Heroes
and Villains: Death and Desertion in the British Army 1811 to 1813
By Steve Brown
The following information has been extracted from statistics published
in Parliamentary Papers tabled in 1814. In each instance, I have summarised
the ‘top ten’ battalions which suffered the highest rates
of either death or desertion for the calendar year.
Unfortunately it is not possible to differentiate between deaths from
enemy action and deaths from disease; wherever possible, I have added
comments which might enlighten as to the likely major cause of losses.
Deaths in Regular Army Regiments, 1811
Regiment |
Deaths |
Desertions |
Stations |
Commanding Officer |
Comments |
1/3rd (
East Kent) Regiment of Foot (Buffs) |
283 |
3 |
Portugal
|
Lt. Col. Stewart |
216 killed at Albuera |
1/7th Regiment of Foot (Royal Fuzileers) |
272 |
7 |
Portugal
|
Major Nooth |
65 killed at Albuera |
1/23rd Regiment of Foot (Royal Welsh
Fusiliers) |
251 |
4 |
Portugal
|
Lt. Col. Ellis |
76 killed at Albuera |
1/14th (Bedfordshire) Regiment of Foot |
241 |
1 |
Madras & Java |
Lt. Col. Watson |
Expedition to Java |
1/57th (
West Middlesex) Regiment of Foot |
215 |
2 |
Portugal
|
Col. Inglis |
89 killed at Albuera |
2/11th (
North Devonshire) Regiment of Foot |
211 |
6 |
Gibraltar |
Col. Griffiths |
Fever |
1/40th (2nd Somersetshire) Regiment of
Foot |
196 |
0 |
Portugal
|
Lt. Col. Harcourt |
|
Royal
West India Rangers |
184 |
17 |
Leeward Islands |
Lt. Col. Stewart |
Fever |
1/34th (
Cumberland) Regiment of Foot |
171 |
2 |
Portugal
|
Lt. Col. MacDonnell |
33 killed at Albuera |
29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot |
169 |
9 |
Portugal
|
Lt. Col. Way |
80 killed at Albuera |
Desertions in Regular Army Regiments, 1811
Regiment |
Deaths |
Desertions |
Stations |
Commanding Officer |
Comments |
37th (North Hampshire) Regiment of Foot |
21 |
173 |
Ireland
|
Lt. Col. Spread |
Recruited in
Ireland
on return from WI in 1810 |
Chasseurs Brittanique |
91 |
139 |
Portugal & Cadiz |
Lt. Col. Eustace |
Recruited from French émigrés
and others |
4/1st (Royal) Regiment of Foot |
40 |
138 |
Scotland
|
Lt. Col. Macleod |
In barracks in
Scotland
since formation in 1803 |
Greek Light Infantry |
16 |
118 |
Sicily |
Lt. Col. Church |
Barracks duty in
Mediterranean |
2/90th Regiment of Foot (Perthshire Volunteers)
(Light Infantry) |
14 |
115 |
Ireland
|
Col. Steele |
Long period of barracks duty in
Ireland
|
2/84th (York and Lancaster) Regiment
of Foot |
23 |
101 |
Ireland
|
Lt. Col. Lloyd |
At Walcheren 1809; to
Spain
1813 |
2/59th (2nd Nottinghamshire) Regiment
of Foot |
8 |
97 |
Ireland
|
Lt. Col. Fane |
At Walcheren 1809; to
Cadiz 1812 |
3/27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot |
124 |
92 |
Portugal
|
Lt. Col. Maclean |
In
Peninsula since 1808 |
Brunswick Infantry |
101 |
89 |
Portugal
|
Lt. Col. de Bernewitz |
Recruited partly from mixed POWs |
2nd Light Battalion, King’s German
Legion |
53 |
89 |
Portugal
|
Lt. Col. Halkett |
Recruited partly from German POWs |
Observations for 1811:
The spectre of Albuera hangs over those units recording most deaths
for the year – six out of the ten above were present in either
the Colborne or Fusilier brigades.
It will be noted that most of the regiments with the highest number
of desertions at home were 2nd or later Battalions, stationed in
Ireland
(mainly) having had at least 2 years of sedentary barracks duty. Others
with high desertion rates were recipients of men from foreign sources
with dubious loyalty.
