Scots Guards: Encyclopedia II - Scots Guards - The French Revolutionary Wars

Scots Guards - The French Revolutionary Wars

In 1789, the French Revolution began. In 1793, the First Coalition, which included Great Britain and continental European powers, was created to combat Revolutionary France. The 1st Battalion took part in the Battle of Famars on the 23rd May and the Siege of Valenciennes which began that same month, with the town eventually falling to the Allies in July that year. The battalion also took part in the Battle of Caesar's Camp at Bouchain and the Siege of Dunkirk which ended in September.

In August 1793, the 1st Battalion, along with the 1st Battalions of the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards and the Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guard', took part in the Battle of Lincelles. The Guards, only just over 1000, were tasked with recaptururing the village of Lincelles from the French, over 5,000 in strength, who had re-taken it from Dutch troops. The Foot Guards advanced valiantly and professionally on the freshly captured village, coming under horrendous artillery and small-arms fire, suffering heavy casualties. The Foot Guards performed ferociously with bayonet upon storming the village village, being engaged in some bitter fighting with the French, causing heavy French casualties in the process and clearing the village of the French, with the Guards capturing the village. The regiment won its third battle honour for their part in the battle. The regiment took part in further engagements in 1793, including at Lannoy. The battalion's last engagements came the following year.

In 1798, the Second Coalition against Revolutionary France was formed. That same year, the 1st Battalion's light companies took part in a raid on Ostend in what is now Belgium. The raid had the objectives of destroying the lock-gates and sluices of the Brugge to Ostend canal. The expedition was supported by a bombardment from Royal Navy (RN) warships. The raid was abortive and ended with surviving British troops being captured by the French. In 1799, the 1st Battalion took part in the landing at Den Helder in the French puppet-state of the Batavian Republic, in what is now the Netherlands. An Anglo-Russian force took part in the campaign there, which had the intentions of restoring the exiled Dutch King, with the hope that the population of Batavia would be keen on such a move after suffering bad times economically due to France forbidding any trade with Great Britain. Shortly after the landing took place a large number of warships of the Batavian Fleet surrendered peacefully to the British. In October, the Foot Guards, along with many other regiments, were involved in the engagements of Egmont-op-Zee and Alkmaar, the latter of which ended in a British victory. In 1800, the 1st Battalion took part in the expeditions against the coastal Spanish cities of Ferrol, Vigo and Cadiz, the latter of which would become more prominent during the Peninsular War only a few years later.

In 1798, France invaded Egypt intent on conquering the country, a move that would have posed danger to Great Britain's position in the Mediterranean as well as to India. The following year, Admiral Lord Nelson decimated the French fleet at the Battle of the Nile, effectively trapping the French in Egypt. In 1801, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was formed was formed and just a few months later the 1st Battalion was part of a British Army expedition, under the command of General Sir Ralph Abercromby, to Egypt, landing at Aboukir Bay on the 8th March, with the amphibious landing being very successful despite being opposed by French defenders.

The battalion also took part in the Battle of Alexandria on the 21st March, with the British force numbering about 14,000 and the French around 20,000. At the latter engagement, the British forces displayed much heroism and valour, with the Guards Brigade, in the center, acting in a highly professional manner against the French forces, which ended in victory for the British. The British suffered just under 1,500 killed, wounded and missing, including their commander, General Abercromby, who was mortally wounded during the battle, while the French suffered just over 4,000 casualties. Cairo and Alexandria soon afterwards, with the whole of Egypt being recaptured by late 1801. The regiment gained its fourth battle honour with the Sphinx being placed on its Colours with Egypt superscribed on it.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "The French Revolutionary Wars", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki