1694/5 in Ghent, and attended a Royal Review at Arseele at the end of May. They were praised for the condition of their horses, uniforms and weapons. The siege of Namur began on 6 July but William’s forces were threatened by the French army under Marshal Villeroi. The Queen’s Regiment, along with three other regiments, was ordered to cover the approach to the Confederate camp. When Villeroi changed direction and moved towards Perwys, the cavalry were instructed to go to Boneffe. The French cavalry attacked this place causing the Confederate cavalry to retreat. The Queen’s Horse covered this retreat and in the ensuing battle lost several men and horses. One officer was captured. Villeroi attempted to follow up this success by forcing a passage between his enemy and the River Maese but the positioning of the Queen’s Horse and the rest of the cavalry deterred him and he withdrew.

Cavalry Action near Brussels, 3 June 1697

The army was camped at St Quentin Linnick in May 1697 when it was reported that the French were laying siege to Aeth. Henry Lumley was sent to make a reconnaissance in force towards Enghien. The Queen’s Horse were accompanied by some dragoons and infantry. When they were near Brussels they encountered 200 French Carbineers and 150 hussars. Lumley ordered his regiment to attack immediately and the French were forced to retreat. The colonel of the hussars was captured along with 3 officers and 40 men with their horses.

Marlborough’s Campaign of 1702-03

The Queen’s Horse together with other regiments at Breda made a hazardous march to Marlborough’s camp near Nijmegen. During that year’s campaigning there were at least four good opportunities to engage the French, with a good chance of beating them but Marlborough’s Dutch Allies frustrated his attempts. Towards the end of the campaign the Queen’s Horse was one of the units covering the sieges of the Meuse fortresses, Venloo, Stevenswaert, Ruremonde and Maseyk. They were one of the first regiments to enter Liège where the storming of the citadel took place, on 23 October 1702. The Earl of Marlborough was elevated to Duke for his service to Britain.

Little happened in 1703 apart from the capture of Huy and Limburg which sieges were covered by the Queen’s Horse. There was more frustration because of the Dutch reluctance to join battle with the enemy. So in May 1704 The Duke of Marlborough marched his army of 40 battalions and 80 squadrons to Germany, cleverly concealing his intentions, and left the bulk of the Dutch forces to defend their country. The French were further deceived by the building of a pontoon bridge across the Rhine at Philippsburg, but Marlborough took the army across the Main and headed for the Danube. At the end of this long forced march (300 miles in 5 weeks) the troops could have been forgiven for looking shabby, but after inspecting them at Mainz, the Elector declared that he. “..never saw such a Body of Men so Cleand and Compleat in my Life.” And Eugene of Savoy, when he joined Marlborough, inspected the cavalry and expressed the view that money can buy clothes and fine horses “..but it cannot buy that lively air I see in every one of these troopers’ faces.”

Schellenberg, 2 July 1704

Schellenberg

To overcome the difficulty of seniority in the high command, the Duke of Marlborough had to be content with being Commander-in-Chief on alternate days with Prince Louis, Margrave of Baden. When the army reached the Bavarian town of Donauwörth on the Danube, it was Marlborough’s day of command and he ordered the infantry to storm the steep hill just outside the town, called the Schellenberg. The Queen’s Horse was kept in the rear of the attacking infantry, as close as they could get. The French and Bavarian troops defending the hill were commanded by Count D’Arco who inspired his men to put up a stiff resistance for more than an hour, during which the allied troops suffered heavy casualties from musket fire and grenades. When the enemy could hold out no longer, they were overcome by determined and angry soldiers, ‘and a terrible slaughter ensued, no quarter being given for a long time.’ There was an attempt to escape the mayhem by descending on the river side and crossing the Danube on a bridge of boats, but the weight of numbers broke the structure and many were drowned. The Queen’s Horse played their part in pursuing those who left the hill trying to flee. No prisoners were taken; the cavalry were only out for blood. However, 4,000 of the enemy survived, out of the 12,000 who defended the Schellenberg. In the Queen’s Horse, Lt-Colonel Palmer was badly wounded and Cornet Law also wounded.

The Battle of Blenheim 13 Aug 1704

The object of capturing Donauwörth was to persuade Maximilian, Elector of Bavaria to change sides and fight against the French but it didn’t work out, and the Elector retreated to Augsburg to await reinforcement from the French under Marshal Tallard. To punish him and further persuade him to change his mind it was decided to lay waste to Bavaria. This also had the advantage of denying food and supplies to the enemy. The Queen’s Horse, along with the other cavalry regiments were ordered to burn and plunder as far as Munich. The Allies were not the only culprits; the local Germans waged guerrilla warfare on the French army in retaliation for their wanton plundering. When the Bavarians and French did get together, they had a strong position at Höchstadt. But they decided to confront the forces under Eugene of Savoy, so on 12 August moved 3 miles to Blenheim (Blindheim).

The position they chose was facing a small river, the Nebel which had marshy banks. This river flowed into the Danube on their right flank. Blenheim was on the banks of the Danube, chosen as the strongest part of their defence. The rest of Tallard’s army stretched four miles towards the pine-covered hills around Lutzingen. Marlborough managed to shake off his ally Louis of Baden by persuading him to besiege Ingolstadt. This allowed the Duke and Eugene to work more easily together against Tallard and the Elector. The two men observed the French and Bavarians from a church tower a few miles away and decided to fight the next day. Marlborough roused his men at 2am and sent the cavalry forward. The whole army moved into place, taking the enemy by surprise. The British, along with Dutch and Germans were concentrated on the left to attack the French at Blenheim while Eugene’s forces were to engage with the Elector and Ferdinand de Marsin on the right. Marlborough’s men were in place by 8 am on 13 August and French artillery opened a barrage. But Eugene’s men could not get into position until noon so little happened until then apart from an action by General Cutts’s column to clear the enemy from the Nebel.

The infantry attacks on Blenheim village met with little success, and heavy casualties were suffered at first, but the bravery of the troops put pressure on the French defences. Their commander made the error of bringing reserves into the village which caused overcrowding and hampered their firing. Marlborough held back on any further attacks and managed to contain 10,000 French defenders with only 5,000 men. The army crossed the Nebel but came under attack from the elite French cavalry, Zurlauben’s Gens d’Armes. However, they were confronted by five English squadrons. The Gens d’Armes halted and fired their pistols but this made them vulnerable to the charge that took place. They were completely routed much to the consternation of Marshal Tallard. The remainder of the cavalry crossed the Nebel but before they could form up, the men of the Queen’s Horse were forced back to the river by French cavalry.

