81st Regiment of Foot (Loyal Lincoln Volunteers)
Encyclopedia
The 81st Regiment of Foot (Loyal Lincoln Volunteers) was an infantry
regiment of the British Army
, raised in 1793 and amalgamated into The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment in 1881.
, formerly of the 1st Foot Guards, was directed to raise a regiment. However, no levy money would be provided. The original compliment was composed of the Militia of Lincoln volunteering to serve in the new regiment. Originally known as the Loyal Lincoln Volunteers, the regiment was embodied in January 1794.
On 25 January 1794, the Loyal Lincoln Volunteers were redesignated as the 81st Regiment of Foot. The regiment was quartered in Lincoln and Gainsborough. The first commander was Lieutenant Colonel Lewis.
in the West Indies. The regiment sailed from Southampton and arrived in the West Indies in March 1794. The 81st was sent as reinforce British operations on Saint-Domingue in what is now the Haiti
.
As was common during the era, the European troops of the 81st suffered heavily from tropical diseases, in particular yellow fever. By November 1795, less than a year after, the regiment's losses to illness were so heavy that it was temporarily amalgamated with another battalion, of the 32nd Regiment, to produce a unit that would be combat effective. Despite the 32nd/81st capture of the French defences at Bompard, the British Expedition to St. Dominque was a failure. In April 1797, the 81st was ordered to return to the England.
In 1798, the 81st was dispatched to help put down an uprising in the Cape Colony. Arriving in the new year, the regiment was quartered at Cape Town. Although sent to put down an insurrection, most of the 81st fighting came against Rarabe tribesmen under their chief Gaika. On 5 May 1799 a party of the 81st grenadier company was ambushed by Rarabe tribesman. All but the detachment's drummer were killed in the fighting. Emboldened by their success, Gaika's force attacked the 81st at its encampment on the Sunday River. The Rarebe were repulsed with heavy casualties by the 81st.
This was to be the regiment's last major action during its stay in the Cape Colony. For the next four years, the 81st continued to garrison the colony until the Treaty of Amiens
in 1802. With the signing of the treaty, the men of the 81st were offered the chance to volunteer to serve in India in different regiments, for a sizable bounty, or to return to England with their regiment. More than six hundred of the regiment volunteered for Indian service, many being sent as replacements with the 22nd Regiment of Foot
.
Under the initial plan, the 1st/81st would be for universal service while the 2nd/81st would be kept for home service in the British Isles. As such, in 1804, the 2nd/81st was stationed Ireland, initially at Kinsale, but later moving to Cork, Galway, and Dundalk.
In 1805, the 1st/81st was assigned to Lieutenant General Sir James Craig
's expeditionary group. The 1st/81st participated in the invasion of Naples
, but then retreated to Sicily once word of the Napoleon's victory at Ulm
was received.
Still in Sicily in 1806, the 1st/81st was part of Major General Stuart's force that attacked the French in Calabria. On 4 July 1806, Stuart's force engaged the French at the Battle of Maida
. After stopping the initial French advance with musket fire, the Stuart ordered forward the Colonel Acland's brigade (containing the 1st/81st). At bayonet point, the 81st and 78th drove off French Forty-second regiment, as well as two battalions of Polish infantry before pausing to fire into the now exposed flanks of the French forces. Among the spoils of the battle was a silver tortoise snuff box, taken as a trophy by the 81st and kept as a regimental trophy of the battle. For its actions, the 81st was granted the battle honour Maida and voted the thanks of Parliament.
Despite its victory at Maida, the 81st would soon withdraw to Sicily after Stuart's campaign failed to produce a general uprising against the French. The 1st/81st would remain on Sicily, participating in the unsuccessful relief of Colonel Lowe
's forces at Capri, as well operations to prevent the French from taking Sicily until withdrawn in 1812
. On 16 January 1809, as part of Lt.Gen. Baird's division guarding the right flank of the British forces, the 81st fought in some of the heaviest fighting of the battle. The 81st advanced in support of the Black Watch
and the 50th Foot
. Despite being driven back from their initial gains, counter-attacked with the 42nd Highlanders and 50th, the 81st then held their position until relieved. With the surviving units of Moore's army, the 81st was withdrawn by sea to England the next day. For their part in the battle, the regiment was granted the battle honour "Corunna".
