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Jersey, 1781.

This distinction is borne on the colours of the

1st Royal Jersey Light Infantry.
2nd Royal Jersey Light Infantry.
3rd Royal Jersey Light Infantry.

It commemorates the gallant conduct of these three regiments in repelling the French attack on that island in the year 1781. In the early dawn of January 6 a French force, under the command of the Baron de Rullecourt, made a sudden descent on the island of Jersey, landing a short distance to the east of St. Helier, the capital. Entering the town, they occupied the central square, and surrounded the house of the Lieutenant-Governor, who was at once made a prisoner. He was compelled to sign a capitulation of the island, although he explained to the French commander that such an act would, of course, be ignored by the next senior officer. However, under cover of a flag of truce, the French commander, accompanied by the unfortunate Governor, approached Elizabeth Castle, which dominates the town of St. Helier, and demanded the surrender of the garrison.

The troops at that time in the island, detachments of which were in the castle, consisted of the 78th Highlanders, 83rd Glasgow Volunteers (now the 71st Highland Light Infantry), and the 95th Regiment (the forerunners of the Rifle Brigade), together with the three regiments of Militia named above. The senior officer was Major Pierson, of the 95th. So far from obeying the orders of the Lieutenant-Governor, who, of course, being a prisoner, was deprived of all vestige of authority, Major Pierson replied to the French commander that unless the Governor was released and the French troops laid down their arms within ten minutes he would open fire on them. Rullecourt retorted that unless the castle accepted his terms he would hang the Governor. It is said that Pierson's reply was brief and to the point: "Hang, and be damned!" said he. The French officer was allowed to rejoin his troops, then Pierson, moving a couple of companies of the 78th to a hill on the opposite side of St. Helier, which had not been occupied by the French, descended into the square. The French made a brave resistance, but at the end of an hour Rullecourt, who had been shot through the jaw, surrendered. Our losses were by no means small, the most serious being the death of the gallant Pierson, who fell at the head of his men, and whose gallant conduct and heroic death are commemorated by a monument in the square of St. Helier.

Casualties in Jersey, January 6, 1781.

Regiments.Officers.Men.
K.W.K.W.
Royal Artillery-1--
78th Highlanders--13
83rd Glasgow Volunteers--68
95th Regiment1-213
1st R. Jersey L.I.---4
2nd R. Jersey L.I.-3-6
3rd R. Jersey L.I.--424

A Naval Crown, superscribed April 12, 1782.

This distinction is borne by the Welsh Regiment in commemoration of the part played by a detachment of the old 69th Regiment, which were acting as Marines on the fleet in the action when Rodney defeated De Grasse off the island of Martinique, taking the French Admiral a prisoner, with his flagship, the Ville de Paris, of 120 guns.

The total losses in this engagement were 10 officers and 237 men killed, 22 officers and 766 men wounded, the 69th losing 5 officers and 29 men killed and wounded.

A Naval Crown, superscribed June 1, 1794.

This distinction was conferred on the Queen's (Royal West Surrey) and the Worcester Regiment for their services when acting as Marines on the ships composing Lord Howe's fleet in the memorable action on the Glorious First of June. Our prizes included two line-of-battle ships of eighty and four of seventy-four guns, whilst the sinking of the Vengeur afforded our adversaries material for a pretty piece of fiction. The total losses in this battle were 15 officers and 235 men killed, 39 officers and 669 men wounded. To this total the regiments above mentioned contributed as under:

Casualties on June 1, 1794.

Regiments.Officers.Men.
K.W.K.W.
The Queen's11--
Worcesters111124

St. Vincent, February 14, 1797.

This battle honour has been conferred on the Welsh Regiment in recognition of the services of a detachment of this regiment, under Lieutenant Pierson, when acting as Marines in Lord Nelson's ship, the Captain, at the battle which gave Sir John Jervis his peerage. The gallantry of a sergeant of the 69th, who smashed in the quarter gallery of the Spanish flag-ship, was specially mentioned by Nelson, who also begged to be allowed to retain the services of Lieutenant Pierson on board his ship.[26]

Fishguard, February 24, 1797.

This distinction is borne on the appointments of the Pembrokeshire Yeomanry, and, with the exception of "Jersey, 1781," borne on the colours of the three regiments of Jersey Militia, is the only battle honour granted for services in the United Kingdom. It recognizes the promptitude with which that regiment turned out to repel an incursion of French troops on the coast of Pembrokeshire on the date above mentioned. Strangely enough, in the despatches in which Lord Cawdor, the senior officer on the spot, and Lord Milford, the Lord-Lieutenant of the county, report the circumstance to the Duke of Portland, the Prime Minister, no mention whatever is made of the Yeomanry being present. Lord Cawdor wrote that, hearing that three French ships of war and a lugger had anchored in a small roadstead near Fishguard, he at once proceeded to the spot "with a detachment of the Cardigan Militia and all the provincial forces" he could collect. He found that 120 men had disembarked, and in the course of the evening the French commandant surrendered unconditionally. Lord Milford, the Lord-Lieutenant of the county, reported that "before the troops arrived many thousands of the peasantry turned out, armed with pikes and scythes, to attack the enemy." It does not appear that any shots were exchanged, or that Monsieur Tate, Chef-de-Brigade, made any effort to regain his ships or to oppose the armed peasantry who were ready to attack him. The name Tate has not a very Gallic flavour. One of the French ships, La Résistance, was captured on March 9 by H.M.S.

Nymphe, and brought into the navy under her new name Fishguard, thus connecting the navy with her battle honour.

1800.

This distinction is borne on the appointments of the King's Own Malta Regiment of Militia, and has been awarded to that corps for its services during the defence of the island against the French.

Copenhagen, April 2, 1801.

This distinction has been conferred on the Berkshire Regiment and the Rifle Brigade for the services they rendered as Marines on the fleet under Sir Hyde Parker and Sir Horatio Nelson when the Danish fleet was destroyed at Copenhagen. The casualties suffered by the troops were slight. It is worthy of remark that the Queen's, Worcester, and Welsh Regiments have been granted permission to add a naval crown to the dates of the fleet actions which they bear on their colours. The Berkshires and Rifle Brigade have not been accorded this augmentation.

Casualties at Copenhagen, 1801.

Regiments.Officers.Men.
K.W.K.W.
Berkshire-21340
Rifle Brigade--34

Copenhagen, 1807.

The regiments that would be entitled to this battle honour are the

Coldstream Guards.
Scots Guards.
K.O. Royal Lancaster.
Royal Fusiliers.
King's Liverpool.
Royal Welsh Fusiliers.
Gloucester.
Cornwall Light Infantry.
Oxford Light Infantry.
South Lancashire.
Royal West Kent.
Cameron Highlanders.
Gordon Highlanders.
Rifle Brigade.

It is difficult to understand why the troops which took part in the expedition to Copenhagen in 1807 should be denied the battle honour conferred on the Berkshires and Rifle Brigade for their services as Marines in the expedition of 1801. In neither case were the losses severe, but the later expedition was in no way less successful than the former. The attitude of the Danes and the fear that their fine fleet would fall into the hands of the French led the Ministry of the day to assemble a powerful fleet and a by no means inconsiderable army in order to carry out their policy.

The former, which consisted of no less than twenty-six line-of-battle ships, was under the command of Sir James Gambier; whilst General the Lord Cathcart was in command of the land forces. The troops employed were thus brigaded:

Right Division: Lieutenant-General Sir G. Ludlow.

Brigade of Guards—Major-General Finch: Coldstream, Scots Guards.

Second Brigade—Brigadier-General J. Walsh: 1st Battalion 28th (Gloucester) and 79th (Cameron Highlanders).

Left Division: Sir David Baird.

Third Brigade—Major-General Grosvenor: 1st Battalion 4th (King's Own Lancaster) and 1st Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers.

Fourth Brigade—Major-General Spencer: 32nd (Cornwall Light Infantry), 50th (Royal West Kent), and 82nd (South Lancashire).

Fifth Brigade—Brigadier-General Macfarlane: 1st Battalion 7th (Royal Fusiliers) and 1st Battalion 8th (King's Liverpool Regiment).

Reserve Division—Sir Arthur Wellesley: 1st Battalion 43rd (Oxford Light Infantry), 2nd Battalion 52nd (Oxford Light Infantry), 1st Battalion 92nd (Gordon Highlanders), and 1st Battalion 95th (Rifle Brigade).

There was, in addition, a strong division of the King's German Legion, under Lieutenant-General the Earl of Rosslyn, comprising three regiments of cavalry, ten battalions of infantry, two batteries of horse and four companies of field artillery. For siege purposes, ten companies of the Royal Artillery, under Major-General Bloomfield, and three of Royal Engineers, under Colonel D'Arcey, accompanied the force.

On July 18 the troops, numbering upwards of 27,000 men, embarked on 377 transports, and on the 15th of the following month disembarked without opposition at Wibeck, a few miles from Copenhagen. On the 28th of the month the Reserve Division, under Sir Arthur Wellesley, had a sharp brush with the Danes, capturing ten guns and 1,500 prisoners; and on September 1, the siege-works being complete, the city was summoned to surrender. General Peiman, the Danish Commander-in-Chief, returned a bombastic reply, intimating that the Danes were ready to die to a man rather than surrender their capital or their fleet. On the following day the batteries opened fire, and on the 5th the General surrendered unconditionally. Our trophies included eighteen line-of-battle ships and fifteen frigates, the prize-money accruing to the two Commanders-in-Chief amounting to upwards of £300,000! On October 15 the troops re-embarked, and in the course of the following month troops and prizes arrived in England. It is worthy of note that of the huge convoy of 377 transports, few of which exceeded 500 tons burden, only six were wrecked. Five, unfortunately, were picked up by French frigates.

Casualties during the Expedition to Copenhagen, 1807.

Regiments.Officers.Men.
K.W.K.W.
Royal Artillery1-24
Scots Guards---3
4th K.O. Royal Lancasters--13
Royal Fusiliers--2-
8th King's Liverpool--11
23rd R. W. Fus.1-45
43rd Oxf. L.I.---3
50th Royal W. Kent-1215
79th Cameron Highlanders--13
82nd S. Lancs12417
92nd Gordon H.--35
95th Rifle Bde.--14

The total casualties amongst the troops amounted to 4 officers and 39 men killed, and 6 officers and 139 men wounded. Amongst the latter was Sir David Baird, who had been badly wounded, as we have seen, in India, and who was destined to lose an arm at Corunna in the following year.