Battle of Blenheim

The infantry came to the aid of their cavalry comrades and fired into the French squadrons, driving them off. General Lumley, Colonel of the Queen’s Horse commanded a cavalry brigade in this battle, and at this point he rallied the disordered British cavalry and formed them into line. The French held a position at the top of a slope and for some reason remained inactive. This short respite allowed the English cavalry to move forward in good order and make a successful attack. It was then the turn of the French to get the upper hand when Tallard brought in his nine centre battalions of young soldiers who advanced in squares, threatening the English regiments of Horse. Marlborough countered this move with artillery and three battalions of Hessians. The young Frenchmen held their ground at first but they took heavy losses and the squares broke up. The French cavalry were ordered to go to their aid but remained inert. This was the chance for the Queen’s Horse and other regiments to annihilate the French infantry. According to Lord Orkney who commanded a brigade; ‘The poor lads never moved, but were mowed down in their ranks, and lay in straight lines of white-coated corpses.’

The French were now in serious trouble and at about 4.30pm, the English cavalry, after ‘cutting and hewing them to a degree’ formed up in ranks. Marlborough rode up on his grey horse, drew his sword and ordered the trumpeters to sound the charge. They went uphill against French cavalry who again made the mistake of firing from a static position, and were unable to withstand the charging British horsemen. Thirty French squadrons turned and fled towards the Danube where, in their panic, many drowned. Any who reached the other side were killed by angry ‘boors’, local people who wanted revenge on the French plunderers. It was a famous victory for Marlborough and Eugene of Savoy, with the French losses put at 27,000 out of 56,000. The casualties for the rank-and-file of the regiment are not given, but two officers were wounded and 58 horses were lost. They had been commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Crowther, replacing Colonel Palmer who had died of a wound received at the Schellenberg.

The Lines of Brabant, 18 July 1705

The regiment wintered in Breda, and in April 1705 joined the army at Maastricht from where Marlborough took them towards the Moselle. They were supposed to link up with Louis of Baden but he and his troops did not turn up. This seemed to follow a pattern of unreliability where the allies were concerned. The French were reported to be threatening Liège but when Villeroi heard of the British approach he retired behind the Lines of Brabant, a stretch of 60 miles of defences between Namur and Antwerp. Marlborough exploited a weak part of the Lines between Elixhem and Neer Hespen on the River Geete. The Queen’s Horse was one of the first regiments across the river and through the Lines.

The regiments of Horse and Dragoons were drawn up in two ranks, 38 squadrons in all, including Dutch and German cavalry, facing French and Bavarian regiments which fired their pistols from a standing position, unready for the charging British and their flailing swords. The Queen’s Horse broke several squadrons of Bavarian cuirassiers, but the cavalry were now in a state of disorder, and unprepared for an attack made by fresh enemy squadrons. Things looked bad for a while, and the Duke himself was almost captured. But he managed to rally the Horse and Dragoons for a counter-attack which forced the Franco-Bavarian cavalry and infantry to retreat. The Queen’s Horse cut down a battalion of infantry, but a pursuit of the enemy was called off for lack of support from the Dutch. Casualty figures are not mentioned in the history, and it is curious that this battle, although a victory, is not included in the list of battle honours.

Ramillies, 23 May 1706

Capturing the Drums

The French army left the Lines of Brabant and hurried towards a plateau between the Geet and the River Mehaigne. Villeroi formed his forces in the shape of a crescent, centred on Ramillies, his right flank on Taviers and his left on Autre-Eglise. The British cavalry were kept in reserve on the heights of Foulz overlooking the Geet and Autre-Eglise half a mile away from the opposite bank. The fighting was mainly down to the Dutch on the left, who attacked the enemy at Ramillies and Taviers while the British infantry waded across the Geete to attack Autre-Eglise and Offuz. In an action by the Dutch cavalry, Marlborough was nearly captured again, only to be rescued by his ADC and also his equerry who lost his head, shot off by a canon-ball in the process.

The Dutch cavalry performed well in this battle, defeating the elite Maison du Roi and, with the help of Danish cavalry, forced the enemy cavalry to retreat. They then set about the destruction of the French infantry. The enemy infantry retreated from their strong position at Ramillies and the positions at Offuz and Autre-Eglise followed suit. This was the point, at around 4.30pm, where the Queen’s Horse and the other British cavalry regiments, after a day of inactivity, were ordered to drive the enemy from the field and pursue. The Queen’s Horse and the Scots Greys chased after the Régiment du Roi and compelled them to surrender. They then continued their work through the night until 2am, having reached Meldert, 15 miles away. They were led by General Wood when they came across Marshal Villeroi and the Elector of Bavaria at St Pierre-Geest. These two, who would have been the most highly prized captives, managed to escape, but the Bavarian Horse were forced to give up their kettledrums and two generals.

Oudenarde, 11 July 1708

The rest of 1706 was spent in various sieges, Ostend in June, Menin in August, followed by Dendermond and Ath. In Feb 1707 the regiment was reinforced with 180 horses and 120 men from England, and further men and horses arrived in 1708. There was no major battle in 1707 due to the French, now commanded by the Duke of Burgundy and Vendôme, avoiding Marlborough. The Queen’s Horse had wintered in Ghent but in 1708 the city fell into the possession of the French, along with Bruges. The emboldened French then decided to capture Oudenarde. Marlborough realised Vendôme’s intentions and force-marched his army to Oudenarde, confronting the French on 11 July 1708. The battle was fought under the command of Marlborough and Eugene of Savoy, involving only the infantry. The British cavalry were obliged to stand and watch, not being employed to fight the enemy. It was another victory for the allies, and the cavalry was not ordered to pursue the defeated French until the following day.

