Rifle Brigade

History

Formation

On 17 January 1800 the Experimental Corps of Riflemen was raised by Colonel Coote Manningham and Lieutenant-colonel William Stewart, drawn from officers and other ranks from drafts of a variety of British Army regiments. The Corps differed in several regards from the line infantry of the British Army and most significantly were armed with the formidable Baker rifle. The rifle was remarkably accurate in an era when it was generally considered impractical for individual soldiers to aim at specific targets. Riflemen wore dark green jackets rather than the bright red coats of the British line infantry regiments of that time, close-fitting pantaloons rather than breeches, black facings and black belts rather than white and a green plume on their "stovepipe shakoes".

Four months after its formation, the Experimental Corps of Riflemen was judged ready for its first operation. On 25 August 1800, three regimental companies under Stewart spearheaded a British amphibious landing at Ferrol where the Rifles helped to dislodge the Spanish defenders on the heights. Despite this, the expedition was defeated and withdrew on 26 August 1800. In April 1801, one company of the Experimental Corps of Riflemen, under the command of Captain Sidney Beckwith, took part in the Battle of Copenhagen, as marksmen aboard the British warships under Vice-Admiral of the Blue Sir Horatio Nelson. During the battle, the regiment suffered one lieutenant killed, its first officer to fall, and two other ranks killed and six wounded, several of whom died of their wounds.

As the 95th Regiment

In 1802, the regiment was renamed the Rifle Corps and in January 1803 was renamed again to the 95th Regiment of Foot (Rifles). In 1803, the 95th moved to Shorncliffe Army Camp in Kent, where it underwent light infantry training, along with the 43rd and 52nd Regiments of Foot, under the tutelage of Manningham and Sir John Moore; the latter, like the 95th, would gain fame during the Peninsular War. In 1805, a 2nd Battalion was raised at Canterbury, Kent, and later in the year the 1st/95th deployed to Germany as part of a British expedition under Lord Cathcart to liberate Hanover from French occupation. The 95th subsequently formed the advance guard on the way to Bremen. In February 1806, the 95th formed the rearguard for the withdrawal to Cuxhaven and subsequently returned home to Britain.

In October 1806, five companies of the 1st/95th and three companies of the 2nd/95th departed for Spanish-controlled South America, Spain then being allied with France. It was part of a second invasion force that was designed as reinforcements for the first invasion against Buenos Aires, launched earlier in 1806 by Sir Home Popham without the Government's knowledge.

The 2nd/95th, as part of Brigadier-general Sir Samuel Auchmuty's force, took part in the siege and subsequent storming of Montevideo, in what is now Uruguay, and which saw Montevideo captured on 3 February 1807, after clearing the surrounding area of Spanish troops in January. The 95th subsequently saw action at Colonia against a Spanish force that had crossed from Buenos Aires; the Rifles held off the force until it could be repulsed, with the 95th gaining much praise from Auchmuty for their part in the defeat of the Spanish force. The 95th subsequently saw action in June at San Pedro where they, the 40th and light companies, fought against the Spanish force that had crossed from Buenos Aires and defeated them.

Lieutenant-general John Whitelocke, the newly arrived overall commander, subsequently launched an ill-advised and mismanaged assault on Buenos Aires in which the companies of both battalions of the 95th were involved as part of the Light Brigade, commanded by Robert Craufurd. During the assault on Buenos Aires on 5 July, the 95th and the rest of the British force suffered heavy casualties in bitter fighting to capture the city. The Light Brigade had suffered casualties so heavily that they had to take refuge in a church and were surrendered soon after Whitelocke surrendered his force. After Whitelocke negotiated the withdrawal of British forces, the men were released and they returned home later that year. The 95th would go on to fight for near the entirety of the Peninsular War in Spain. In the aftermath of the disastrous expedition, Popham and Whitelocke were court-martialed, with Popham reprimanded and Whitelocke dismissed from the Army.

As the Rifle Brigade

At the end of the Napoleonic Wars, the size of the British Army was reduced; in line with precedent the more recently formed regiments were disbanded first. The unique skills of the 95th were considered too valuable to lose so the 95th, having seen distinguished service in the Napoleonic Wars, was taken out of line of the British Army and became the "Rifle Brigade" on 23 February 1816 (the number was reassigned eight years later to the newly formed county regiment of the 95th (Derbyshire) Regiment of Foot). The Duke of Wellington became Colonel-in-Chief of the regiment in 1820 and served until his death.

In 1852 HRH Prince Albert, the Prince Consort took over the role of colonel-in-chief. When the Crimean War broke out in 1853 the Rifle Brigade sent two battalions which fought at the Battle of the Alma, where one of the battalions led the advance across the Alma River in September 1854. The regiment also saw action at the Battle of Inkerman in November 1854 and at the Siege of Sevastopol in winter 1854. Eight members of the regiment were awarded Victoria Crosses during the Crimean War. The regiment was deployed again as part of the Indian Rebellion and saw action at the Siege of Lucknow in autumn 1857. It was granted the title "The Prince Consort's Own Rifle Brigade" in honour of its colonel-in-chief on 17 January 1862.

In 1866, Private Timothy O'Hea of the 1st Battalion, was awarded the Victoria Cross for an act of bravery in peacetime, while his unit was stationed in the Province of Canada. On 9 June 1866, at Danville, Canada East, on the main railway between Montreal and Quebec City, a fire broke out in a car containing 2,000 pounds (910 kg) of ammunition. Despite the extreme danger, O'Hea took charge of extinguishing the fire and saved many lives.