After refitting in England, the 2nd/81st was assigned to Lord Chatham
's command for the Walcheren Campaign
. During the siege of Flushing, the principal action which the 2nd/81st participated, the battalion casualties were 3 killed and 5 wounded. Over the next five months, malaria and other diseases cost the battalion 298, nearly a third of its authorized strength. Along with the rest of Chatham's command, the 2nd/81st was withdrawn in December 1809.
's expedition to Catalonia. Maitaland's expedition was a feint to help with the main Allied thrust in 1812. After an aborted initial landing, the 1st/81st landed in Spain in August 1812. Throughout the rest of the year, the campaigned continued on inconclusively in the region of Alicante
.
Eventually, after Maitland relinquished command due to illness, General Sir John Murray assumed command of the expedition in 1813. With him came an addition 12,000 men, the Anglo-Sicilian force contained approximately 16,000 men. They were opposed by Marshal Suchet
. Advancing, Murray's command, and the 1st/81st, encountered and defeated Suchet's forces at the Battle of Castalla
on 13 April 1813. A month later, after besieging the city of Tarragona
, the 1st/81st retreated offshore with the rest of Anglo-Spanish-Sicilian force when General Murray was fooled into believing that advancing French columns were significantly larger than they actually were. After Murray's relief and replacement by Lieutenant General Lord William Bentinck
, the 1st/81st returned with the rest of the force to the region around Alicante. With Wellington's victory at Vittoria
, Succhet began a withdrawal from Valencia and Catalan. Bentick's force began its slow, ineffective pursuit.
's expedition to the Low Countries. Arriving in February 1814, they were assigned to the 2nd Division's 2nd Brigade. The 2nd/81st did not participate in the ill-fated assault on Bergen op Zoom on 8 March 1814. With Napoleon's abdication after signing the Treaty of Fontainebleau
, the 2/81st remained in the Netherlands, stationed at Brussels, rather than being despatched to North America to fight against the United States
.
While the 2nd/81st remained in the Netherlands, the 1st/81st, along with the rest of its brigade was transferred, upon Napoleon's abdication, from Spain North America. Arriving in August 1814, the battalion landed in Quebec and was ordered to move south. However, the 1st/81st did missed the major engagements of the 1814 campaign. With the news of peace in March 1815, the 1st/81st remained in garrison until later in 1815 when word of Napoleon's escape from Elba spread.
2nd/81st had been held in reserve in Brussels since Napoleon's abdication. However, upon learning that Napoleon had left Elba, the battalion was put back on war footing. The 2nd/81st was assigned to the 10th Brigade under Major-General Lambert part of Lieutenant General Lowry Cole
's 6th Division.
With the rest of the division, the 2/81st missed the Battle of Quatre Bras
on 16 June 1815. The 2/81st brigade was still in the process of concentrating at the time of the battle. As the odd battalion out, it was chosen to be the treasure guard in Brussels. Even after the rest of the brigade was ready and on the road, the 2nd/81st was still left behind to guard the hospitals and treasury in Brussels. Just as its sister battalion missed the campaign, the 2nd/81st were held out of the fighting during the Hundred Days
. The next year, the 2nd/81st would be disbanded.
After rotating through stations in England and Ireland, the regiment was on the move again, being stationed at Gibraltar
in 1836, reinforcing the garrison there when tensions started to escalate during the First Carlist War
. After nine years on the Rock, the 81st was once again sent back to the West Indies. Three years in the West Indies outposts of Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, and St. Kitts were followed by years in Canada. The regiment would be returned home to England in 1847. After serving in various stations in England and Ireland, the regiment was sent on foreign service again, this time in 1853 to India.