Siege of Lille, 12 Aug - 9 Dec 1708

Marlborough next decided to besiege Lille, capital of French Flanders. It was invested on 12 August, and the Queen’s Horse was busy covering operations and providing escorts for the convoys of ammunition and stores from Ostend via Menin. The French under Vendôme and Burgundy positioned themselves along the Scheldt and Scarpe from where they sent raiding parties to prevent the convoys getting through. The largest convoy, of 600 wagons, was intercepted at Wynendael where a battle was fought that saw the defeat of 24,000 French. The Queen’s Horse were not in this battle, but on the night of 26 November Marlborough took the regiment with him for the forcing of the line of the Scheldt. He pushed on to Alost with the cavalry and two battalions of Guards. The siege of Lille ended on 9 Dec when the commander of the garrison, Marshal Boufflers surrendered. The regiment went into winter quarters at Ghent and the next year were part of the force besieging Tournai. They protected the besieging force from French attempts to relieve the garrison, and according to regimental records, ‘…the duty of this detachment was uncommonly severe.’

Malplaquet, 11 Sep 1709

In 1709 the French were commanded by Marshals Villars and Boufflers, a year dominated by the siege of Tournai. The Queen’s Horse were part of an advance guard detachment under the Prince of Hesse ordered to march towards Mons. Villars led his force to cut them off, but instead he decided to halt the French army at Malplaquet. When the siege of Tournai ended on 3 Sep, Marlborough and Eugene had planned to besiege Mons but were now required to fight the French in their makeshift fortifications at the woods of Malplaquet. At the start of the battle, at 8am on 11 Sep 1709, the Queen’s Horse was on the right of the line, brigaded with the 3DG, 5DG, 7DG, the Greys and the 5th Dragoons. The infantry brigades of the various nationalities in the allied army concentrated on the different defensive positions established by the French who had cut trees to build redans.

The Military Memoirs of Robert Parker says, ‘Thus were the infantry on both sides engaged with a most terrible fire, and prodigious slaughter. As our infantry advanced, the cavalry kept close in the rear of them.’ The battle was a blood-soaked struggle with neither side having the upper hand. Then Boufflers led the Gens d’Armes, driving the allied infantry back, but was checked by British infantry fire. Marlborough took charge of the British cavalry and led them against the French cavalry that stood in three lines on the hill. The British were supported by Hanoverian and Prussian cavalry but they turned round and tried to retire from the fight. The Maison du Roi then entered the cavalry battle and drove the British back but that only lasted until Eugene brought in more allied cavalry. Eugene, himself was wounded at this stage.

The cavalry on both sides fought hard but made no headway. Villars had been badly wounded in the knee so Boufflers commanded alone and made the decision at around 3pm to withdraw the French army from the field. This indicated that the allies had won the battle, but the casualty numbers were shockingly high, especially for the allies who lost 24,000 men, of which 6,500 had been killed. Many were disabled or died later of their wounds. The French had lost 12,000 wounded and killed. The usual practice was to pursue the defeated army and ensure that they were unable to fight another day, but the allies were exhausted and unable to pursue. Although this was another victory for ‘invincible’ Marlborough he was heavily criticised back in England for this Pyrrhic victory. The Queen’s Horse had one officer and 10 men killed, 5 officers and 39 men wounded. Their loss in horses amounted to 52.

1710 - 1714

When the army had recovered enough, they proceeded to invest Mons as intended. When the city surrendered on 9 October 1709, the regiment was able to rest in winter quarters. In 1710 the allies besieged Douai, on 12 June, and that town capitulated after 8 weeks. The next siege was Bethune, during which the Queen’s Horse fought enemy cavalry on several occasions. After the surrender on 28 Aug the towns of Aire and St Venant were besieged. The cavalry escorted convoys, foraged and patrolled the area, engaging enemy cavalry at various times.

When campaigning started in 1711, it was clear that the French had constructed a formidable series of lines from the coast to Bouchain. It was while the cavalry were watching the approaches to Bouchain that they were taught a harsh lesson in round-the-clock security. They were camped in July near Arleux from which a causeway had been built to allow safe passage across marshy ground. Villars led a force out of Bouchain, across the causeway, in a surprise midnight attack on the British camp which was made easy by virtue of the fact that no sentries were posted. Many troopers were killed or injured and a considerable number of horses taken. They also ‘plundered the sutlers [tradespeople], killing men. women and children.’ But on the night of 4 August the regiment was one of the first to cross the causeway to take possession of the enemy lines. Bouchain was besieged, and the Queen’s Horse, as part of General Lumley’s mobile column, managed to repel attacks sent out from Valenciennes. The siege of Bouchain ended on 13 September 1711.

The Return to England, March 1714

It is hard to grasp why England’s great military commander, who had foiled the ambitions of Louis XIV, should have fallen from royal favour and been accused of fraud, extortion and embezzlement. He was replaced as commander of the British army by the Duke of Ormonde. However, the war was all but over. Hostilities were suspended and no battles or sieges permitted. The British soldiers were fed up that they had lost their popular Field Marshal and were further annoyed at the news that they were to separate from Eugene’s army. Not only that but the march back through the Netherlands was made difficult because the Dutch felt that they were deserting them. The soldiers received no fresh bread, and were not allowed to use bridges over the numerous rivers. The war officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Utrecht in April 1713, but the regiment had to wait another year before they were returned to England. They landed at the Red House, Battersea at the beginning of April 1714. They then marched to quarters at Northampton, Daventry and Wellingborough.

Service in Flanders 1742

The history of the King’s Own Regiment of Horse in the War of the Austrian Succession relies very much on the letters written by an officer of the regiment, Philip Browne who served with them from 1737 to 1745. The letters are published in the Journal of the Society of Army Historical Research Vol V nos. 20 to 22 (1926). He relates that the regiment embarked at Gravesend on The Liberty & Property on 9 Aug 1742 and arrived, ‘after a very bad Voyage from Marget Roads’ in the Netherlands on 30 Aug. They spent the winter in Ghent and, in April 1743, marched south through Germany.

