Light Division
The Light Division | |
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Active | 1803–1815 1853–1856 1914–1918 1968–2007 2022–present |
Country | George Brown |
The Light Division is a light infantry division of the British Army. It was reformed in 2022, as part of Future Soldier reforms.
Its origins lay in "Light Companies" formed during the late 18th century, to move at speed over inhospitable terrain and protect a main force with skirmishing tactics. These units took advantage of then-new technology in the form of rifles, which allowed it to emphasise marksmanship, and were aimed primarily at disrupting and harassing enemy forces, in skirmishes before the main forces clashed.
Formed in 1803, during the
Origins of the Light Division
The British Army's first three "Rifle Battalion" was raised by the
In 1800, an "
Napoleonic Wars
Four months after its formation, the Rifle Corps was judged ready for its first operation. On 25 August 1800, three companies, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel William Stewart, spearheaded a British amphibious landing at
In January 1803, the corps became an established regular regiment and was renamed the
On 17 July 1803, an unofficial "Corps of Light Infantry" was formed, by brigading together the
- 43rd (Monmouthshire Light Infantry) Regiment, the
- 52nd (Oxfordshire) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry) and the
- 95th Regiment.[2]
(The name "Light Division" was not used until several years later.)
General Sir John Moore finished training the 43rd, 52nd, and 95th in September 1805.
Because the three Rifle battalions of the 60th Royal Americans were already wearing the green clothing and black leather equipment that were typical of continental light infantry,[3] the 95th Rifles adopted the same uniform as the 60th. But despite the best efforts of Moore, the other light infantry regiments were ordered to conform to the regulations for light companies of line regiments by retaining their red jackets.[4]
Armed with the
In 1807,
The Corps of Light Infantry, under Moore, sailed for Spain for what would become known as the Peninsular War. The campaign established the value of light infantry armed with rifles.
Four further battalions were trained by Rottenberg in the Curragh of Kildare in Ireland during May 1808. Later, Rottenberg returned to England and, at Brabdourn Lees barracks in Ashford, retrained the 68th, 85th and 71st Regiments as light infantry, to help meet the demand for such troops in the Peninsula.[5]
During the Peninsular war of 1808–1809, Caçadores Battalions of the Portuguese Army were attached to the Light Division.
Battle of Corunna
The
Thomas Plunket was a Rifleman in the
Battle of Talavera
While reforming in England after their evacuation from Corunna, Brigadier-General
Battle of the River Côa
Craufurd's operations on the
Battle of Bussaco
The Battle of Bussaco, (27 September 1810) was a defensive battle won by the Allies which allowed Wellington to resume the retreat of his army into the previously fortified Lines of Torres Vedras. He reached these by 10 October. Finding the lines too strong to attack, the French withdrew into winter quarters. Deprived of food and harried by British hit-and-run tactics, the French lost 25,000 men captured or dead from starvation or sickness before they retreated into Spain early in 1811, freeing Portugal from French occupation except for Almeida, near the frontier. During the retreat, the Battle of Sabugal was also fought.
Battle of Sabugal
The
Battle of Fuentes De Onoro
At the
Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo
The Division, now once again under the command of Major-General Robert Craufurd, was involved in the
Launched at 7 pm, the assault was completely successful, although amongst the dead were Major-Generals Henry Mackinnon and Craufurd. The victory was somewhat marred when the British rank and file thoroughly sacked the city, despite the efforts of their officers.
