The regiment was stationed in the south of England in the spring of 1708, when the King of France fitted out a fleet, and embarked troops, for the invasion of Scotland, in favour of the Pretender. On this occasion the regiment had so far recruited its numbers, and become efficient, that it was selected to proceed to the north, to confront the invaders; but it was ordered to halt at Leeds, in consequence of the French shipping having been chased from the British shores by the English fleet.
Having defeated the enemy’s designs of invading the United Kingdom, the British Government fitted out an armament against the French coast, and the Thirty-fourth Foot were ordered to return from Yorkshire to take part in the enterprise. They proceeded to the Isle of Wight, where they were reviewed by Major-General Erle, on the 19th of July, and afterwards embarked on board the fleet, under Admiral Sir George Byng. The expedition approached the coast of France in the early part of August, and after menacing several places, a landing was effected to create alarm, and make a diversion in favour of the allied army in Flanders. The troops subsequently returned on board the fleet, and, after menacing the coast at several points, withdrew towards England. Orders were afterwards received to proceed to Ostend, where the several regiments arrived on the 21st of September; when a body of French troops, under Count de la Motte, who was advancing to surprise the town, made a precipitate retreat towards Bruges, cutting the dikes to lay the country between Ostend and Nieuport under water. Major-General Erle landed with the Thirty-fourth and other regiments, and taking post at the village of Leffinghen, formed an intrenched position.
At this period the allied army in the Netherlands was engaged in the siege of the important fortress of Lisle, and ammunition becoming scarce, the Duke of Marlborough sent seven hundred waggons, under a strong guard, to Ostend, for a supply. Major-General Erle had drained the inundations, built a bridge over the canal at Leffinghen, and opened a communication with the army, towards which the waggons laden with stores began their march on the 26th of September; and the guard having repulsed the forces under Count de la Motte, at Wynendale, the convoy arrived safe at its destination, and the army was enabled to continue the siege.
The French commanders resolved to cut off the communication of the allied army with Ostend, and the Duke of Vendosme proceeded to Oudenburg with thirty thousand men, established posts along the canal between Plassendale and Nieuport, cut the dikes in several places, and laid a great extent of country under water. The Thirty-fourth and other regiments, under Major-General Erle, pitched their tents on the high grounds of Raversein, and the Duke of Marlborough put the covering army in motion; when the Duke of Vendosme made a precipitate retreat, and the Thirty-fourth Foot took part in forwarding a supply of ammunition across the inundations in boats. The Duke of Vendosme detached a body of troops to besiege Leffinghen, which was taken after a sharp resistance. He also menaced the camp at Raversein, when Major-General Erle retreated to the outworks of Ostend.
A numerous body of the enemy marching to Brabant, under the Elector of Bavaria, the Thirty-fourth, and four other regiments, embarked from Ostend, under Brigadier-General Wynne, for Antwerp, where they were stationed when the citadel of Lisle surrendered, and the campaign was terminated by the re-capture of Ghent and Bruges.
1709
The Thirty-fourth Regiment, being composed of young soldiers, was employed on garrison duty during the year 1709.
1710
In April, 1710, the regiment quitted its quarters, and traversed the country towards the frontiers of France, to serve the campaign of that year with the army under the celebrated Duke of Marlborough. The regiment was engaged in the operations by which the French lines were passed at Pont-a-Vendin, and it afterwards took part in the siege of the strong fortress of Douay, where it had repeated opportunities of distinguishing itself. This fortress was defended by a numerous garrison, under General Albergotti, an officer of reputation, who made a determined resistance; and the soldiers of the Thirty-fourth Regiment were fully employed on duty in the trenches, carrying on the approaches, repulsing the sallies of the garrison, and storming the outworks, which occasioned considerable loss. The French army advanced to raise the siege, but did not hazard a general engagement; and Douay surrendered on the 27th of June. The Thirty-fourth Regiment had one subaltern, six serjeants, and seventy-five rank and file killed; two captains, three subalterns, five serjeants, and one hundred and twenty rank and file wounded, during the siege[7].