Dettingen, 27 June 1743

Although the allied army (Pragmatic Army) was under the command of the aged Earl of Stair, King George II had placed himself as Commander-in-Chief. This would be the last time that a British monarch led an army in battle. However the troops were starving so their position, when they reached Aschaffenberg was desperate. The French commander held a strong position at Dettingen on the bank of the river Main to block the allies from withdrawing to Hanau. The allies were lured into a trap which saw them in danger of being surrounded, but managed to fight their way out and defeat the French. But before the battle started, as they rode through the village of Klein Ostheim, the King’s Own Horse was ordered to wheel to the left and face the river for the purpose of covering the passage of the army towards Dettingen. No-one knew how they were supposed to do that, and prevent the French from firing on the army from their battery on the other side of the wide river.

Lieutenant Philip Browne wrote home two days after the battle, from the camp at Hanau. I have changed some spelling and words to update it:

‘Before this reaches your hand, I don’t doubt but you will have heard of the battle that was fought between the French and us on the 27th between Aschaffenberg and this place. I have taken the first opportunity to acquaint you that I am perfectly well, not doubting but that you and my friends will be greatly anxious for me. I thank God who hath most wonderfully preserved me, in the utmost hazard and danger, my life for 8 hours being every minute very precarious, from the constant fire of the enemy.

Dettingen

‘The public news will give you an account of the battle, I shall therefore only inform you of what befell our regiment. For several hours we stood the cannonading of the enemy, from several batteries they had erected, which commanded the line of march, so as not only to annoy us but frequently went beyond us. Our men and horses stood it without the ranks being in the least disordered, and as soon as men or horses were killed they closed again, and at the same time we could see that as our cannon played on them, they set up a gallop in great disorder. They begun by cannonading us upon our march, their first fire was at 8 o’clock in the morning. They had been marching all night and had passed the Main, and drawn their troops up on this side in order to prevent our joining 6,000 Hessians and 8,000 Hanoverians, which came to this ground last night. They took possession of a village where they crossed over, which was a pass we must fight through, or retire back again.

‘Immediately we formed and marched in line of battle, about one o’clock, the brigade of Horse Guards & Horse was ordered in the front, about a mile before we came to the ground where we engaged. Our eyes were presented with numbers of dead bodies, some that were shot and slain, and not expired, which we could not help riding over and passing through. I saw numbers that the Foot put an end to by firing their pieces in their ears.

‘In front of the left of the brigade of Horse was formed the Gens d’Armes, the best troops of France, advancing to attack us, and a battery of their cannon flanked us. Upon their advancing to attack General Honywood’s and General Ligonier’s regiments [KDG and 7DG], we marched forward and met them sword in hand. At the same time their cannon ceased and they flanked us on the left with their Foot. Then we engaged, and not only received, but returned their fire. The balls flew about like hail, and then we cut into their ranks, and they in ours. The major who you knew at Croydon was on my right, his skull cap turned two musket balls, but he received two deep sabre cuts. Cornet George Allcroft, who was near me, was killed, and the standard which he bore was hacked, but we saved it. My cousin Chauncy knew him. A captain on the right of the major was killed; another on my left was shot in both shoulders. Three men and 8 horses of the major’s Troop, to whom I am a lieutenant, were killed, and 8 men shot and cut, but not yet dead.

‘Our squadron suffered most, we being on the left. In the right squadron, lieutenant Edward Draper, who you knew, was killed, and his captain wounded. Captain Robert Watts, my brother’s friend and Cornet William Lightfoot, your friend, who both charged in the centre squadron are well, but one of their captains is sadly bruised, trampled under the horses’ feet, and his lieutenant was shot through the thigh.

‘I did not receive the least hurt, but my left hand and shirt sleeve were covered in blood which must fly from the wounded upon me. Providence greatly favoured me that as there was an engagement in which we were in the thickest of it, and was my kind protector. Had not the English Foot come to our relief we would all have been cut to pieces; the Gens d’Armes being nine deep and we but three, after which we rallied again, and marched up to attack them again. But before we were ordered, the French had retired, and the English, Hanoverian and Austrians remained masters of the field.’

The French cavalry drove back the King’s Horse and Ligonier’s, and as the King’s Horse wheeled away to the right it crashed into, and disordered, the Blues coming up to their assistance. Both regiments had to retire and re-form. The French cavalry, meanwhile, succeeded in breaking through the British Foot, but the 21st and 23rd recovered themselves, turned inward and shot down the enemy horsemen. At the same time the 4th and 6th Dragoons and two regiments of Austrian dragoons arrived, and together with the now rallied remnants of the King’s Horse and Ligonier’s, charged the French cavalry and managed to drive them back. The French retreated towards the fords and bridges of the Main but in the crush many attempted to swim the river and drowned. The King was reluctant to pursue the defeated enemy and continued the march to Hanau. The wounded were left on the battlefield, the lucky ones being given treatment but most were the victims of plunderers.

The King’s Horse, according to Captain Philip Browne, had no food or drink for men or horses and suffered pouring rain without shelter as the baggage had not come up. The battle of Dettingen had cost the lives of three officers, 8 men and 20 horses. The wounded included four officers, two quartermasters, 28 men and 24 horses. They remained at Hanau until the middle of August.

Fontenoy, 11 May 1745

The regiment was not engaged in any major battles in 1744. In Britain, the threat of a Jacobite rising meant that many troops were recalled to England, but an order of 18 Oct 1744 from the Duke of Cumberland specifically ordered the King’s Horse to remain in Flanders. They stayed in winter quarters in the area of Brussels until the spring of 1745. The French were now commanded by Marshal Saxe who led his army to besiege Tournai. The Marshal anticipated a fight with the allied army, under the command of George Wade, so established a strong defensive position between Anthoin on the Scheldt and Fontenoy. The first task of the King’s Horse was to drive in the enemy picquets on 10 May, and clear the French from their advance post at Vezon in the early hours of 11 May. When the battle started the cavalry stood behind the infantry on the right flank.

Philip Browne’s letter, written at Ath after the battle says that the cavalry stood for ‘upwards of nine hours’ as the infantry attacked under a sustained hail of fire with exemplary bravery. ‘There were batteries continually playing upon our front and both flanks at the same time during the whole attack’. Cannonballs fell amongst them so that one ball killed four men and wounded an officer. Another ball killed three horses. The commander of the British cavalry, 74 year-old General Sir James Campbell, had his leg shot away so that he died of the dreadful wound. ’There was no Cavalry charged at all, but the troops expressed great inclination to engage sword in hand.’ But while the enemy were fortified behind the walls of their redoubts there could be no chance of mounted action. Eventually the infantry were ordered to retreat which they did in good order. The King’s Horse and the other regiments of Horse and Dragoons covered this retreat. The losses to the infantry were severe, the British losing 3,660. The cavalry lost 300 men and 600 horses. The King’s Horse casualties were 11 men and 26 horses killed. One officer and four men were wounded, along with 6 horses.