Battle of Salamanca
Following on from the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo and the death of Crauford the Division now under the command of
Battle of Vitoria
At the Battle of Vitoria (21 June 1813), the division was part of the Right Center Column under Wellington's personal direction. Wellington launched his attack in four columns, and after hard fighting the enemy's centre was broken and soon the French defence crumbled. About 5,000 French soldiers were killed or wounded and 3,000 were taken prisoner, while Wellington's forces suffered about 5,000 killed or wounded. 152 cannons were captured, but King Joseph Bonaparte narrowly escaped. The battle led to the collapse of Napoleonic rule in Spain.[17]
Battle of the Pyrenees
During the French withdrawal across the Pyrenees and into France the Light Division was involved in the
Battle of Nivelle
The Battle of Nivelle (10 November 1813), started just before dawn as the Light Division headed towards the plateau on the summit of the Greater Rhune (the summit had been garrisoned by French troops but they had fled after the skirmish on the River Bidassoa, fearing to be cut off from their own army). The objective of the division was to sweep the three defensive forts constructed by the French out of the battle. They moved down into the ravine in front of the Lesser Rhune and were ordered to lie down and await the order to attack. After the signal from a battery of cannon, the offensive began. It started with the 43rd, 52nd and 95th – with the Portuguese Caçadores in support, storming the redoubts on the crest of the Rhune. Despite this being a risky move and the men being almost exhausted, the surprise and boldness of the British sent the French fleeing towards other forts on other hills.
While the 43rd and 95th were dealing with the French on the Rhune, there still remained one very strong star-shaped fort below on the Mouiz plateau which reached out towards the coast. This was attacked by Colborne's 52nd, supported by riflemen from the 95th. Once again, the French were surprised and the British succeeded. They had, in the French eyes, appeared from the ground at which point, in danger of being cut off, the French soldiers quickly fled leaving Colborne in possession of the fort and other trenches without loss of a single fatal casualty.
Battle of Toulouse
The final action of the Peninsula War was the Battle of Toulouse, (10 April 1814), In the evening of 10 April 1814, Marshall Soult, received an official communiqué from Paris informing him that Napoleon had surrendered to the Coalition forces in northern France. Unsure of what to do, Soult's generals advised him to surrender the city, as reinforcements were unlikely to arrive and further news reached Toulouse informing Soult of the surrender of French armies across France. This ended the Peninsula War.
Claimed to be one of the strongest divisions in the British army in the Peninsula War, the Light Division proved its tough nature in the numerous actions it had been involved in from the infamous retreat to Corunna right up until the invasion of France in 1814 and the conclusion of the war at the Battle of Toulouse.[18]
Structure during the Peninsular War
- Commanding Generals: Charles Alten
- 1st Brigade
- 1/43rd (Monmouthshire Light Infantry) Regiment
- 1/95th Rifles
- 3/95th Rifles (HQ & 5 companies)
- 3rd Portuguese Caçadores.[19]
- 2nd Brigade
- 1/52nd (Oxfordshire) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry)
- 2/95th Rifles
- 1/17th Portuguese Line
- 2/17th Portuguese Line
- 1st Portuguese Caçadores.[19]
- Divisional Troops
- Ross' Troop, Royal Horse Artillery
- Part of the 14th Light Dragoons
- Part of the 16th Light Dragoons
Waterloo
After the abdication of Napoleon in 1814 and his exile to the island of Elba, the Peninsula army was dismantled and divided. Following Napoleon's escape and return to power in France, there was one more battle to fight.
A Light Division by name was not formed for Waterloo but the Light Infantry battalions, excepting the 1st battalion of the 95th which was assigned to the 5th Division, were massed into the 3rd British Brigade assigned to the 2nd Division. The 3rd Brigade was commanded by then Major-General
The final action of the day saw Sir
After their unsuccessful attack on the British centre, The French Imperial Guard made a last stand in squares on either side of the La Belle Alliance. The 3rd (Light) Brigade charged the square which was formed on rising ground to the (British) right of La Belle Alliance and again threw them into a state of confusion. The other square was attacked by the Prussians. The French retreated away from the battle field towards France.
