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Yorkshire Light Infantry
Military History Army English Regiments Yorkshire Light Infantry |
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The King?s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry The 51st were raised in 1755 as the 53rd, but the disbanding of two prior regiments gave the present numerical rank. Two years after their formation the 51st took part in the expeditions made under Mordaunt against the French coast, and the following year went to Germany. They fought at Minden, being on the right of the British line, in their first battle giving unmistakable earnest of their future fame, and before they returned home took part in the engagements at Corbach and Warbourg. Their next employment was at Minorca in 1771, where they very greatly distinguished themselves at St. Philip. The castle of this name, which commanded the harbour of Mahon, had been long considered impregnable, but at the time of the siege the upper works had been allowed to fall into decay. Parts, however, were bomb proof and of massive strength. An engineer officer present during the siege vouches for the following: - A shell falling without exploding upon one of the casemates produced a shock sufficient to throw to the ground a bottle and some glasses which were on a table in the building, without producing the slightest perceptible flaw in the arch! In 1781 the attacking force numbered at least sixteen hundred men, with a hundred and fifty guns and mortars. By November the place was closely invested on all sides, ?and the little garrison thus cut off from all supplies of fresh food. The greater part of them had been long in the island, and were no doubt predisposed to the attacks of the scurvy, which now appeared amongst them, of exceptional virulence. In January 1782, things were even worse, for an aggravated form of typhus fever had also made its appearance. Nothing could exceed the devotion of the men. Scarcely a man could be persuaded to go into hospital if he could in any way avoid it, and the severity of by far the greatest number of cases was only discovered by men falling dead at their posts, or, when missed from their guards, by being found dead in some spot where they had gone to end their pain away from their comrades gaze. Early in February, four hundred and ten men being on duty, it was found that-sick and wounded included-only two hundred remained to relieve them, nineteen hundred out of the original garrison of over two thousand six hundred having actually died and been buried in the narrow precincts of the place within the space of six months. Only then was it determined to capitulate. As they sorrowfully laid down their arms, having marched out with the honours of war, ?an involuntary shout burst from the enemy as they passed, and many of the French officers were affected even to tears.?? In 1794 they were ordered to Corisca, and were very actively concerned at the sieges of San Fiorenze and Bastia. When the General Sir D. Dundas, resolved on an assault, the 51st were directed to proceed along the seashore. Arduous thought he march was, it was at last completed; the troops converged in front of the redoubt, and ?without firing a shot, swarmed into the redoubt from three points, and by their bayonets alone swept the French and Corsicans down the slope, and within five minutes the British colours were flying from the redoubt, and the commandant, with a considerable portion of the garrison, were disarmed and taken.? Then followed the siege and capture of Bastia, and, after a few less important engagements, Corisca was formally transferred to the British Crown. In 1797 they were with Sir John Stuart in Portugal, and the following year went to India. Before long, however, they were transferred to Ceylon, and in 1800 had some sharp fighting with the Candyans, in which ?the gallantry of Ensigns Grant and Smellie and of Captain Pollock was conspicuous.? Returning to England in 1807, they were present, two years later, at Corunna and Walcheren. They then joined Wellesley and fought at Fuentes d?Onor and Sabugal. ?Salamanca? and ?Vittoria,? ?Pyrenees? and ?Nivelle? tell their own tale; ?Orthes? and the ?Peninsula? complete the record of their triumphs with the ?conquering army.? At Waterloo they were on the left of the British line, and acquitted themselves as might be expected from their traditions in that warring chaos from which was to arise a newborn Peace. It was in vein that the terrible squadrons of cirassiers charged down again and again on the firm squares. The 51st had gauged the calibre of these dashing horsemen on many a peninsular field and this 18th of June- The terrors of the charging host; For not an eye the storm that viewed Changed its proud glance of fortitude, Nor was one forward footstep stayed As dropped the dying and the dead. Fast as their ranks the thunders tear, Fast they renewed each serried square; And on the wounded and the slain Closed their diminished files again, Till from their line scarce spear?s length three, Emerging from the smoke they see, Helmet and plume and panoply- Then waked their fire at once! Down where the eagle banners sent, Dow reeling steeds and riders went, Corselets were pierced and pennons rent.? On the 19th December 