A King’s Dragoon Guard

‘Whereas, we have thought fit to order OUR OWN REGIMENT OF HORSE, commanded by Our trusty and well-beloved General Sir Philip Honeywood [and the other two regiments]…to be …formed into regiments of DRAGOONS, and their establishment and pay, as dragoons, to commence the 25th December 1746. And whereas it is become necessary, by the said regiments being formed into Dragoons, that their former titles as regiments of HORSE should be altered; We are hereby graciously pleased to declare OUR ROYAL WILL AND PLEASURE, that Our regiment of Dragoons, now under command of General Sir Philip Honeywood shall bear the title of Our FIRST REGIMENT OF DRAGOON GUARDS; [and the 2nd DG and 3rd DG regiments]…, and have rank and precedency of all other regiments of Dragoons in Our service. Nevertheless, Our further will and pleasure is, that the said three regiments of DRAGOON GUARDS shall roll and do duty in Our army, or upon detachments with Our other forces, as Dragoons, in the same manner as if the word GUARDS was not inserted in their respective titles.

This change of status saved the Government 70,000 pounds a year. The men were on a lower scale of pay but had the choice of remaining or being discharged. Every man was given three pounds, either as an incentive to stay or to aid their settlement into civilian life. Trumpeters exchanged their instruments for drums or hautbois. Carbines were exchanged for muskets with bayonets, and they were equipped in every way as dragoons.

Light Troop 1756 - 1763

A Warrant of 14 April 1756 ordered the 1st King’s Dragoon Guards to add a Light Troop to their establishment. The Troop was to be commanded by a captain and have a lieutenant, a cornet, a quartermaster (i.e. a Troop Sergeant-Major), two sergeants, three corporals, two drummers, a farrier and 60 troopers, later increased to 90 troopers. The men were shorter than others in the regiment, light and active, riding horses no more than 14 hands high. They were armed with a carbine, bayonet, pistol and sword. They were also to carry a spade and felling axe. Their belts were of tanned leather and they wore jockey caps ornamented on the brass front with a GR cypher and crown. The Light Troops of all the Dragoons and Dragoon Guards were disbanded in 1763.

Raid on St Malo, June 1758

The Light Troops of nine regiments were combined for a raid on the French coast. They were the KDG, 3rd DG, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 7th, 10th, and 11th Dragoons. They mustered at Petersfield under the command of Colonel Elliott of the Horse Grenadier Guards. The cavalry accompanied 9 infantry battalions and the whole force under Charles 3rd Duke of Marlborough set sail, landing on 5 June at Cancalle Bay 8 miles from St Malo. On the night of 7 June the light Troops entered the harbour of St Malo and set about burning 100 ships and destroying stores. The next day they moved towards Dol and fought with French patrols but on hearing about the approach of a large force of French troops the Duke retreated to Cancalle Bay to re-embark the men and sail up the coast to raid Granville and Cherbourg but bad weather caused these plans to be abandoned and the fleet returned to Portsmouth on 1 July.

Raid on Cherbourg, August 1758

The same Light Troops of cavalry were sent on another raid, accompanying 12 infantry battalions. The expedition attacked Cherbourg from the land after disembarking at St Marais on 6 August. The British army of 10,000, commanded by Thomas Bligh, fought off a force of 3,000 French on landing before marching to Cherbourg, which surrendered and was subjected to the destruction of fortifications. According to Richard Cannon (1837) the mounted light Troops scoured the countryside ‘..and levied contributions’. After 10 days they re-embarked after removing cannons and mortars from Cherbourg.

Defeat at St Cast, 11 Sep 1758

Defeat at St Cast

The expedition sailed along the coast to make another attempt on St Malo but this attempt was abandoned due to bad weather. The soldiers disembarked at St Lunaire, but the fleet had to be moved to the calmer waters of St Cast further west while the troops marched along the coast for embarkation. The first part of the embarkation process concentrated on supplies, horses and artillery. When the French army arrived, the British troops were waiting on the beach. which was cannonaded by French artillery. A rearguard of grenadiers and Foot Guards was assembled to cover the embarkation of troops. The enemy artillery targeted the boats full of soldiers and sank three of them. The rearguard initially fought bravely but were driven into the sea. The casualties were heavy, and when the fleet returned to England the Light Troops were posted to villages on the south coast. This defeat marked the end of the cross-channel raids.

Bergen, 13 April 1759

The King’s Dragoon Guards were reviewed in Hyde Park on 10 July 1758 in preparation for foreign service. They landed at Emden on 26 July, joining the British forces under the 3rd Duke of Marlborough and marched to Coesfeld to link up with Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick on 17 August. The march was marred by indiscipline, and four days of non-stop rain. However they were inspected by Ferdinand on 20 August and declared to be in good order. Some skirmishing occurred at Soest in October, and in that month the Duke of Marlborough died. He was replaced by Lord George Sackville. The regiment went into winter quarters at Rheine, and in February 1759 Robert Sloper was appointed to command them. The first action in which the KDG and the rest of the British cavalry took part was the battle of Bergen on 13 April. Ferdinand’s army attacked duc de Broglie’s entrenched position and was repulsed with heavy losses. The cavalry, which was not involved in the assault on the French defences, covered the retreat.

Battle of Minden, 1 Aug 1759

The French were poised to invade Hanover, and had captured the fortress of Minden. Their commander, the Marquis de Contades, had entrenched his army outside the city but had been tempted by Ferdinand to leave his strong position and advance on the German/British forces. The British and Hanoverian cavalry were alerted in the early hours of 1 August but had to wait half an hour for the arrival of Sackville, their commander. The 24 squadrons were led slowly, stopping frequently to adjust the dressing, and positioned themselves near the village of Hartum. The Battle of Minden is famous for the bravery and discipline of the British infantry, but is also infamous for the dereliction of duty of Lord George Sackville.