. There they were stationed at the Meean Meer cantonment with three infantry battlaions, one cavalry regiment, and some artillery units of the Company
. On the eve of the mutiny, many of the officers were on leave, despite evidence that something was happening. When word reached the Punjab of the mutiny, the 81st disarmed the Company battalions at Meean Meer during a surprise parade inspection. The initial operation took the mutineers by surprise, and they were disarmed without no casualties. As the sepoy units at Meean Meer were being disarmed, three companies of the 81st tricked their way into the fort guarding Lahore, surprsing and disarming the native infantry units there as well. In one fell swoop, the 81st became almost the sole British battalion in the Lahore area, requiring the battalion to be stretched thin maintaining British control over the region. This was a region which until less than ten years earlier had been an independent entity, the Sikh Empire.
With the recapture of Dehli
in September 1857, British control of the Punjab became easier as the rebellion in lost its momentum. By February 1858, the situation had improved to the point where the 81st could be transferred to the North-West Frontier. The 81st was assigned to Major-General Sir Sydney Cotton
's Sittana Field Force. The objective of Cotton's command was to carry out a punitive expedition against Hindustani fanatics who had been instrumental in the mutiny of a native regiment stationed near Peshawar. Crossing through the Daran pass, the 81st participated in the destruction of the stronghold at Mangal Thana. After destroying the fortifications at Mangal Thana, the expedition turned its attention to the main fanatic base at Sittana. Despite resistance from the Fanactics, the upper and lower Sittana villages were captured by the British forces, including the 81st. After burning them to the ground, the Cotton's expedition returned to British India. The success of the expedition resulted in a treaty between the various tribes and the British resulting in the expulsion of the Hindustani Fanatics as well as an agreement by the various tribes to resist attempts by the Fanatics to return.
. Assigned to The Peshawar Valley Field Force
, under the command of Lieutenant General Sir Sam Browne VC
, the regiment took part in the Battle of Ali Masjid
. As part of Brigadier-General Frederick Ernest Appleyard
, the 81st participated in the front assault into the Khyber Pass. Following up on the capture of the Khyber, the Peshawar Field Force also captured Jalalabad
.
The Battle of Ali Masjid would be the 81st last battle honour as an independent unit. As part of the Childers reforms
of 1881, the 81st would be amalgamated with the 47th (Lancashire) Regiment of Foot to form the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment.
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
regiment of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, raised in 1793 and amalgamated into The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment in 1881.
Raising of the Regiment
The 81st was raised in 1793 in response to the French Revolution. The British Army was in the process of being expanded to meet the French Republican threat. On 23 September 1793, Major General Albermarle BertieAlbemarle Bertie, 9th Earl of Lindsey
Lieutenant-General Albemarle Bertie, 9th Earl of Lindsey was a British nobleman and general.He was the son of Peregrine Bertie, a barrister and great-great-grandson of Montagu Bertie, 2nd Earl of Lindsey....
, formerly of the 1st Foot Guards, was directed to raise a regiment. However, no levy money would be provided. The original compliment was composed of the Militia of Lincoln volunteering to serve in the new regiment. Originally known as the Loyal Lincoln Volunteers, the regiment was embodied in January 1794.
On 25 January 1794, the Loyal Lincoln Volunteers were redesignated as the 81st Regiment of Foot. The regiment was quartered in Lincoln and Gainsborough. The first commander was Lieutenant Colonel Lewis.
1795 - 1797: West Indies
After a year's service in Ireland, the regiment was detailed to serve under Major-General Ralph AbercrombyRalph Abercromby
Sir Ralph Abercromby was a Scottish soldier and politician. He rose to the rank of lieutenant-general in the British Army, was noted for his services during the Napoleonic Wars, and served as Commander-in-Chief, Ireland.He twice served as MP for Clackmannanshire and Kinross-shire, and was...
in the West Indies. The regiment sailed from Southampton and arrived in the West Indies in March 1794. The 81st was sent as reinforce British operations on Saint-Domingue in what is now the Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
.
