A Brief History of the King's Royal Rifle Corps — John Shaqi
A Brief History of the King's Royal Rifle Corps
History
A Brief History of the King's Royal Rifle Corps
Great Britain. Army. King's Royal Rifle Corps
On August the 18th, upon the arrival of _Sir Garnet Wolseley_, it
embarked for Ismailia, and took part in the actions of Tel-el-Mahuta on
the 25th, and Kassassin on the 9th of September, when the enemy, about
13,000 strong, was completely defeated.
[Sidenote: Sept. 13th, 1882, TEL-EL-KEBIR.]
The Battalion, temporarily commanded by Major Ogilvy,[50] formed part of
the 4th Brigade under Colonel Ashburnham, which had been organised for
the night march of the 12th–13th September and the assault of the lines
of Tel-el-Kebir at daylight. The Brigade forming the support of the
Highland Brigade closed up at the beginning of the battle as day began
to dawn, and gave a timely assistance in the assault of the enemy’s
lines. The Battalion in two lines pressed eagerly forward with its
accustomed dash, and entered the Egyptian works at about the centre of
the position, where Major Cramer, second in Command, was wounded, and
had his horse shot under him. After an ebb and flow of strenuous bayonet
fighting the enemy gave way on all sides, and, suffering great losses,
were broken and dispersed in headlong flight. Two days later Cairo was
captured, and the war ended, upon which the Battalion formed part of the
army of occupation.
[Sidenote: 1884, EL TEB, TAMAI.]
In February, 1884, the Battalion, under Ashburnham, was ordered to
Suakim, where it served in a Brigade under that distinguished Rifleman,
Major-General Sir Redvers Buller,[51] as part of _General Sir Gerald
Graham’s_ force. On the 29th of February it took part in the defeat of
the Dervishes at El Teb, and on the 13th of March it was present at the
critical battle of Tamai. The troops were in two squares, one under _Sir
Gerald Graham_, commanding the force, the other under Buller. _Graham’s_
square was broken, and in the confusion some of its men poured a volley
into Buller’s, causing one face to run in. Sir Redvers at once rode
outside the square, and, with great coolness, rallied his men. By
restoring the formation he undoubtedly staved off a terrible disaster,
for, had the square been really broken, nothing could have saved the
army. This action ended the Campaign.
[Sidenote: MOUNTED INFANTRY.]
The history of the 3rd Battalion at this period would not be complete
without reference to the introduction of Mounted Infantry into the
British Army. It may be fairly said that the creation of Mounted
Infantry, the establishment of a recognised system for its training, and
the development of its tactics, is largely the work of Officers and
Riflemen of the 60th, and in a very special degree of the 3rd Battalion.
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