Structure at Waterloo
- 2nd (Light) Brigade
- 52nd (Oxfordshire) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry), (the biggest battalion at Waterloo)[21]
- 71st (Glasgow Highland) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry)
- 2nd Battalion, 95th Rifles
- Detachment, 3rd Battalion, 95th Rifles
- 1st Brigade, King's German Legion
- 1st Line Battalion, KGL
- 2nd Line Battalion, KGL
- 3rd Line Battalion, KGL
- 4th Line Battalion, KGL
- 3rd Hanoverian Brigade
- Landwehr Battalion Bremervörde
- Landwehr Battalion 2nd Duke of York's (Osnabrück)
- Landwehr Battalion 3rd Duke of York's (Quakenbrück)
- Landwehr Battalion Salzgitter
Crimean War
The Crimean War (1853–1856) was fought between
A Light Division was again formed for service, but this was in name only as no light infantry battalions were assigned to it. The division was involved in the Battle of the Alma (20 September 1854), which is usually considered the first battle of the Crimean War, took place in the vicinity of the River Alma in the Crimea. An Anglo-French force under General St. Arnaud and Lord Raglan defeated General Menshikov's Russian army, which lost around 6,000 troops. They were also engaged in the Siege of Sevastopol (1854–1855), and the battle of Battle of Inkerman (5 November 1854) before the end of hostilities.
Structure during the Crimean War
- Commanding General:Lieutenant General Sir George Brown
- First Brigade:Major General William Codrington
- 33rd Regiment of Foot
- 23rd The Royal Welch Regiment of Fusiliers
- 7th Regiment of Foot
- Second Brigade:Major General Sir George Buller
- One troop of Royal Horse Artillery
- one field Battery Royal Artillery
By the late 19th century the concept of fighting in formation was on the wane and the distinctions between light and heavy infantry began to disappear. Essentially, all infantry became light infantry in practice. Some regiments retained the name and customs, but there was in effect no difference between them and other infantry regiments.
World Wars
During the First World War two Light Divisions were formed the
Following the end of the First World War, the British formed an occupation army in Germany: British Army of the Rhine (BAOR). In February 1919, the 2nd Division was redesignated as the Light Division, and it joined the BAOR.
The British Army did not form a Light Division for service during the Second World War, with the exception of the
Infantry Depots
1968 - 2007
After the Second World War the British Army had fourteen infantry depots, each bearing a letter. Infantry Depot J at
In 1948, the depots adopted names and this became the Light Infantry Brigade and Green Jackets Brigade.[25]
Then in 1968 the Light Division was reformed as an Administration Division with the regimentation of the Light Infantry Brigade and the Green Jackets Brigade.[26]
As formed, the Light Division comprised seven regular infantry battalions:
- 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Battalions, The Light Infantry
- 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions, The Royal Green Jackets
The Light Infantry lost its 4th Battalion in 1969, while both regiments lost a battalion in 1992.
In 2005, two further regiments were attached to the Light Division:
- 1st Battalion, The Devonshire and Dorset Light Infantry
- 1st Battalion, The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry
This was in preparation for all four regiments being amalgamated into a single large regiment named The Rifles, which was formed in February 2007. Regimental names of the regiments that formed The Rifles were not maintained. As a consequence, upon the formation of The Rifles, the name Light Division was no longer to be used.[27]
2022 onwards
In 2022, as part of the
- 1st Battalion, The Royal Gurkha Rifles
- 2nd Battalion, The Royal Gurkha Rifles