The six regiments that were instrumental in bringing about the defeat of the French were the 12th, 37th, 23rd, 20th, 51st and 25th, of which the 12th and 20th suffered the heaviest casualties, from cannon fire, and repeated attacks from infantry and cavalry. The Royal Artillery also played a major part. However, none of the cavalry regiments was awarded the battle honour of MINDEN despite their presence at the battle. Ferdinand sent word to Sackville to bring the cavalry to support the beleaguered infantry but he queried the order, saying, “I do not comprehend how the movement is to be made.” A second message was sent but Sackville started to lead the cavalry in the wrong direction. A third message ordered him to move more to the left, but he only halted the cavalry. A fourth message only managed to confuse Sackville further so he trotted off to speak to Ferdinand directly. On meeting Ferdinand he was told that the opportunity had passed, but meanwhile the Marquess of Granby led the cavalry forward until he was stopped by Granville coming back from his conversation with Ferdinand. The two men did not like each other, so the troopers sat, ‘gloomy and shame-faced, and cursed Mylord Sackville.’

Jean Chrétien de Fischer

The French were forced to retreat from the field and take refuge in the fortress of Minden. But they surrendered the following day. Sackville was summoned back to England and tried by court martial which found him ‘unfit to serve His Majesty in any military capacity whatsoever.’ In later years Sackville, or Lord George Germain as he was styled, was appointed Secretary of State for the Colonies, where his inefficiency damaged the country once more, by losing the American colonies.

Wetter, 28 Aug 1759

The pursuit of the French after Minden lasted well beyond August. The KDG were brigaded with the Royal Horse Guards and the 6th Dragoons and it was this brigade that came upon the Chasseurs de Fischer, a German/French unit of hussars formed and commanded by Jean Chrétien Fischer. The battle, fought on 28 August, was at Wetter a town on the Ruhr, southwest of Dortmund. The KDG charged with drawn swords, killing 60, wounding many more, and taking 400 prisoners as well as horses and French camp equipment. They continued pursuing them for 200 miles over very difficult country including precipices, marsh and flooded areas. In November they went into winter quarters at Osnabruck but there was fighting throughout the winter.

Corbach, 10 July 1760

In May 1760 the regiment marched to Fritzlar where Prince Ferdinand had assembled his army. The KDG was brigaded with the Queen’s Bays and the 3rd Dragoon Guards under Brigadier General Webb. The French army numbered 150,000 against Ferdinand’s 80,000 so when it was known that Broglie’s force was linking up with St Germain at Corbach, Ferdinand moved fast to engage Broglie before he was reinforced. Unfortunately the two enemy forces joined at Corbach but were still not deployed. Ferdinand immediately attacked the 10,000 French soldiers that were ready for battle, however, the enemy were able to bring up more troops and force the allied army to retreat. This retreat was bravely covered by the 5th, 50th and 51st regiments but when their situation became desperate Ferdinand led a cavalry charge that rescued the infantry. The cavalry in this instance consisted of a squadron each of the KDG and the 3rd Dragoon Guards, supported by the Queen’s Bays. The regimental records state that:

‘This repulse damped the ardour of the foe, and the allied infantry, rescued from impending destruction by the distinguished bravery of the 1st and 3rd Dragoon Guards, was enabled to make an undisturbed retreat. In this charge Ferdinand was himself wounded in the shoulder.’

The regiment’s casualties were 47 men and 58 horses killed or missing. One officer, 7 men and 2 horses were wounded, a very high casualty toll, and surprising that so many were killed against so few wounded.

Warburg, 31 July 1760

In July 1760 the French army was split into three divisions, one commanded by the Chevalier de Muy who had replaced St Germain. His division held a strong position along a ridge running across a bend of the north bank of the Diemel. His right rested on the village of Warburg, and his left on Ochsendorf.

Marquess of Granby

Ferdinand sent his nephew, the Duke of Brunswick to take 14,000 men to attack the French left wing while Ferdinand attacked the centre. The KDG and the Royal Horse Guards had three squadrons each while most of the rest of the cavalry had two. The cavalry marched all night and crossed the Diemel, forming up five miles from Warburg, behind Desenberg Hill on the morning of the 31st July. Meanwhile the battle started when Brunswick was attacked by de Muy’s troops on the left wing. Ferdinand’s infantry had trouble reaching Brunswick’s hard-pressed men so the cavalry were ordered ‘to come up with the enemy with the utmost expedition’. The Marquis of Granby understood the eagerness of his cavalrymen to prove what they were capable of after the disgrace of Minden. It took them less than an hour to cover the five miles to the front. They formed into two lines with the horse artillery at the rear:

First line (from left to right)
KDG, 3rd DG, Queen’s Bays, RHG (the Blues), 7th DG, 6th DG.

Second Line (from left to right)
Scots Greys, 10th D, 6th D, 11th D.

Granby turned in his saddle and waved his sword, losing his hat (it is doubtful that he wore a wig) as he did so. At the sight of his bald head a delighted roar of laughter came from the troopers. The vision of the British cavalry charging towards them caused the French squadrons, with the exception of three squadrons of cuirassiers, to turn and flee. The direction of the charge then altered to target the enemy infantry, so exposing the KDG’s flank to the three French squadrons. This was a serous blow to the regiment and they were thrown into disarray. However, the Blues came to their rescue, defeating the French cavalry and enabling the KDG to re-form. The enemy infantry were overwhelmed and forced to retreat to the river. The Horse Artillery unlimbered on the banks of the river and opened fire on the disorganised French. Granby led 10 squadrons, including the KDG in a pursuit of the enemy, as far as the heights of Wilda, where they halted at nightfall.

The losses to the British cavalry were 48 killed, 90 wounded, with 215 horses killed or wounded. The King’s Dragoon Guards lost 7 men and 17 horses killed, one officer, 28 men and 4 horses were wounded. Prince Ferdinand praised Granby and the cavalry, ‘…and orders that his thanks be publicly given to Lord Granby, under whose orders all the British cavalry performed prodigies of valour, which they could not fail of doing with his Lordship at their head.’