As was common during the era, the European troops of the 81st suffered heavily from tropical diseases, in particular yellow fever. By November 1795, less than a year after, the regiment's losses to illness were so heavy that it was temporarily amalgamated with another battalion, of the 32nd Regiment, to produce a unit that would be combat effective. Despite the 32nd/81st capture of the French defences at Bompard, the British Expedition to St. Dominque was a failure. In April 1797, the 81st was ordered to return to the England.
1797 - 1802: Guernsey and South Africa
After returning home from the West Indies, the 81st spent much of the year recruit and refitting. The regiment was made part of the garrison for Guernsey beginning in October 1797. During this time, the rank and file took up a subscription to help support the war effort, each NCO and enlisted man contributing between two and seven days pay to the war effort.In 1798, the 81st was dispatched to help put down an uprising in the Cape Colony. Arriving in the new year, the regiment was quartered at Cape Town. Although sent to put down an insurrection, most of the 81st fighting came against Rarabe tribesmen under their chief Gaika. On 5 May 1799 a party of the 81st grenadier company was ambushed by Rarabe tribesman. All but the detachment's drummer were killed in the fighting. Emboldened by their success, Gaika's force attacked the 81st at its encampment on the Sunday River. The Rarebe were repulsed with heavy casualties by the 81st.
This was to be the regiment's last major action during its stay in the Cape Colony. For the next four years, the 81st continued to garrison the colony until the Treaty of Amiens
Treaty of Amiens
The Treaty of Amiens temporarily ended hostilities between the French Republic and the United Kingdom during the French Revolutionary Wars. It was signed in the city of Amiens on 25 March 1802 , by Joseph Bonaparte and the Marquess Cornwallis as a "Definitive Treaty of Peace"...
in 1802. With the signing of the treaty, the men of the 81st were offered the chance to volunteer to serve in India in different regiments, for a sizable bounty, or to return to England with their regiment. More than six hundred of the regiment volunteered for Indian service, many being sent as replacements with the 22nd Regiment of Foot
Cheshire Regiment
The Cheshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division.The regiment was created in 1881 as part of the Childers reforms by the linking of the 22nd Regiment of Foot and the militia and rifle volunteers of Cheshire...
.
1803 - 1807: Ireland, Sicily, and Maida
After South Africa, the regiment returned to England as the Amiens peace was ending. Once back in England, the regiment began recruiting and eventually had enough men to bring the battalion up to full strength as well as for a reserve battalion. The 2nd Battalion of 81st was formally embodied on 15 October 1803 at Mills Bay Barracks under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Knight.Under the initial plan, the 1st/81st would be for universal service while the 2nd/81st would be kept for home service in the British Isles. As such, in 1804, the 2nd/81st was stationed Ireland, initially at Kinsale, but later moving to Cork, Galway, and Dundalk.
In 1805, the 1st/81st was assigned to Lieutenant General Sir James Craig
James Henry Craig
General Sir James Henry Craig KB was a British military officer and colonial administrator.-Early life and military service:...
's expeditionary group. The 1st/81st participated in the invasion of Naples
Anglo-Russian invasion of Naples
The Anglo-Russian invasion of Naples was an invasion of Naples in 1805 by British and Imperial Russian forces during the War of the Third Coalition...
, but then retreated to Sicily once word of the Napoleon's victory at Ulm
Battle of Ulm
The Battle of Ulm was a series of minor skirmishes at the end of Napoleon Bonaparte's Ulm Campaign, culminating in the surrender of an entire Austrian army near Ulm in Württemberg....
was received.
Still in Sicily in 1806, the 1st/81st was part of Major General Stuart's force that attacked the French in Calabria. On 4 July 1806, Stuart's force engaged the French at the Battle of Maida
Battle of Maida
The Battle of Maida on 4 July 1806 saw a British expeditionary force fight a First French Empire division outside the town of Maida in Calabria, Italy during the Napoleonic Wars. John Stuart led 5,200 British troops to victory over about 6,000 French soldiers under Jean Reynier, inflicting...