- F (Falklands) Company, The Royal Gurkha Rifles
- G (Coriano) Company, The Royal Gurkha Rifles
- 1st Battalion, The Rifles
- 2nd Battalion, The Rifles
- 3rd Battalion, The Rifles
- 5th Battalion, The Rifles
- 4th Battalion, Ranger Regiment
- 6th Battalion, The Rifles
- 7th Battalion, The Rifles
- 8th Battalion, The Rifles
The
Commanders
Date from | Date to | Rank | Name | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
22 February 1810 | February 1811 | Brigadier-General | Robert Craufurd | [29] |
February 1811 | 7 March 1811 | Colonel | George Duncan Drummond | [30] |
7 March 1811 | 4 May 1811 | Major-General | Sir William Erskine | [31] |
4 May 1811 | 19 January 1812 | Major-General | Robert Craufurd | [32] |
19 January 1812 | 19 January 1812 | Major-General | Ormsby Vandeleur | [33] |
19 January 1812 | 19 January 1812 | Lieutenant-Colonel | John Colborne | [34] |
19 January 1812 | 15 April 1812 | Lieutenant-Colonel | Andrew Barnard | [35][36][37] |
15 April 1812 | 2 May 1812 | Major-General | Ormsby Vandeleur | [38] |
2 May 1812 | June 1814 | Major-General | Charles Alten | [39][40] |
February 1854 | 5 November 1854 | Lieutenant-General | Sir George Brown | [41] |
5 November 1854 | 22 February 1855 | Major-General | William Codrington | [42] |
22 February 1855 | 28 June 1855 | Lieutenant-General | Sir George Brown | [41] |
30 June 1855 | 11 November 1855 | Lieutenant-General | Sir William Codrington | [43][44][45] |
11 November 1855 | 14 June 1856 | Major-General | Lord William Paulet | [46][47][48] |
Notes
Footnotes
- ^ Elliott-Wright, pp. 47
- ^ "light infantry".[permanent dead link]
- ^ Elliott-Wright, pp. 45-46
- ^ "army.mod". Archived from the original on 11 June 2007.
- ^ Elliott-Wright, pp. 57
- ^ a b Hadaway, Stuart.
- ISBN 1-84677-000-9First published in 1841 titled "The Adventures of a Soldier" Costello served with Plunkett and can both cite personally witnessed experiences and the legend he already was at the time
- REMEMuseum of technology. See paragraph six in the section "Development of the lock"
- ^ Alexander Craufurd's biography of General Craufurd suggests it was 2nd battalion of 95th, below page 42.
- ^ a b Elliott-Wright, p. 99
- ^ a b Elliott-Wright, p. 100
- ^ USM 1837, p. 234.
- ^ Alexander Craufurd, "General Craufurd and His Light Division", (1893), p.42
- ^ "the rifles". Archived from the original on 26 October 2009.
- ^ Crauford p 100ff
- ^ Chartrand p.77
- ^ Gates, p.386
- ISBN 978-1-84176-311-8.
- ^ a b "britishbattles.com".
- ^ Nofi, p. 305-311
- ^ Moorsom, W S, (ed). "Historical Record of the Fifty-Second Regiment (Oxfordshire Light Infantry) from the year 1755 to the year 1858". 2nd edition. London: Richard Bentley, 1860 p 267 (facsimile printed by The Naval & Military Press Ltd, East Sussex, England)
- ^ Royle. Preface
- ^ "crimeantexts". Archived from the original on 17 March 2009.
- ISBN 9780850524222.
- ^ Whitaker's Almanack 1956, p. 471
- ^ Whitaker's Almanack 1969, p. 473
- ^ "army mod organisation of the infantry". Archived from the original on 30 April 2008.
- ^ Elderton, Clive (February 2023). "British Infantry Administrative Divisions Reorganisation 2022" (PDF). Bulletin of the Military Historical Society. 73 (291): 104. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
- ^ Heathcote (2010), p. 39.
- ^ McGuigan & Burnham (2017), pp. 100–101.
- ^ Heathcote (2010), p. 49.
- ^ Heathcote (2010), p. 40.
- ^ Vetch & Stearn (2008).
- ^ Saunders & Yuill (2020), pp. 57–58.
- ^ Burnham & McGuigan (2010), p. 276.
- ^ Saunders & Yuill (2020), p. 58.
- ^ Reid (2004), p. 69.
- ^ McGuigan & Burnham (2017), p. 284.
- ^ Burnham & McGuigan (2010), p. 305.
- ^ Saunders & Yuill (2020), p. 103.
- ^ a b Sweetman (2011a).
- ^ Sweetman (2011b).
- ^ McGuigan (2001), pp. 56, 60.
- ^ Reid (1911), pp. 127–128.
- ^ Russell (2013), p. 8.
- ^ Chichester & Falkner (2004).