Deaths in Regular Army Regiments, 1812
Regiment |
Deaths |
Desertions |
Stations |
Commanding Officer |
Comments |
1/7th Regiment of Foot (Royal Fuzileers) |
439 |
2 |
Spain
|
Lt. Col. Blakeney |
55 killed at
Badajoz |
1/40th (2nd Somersetshire) Regiment of
Foot |
377 |
2 |
Spain
|
Lt. Col. Harcourt |
85 killed at
Badajoz |
Royal African Corps |
250 |
16 |
Senegal
, Goree etc. |
Lt. Col. Maxwell |
Fever |
1/43rd (Monmouthshire) Regiment of Foot
(Light Infantry) |
249 |
11 |
Spain
|
Lt. Col. Hearn |
77 killed at
Badajoz |
1/11th (
North Devonshire) Regiment of Foot |
240 |
2 |
Spain
|
Lt. Col. Cuyler |
45 killed at
Salamanca |
1/Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards |
232 |
0 |
Spain
|
Lt. Col. Philipps |
57 killed at siege of
Burgos |
1/23rd Regiment of Foot (Royal Welsh
Fusiliers) |
231 |
2 |
Spain
|
Lt. Col. Ellis |
34 killed at
Badajoz |
1/52nd (Oxfordshire) Regiment of Foot
(Light Infantry) |
229 |
7 |
Spain
|
Lt. Col. Colborne |
71 killed at
Badajoz |
74th (
Highland) Regiment of Foot |
228 |
31 |
Spain
|
Lt. Col. Hon. R. Trench |
22 killed at
Badajoz |
1/88th Regiment of Foot (
Connaught Rangers) |
219 |
7 |
Spain
|
Lt. Col. Wallace |
60 killed at
Badajoz |
Desertions in Regular Army Regiments, 1812
Regiment |
Deaths |
Desertions |
Stations |
Commanding Officer |
Comments |
1st Greek Light Infantry |
15 |
215 |
Sicily |
Lt. Col. Church |
Barracks duty in
Mediterranean |
4/1st (Royal) Regiment of Foot |
16 |
202 |
Scotland
|
Major Nixon |
In barracks in
Scotland
since formation in 1803 |
Chasseurs Brittanique |
76 |
171 |
Spain
|
Lt. Col. Eustace |
Recruited from French émigrés
and others |
3/27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot |
221 |
139 |
Spain
|
Lt. Col. Maclean |
4th Division – heavy losses at
Badajoz |
2/84th (York and Lancaster) Regiment
of Foot |
20 |
113 |
Ireland
|
Lt. Col. Lloyd |
At Walcheren 1809; to
Spain
1813 |
Dillon’s Regiment |
14 |
101 |
Sicily & Spain |
Lt. Col. Watson |
Recruited from numerous foreign sources |
2/91st (Argyllshire Highlanders) Regiment
of Foot |
2 |
99 |
Scotland
|
Lt. Col. Ottley |
In barracks in
Scotland
since formation in 1804 |
Glengarry Fencibles |
29 |
94 |
Canada
|
Lt. Col. Battersby |
Newly raised from settlers |
Royal
York Rangers |
80 |
93 |
Leeward Islands |
Lt. Col. Mahon |
In
West Indies since 1809 |
29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot |
26 |
91 |
England
|
Lt. Col. Way |
Home to recruit after Albuera |
Observations for 1812:
In terms of deaths, we see a pattern emerging – one that should
not surprise us; the troops of the Light Division, Picton’s Fighting
Third, and the Fusilier Brigade all feature prominently, in a year
that saw the storming of Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz, and the Battle
of Salamanca.
The Inniskillings could have also appeared in the deaths summary – I
decided to show them in the desertions summary as they leaked men into
the countryside for a second year running. As indeed so did the 4th
Battalion of the Royals, in their ninth consecutive year of barracks
duty in
Scotland
; something the 2/91st also shared in common.
