Napoleonic Wars 1793 – 1815

33^rd Regiment

Having spent almost two years in England after their illustrious action in the 4^th Mysore War, December 1813 saw the 33^rd Regiment sent to Holland to fight the French armies of Napoleon.

The Regiment saw action at the great fortress at Bergen Op Zoom and was making preparations for the siege of Antwerp when Napoleon abdicated on 6^th April 1814 and was conveyed to the island of Elba. At this time the 33^rd remained in Flanders as a part of the vast allied garrison at this town.

Napoleon’s unexpected abdication brought about by pressure from the French aristocracy enforced a peace that would ultimately lead to further reductions in the size of the British Army. However, when Napoleon escaped his imposed exile in March 1815 vowing to avenge his previous defeats, the British Army were forced into a colossal recruiting drive.

At home in the West Riding of Yorkshire the 33^rd were very much a part of this. The wars against France had led to serious food shortages all over England, and the recruiting sergeants of the 33^rd soon picked up on this. Throughout the local area of Yorkshire, men could be seen outside pubs and bawdy houses coercing men between the age of 15 and 35 years to take the Queen’s shilling and join their brothers in arms. A man in the army was guaranteed bread and meat everyday, more than can be said for a majority of the poor folk back home. The 33^rd became known as ‘The Havercake Lads’, a reference to the baked oatcake the recruiting sergeant would use to tempt would be recruits.

With Napoleon firmly back on the warpath, the resulting mass of European troops soon came to blows in Belgium. Napoleon and his allies harassed Blucher’s Prussian armies forcing them to retreat from the field on 15^th June.

Wellington, having only two years before been replaced as the Colonel of the Regiment of the 33^rd  soon reinforced his troops at Quatre Bras, needless to say the 33^rd was one of the Regiments rushed to the scene. Heavy fighting took place that day, with the Regiment fighting gallantly and suffering heavy casualties. However, the ramifications of Blucher’s earlier retreat made the circumstances for Wellington at Quatre Bras intolerable, thus the British were also forced to withdraw.

On the morning of 18^th June 1815 Wellington’s troops were established largely in dead ground to the south of the small Belgian town of Waterloo.  In the ensuing daylong battle, blighted by the heady weather conditions, the 33^rd again incurred heavy casualties as it fought off repeated attacks from the French cavalry and infantry. The Regiments total casualties between 16^th & 18^th June amounted to 277, including 57 missing from a strength of 571 when it entered the field in Quatre Bras. 

Wellington had led the British and Allied troops to a famous victory. Napoleon, the scourge of Europe was defeated and deposed, and the armies of England were allowed to travel home.

The next forty years were dark days for the Regiment. Despite the odd home posting, the 33^rd would spend long periods 1820’s and 40’s in the disease-infested West Indies. Hundreds of officers and men were killed, largely due to yellow fever.

The Duke of Wellington, or Iron Duke as he was known, died in 1852 and the following year, because of its long and close ties with The Duke, the 33^rd Regiment changed its name to the 33^rd (or Duke of Wellington’s Regiment).

76^th Regiment

In 1807 the 76^th was sent to garrison the island of Jersey. Unfortunately, if not unusually for these times, Britain was at war with France. Jersey therefore, due to its proximity tothe enemy became something of an outpost. The 76^th, as ever performed its duty with utmost dignity and steadfastness.

The following year the 76^th went to northern Spain, and was engaged in the campaign there under the brave Sir John Moore, who was killed at the Battle of Corunna (the 76^th were later awarded this as a Battle Honour). After a brief operation attempting to capture the French fleet in the swamps of Holland, the Regiment returned to Spain in July 1813, and took part in the closing campaigns of the Peninsular war under the immortal Duke of Wellington, once of course a junior officer in the 76^th. At the Battle of Nive the 76^th particularly distinguished themselves, and “Nive” is proudly emblazoned on the Colours to this day. 

In 1812 the American Congress, taking advantage of Britain’s preoccupation in the Peninsula and with its eyes on Canada, had declared war. Disappointingly for the Americans, the Peninsula war was soon over, and it became possible to send 16,000 reinforcements to Canada. However, once again, the British were found lacking, and were forced to retire. The war ended on Christmas eve 1814, the 76^th were retained in Canada until 1827.