- ^ Russell (2013), p. 332.
- ^ House of Commons (1857), p. 9.
Bibliography
- Standing Orders of the Light Division (printed in Home's Précis of Modern Tactics, pp. 257–277
- William Napier, Peninsular War, bk. xvi. ch.v.
- G. K. Rose. The Story of the 2/4th Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry at Project Gutenberg
- Hibbert, Christopher, ed. (1996). The Recollections of Rifleman Harris. The Windrush Press. ISBN 0-900075-64-3.
- Keegan, John (1977). The Face of Battle. Vintage.
- Smith, Digby (1998). The Napoleonic Wars Data Book. Greenhill.
- Craufurd, Rev. Alexander H. General Craufurd and his light division. reprint Naval & Military Press 2006. ISBN 1-84574-013-0.
- ISBN 1-85409-495-5.
- Brassey's Almanac: The Peninsular War; The Complete Companion to the Iberian Campaigns, 1807–14. Chrysalis Books Group. 2004. ISBN 1-85753-329-1.
- ISBN 0-938289-29-2.
- Johnson, Ray (1978). Napoleonic Armies, Volume II, Britain, Prussia, Austria, Russia and Their Allies. RAFMCompany.
- "Memoirs of general and Flag-officers recently deceased". The United Service Magazine: Part 3. H. Colburn. 1837. p. 233–239.
- Burnham, Robert; McGuigan, Ron (2010). The British Army against Napoleon. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Frontline Books. ISBN 978-1-84832-562-3.
- Chichester, H. M.; Falkner, James (2004). "Paulet, Lord William". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- Heathcote, T. A. (2010). Wellington's Peninsular War Generals and their Battles. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen & Sword Military. ISBN 978-1-84884-061-4.
- Accounts and Papers. Vol. 9. London: House of Commons. 1857.
- McGuigan, Ron; Burnham, Robert (2017). Wellington's Brigade Commanders. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen & Sword Military. ISBN 978-1-47385-079-8.
- McGuigan, Rob (2001). Into Battle: British Orders of Battle for the Crimean War, 1854–56. Bowdon, Cheshire: Withycut House. ISBN 1-899244-02-6.
- Reid, Douglas Arthur (1911). Memories of the Crimean War. London: The St. Catherine Press.
- Reid, Stuart (2004). Wellington's Army in the Peninsular War 1809–14. Oxford: Osprey. ISBN 978-1-84176-517-4.
- Russell, William Howard (2013). The War: From the Death of Lord Raglan to the Evacuation of the Crimea. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-108-05194-1.
- Saunders, Tim; Yuill, Rob (2020). The Light Division in the Peninsular War 1811–1814. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen & Sword Military. ISBN 978-1-52677-013-4.
- Sweetman, John (2011a). "Brown, Sir George". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- Sweetman, John (2011b). "Codrington, Sir William John". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- Vetch, R. H.; Stearn, Roger T. (2008). "Vandeleur, Sir John Ormsby". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
External links
- http://www.britishbattles.com/
- http://www.95thrifles.com 95th (Rifle) Regiment of Foot - Battle Re-enactment and Living History
- http://www.1st95thrifles.com/ 1st Battalion, 95th (Rifle) Regiment of Foot (1/95) – 95th Rifles Living History Society
- https://web.archive.org/web/20091026233803/http://geocities.com/THE_RIFLES/ 2nd Battalion, 95th (Rifle) Regiment of Foot (2/95) – Living History and Battle Re-enactment
- http://www.royalgreenjackets.co.uk Royal Green Jackets and Rifle Brigade Museum
- https://web.archive.org/web/20091207083248/http://robertcraufurd.iespana.es/
- https://web.archive.org/web/20080313141021/http://www.army.mod.uk/infantry/regts/the_rifles/index.htm
- https://web.archive.org/web/20080916190003/http://www.lightinfantryreunited.co.uk/ Light Infantry Reunited - Site for all ex and serving Light Infantry/RGJ and Rifles personnel