The regiment also took part in the Battle of Ali Masjid in November 1878 during the Second Anglo-Afghan War, the Mahsud Waziri expedition in 1881, the Third Anglo-Burmese War in 1885, the Fourth Anglo-Ashanti War in 1895 and the Mahdist War in 1898.

The 1st and 2nd Battalions were both deployed to South Africa in 1899, at the outbreak of the Second Boer War (1899–1902). The 1st Battalion saw action at the Battle of Colenso in December 1899 and Battle of Vaal Krantz in February 1900. The 2nd Battalion took part in the Siege of Ladysmith in late 1899 and early 1900. Both battalions stayed in South Africa until the end of the war. 367 officers and men of the 1st battalion left Cape Town on the SS Orissa, which arrived at Southampton in late October 1902, when the battalion was stationed at Portsmouth. 990 officers and men of the 2nd battalion left Port Natal on the SS Malta in September 1902 for a new posting in Egypt. The 4th Battalion was also stationed in South Africa at some point during the war, and 900 men returned home on the SS Ortona in January 1903. The 5th, Militia Battalion, was embodied in 1900, and served in South Africa until 700 men of the battalion returned home on the SS Avondale Castle in September 1902.

Amalgamations

The 1st Battalion was renamed the 3rd Green Jackets, The Rifle Brigade in 1958 and was amalgamated with the 1st Green Jackets (43rd and 52nd) and the King's Royal Rifle Corps to form the Royal Green Jackets on 1 January 1966.

Regimental museum

The regimental collection is held by the Royal Green Jackets (Rifles) Museum which is based at Peninsula Barracks in Winchester.

Battle honours

The regiment was awarded the following battle honours:

Copenhagen, Monte Video, Rolica, Vimiera, Corunna, Busaco, Barrosa, Fuentes d'Onor, Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz, Salamanca, Vittoria, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive, Orthes, Toulouse, Peninsula, Waterloo, South Africa 1846–47, South Africa 1851–2–3, Alma, Inkerman, Sevastopol, Lucknow, Ashantee 1873–74, Ali Masjid, Afghanistan 1878–79, Burma 1885–87, Khartoum, Defence of Ladysmith, Relief of Ladysmith, South Africa 1899–1902

The Great War (21 battalions): Le Cateau, Retreat from Mons, Marne 1914, Aisne 1914 '18, Armentières 1914, Neuve Chapelle, Ypres 1915 '17, Gravenstafel, St. Julien, Frezenberg, Bellewaarde, Aubers, Hooge 1915, Somme 1916 '18, Albert 1916 '18, Bazentin, Delville Wood, Guillemont, Flers-Courcelette, Morval, Le Transloy, Ancre Heights, Ancre 1916 '18, Arras 1917 '18, Vimy 1917, Scarpe 1917 '18, Arleux, Messines 1917, Pilckem, Langemarck 1917, Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Broodseinde, Poelcappelle, Passchendaele, Cambrai 1917 '18, St. Quentin, Rosières, Avre, Villers Bretonneux, Lys, Hazebrouck, Béthune, Drocourt-Quéant, Hindenburg Line, Havrincourt, Canal du Nord, Selle, Valenciennes, Sambre, France and Flanders 1914–18, Macedonia 1915–18

The Second World War: Calais 1940, Villers Bocage, Odon, Bourguébus Ridge, Mont Pincon, Le Perier Ridge, Falaise, Antwerp, Hechtel, Nederrijn, Lower Maas, Roer, Leese, Aller, North-West Europe 1940 '44–45, Egyptian Frontier 1940, Beda Fomm, Mersa el Brega, Agedabia, Derna Aerodrome, Tobruk 1941, Sidi Rezegh 1941, Chor es Sufan, Saunnu, Gazala, Knightsbridge, Defence of Alamein Line, Ruweisat, Alam el Halfa, El Alamein, Tebaga Gap, Medjez el Bab, Kassarine, Thala, Fondouk, Fondouk Pass, El Kourzia, Djebel Kournine, Tunis, Hammam Lif, North Africa 1940–43, Cardito, Cassino II, Liri Valley, Melfa Crossing, Monte Rotondo, Capture of Perugia, Monte Malbe, Arezzo, Advance to Florence, Gothic Line, Orsara, Tossigniano, Argenta Gap, Fossa Sembalina, Italy 1943–45

Notable members

John Baird – Rifleman and revolutionary.

Thomas Sydney Beckwith – Officer in the 95th, served in the Peninsular War.

Rowland Fraser, Scotland internationalist, killed while serving with the brigade.

James Fullarton – Officer who saw action at the Battle of Waterloo

William Green – Rifleman and author.

Benjamin Randell Harris – Rifleman and author.

Major-General Sir Henry Havelock – Officer of the 95th, later prominent in India.

Sir John Kincaid (1787 – 1862) Officer of the 95th who wrote a first hand account of his service under Wellington.

Alfred Mendes - author and grandfather of director Sam Mendes

David Niven – Lieutenant and actor.

Thomas Plunket – Rifleman who shot a French general

Sir Harry Smith, 1st Baronet – Officer of the 95th at Badajoz and Waterloo.