1878, three companies, under Lieutenant-Colonel Acton, left Ali Musjid on the first expedition into the Bazar Valley, and during the succeeding fortnight were engaged with the rest of General Maude?s force in destroying the villages and towers of the hostile Zatra Khel. While leading the column during its retirement from the valley on the 22nd December, the companies were engaged in some sharp skirmishing with the enemy on the surrounding heights. In the second expedition into the Bazar Valley, at the latter end of January, 1879, the regiment was again represented two hundred men under Major Burnaby marching from Ali Musjid on the 25th of that month, and after being engaged in the various operations of the expeditionary force, returning on the 4th February. In the meantime shots continued to be fired at night into the camp at Ali Musjid, severely wounding, on the 19th December, two sentries. On the 8th March, 1879, the 51st K.O.L.I. were transferred to the 3rd brigade, 1st division, and on the 17th of the same month marched towards Jalalalbad, where they arrived on the 24th. Three companies under Lieutenant-Colonel Acton took part, en route, in an expedition sent out from Basawal to Maidanak on the night of the 19th to punish a section of the Shinwari tribe who had attacked a survey party under Captain Leach, R.E.; and on the 1st of April a company under Captain Kenneth accompanied the ill-fated expedition into the Lughman Valley, in which the greater part of a squadron of the 10th Hussars was swept away in the Kabul river and drowned. After being encamped a month at Jalalabad, the regiment advanced to Safed Sang, where they arrived on the 27th April, and remained until after the conclusion of peace. On the 8th May they formed part of the guard of honour, which received H.H. Yakub Khan. Commencing the return march towards India on the 5th June 1879, the 51st L.L. after re-crossing the frontier, made their way to Cherat. The excessive fatigue and hardship endured on the March resulted in many casualties, no less than thirty five deaths occurring in the month of June, and nine more in July. In his report on the services of officers of the First Division Peshawur Valley F.F. the Lieutenant General commanding referred to the 51st as ?a regiment excellent in its discipline, and excellent in the soldier like spirit it has shown throughout.? On the renewal of hostilities in the autumn of 1879, the 51st K.O.L.I. were again ordered up for active service, and as part of Brigadier-General Arbuthnot?s Brigade of Major-General Bright?s Division, marched to Jelalalabad, where they arrived on the 23rd October 1879. Four companies of the regiment escorted the ex-Amir Yakub Khan from that city to Basawal, starting on the 4th and returning on the 8th December 1879. In the middle of December the regiment advanced to Safed Sang, and on the 17th of that month, in response to a request for reinforcements from Brigadier-General C. Gough, who was then at Jagdalak, three companies under Lieutenant-Colonel Ball Acton marched for Peiwar. Finding, on arrival, that Colonel Norman, commanding at that post, was also on route to open communication with the advanced brigade, and had bivouacked five miles further on the road, Colonel Acton detached twenty-five men top the Peiwar Kotal, and the following morning continued his advance. After marching four miles, he came upon the enemy assembled in considerable force, and turning up a nullah to their right, drove them from the position they had taken up. Communications were then opened with Colonel Norman?s force, and subsequently with that of General Gough after which the Peiwar party returned. On the 28th one company of the regiment quitted Peiwar for Jagdalak, and was replaced by another company. The following day a mixed force under Colonel Acton, including two companies of the 51st, also marched for Jagdalak, and when within sight of its destination again came into contact with a dispersed and large body of the enemy. In the encounter one man of the regiment was wounded. In the middle of January 1880, the headquarters of the regiment marched from Safed Sang to Peiwar, were they where rejoined by one of the companies from Jagadalak, and shortly afterwards received a welcome addition in the shape of a draft of 215 men who had recently arrived from England. During this month they were placed, by redistribution, in the 1st brigade, 2nd division, Kabul F.F. and ion that force being broken up in March became a unit of the Gandamak moveable column.
In the attack on Ali Musjid, in November
1878, the 51st were in the fourth brigade under Sir Samuel
Browne, and wee sharply engaged, and had to regret the loss under
exceptionally sad circumstances of Lieutenant Thurlow.
He and Lieutenant Reid, also of the 51st, were riding
some three miles distant from their cantonments when some forty Afghans
attacked them. Thurlow was
killed and Reid?s pony bolted, but directly he could master it the
latter returned to attempt to bring off his friend?s body. Unable to do this himself-he was again shot at and narrowly
missed- he returned to camp and brought out a detachment, ?by which
the body of the deceased officer was recovered and saved from
mutilation.? For his
gallantry on this occasion Reid received the Victoria Cross.
