Egypt
(Includes
the landing at Aboukir bay, Mandora, Roman Camp, and Alexandria)
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THE
BACKGROUND
The
objective of the expedition to Egypt was to drive the French out of the
country, to restore it to its rightful owners, the Turks, and to
safeguard our Indian possessions, which were threatened by attempts
on the part of Bonaparte to enter into alliances with the
independent Princes in Hindoostan. The Command of the Army was
entrusted to Sir Ralph ABERCROMBY, an officer who possessed the
confidence of the Army and of the Country
The
landing was to take place on the 8th March 1801
The 28th (North
Gloucestershire) Regiment
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THE
LANDING AT ABOUKIR BAY 8th March 1801
The
landing place lay about a dozen miles east of Alexandria and
the initial wave of 6000 men were tasked to make a bridgehead
for the remainder of the force. In the darkness the soldiers
took their places, in silence, 50 men to each boat, every man
with three days rations and sixty rounds of ammunition. By
half past three the boats started to row towards the shore.
The first flight of boats took the reserve brigade under
MOORE. The reserve was made up of, from left to right the 40th,
23rd, 28th, 58th and the Corsican
Rangers. The line paused for a short while out of French gun
range, then on the given signal from Captain COCHRANE R.N.
they immediately came under fire, but were supported by
British gunboats on each flank. Some boats were hit and sank,
in others men were killed. On hitting the beach the 28th
formed up, received orders to prime and load, then advanced up
the heavy sand hills, on the top of which the enemy were
posted. In front of the 28th were planted two six-pounder
guns, which much annoyed the Regiment. Captain BROWN, who
commanded the grenadiers put his men at the battery, and
charged with the bayonet, took the guns with 16 horses, two
ammunition wagons, and two tumbrils. The whole action took
twenty minutes and the beachhead formed.
ABERCROMBYS
dispatch to London Read: -
“It
is impossible to pass over to good order in which the 28th and
42nd Regiments landed under the command of Brigadier –
General OAKES,
who was attached to the reserve under Major – General
MOORE”
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MANDORA
13th March 1801 (Includes ROMAN CAMP)
Mandora
was a prelude to the Battle of Alexandria. On the 12th
March the Army moved forward in two columns, the reserve were
on the right flank led by the 28th. The French were in a
position across the isthmus about 6000 in number, with good
cavalry and artillery support. A running fight developed with
the French finally driven back to a position under the guns of
Alexandria. ABERCROMBY called a halt and consolidated his
position across the isthmus, with his right flank on the
Mediterranean shore and his left on the edge of the dried up
lake Mareotis. During this action the 28th leading the column
on the right flank fought forward step by step under artillery
fire. At this point the 28th took up a position and dug in
sleeping holes until they received tents on the 20th.
They remained under arms all the time with everything being
quiet apart from minor skirmishing and piquet's. They were in
this position when the Battle of Alexandria started.
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ALEXANDRIA 21st March 1801
On
the 20th of March the 28th Regiment received their tents,
which they pitched in front of the sleeping holes referred to above,
and it was in this position about half an hour before daylight on
the 21st, just as the men were standing to at their posts
that the great French attack began. The scene was very confusing,
the darkness was pierced with the flash of muskets, and there was a
general din of battle – The urgent rolling of drums and the
shouting of men.
The
28th were located in an unfinished redoubt in front of the old
ruins, and it was against this redoubt that the French launched a
brigade of picked troops led by Napoleons ‘Invincibles’. Four
columns were thrown against the 28th, they withstood shock after
shock which was sustained for four hours, fresh infantry and Calvary
followed but all were repulsed. After this assault had failed the
French commander sent his 3rd and 14th
Dragoons up a slight valley to the left of the redoubt in order to
take the 28th from the rear. Having charged through the 42nd
(Black Watch) they swung towards the rear of the 28th, but this
attack was effectively brought to a halt in the pre dug sleeping
holes and tents of the Regiment. The attack was beaten of.
The
attack on the redoubt was violent and desperate and the French had
broken through on both sides, but were driven off by the 28th on
each occasion.
