The Brigade of Guards, though bearing the honour, were not actually engaged at Dettingen.
Note.—Lieutenant Shaw of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers was promoted to a Lieutenant-Colonelcy in the Marines for gallantry at Dettingen.
Minden, August 1, 1759.
The following six regiments bear this honour:
Suffolks.
Lancashire Fusiliers.
Royal Welsh Fusiliers.
King's Own Scottish Borderers.
Hampshire.
King's Own Yorkshire L.I.
As at Dettingen, so at Minden, the British troops were acting in support of foreign allies. At the former we were supporting the cause of Austria against France, at the latter we were assisting Frederick the Great in his campaign against the combined forces of France and Austria. Our troops were under the command of Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick, whose rôle it was to prevent Hanover (then an appanage of the British Crown) from being overrun by the French. In addition to the above regiments, there were present fifteen squadrons of English cavalry under Lord George Sackville, and four batteries of artillery under Captains Foy, Phillips, Drummond, and MacBean. The fruits of the victory and the glory of the day were marred by the inaction of the British cavalry, due to the supineness or something worse of Lord George Sackville. The feature was the majestic advance of the British infantry under Brigadiers Waldegrave and Kingsley, and the magnificent manner in which the four batteries of artillery followed the retreating French, converting an orderly retirement into a disorderly rout.
Casualties at Minden.
| Regiments. | Officers. | Men. | ||
| K. | W. | K. | W. | |
| Royal Artillery | 1 | 2 | 2 | 9 |
| Suffolk | 3 | 14 | 82 | 190 |
| Lancs Fusiliers | 6 | 11 | 80 | 224 |
| Royal Welsh Fusiliers | - | 10 | 35 | 161 |
| K.O. Scottish Borderers | - | 7 | 19 | 119 |
| 37th Hampshire | 3 | 12 | 43 | 188 |
| 51st K.O. Yorkshire L.I. | 1 | 9 | 20 | 78 |
On the morning after the battle Prince Ferdinand addressed a personal letter to Captain MacBean of the "Royal British Artillery," in which he said: "It is to you and your brigade that I am indebted for having silenced the fire of a battery of the enemy, which extremely galled the troops."
Still further to show his appreciation of the services of the Royal Artillery, the Prince ordered the Paymaster-General to hand 1,000 crowns to Captain Phillips, and 500 each to Captain MacBean, Drummond, Williams, and Foy, for distribution amongst their men.