. After stopping the initial French advance with musket fire, the Stuart ordered forward the Colonel Acland's brigade (containing the 1st/81st). At bayonet point, the 81st and 78th drove off French Forty-second regiment, as well as two battalions of Polish infantry before pausing to fire into the now exposed flanks of the French forces. Among the spoils of the battle was a silver tortoise snuff box, taken as a trophy by the 81st and kept as a regimental trophy of the battle. For its actions, the 81st was granted the battle honour Maida and voted the thanks of Parliament.
Despite its victory at Maida, the 81st would soon withdraw to Sicily after Stuart's campaign failed to produce a general uprising against the French. The 1st/81st would remain on Sicily, participating in the unsuccessful relief of Colonel Lowe
Hudson Lowe
Sir Hudson Lowe KCB, GCMG was an Anglo-Irish soldier and colonial administrator who is best known for his time as Governor of St Helena where he was the "gaoler" of Napoleon Bonaparte.-Early life and career:...
's forces at Capri, as well operations to prevent the French from taking Sicily until withdrawn in 1812
1808 - 1809: Spain and Walchren
In September 1808, the 2nd/81st was transferred to join Lieutenant General Sir John Moore's command. Along with the rest of the 15,000 men, the 81st was destined for Corunna where it would take part in Moore's campaign in northern Spain during the winter of 1808 - 1809 to assist the Spanish Armies against Imperial France. It retreated with the rest of Moore's forces to CorunnaBattle of Corunna
The Battle of Corunna refers to a battle of the Peninsular War. On January 16, 1809, a French army under Marshal Soult attacked the British under Sir John Moore...
. On 16 January 1809, as part of Lt.Gen. Baird's division guarding the right flank of the British forces, the 81st fought in some of the heaviest fighting of the battle. The 81st advanced in support of the Black Watch
42nd Regiment of Foot
The 42nd Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army. Originally the 43rd Highlanders they were renumbered the 42nd in 1748.- Early history :...
and the 50th Foot
50th (Queen's Own) Regiment of Foot
thumb|right|250px|soldier of 50th Regiment about 1740The 50th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1755 to 1881....
. Despite being driven back from their initial gains, counter-attacked with the 42nd Highlanders and 50th, the 81st then held their position until relieved. With the surviving units of Moore's army, the 81st was withdrawn by sea to England the next day. For their part in the battle, the regiment was granted the battle honour "Corunna".
After refitting in England, the 2nd/81st was assigned to Lord Chatham
John Pitt, 2nd Earl of Chatham
General John Pitt, 2nd Earl of Chatham, KG, PC was a British peer and soldier.-Career:He was the eldest son of William Pitt the Elder and an elder brother of William Pitt the Younger...
's command for the Walcheren Campaign
Walcheren Campaign
The Walcheren Campaign was an unsuccessful British expedition to the Netherlands in 1809 intended to open another front in the Austrian Empire's struggle with France during the War of the Fifth Coalition. Around 40,000 soldiers, 15,000 horses together with field artillery and two siege trains...
. During the siege of Flushing, the principal action which the 2nd/81st participated, the battalion casualties were 3 killed and 5 wounded. Over the next five months, malaria and other diseases cost the battalion 298, nearly a third of its authorized strength. Along with the rest of Chatham's command, the 2nd/81st was withdrawn in December 1809.
1812 - 1813: Spain and The Netherlands
After spending almost six years defending Sicily, the 81st was withdrawn and assigned to Lieutenant-General Frederick MaitlandFrederick Maitland
General Frederick Maitland was the youngest son of the hon. Sir Alexander Maitland Baronet and Penelope, daughter of Martin Madan and Judith Madan the poet...
's expedition to Catalonia. Maitaland's expedition was a feint to help with the main Allied thrust in 1812. After an aborted initial landing, the 1st/81st landed in Spain in August 1812. Throughout the rest of the year, the campaigned continued on inconclusively in the region of Alicante
Alicante
Alicante or Alacant is a city in Spain, the capital of the province of Alicante and of the comarca of Alacantí, in the south of the Valencian Community. It is also a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city of Alicante proper was 334,418, estimated , ranking as the second-largest...
.
