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The regiment was founded in 1685 by James
II in response to the threat posed by the Monmouth rebellion. The
Regiment was subsequently involved in the wars in Ireland, it fought
with the Duke of Marlborough in the low countries, in time it went
on to the American War of Independence and the war of the Spanish
Succession.
The first battalion of the regiment landed in the Peninsula in
August 1808 and distinguished itself at the battle of Vimiero, at
Corunna the Regiment was the last to leave Spanish soil. After the
disastrous Walcheren expedition we returned to join Wellesley’s army
and then fought at every major stage of the campaign right through
to Bayonne in 1814.
The Regiment was very much at the fore during the siege and storming
of San Sebastian in 1813. As the Regiment had been sent to Canada in
1814 after the end of the Peninsula campaign we were not involved in
the battles of the Waterloo campaign but we arrived back in Europe
in time to participate in the occupation of France before returning
to home in 1818.
Our re-enactment unit depicts a centre company of the 1/9th, one of
Wellington’s heavy infantry battalions in the Peninsula. We seek to
recreate as much as possible the life of “the scum of the earth”
around about the year 1810. We are heavily involved in both living
history and battle re-enactment and we seek to achieve a high degree
of realism in both these fields.
The 9th also portray
69eme de Ligne, Voltigeurs
Website:
www.69eme.net
We portray the 69eme
around the period 1804/10. nicknamed the "the black regiment" due to
their dark blue uniform. On 28th April 1808 they received two golden
laurel wreaths from the city of Paris. Followed by a new eagle
presented on 16th August 1813.
1st Bn raised on 20 May 1651, 2nd Bn on the 1st March 1654.
Pre-revolutionary infantry regiments consist of 2 battalions;
grenadiers and fusilier which changed during the revolution and
again shortly after. In 1803/4 line battalions were modified and
standardised into 3 or 4 battalions, fusiliers, voltigeurs and
grenadier.
On their return from North Africa in 1803 as part of the Armée
d'Orient there next major engagement was Elchingen in 1805 followed
by Ulm. 1806, Jena. 1807 Eylau, Friedland 1809, Austria; Ebersberg,
Lugo, Essling, Pouteaux, Wagram. 1810 Busacco. 1811Fuentes de Onoro.
1812 Salamanca. 1813 Spain and Saxony; Lutzen, Wurschen, Dresden,
Leipzip, Nivelle River, Bayonne. 1814 Bayonne and Luxemburg, Othez,
Aire, Toulouse. 1815 Ligny. |