Winter Operations 1760-61

There was little forage for horses and men in 1760 and the local population were starving. This prompted the army to start up a collection for the relief of poor civilians. Poor diet caused disease to thrive among the soldiers, and several men died. The winter months were not spent in the usual inactive way; the French were attacked at Hesse-Cassel, and food and stores captured. In the Spring the regiment were subjected to harrowing marches and counter-marches around Westphalia.

Vellinghausen, 15 - 16 July 1761

On 15 July 1761 the army, under the command of Prince Ferdinand, was camped in front of Hamm, and joined by General Spörcken’s force. The army’s left lay behind Werle and its right was on the River Lippe. This was the situation when the combined armies of the French, commanded by Duc de Broglie and Prince Soubise, attacked. The British units, commanded by Granby, were placed between Vellinghausen and Kirch-Denken. This was principally an infantry battle as the ground was unsuitable for cavalry, full of hedges and ditches. The fighting was long and bloody but the French were driven back. The battle resumed in the early hours of the next day. The brigade of Dragoon Guards was posted behind the Guards on the heights between Illingen and Wambeln. They were not directly involved in the fighting but were employed in guarding prisoners. The French were driven off but could not be pursued by the cavalry because of the difficult ground.

Operations in Germany, 1761

During the rest of the summer the regiment was involved in skirmishes on the Westphalian plain. French outposts were driven back after the brigade crossed the Diemel. An action at Dringenberg on 24 August netted 300 prisoners. After retiring back across the river there was a renewed advance on 17 September when the regiment crossed the Diemel once more and attacked a strong French post at Immenhausen resulting in driving the enemy back almost to Cassel. On the night of 7 November the brigade marched through a snowstorm to Furwohle in Hanover. After erecting tents the alarm sounded and they had to fight off an attack. Even as tired as they were, they defeated the French and inflicted heavy losses on them. Despite cold weather, fighting continued between patrols of both armies. That winter was marked by hunger and sickness amongst men and horses, until December when they moved into quarters in East Friesland.

Wilhelmsthal, 24 June 1762

The Dragoon Guards remained in winter quarters until May. Neither army was ready to move until forage could be found for their horses. The KDG was brigaded with the 3rd DG and joined up with Ferdinand at Brakel on 18 June 1762. The French HQ was at Wilhelmsthal, so Ferdinand moved his army to attack in three columns on 24 June. The KDG was in the centre column, crossing the river at 4am, and advanced 9 miles towards the French camp at Groebenstein. The three columns arrived around the same time and took the enemy by surprise. They fled from their tents and headed towards Wilhelmsthal. Several of the elite French regiments took up positions in the woods to cover the retreat from the camp. The KDG and the Queen’s Bays surrounded these in the woods and, having killed many, forced the rest to surrender. They then pursued the main part of the army, capturing many prisoners and guns. They stopped to bivouac for the night on the heights between Holtzhausen and Weimar.

Final Months of the War, July 1762 - Jan 1763

In July the regiment forded the river Eder, reconnoitring the French position at Feltzberg. On 24 July they advanced on Homberg and forced a strong French detachment to abandon their position around the town. They then occupied a position previously held by the French near Hilgenberg. There was fighting around Melsungen resulting in the capture of Cassel which ended the war. After going into winter quarters they started their march home on 2 Jan 1763. This took them through Holland via Guelderland, Nijmegen and Breda to the port of Wihelmstadt for embarkation.

Mobilisation 1793

The French declared war on Britain in February 1793 after invading the Netherlands. In preparation for foreign service the KDG were increased by 190 men, 19 men and horses, plus an extra sergeant and corporal per Troop, and three more Troops bringing them up to 12 Troops, six of which would be sent to Flanders. So that each foreign service Troop consisted of a captain, a lieutenant and a cornet, 3 sergeants, 3 corporals. a hautbois, a trumpeter, 47 troopers and 53 horses. The six Troops, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Vyse, embarked at Blackwall on 1 July 1793 and sailed to Ostend to join the Duke of York’s army. They marched towards Nieupoort to relieve the garrison besieged by the French, but the siege was lifted at their approach. There was little action in 1793 but this was not the case in the following year.

Prémont, 17 April 1794

The British army was allied with the Austrians, posted in the region of Cambrai and Landrecies. A review of the troops was held on 16 April, on the heights of Le Cateau where Emperor Francis of the Holy Roman Empire inspected the whole army. The British cavalry amounted to 28 squadrons and these were formed into two divisions, one under Lt-General Sir William Erskine and the other under the Duke of York. The KDG, in Erskine’s division, attacked Prémont on 17 April, while York’s division attacked Vaux. The French were defeated at Prémont and lost 20 or 30 of their guns. The KDG casualties are not known but Captain Carleton was mortally wounded.

Beaumont, 26 April 1794

The regiment patrolled in the vicinity of Le Cateau in the following days, while a large camp was established there. The regimental records state that the KDG was involved at Villiers-en-Cauchies on 24 April but this is not corroborated and the battle is generally regarded as a famous victory for the 15th Light Dragoons. On 26 April the French, commanded by General Chapuis, marched from their base at Cambrai towards Le Cateau. They encountered British outposts at Inchy and Beaumont which they captured and positioned themselves to engage with the British/Austrian army that had advanced from their camp at Le Cateau. The Duke of York ordered Rudolf Ritter von Otto to lead the cavalry to attack the exposed French left flank. Otto had commanded the cavalry in the victorious charge at Villiers-en-Cauchies and was about to gain another success at Beaumont.

Beaumont

By using the areas of dead ground to conceal the movement of the cavalry the squadrons were able to take the French by surprise. They were organised in three ranks; the first line was made up of 6 squadrons of the Austrian Zetchwitz Cuirassiers led by Prince Karl Philip of Schwarzenberg, the second line was Mansel’s Brigade, the Blues, 3rd DG and the Royal Dragoons. The KDG were in the third line with the 5th DG and the 16th Light Dragoons. Their first encounter was with French cavalry, and General Chapuis himself. They were overthrown and Chapuis captured. They then faced a large force of infantry, numbering 20,000, with artillery, who were facing east while the allied cavalry were bearing down on them from the north. Guns were turned and fire was aimed at the advancing squadrons. General Mansel had been previously disgraced for a misunderstanding at Villiers-en-Cauchies and was determined to redeem his reputation at the expense of his own life. He announced that he was not going to survive the battle and charged impetuously into the French, followed by his son who was his ADC. The son was captured and survived, but Mansel was cut down. Command of the British cavalry devolved on Colonel Vyse, CO of the KDG.