Eventually, after Maitland relinquished command due to illness, General Sir John Murray assumed command of the expedition in 1813. With him came an addition 12,000 men, the Anglo-Sicilian force contained approximately 16,000 men. They were opposed by Marshal Suchet
Louis Gabriel Suchet
Louis Gabriel Suchet, 1st Duc d'Albufera was a Marshal of France and one of Napoleon's most brilliant generals.-Early career:...
. Advancing, Murray's command, and the 1st/81st, encountered and defeated Suchet's forces at the Battle of Castalla
Battle of Castalla
In the Battle of Castalla on 13 April 1813, an Anglo-Spanish-Sicilian force commanded by Lieutenant General John Murray, 8th Baronet fought Marshal Louis Gabriel Suchet's French Army of Valencia and Aragon. Murray's troops successfully repelled a series of French attacks causing Suchet to retreat....
on 13 April 1813. A month later, after besieging the city of Tarragona
Siege of Tarragona
Siege of Tarragona may refer to several historical sieges of Tarragona including:* Siege of Tarragona , during the Catalan Revolt* Siege of Tarragona , during the Peninsular War* Siege of Tarragona , during the Peninsular War...
, the 1st/81st retreated offshore with the rest of Anglo-Spanish-Sicilian force when General Murray was fooled into believing that advancing French columns were significantly larger than they actually were. After Murray's relief and replacement by Lieutenant General Lord William Bentinck
Lord William Bentinck
Lieutenant-General Lord William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck GCB, GCH, PC , known as Lord William Bentinck, was a British soldier and statesman...
, the 1st/81st returned with the rest of the force to the region around Alicante. With Wellington's victory at Vittoria
Battle of Vitoria
At the Battle of Vitoria an allied British, Portuguese, and Spanish army under General the Marquess of Wellington broke the French army under Joseph Bonaparte and Marshal Jean-Baptiste Jourdan near Vitoria in Spain, leading to eventual victory in the Peninsular War.-Background:In July 1812, after...
, Succhet began a withdrawal from Valencia and Catalan. Bentick's force began its slow, ineffective pursuit.
1814: Holland and North America
After spending the previous four years in England and Jersey supplying the 1st/81st with drafts of men and officers, the 2nd/81st were dispatched as reinforcements to General Sir Thomas GrahamThomas Graham, 1st Baron Lynedoch
General Thomas Graham, 1st Baron Lynedoch, GCB, GCMG, GCTE was a Scottish aristocrat, politician and British Army officer....
's expedition to the Low Countries. Arriving in February 1814, they were assigned to the 2nd Division's 2nd Brigade. The 2nd/81st did not participate in the ill-fated assault on Bergen op Zoom on 8 March 1814. With Napoleon's abdication after signing the Treaty of Fontainebleau
Treaty of Fontainebleau (1814)
The Treaty of Fontainebleau was an agreement established in Fontainebleau on 11 April 1814 between Napoleon Bonaparte and representatives from Austria, Hungary and Bohemia , as well as Russia and Prussia. The treaty was signed at Paris on 11 April by the plenipotentiaries of both sides, and...
, the 2/81st remained in the Netherlands, stationed at Brussels, rather than being despatched to North America to fight against the United States
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
.
While the 2nd/81st remained in the Netherlands, the 1st/81st, along with the rest of its brigade was transferred, upon Napoleon's abdication, from Spain North America. Arriving in August 1814, the battalion landed in Quebec and was ordered to move south. However, the 1st/81st did missed the major engagements of the 1814 campaign. With the news of peace in March 1815, the 1st/81st remained in garrison until later in 1815 when word of Napoleon's escape from Elba spread.
1815: The Hundred Days
1st/81st embarked for Europe on 15 June 1815. It would arrive at Portsmouth later that year, missing the final campaign against Napoleon.2nd/81st had been held in reserve in Brussels since Napoleon's abdication. However, upon learning that Napoleon had left Elba, the battalion was put back on war footing. The 2nd/81st was assigned to the 10th Brigade under Major-General Lambert part of Lieutenant General Lowry Cole
Lowry Cole
Sir Galbraith Lowry Cole, GCB , styled The Honourable from birth, was an Irish British Army general and politician.-Army Service:...
