A Brief History of the King's Royal Rifle Corps

by Unknown

1797, 5th BATTALION (RIFLES) RAISED.

In December of the same year the famous 5th Battalion was raised at Cowes, Isle of Wight, under Lieutenant-Colonel Baron de Rottenburg,[^[11]] upon the German model as a Special Corps of Riflemen. Four hundred of Hompesch’s Mounted Riflemen—a German Corps raised for service under the British Crown—were drafted into the Battalion, which was armed with rifles and dressed in green with red facings. The second Lieutenant-Colonel was that celebrated Robert Crauford, who afterwards made his name so famous in the Peninsular War as the honoured leader of the Light Division. Thus, by the addition of the 5th Battalion to the Regiment as Riflemen in 1797, the gradual evolution of the 60th Royal Americans into The King’s Royal Rifle Corps was auspiciously begun.

MAP I
NORTH AMERICA
Illustrating the area of Operations referred to in Part I, Sections 1 and 2, also Part II, Section 6.
Stanford’s Geog^l. Estab^t., London.

The system of organisation, drill, and tactics for Light Troops introduced into the Regiment by Baron de Rottenburg, was embodied in a Manual for Riflemen and Light Infantry. This volume[^[12]] was published in August, 1798, with a preface signed by the Adjutant General, and especially commended to the Army by the Commander-in-Chief as a text book on the subject.

In 1799 a 6th Battalion was added to the Regiment, so that the close of the eighteenth century saw the Regiment composed of six battalions.

III.
1808–1824.—Peninsular War. 60th The Royal American Regiment becomes 60th The Duke of York’s Own Rifle Corps.

In 1808 Great Britain determined to take the offensive against France, and, by occupying Portugal, endeavour to drive Napoleon and the French from the Peninsula of Spain and Portugal.

Aug. 17th, 1808, ROLEIA

Aug. 21st, 1808, VIMIERA.