The charge was briefly checked by a deep ditch but most of them overcame this obstacle to reach the mass of Frenchmen and cause them to scatter. Having charged into the infantry they turned and inflicted more havoc amongst the panicking enemy. The French lost thousands of men but the cavalry casualties amounted to about 50 killed and 200 wounded. The Blues and the 3rd DG had the most men killed; the KDG lost 7 men killed, three more died of wounds and one officer and 23 were wounded but survived. Thirty horses were killed and 64 missing. The Duke of York praised the cavalry who, he said, “..have all acquired immortal honour to themselves.” As well as many prisoners, including the French commander, Rene Chapuis, the allies captured at least 35 cannons. The battle honour for BEAUMONT was not conferred on the regiments until 1909.

Willems, 10 May 1794

The Duke of York led the British towards Landrecies which was held by French Revolutionaries but besieged by York’s Dutch and Austrian allies. The French capitulated on 30 April so the British marched towards Tournai to prevent a French advance into Flanders. They entrenched across the road to Tournai at Hertain and Lamain southeast of Willems. The French under Pichegru advanced in two columns, and sixteen squadrons of British cavalry were sent under Lt-General Harcourt to turn the enemy right flank. The French infantry formed squares which could not at first be broken. However, they withdrew towards Willems and six more squadrons were added to the first 16. The King’s Dragoon Guards were held in reserve and experienced the frustration of being left out of the action, being ordered to stand and watch in the pouring rain. The squares were eventually broken by the action of one officer of the Scots Greys who created a gap for the rest of the cavalry. Ten regiments took part in the fighting and were retrospectively granted the battle honour WILLEMS in 1910. The KDG was not included.

The Retreat, June 1794 - 1795

The allies did not follow up this victory because the French forces in the area were too numerous. The next day, 11 May, the battle of Courtrai resulted in a French victory, and on 22 May the French attacked the Duke of York’s position, but wariness of the British cavalry made them decide to withdraw. In June the French won a decisive victory at Fleurus turning the tide against the allies. The Duke’s army made their way to the Netherlands in a retreat that stained the reputation of the British army for many years. The regiment were employed on outpost duty which brought them into contact with the French on several occasions. The cavalry went ahead of the army, ‘…and so escaped the worst of that terrible retreat. But as the regiments struggled over the ice and snow of north-east Holland in bitter weather, men and horses died at every bivouac, clothes were once more in rags, and rations so scarce that plundering became rampant and discipline collapsed.’

Return to England, Nov - Dec 1795

The King’s Dragoon Guards went into winter quarters at Eede and Benckam in Guelderland. But they were in fear of attack by the pursuing French, and the local farmers, also hostile at a time when there was not enough food. In May 1795 they arrived at Bremen but it was not until 7 November that they embarked at Bremenlee for England, and docked at South Shields on 27 December. The regiment’s casualties for this campaign were: 8 men killed in action, 3 died of wounds, 59 died from sickness, 4 taken prisoner, 2 missing. Of the horses: 30 killed in action, 52 were cast, 24 missing or captured, and 247 died of disease. A total of 76 men and 353 horses lost.

Royal Review 1796

Royal Review, 3 May 1796

The regiment rested at Durham to allow the horses to recover from the long sea voyage from Bremerlehe (now Bremerhaven), before marching to Romford in early 1796, where they joined up with the other six Troops that had remained in England. The strength was reduced by two Troops, and 27 men per Troop for the remaining ten. Of the men who were redundant, sixty volunteered to join the 26th Light Dragoons for service in the West Indies. Two of them were officers, offered promotion to give them an incentive to go on such a risky campaign. There was a Royal Review attended by King George III on Wimbledon Common on 3 May 1796, and after a period in Brighton they marched to Salisbury in October. Two years later they were in Ipswich and in August 1799 the newly formed Wagon Corps took a sergeant and 8 men. Later that month they were warned for foreign service and 8 Troops marched to Canterbury but the order was cancelled and they went to Croydon. Their home service until 1807 was confined to the South, the Midlands, and the West.

Regimental Strength 1802

The War with France meant that fluctuations in regimental strength occurred according to the likelihood of foreign service. At the Peace of Amiens, all regiments were reduced and in June 1802 the strength was fixed at: One Colonel, one lieutenant colonel, one major, 7 captains, one captain lieutenant, 9 lieutenants, 10 cornets, one paymaster, one adjutant, one surgeon, one assistant surgeon, one vet, 10 quartermasters, one sergeant major, one paymaster sergeant, one armourer sergeant, one saddler sergeant, 30 sergeants, 30 corporals, 10 trumpeters, and 570 privates. When the Peace broke down the regiment was increased by 20 men per Troop, 10 mounted and 10 dismounted (2 years later the dismounted men were ordered to be mounted). Additionally two more Troops were added, and to this objective four junior officers were tasked with recruitment. They were promised promotion if they achieved their recruitment targets. Three extra captains were added to the establishment so that a captain commanded each Troop instead of field officers who had, up until then, commanded the first and second Troops.

Court Martial of the Commanding Officer, Nov 1804

On 12 Nov 1804 the court martial of Lieutenant-Colonel John Elliott opened in Brighton. Three charges were brought against him by fellow KDG officer Captain Abraham Cumberbatch Sober. These charges were concerned with the failure to auction cast (unserviceable) horses and dealing improperly with such horses, and ‘for receiving Coals and Candles as a Barrack Allowance whilst he lodged in the town and not in the Barracks’. These crimes are difficult for us to understand in the 20th century but they were serious enough for the court to find him guilty and dismiss him from the army. Henry Fane was brought in from the 4th Dragoon Guards to take command but he was an absentee CO, as was Elliott. The regiment had not been properly commanded for two years and discipline had seriously declined. The next most senior officer during Elliott’s and Fane’s tenures was Major Balcomb, who was blamed for the decline in discipline. William Fuller took over command on 28 August 1805 and, with firm action, restored order. In June 1807 the Duke of York reviewed the 12 Troops of the KDG near Brighton ‘and noted the improvement in their discipline and movements’.