's 6th Division.
With the rest of the division, the 2/81st missed the Battle of Quatre Bras
Battle of Quatre Bras
The Battle of Quatre Bras, between Wellington's Anglo-Dutch army and the left wing of the Armée du Nord under Marshal Michel Ney, was fought near the strategic crossroads of Quatre Bras on 16 June 1815.- Prelude :...
on 16 June 1815. The 2/81st brigade was still in the process of concentrating at the time of the battle. As the odd battalion out, it was chosen to be the treasure guard in Brussels. Even after the rest of the brigade was ready and on the road, the 2nd/81st was still left behind to guard the hospitals and treasury in Brussels. Just as its sister battalion missed the campaign, the 2nd/81st were held out of the fighting during the Hundred Days
Hundred Days
The Hundred Days, sometimes known as the Hundred Days of Napoleon or Napoleon's Hundred Days for specificity, marked the period between Emperor Napoleon I of France's return from exile on Elba to Paris on 20 March 1815 and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII on 8 July 1815...
. The next year, the 2nd/81st would be disbanded.
1817 - 1853: Garrison Duty in Canada, Gibraltar, The West Indies, England and Ireland
After the disbandment of the 2/81st in 1816, the 81st was sent to Ireland in 1817. The Loyal Lincoln Volunteers would garrison the island until being transferred to Canada in 1822. After seven years in Canada, the 81st would be sent to the West Indies, spending two years in Bermuda before being returned to England in 1831.After rotating through stations in England and Ireland, the regiment was on the move again, being stationed at Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
in 1836, reinforcing the garrison there when tensions started to escalate during the First Carlist War
First Carlist War
The First Carlist War was a civil war in Spain from 1833-1839.-Historical background:At the beginning of the 18th century, Philip V, the first Bourbon king of Spain, promulgated the Salic Law, which declared illegal the inheritance of the Spanish crown by women...
. After nine years on the Rock, the 81st was once again sent back to the West Indies. Three years in the West Indies outposts of Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, and St. Kitts were followed by years in Canada. The regiment would be returned home to England in 1847. After serving in various stations in England and Ireland, the regiment was sent on foreign service again, this time in 1853 to India.
1853 - 1863: India, Sepoy Mutiny, and the North-West Frontier
The regiment arrived in India in 1854. Initially sent to Meerut, the regiment would eventually be sent to Lahore in 1857 on the eve of the Sepoy MutinyIndian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of the British East India Company's army on 10 May 1857, in the town of Meerut, and soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to...
. There they were stationed at the Meean Meer cantonment with three infantry battlaions, one cavalry regiment, and some artillery units of the Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
. On the eve of the mutiny, many of the officers were on leave, despite evidence that something was happening. When word reached the Punjab of the mutiny, the 81st disarmed the Company battalions at Meean Meer during a surprise parade inspection. The initial operation took the mutineers by surprise, and they were disarmed without no casualties. As the sepoy units at Meean Meer were being disarmed, three companies of the 81st tricked their way into the fort guarding Lahore, surprsing and disarming the native infantry units there as well. In one fell swoop, the 81st became almost the sole British battalion in the Lahore area, requiring the battalion to be stretched thin maintaining British control over the region. This was a region which until less than ten years earlier had been an independent entity, the Sikh Empire.
With the recapture of Dehli
Siege of Delhi
The Siege of Delhi was one of the decisive conflicts of the Indian rebellion of 1857.The rebellion against the authority of the British East India Company was widespread through much of Northern India, but essentially it was sparked by the mass uprising by the sepoys of the units of the Army which...
in September 1857, British control of the Punjab became easier as the rebellion in lost its momentum. By February 1858, the situation had improved to the point where the 81st could be transferred to the North-West Frontier. The 81st was assigned to Major-General Sir Sydney Cotton
Sydney Cotton
Lieutenant-General Sir Sydney John Cotton GCB was a British Army officer.-Military career:He was the second son of Henry Calveley Cotton of Woodcote, Oxfordshire, England, and his wife Matilda, daughter and heiress of John Lockwood of Dews Hall, Essex.He joined the British Army in 1810 as a Cornet...
