This battle honour is borne by the Shropshire Light Infantry, and commemorates the gallant defence of this town by the old 53rd Foot, when besieged for ten days by a force of 12,000 French troops, under Vandamme, who later became one of Napoleon's most famous Marshals. With the 53rd were associated some artillery, a half-company of the Black Watch, and two Hessian battalions--all told, some 1,300 men; but the honours of the defence rested with a regiment which throughout its career has ever borne the highest reputation for steady gallantry. CASUALTIES. +---------------------+-----------+-----------+ | |_Officers._| _Men._ | | _Regiments._ +-----+-----+-----+-----+ | | K. | W. | K. | W. | +---------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+ |42nd Black Watch | - | - | - | 3 | |53rd Shropshire L.I. | 1 | 1 | 12 | 32 | +---------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+ VILLERS-EN-COUCHES, APRIL 24, 1794. This is one of the four honours which the 15th Hussars has alone the privilege of wearing. It records the gallantry of the regiment practically under the eyes of the Austrian Emperor, when two squadrons of the 15th charged side by side with the Austrian Leopold Hussars, overthrowing a vastly superior body of the French, taking three guns, and sabring, it is claimed, some 1,200 of the enemy. The eight officers of the regiment were awarded the coveted distinction of the Maria Theresa Order. CASUALTIES AT VILLERS-EN-COUCHES. +------------------+-----------+-----------+ | |_Officers._| _Men._ | | _Regiments._ +-----+-----+-----+-----+ | | K. | W. | K. | W. | +------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+ | 3rd Drag. Gds. | - | - | 38 | 2 | | 1st R. Dragoons | - | - | 1 | 2 | | 11th Hussars | - | - | 1 | - | | 15th Hussars | - | 1 | 17 | 12 | +------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+ BEAUMONT, APRIL 26, 1794. This honour, which was not conferred until the year 1909, is borne by the Royal Horse Guards. 1st Royal Dragoons. 1st King's Dragoon Guards. 7th Hussars. 3rd Dragoon Guards. 11th Hussars. 5th Dragoon Guards. 16th Lancers.