1759
1760
On the 5th of April, 1759, the colonelcy, having become vacant by the decease of General Hawley, was conferred on Henry Seymour Conway, from the fourth Irish horse, now seventh dragoon guards. In the same year the establishment of each of the six heavy troops was augmented to sixty private men, and the light troop to eighty-nine; making a total of five hundred and forty-four officers and men; and in the following year the light troop was further augmented to four officers, one quarter-master, four serjeants, four corporals, two drummers, and one hundred and eighteen private men.
In the mean time a British army had proceeded to Germany, and was serving in conjunction with the Hanoverian, Hessian, and Brunswick troops, commanded by Prince Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick; and in the spring of 1760 the Royal Dragoons, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel James Johnston,[49] embarked for foreign service, and, having landed at Bremen, in Lower Saxony, on the 16th and 17th of April, joined the army encamped near Fritzlar, in the principality of Lower Hesse, on the 21st of that month. On the 22nd they were reviewed by the Duke of Brunswick, who was pleased to express his approbation of their appearance.
After much manœuvring and skirmishing, thirty thousand French troops, commanded by the Chevalier de Muy, crossed the Dymel to cut off the communication of the allied army with Westphalia. The Royal Dragoons, with several other corps, were immediately sent forward to Liebenau, under the command of the Hereditary Prince of Brunswick, to secure the bridge across the Dymel; and being followed by the main body, the Prince advanced to the vicinity of Warbourg, and reconnoitred the French forces in position near that place, whom he resolved to attack on the following day.
At daybreak on the morning of the 31st of July the Royal Dragoons, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel James Johnston, left their camp on the heights of Corbeke, and making a detour through several villages gained the left flank of the French army. Several other corps having arrived at the same point, the attack was immediately commenced, and after a sharp dispute the enemy gave way and retired upon Warbourg, where he was again attacked and driven across the Dymel with great loss. The Royal Dragoons encountered the French cavalry corps of royal Piedmont, and acquitted themselves with their accustomed gallantry. They afterwards charged a corps of Swiss infantry (the regiment of Planta) with distinguished bravery, broke its ranks, and after sabring many of the men took twenty-one officers and two hundred soldiers prisoners: many of the Swiss attempting to escape were drowned in the Dymel. Three troops of the Royal Dragoons formed part of the force under the Marquis of Granby, which pursued the enemy across the Dymel and halted that night on the heights of Wilda: the other three, having suffered severely in the attack on the Swiss infantry, remained at Warbourg.[50] In a general order issued on the occasion, Prince Ferdinand declared that "all the British Cavalry performed prodigies of valour."
The Royal Dragoons lost in this action eight men and twenty-one horses killed; and twelve men and thirteen horses wounded.
The regiment was subsequently encamped on the banks of the Dymel, and on the 1st of October was despatched towards the Lower Rhine, forming part of a separate corps under the Hereditary Prince, which invested Wesel, a town in the duchy of Cleves.
The enemy advanced in force to relieve the besieged, and encamped, on the 14th of October, behind the convent of Campen. Immediately after dark on the evening of the same day, the Royal Dragoons and other corps advanced towards the enemy, the Hereditary Prince designing to surprise him in the night; but it was found necessary to dislodge a corps which occupied the convent of Campen, and this occasioned some firing, which alarmed the French camp, and the troops were immediately formed in order of battle.
The action commenced before daybreak, and a succession of attacks, repulses, and charges were kept up until nine at night, in which the Royal Dragoons took an active part, and they are reported to have "behaved extremely well." Two pieces of cannon and a pair of colours were captured; but at length the Prince perceived that it was impossible to drive the enemy out of a wood of which he had possessed himself, and, the allied infantry having expended all their ammunition, his Highness ordered a retreat.
The Royal Dragoons had eight men and ten horses killed; Lieut.-Colonel Johnston, two men, and four horses, wounded; Captain Wilson, Lieutenant Goldsworthy, Cornet Duffe, and twenty-five men, taken prisoners. The regiment repassed the Rhine on the 18th of October, and was cantoned in the principality of Hesse, where the officers received orders to wear mourning for his late Majesty King George II.