A few days a large body of marauders
attacked afterwards a convoy, commanded by Lieutenant Pollock, while
proceeding to Jagdalak Kotal. The
party was immediately reinforced by the company under command of Captain
Nugent, with Lieutenant Reid, and the enemy were dispersed with
considerable loss, eleven camels which had been driven off by them being
recovered. On the 9th
of April the companies at Jagdalak rejoined headquarters.
In the second week of April the regiment
took part with the moveable column in the expedition into the Hissarak
Valley, and were engaged in several sharp skirmishes with the enemy.
On the night of the 12th, Serggeant McCarthy, a
gallant and popular soldier, was shot while turning out his piquet; and
in the course of the various operations return of the expeditionary
force of the regiment was moved up to Jagadalak.
On the 31st May, 1880, the 51st King?s
Own Light infantry marched with the moveable column to Safed Sang, en
route for the Lughman Valley, and for several days took part in carrying
out the retributive measures with which that district was visited.
On the 11th June, part of the rear guard, commanded by
Major Burnaby, while re-crossing the Kabul River, was hotly fired on,
Major Burnaby receiving a contusion of the face by a spent bullet.
The hard work and exposure to which the column was subjected were
excessive, and during the return march many men fell out from the ranks
from exhaustion. On the 4th
July, headquarters and four companies assembled at Peiwar, another
company arriving next day, after a slight skirmish en route.
The last expedition during the war, in
which the regiment took part, was one led by Colonel Ball Acton against
the Ghilzai villages, Arab Khel and Jokan, which were destroyed in the
first week in July, as punishment for various raids committed by the
tribes on convoys.
On the 9th August 1880, the 51st
Kings Own Light Infantry commenced its return march to India, and after
arriving at Peshawur on the 23rd of the month, proceeded to
Lawrencepur, and eventually to Bareilly.
The casualties of the regiment during the
second campaign were, two officers and men killed, fourteen wounded, and
151 invalided, of whom twenty-two died.
The 1-5th-the 2nd
battalion of the Yorkshire Light Infantry-dates, as at present
constituted, from 1839, when it was raised as the Second Madras European
Light Regiment. The
precursors of the regiment were the second Madras European Light
Infantry, and as such did good service for many years in various
engagements, which occupied our army.
From 1839 to 1860 the 105th served in India and Burmah,
and since then have served at Aden, making their first visit to England
in 1874. It is from the 105th
that the motto Cede Nullis is derived, but whence it comes is uncertain,
no time apparently being known when it was not in use.
Its first appearance in the Army List, however, is, according to
Colonel Archer, in 1841. Extracted
from 'Her
Majesty?s Army CHARLES WARD (Private) 2nd Battalion Yorkshire Light Infantry At Lindley, on june 26th 1900, where so many of our brave men fell, about 500 of the enemy succeeded in getting to close quarters with a picket, which was attacked from three sides. Both the officers were wounded, and every man, with the exception of six, was placed hors-de-combat. A reinforcement to save the post was absolutely necessary, but the message to that effect would have to be taken to the signalling station. Ward volunteered to do this, but , as it meant almost certain death to any attempting it, his gallant offer was at first refused. He, however, insisted on being allowed to go, and with 150 yards of open ground to cross, swept by the heavy rifle-fire of the Boers, succeeded in reaching the signallers. His message delivered, he resolved to return again, risking his life with the object of encouraging his few remaining comrades to maintain their defence, by assuring them that the much needed help was asked for and would soon be at hand. He contrived to reach the hard-pressed post again, but not before being severely wounded. Charles Ward, son of Mr. George Ward, was born at Leeds, July 10th 1877, being educated at Primrose Hill School in that city. On April 29th 1879, he enlisted into the 1st Battalion Torkshire Light Infantry-the old 51st of Peninsula and Waterloo fame-with, which, under Colonel G.P.F. Byng, he served for two years, joining the 2nd Battalion at Wynberg, Cape Colony. Owing to his severe wound he has only two clasps to his medal, Cape Colony and Free State. When he gained the Victoria Cross his Company and Commanding Officers were Captain Wittycombe and Lieut. ?Colonel Barter, C.B., with Major-General A.H. Paget, C.V.O., as Chief. So highly was Ward?s conduct appreciated that the citizens of Leeds, on his discharge from the service, presented him with a testimonial and ?600, together with a commemorative medal in gold by Mr. William Owen.
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