British Regiments at the Front, The Story of Their Battle HonoursHodder, Reginald
History
British Regiments at the Front, The Story of Their Battle Honours
Hodder, Reginald
Great Britain -- History, Military; Great Britain. Army
But Roliça, although the most prominent of their honours, is only one
among many that have been set to their credit. They have more than once
been in a position of extreme peril. When Ruffin's brigade at Barrosa
realised that the Norfolks were cut off through an error on the part of
our Spanish Allies, they turned the whole fury of their overwhelming
odds upon that single regiment. Then it was a case of fighting, and
dying, back to back. All fought like heroes, and, like heroes, most of
them died. It was only when Brigadier Dilkes came to their assistance
that the few survivors were extricated from their hazardous position.
Needless to say, the handful that remained joined at once with Dilkes'
column, and assaulted the enemy's heights. A grim battle ensued, and at
length a brilliant victory was gained.
In the history of the Norfolks is written one of the saddest incidents
in the annals of our arms. It was they who, at Corunna, at dead of
night, buried Sir John Moore, under the shadow of disaster--a sorrowful
ending to an adverse passage which, although it concealed a marvellous
achievement, few of us care to linger upon in days when victory is
before us, and all thoughts of defeat forgotten.
At Fuentes d'Onoro, a description of which battle will be found in
another chapter, the Norfolks, in company with many other regiments of
our present expeditionary force, fought with all their customary vim;
and at Salamanca their assault on the enemy was as if they had been let
go from a catapult. At a time when they were fully 500 yards in front
of our main body of troops, Wellington saw the chance of making use of
them to capture a particular post held by the enemy. He sent his
aide-de-camp scouring up to them with the hurried message: "Ninth! you
are the only regiment ready; advance!" They required no further
indication to grasp what was to be done; in fact, they would probably
have done it in the natural course of events, without the order; they
charged on, and at the point of the irresistible bayonet the post was
taken.
Many a forlorn hope has been led by the Norfolks. One that remains
indelibly stamped on our memory is that at San Sebastian, headed by a
Scots lad, named Campbell. This poor fellow was terribly wounded in the
first onslaught, receiving a bayonet thrust, and a heavy sabre gash.
The young hero was not to die of his wounds however. Very much on the
contrary, he lived to become Sir Colin Campbell, Commander-in-Chief in
India; and, for his splendid services in suppressing the Indian Mutiny
was created Baron Clyde.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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