The
French repeated the flanking tactic with a fresh Calvary and a
ferocious attack developed towards the rear of the 28th. At this
point Lt Col CHAMBER, who had taken over from the wounded PAGET gave
the historic order…
“REAR
RANK, 28th RIGHT ABOUT FACE”
The
rear rank turned around and fired a volley as steady as any in that
long battle; those that did get through were met with the bayonet.
After the threat from the rear diminshed the rear rank faced the
front, and resumed their fire in that direction. Those without
ammunition threw stones!!!
After
this the French became a spent force and retreated to Alexandria.
During the Battle ABERCROMBY lost his life and the Commanding
Officer Lt Col PAGET received serious wounds.
The
Back badge came from this action and is worn by the Royal
Gloucestershire Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment to this day.
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The 61st
(South Gloucestershire) Regiment
THE DESERT MARCH
A
further addition had been made to the British Army in the shape of a
Division, which had been dispatched from India under the command of
Sir David BAIRD. A number of companies of the 61st (South
Gloucestershire) Regiment joined this force. They marched to Keneh,
on the upper Nile, a distance of 130 Miles across open desert in
July. The objective of this exercise was to join up with ABERCROMBYS
army in Egypt. The 61st made this epic march in two detachments
losing only one man in the process, Drummer MILES; discipline was
maintained on the march when Colonel BARLOW had the drums beating
for half an hour to encourage the stragglers, and to lead them in.
This continued until the 21st July when the force reached
Moila. The march lasted for ten days after which the two detachments
of the 61st were reunited; they then went down the Nile in boats,
and onto Aboumandour. The 61st remained in Egypt until 1803 on
Garrison duty
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Miscellaneous
Historical Information
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To commemorate our victory over the
French in the Egyptian Campaign of 1801, a badge of “The Sphinx”
was granted to over 40 regiments that were engaged. The odd thing
about the Sphinx approved for adoption is that it is not an Egyptian
Sphinx, but one of Graeco-Roman pattern. A correct example of an
Egyptian Sphinx that of Thothmes 111 at Cairo, is in the Egyptian
Gallery of the British Museum. It has a beard, but no bearded
Sphinxes as badges have the tail over the back.
The 61st (South Gloucestershire)
Regiment arrived to late to play an active part against the
French.
The Regiment was awarded the honour ‘Egypt’ and the right to
wear the Sphinx on its badge and colours
The 28th (North Gloucestershire)
Regiment together with the 27th, 30th and
the 58th applied later for a separate Battle honour
of Alexandria, this was refused, but the 28th later gained the
right to the ‘Back Badge’
The privilege of inscribing the
colours with battle honours dates back to 1768 and the first
honour to be carried by the 28th and the 61st was the word EGYPT
over a sphinx within a laurel wreath, which was a distinction
granted to all the regiments that took part in this campaign.
Subsequently permission was given to add the earlier Battle
Honours.
Fuller information regarding the
Campaign in Egypt can be found in the ‘Cap of Honour’ by
David Scott DANIELL or at the Gloucestershire Regimental Museum at
Gloucester
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Regiments
entitled to distinction Egypt (With the Sphinx)
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On July 6th, 1802, the distinction was
conferred by King George Third, on the Regiments named below, “As
a distinguished mark of his Majesty’s Royal approbation, and as a
lasting memorial of the glory acquired to his Majesty’s arms by
the zeal, discipline, and intrepidity of his troops in that arduous
and important campaign”
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11th
Hussars
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12th
Lancers
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Coldstream
Guards
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Scots
Guards
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Royal
Scots
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Queens
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Kings
Liverpool
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Lincolcolns
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Somerset
Light Infantry
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Royal
Irish
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Lancashire
Fusiliers
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Royal
Welsh Fusiliers
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South
Wales Borderers
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Cameronions
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Inniskilling
Fusiliers
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Gloucestershire
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East
Lancashire
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Dorset’s
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South
Staffords
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Royal
Highlanders
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South
Lancashire
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Northampton’s
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Essex
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Royal
West Kent
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Manchester’s
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Cameron
Highlanders
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Royal
Irish Rifles
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Gordon
Highlanders
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Connaught
Rangers
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Royal
Irish Fusiliers
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102nd
King Edwards Own Grenadiers
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2nd
Queens Own Sappers and Miners
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113th
Infantry
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