's Sittana Field Force. The objective of Cotton's command was to carry out a punitive expedition against Hindustani fanatics who had been instrumental in the mutiny of a native regiment stationed near Peshawar. Crossing through the Daran pass, the 81st participated in the destruction of the stronghold at Mangal Thana. After destroying the fortifications at Mangal Thana, the expedition turned its attention to the main fanatic base at Sittana. Despite resistance from the Fanactics, the upper and lower Sittana villages were captured by the British forces, including the 81st. After burning them to the ground, the Cotton's expedition returned to British India. The success of the expedition resulted in a treaty between the various tribes and the British resulting in the expulsion of the Hindustani Fanatics as well as an agreement by the various tribes to resist attempts by the Fanatics to return.
1864 - 1874 England and Gibraltar
The 81st would not see any further active service in India during its tour of duty there. In 1864, after nearly ten years in India, the regiment returned to England after surviving sailing through a hurricane. The regiment would recruit and rotate through the various posts in England and Ireland from 1865 through 1870 when the regiment was once again posted to Gibraltar.1878 - 1881 Second Afghan War and Amalgamation
Returning to in India in 1878, the 81st was assigned to take part in the Second Afghan WarSecond Anglo-Afghan War
The Second Anglo-Afghan War was fought between the United Kingdom and Afghanistan from 1878 to 1880, when the nation was ruled by Sher Ali Khan of the Barakzai dynasty, the son of former Emir Dost Mohammad Khan. This was the second time British India invaded Afghanistan. The war ended in a manner...
. Assigned to The Peshawar Valley Field Force
Peshawar Valley Field Force
The Peshawar Valley Field Force was a British field force of around 12,000 men, a mix of both British regiments and Indian regiments, under the command of Sir Samuel J. Browne during the Second Anglo-Afghan War...
, under the command of Lieutenant General Sir Sam Browne VC
Sam Browne
General Sir Samuel James Browne VC GCB KCSI was a British Indian Army cavalry officer in India and the Afghanistan, best known today as the namesake of the Sam Browne belt...
, the regiment took part in the Battle of Ali Masjid
Battle of Ali Masjid
The Battle of Ali Masjid, which took place on 21 November 1878, was the opening battle in the Second Anglo-Afghan War between the British forces, under Lieutenant-General Sir Samuel James Browne, and the Afghan tribesmen, under Ghulam Haider Khan...
. As part of Brigadier-General Frederick Ernest Appleyard
Frederick Ernest Appleyard
Major General Frederick Ernest Appleyard CB was a British Army commander that served in numerous Victorian Era military campaigns including the Crimean War and the Second Anglo-Afghan War....
, the 81st participated in the front assault into the Khyber Pass. Following up on the capture of the Khyber, the Peshawar Field Force also captured Jalalabad
Jalalabad
Jalalabad , formerly called Adinapour, as documented by the 7th century Hsüan-tsang, is a city in eastern Afghanistan. Located at the junction of the Kabul River and Kunar River near the Laghman valley, Jalalabad is the capital of Nangarhar province. It is linked by approximately of highway with...
.
The Battle of Ali Masjid would be the 81st last battle honour as an independent unit. As part of the Childers reforms
Childers Reforms
The Childers Reforms restructured the infantry regiments of the British army. The reforms were undertaken by Secretary of State for War Hugh Childers in 1881, and were a continuation of the earlier Cardwell reforms....
of 1881, the 81st would be amalgamated with the 47th (Lancashire) Regiment of Foot to form the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment.
Battle honours
- Napoleonic Wars: Maida, Corunna, Peninsula
- Second Afghan War: Ali Masjid, Afghanistan 1878-9
External links
- 81st Regiment of Foot (Loyal Lincoln Volunteers), regiments.org