Deaths in Regular Army Regiments, 1813
Regiment |
Deaths |
Desertions |
Stations |
Commanding Officer |
Comments |
1/1st Regiment of Foot Guards |
570 |
0 |
Spain
|
Col. Griffith |
548 died of fever January to July |
1/4th (King's Own) Regiment of Foot |
464 |
7 |
Spain
|
Lt. Col. Brooke |
122 killed at siege of
San Sebastian |
3/1st (Royal) Regiment of Foot |
423 |
12 |
Spain
|
Lt. Col. Barnes |
126 killed at siege of
San Sebastian |
1/5th (Northumberland) Regiment of Foot |
349 |
2 |
Spain
|
Lt. Col. Pratt |
|
1/38th (1st Staffordshire) Regiment of
Foot |
318 |
4 |
Spain
|
Col. Hon. C. Greville |
38 killed at siege of
San Sebastian |
1/82nd Regiment of Foot (Prince of Wales's
Volunteers) |
283 |
7 |
Spain
|
Col. Grant |
|
2/47th (
Lancashire) Regiment of Foot |
282 |
23 |
Spain
|
Major Kelly |
113 killed at siege of
San Sebastian |
1/Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards |
257 |
3 |
Spain
|
Lt. Col. Woodford |
|
1/9th (
East Norfolk) Regiment of Foot |
255 |
6 |
Spain
|
Lt. Col. Cameron |
68 killed at siege of
San Sebastian |
3/1st Regiment of Foot Guards |
248 |
0 |
Spain
|
Col. Lord Proby |
Nearly all fever deaths January to July |
1/7th Regiment of Foot (Royal Fuzileers) |
247 |
4 |
Spain
|
Lt. Col. Blakeney |
53 killed in
Pyrenees July - August |
3/27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot |
241 |
50 |
Spain
|
Lt. Col. Maclean |
61 killed in
Pyrenees July - August |
Desertions in Regular Army Regiments, 1813
Regiment |
Deaths |
Desertions |
Stations |
Commanding Officer |
Comments |
Chasseurs Britanniques |
124 |
224 |
Spain
|
Lt. Col. Eustace |
Recruited from French émigrés
and others |
1st Greek Light Infantry |
16 |
162 |
Sicily |
Lt. Col. Oswald |
Barracks duty in
Mediterranean |
2nd Italian Regiment |
33 |
137 |
Spain
|
Lt. Col. Grant |
Raised from Italian POWs |
4/1st (Royal) Regiment of Foot |
24 |
126 |
Scotland
|
Lt. Col. Muller |
In barracks in
Scotland
since formation in 1803 |
Dillon’s Regiment |
41 |
126 |
Sicily & Spain |
Lt. Col. Watson |
Recruited from numerous foreign sources |
Royal
York Rangers |
74 |
109 |
Leeward Islands |
Lt. Col. Mahon |
|
Glengarry Fencibles |
65 |
106 |
Canada
|
Lt. Col. Battersby |
Recruited from settlers |
5/60th (Royal American) Regiment of Foot
(Rifles) |
72 |
102 |
Spain
|
Col. Keane |
Recruited from German POWs |
33rd (1st
Yorkshire West Riding) Regiment of Foot |
9 |
90 |
England
&
Germany
|
Col. Gore |
Recruited heavily on return from
India
in 1811 |
2/73rd (
Highland) Regiment of Foot |
8 |
76 |
England
&
Germany
|
Lt. Col. Harris |
In barracks since 1809 |
Observations for 1813:
I expanded the deaths listing to twelve – so I could fit in
those heroic rapscallions of the 27th!
Note that the 7th (Royal Fuzileers) feature for all three years – a
total of 958 deaths (for an establishment of 1015 men!) – but
only 15 desertions.
The 1st Foot Guards experienced a horrific fever plague whilst stationed
in
Oporto during the first half of the year.
The Chasseurs Britanniques appear high on the list of deserters all
three years, thus proving their historical reputation in this area.
One can only assume that Lt. Col. Eustace was bald by late 1813! 534
deserters in 3 years was nearly half its establishment.
The 33rd was the Duke of Wellington’s old regiment; the 2/73rd
was another regiment that had languished in barracks at home for some
years. Both of these regiments went on to serve with distinction at
Waterloo.
Total Deaths and Desertions for the Period
Total figures for deaths and desertions for the period were as follows;
Year |
Total Army Establishment |
Deaths (% Establishment) |
Desertions (% Establishment) |
1811 |
234,594 |
13,476 (5.75%) |
5,072 (2.16%) |
1812 |
243,885 |
16,409 (6.73%) |
6,001 (2.46%) |
1813 |
255,876 |
18,015 (7.05%) |
6,284 (2.45%) |
Therefore on average the British Army could expect to lose one man
in forty to desertion; one man in fifteen died.
Sources:
House of Commons; Parliamentary Papers.
London; 1814.
Burnham, Robert. The British Army in the Napoleonic Wars: Manpower
Stretched to the Limits? Napoleon Series.
Norman, C.B. Battle Honours of the British Army.
Devon: David & Charles; 1971.
Placed on the Napoleon Series: August 2009
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