1st Life Guards.
2nd Life Guards.
Royal Horse Guards.
4th Dragoon Guards.
7th Dragoon Guards.
19th Hussars.
Grenadier Guards.
Coldstream Guards.
Scots Guards.
Royal Irish.
South Stafford.
Cornwall Light Infantry.
Royal Highlanders.
Royal Sussex.
Sherwood Foresters.
Royal Berkshire.
Royal West Kent.
Shropshire Light Infantry.
King's Royal Rifles.
Manchesters.
York and Lancaster.
Highland Light Infantry.
Seaforth Highlanders.
Gordon Highlanders.
Cameron Highlanders.
Royal Irish Fusiliers.
2nd (Gardner's Horse).
6th King Edward's Own Light Cavalry.
2nd Queen's Own Sappers and Miners.
13th (Watson's Horse).
7th Rajputs.
20th (Brownlow's Punjabis).
129th Baluchis.
Royal Malta Artillery.
In the year 1882 the chronic misgovernment in Egypt led to serious disturbances, which culminated in the assumption of power by the military party, and an organized attack on all Christians. So critical was the situation, that it was considered necessary to send the fleets of the allied Powers to Alexandria; and after an Arab mob had wreaked its vengeance on the city, the British fleet bombarded the forts and sent ashore landing parties to restore order. The British Government now determined to employ armed force to uphold the authority of the Khedive, and an Expeditionary Force, under the command of General Sir Garnet Wolseley, was organized for this purpose.
The Egyptian army, which had thrown off all allegiance to the Khedive, had taken up a strong position at Tel-el-Kebir astride of the railway, barring the advance on the capital. Sir Garnet, on landing at Alexandria, took steps to secure the safe passage of the Suez Canal, and on August 21 he was able to land the bulk of his troops at Ismailia, the halfway station between Port Said, the Mediterranean terminus, and Suez, the Red Sea terminus of the canal. After one or two minor actions at Kassassin and Tel-el-Mahuta, Sir Garnet advanced on Tel-el-Kebir.
The casualties sustained by the troops at the few engagements that took place during the operations (apart from those at Tel-el-Kebir) were insignificant:
| Regiments. | Officers. | Men. | ||
| K. | W. | K. | W. | |
| 1st Life Guards | - | - | 6 | 8 |
| 2nd Life Guards | - | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Royal Horse Guards | - | - | 1 | 9 |
| 4th Drag. Gds. | - | - | - | 1 |
| 7th Drag. Gds. | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| Royal Artillery | - | - | 3 | 12 |
| Royal Marine Artillery | - | 3 | 6 | 21 |
| 2nd Batt. Roy. Irish | - | - | - | 2 |
| 46th Corn. L.I. | - | 4 | - | 14 |
| R. Marine L.I. | - | - | - | 25 |
| 3rd Batt. 60th Royal Rifles | - | - | 2 | 28 |
| 84th York and Lancaster | - | - | 1 | 21 |
| 2nd Gardner's Horse | - | - | - | 2 |
| 13th Watson's Horse | - | - | 1 | 1 |
Tel-el-Kebir, September 12, 1882.
The regiments named below are authorized to bear this battle honour:
1st Life Guards.
2nd Life Guards.
Royal Horse Guards.
4th Dragoon Guards.
7th Dragoon Guards.
19th Hussars.
Grenadier Guards.
Coldstream Guards.
Scots Guards.
Royal Irish.
Cornwall Light Infantry.
Royal Highlanders.
King's Royal Rifles.
York and Lancaster.
Highland Light Infantry.
Seaforth Highlanders.
Gordon Highlanders.
Royal Irish Fusiliers.
Cameron Highlanders.
13th (Watson's Horse).
2nd (Gardner's Horse).
2nd Queen's Own Sappers and Miners.
6th King Edward's Own Cavalry.
20th (Brownlow's Punjabis).
7th Rajputs.
129th Baluchis.
This battle honour commemorates the first action in which the Household Cavalry were engaged since Waterloo. The hypercritical may claim that the composite regiment, under Brigadier Ewart, took part in the midnight charge on September 28, and this is strictly true; but Kassassin does not figure on the standards or appointments of the Household Cavalry, whereas Tel-el-Kebir does.
The Egyptian position at Tel-el-Kebir lay at right angles to the railway and the Sweet Water Canal. It was covered by a long line of trenches, flanked with powerful redoubts, and was held by some 30,000 men, with 60 guns. Sir Garnet's force barely numbered 15,000. To attempt the attack of such a formidable position in daylight would have been to court serious loss, and Sir Garnet, with a firm faith in his men, essayed the hazardous task of a long night's march, as a prelude to an attack on the entrenched position at dawn. At 11 p.m. the advance commenced, the First Division, under Lieutenant-General Willis on the right; the Second, under Lieutenant-General Hamley, on the left. Dawn was just breaking when the Highland Brigade reached the Egyptian trenches, and, with a mighty cheer, dashed over the parapet. Within a few minutes the first division attacked also, and the cavalry, sweeping round the rear, cut in on the flying enemy. An immediate pursuit was ordered, and on the evening of September 14 the citadel of Cairo was in our hands, the Cavalry Brigade having covered sixty-five miles in twenty-four hours. The promptitude with which Sir Garnet Wolseley followed up the victory of Tel-el-Kebir brought the rebellion to an end, but it was clear that the continuance of the Khedivial authority must henceforth rest on the protection that might be afforded him by the English army of occupation. For this purpose Sir Archibald Alison, who had commanded the Highland Brigade with conspicuous success during the course of the operations, was left in command of a British force, numbering some 10,000 men, whilst Major-General Sir Evelyn Wood was entrusted with the re-organization of the Egyptian army.