38

INTRODUCTIONThe Egyptian campaign of 1801 was, for the British Army, swiftand startlingly succ€ssful.

After a seri€s of r€heanals at Mamarie Bay in Asia Minorthe British vanguard led by Major General Sir John Moore (thefutu.e victor of Corunna) stormed ashore at Aboukir Bay odMarch 8th.' The Army had already been divided into Brigadesand in the initial landings Moore's Reserve Bdgade lost 31officers and 642 other ranks killed and wounded - hearycasualties, particularly when compared to the rest of thecanpaign. (See Tables 4 & 5.)

The march on Alexandria, which began on March 13th waseffected in three columns:

The Right, pamlel to the Sea - S John Moorc's ReserveThe Centre - Craddock's, Cooke's and the Guards' Brigades

led by the 9fth Foot.The Left - Cavan's & Stuan's Brigades plus one battalion of

Marines ftom the fleet, led by the 92nd Foot.The fbst encounter with the French Army took place at

Mandora on the first day of the march and cost Abercromby 60officeE and 153 other ranks killed - the high proportion ofofficen lost is interesting, but I have no explanation for it. Boththe 90th and the 92nd received "Mandora" as a battle honourfor this action.

Ofle of the geat€st problems for Abercromby at this time wasthe shortage of horses, as Table 1 shows. This problem was notrectified until after the Battle of Ale&ndria when theMamelukes joined Abercromby in increasing numbers. Esti-dates put thef numbers at about 2,m0 cavalry ftrlus some2-3,000 Turkish foot) by April 5th, and another body of over2,000 cavalry joined in May. These numbers are substantialwhen it is realised that the whole Army numbered barely 15,000effectives at the outset of the campaign.

It makes an interesting footnote to this successful campaign tonote that after ejecting the Frcnch Eg]'pt was rctumed toTurkish hands - only for the Government to attempt to seize itback in 1807. The latter campaign was not, to understate itsomewhat, a great success and Eg)?t remained part of theTurkish Empire.

ORGANISATIONThe theoretical establishment of a battalion of Foot (for the fell/Horse in Egypt see Table 3) was 10 centre compadies, and t\toflank companies (one grenadier and one light), plus a smalBattalion staff.

Each Company had, again theoretically (and Table 3 sho\rshow far apafi were iheory and rcality), 4 offic€rs, 5 sergeants, 2drummers, 5 coryorals and 95 privates.

TJNIFORMS

THE BRITISH ARMY IN EGYPTby Stephen Ede-Borrett

adopted these during the campaign. The tbr€e battalions ofSepoys from India wore no trousers or breeches but a peculiarwhite breech cloth affair which came down only to the top of thethigh.

Officially officers *ere supposed to wear the cocked hat still,but contemporary illustrations and accounts mate it clear thatthe geat majority quickly adopted the round hat, which wasalso wom by all ranks of tbe 61st Foot (ftom the Cape) and the20th. 24th. 25th and 26th Foot from lndia and De Roll's. Theother battalions in the main wore the 1800 patt€m stovepipeshako, although again there is some evidence for the round hatbeing wom or adopted by battalions not origmally issued with it.Many grenadier companies, the fusilier regiments and drum-me|s in most regim€nts wore the grcnadier cap. Plumes werewhite over red for the centre companies, green for the lightcompanies and *hile for grenadier compades.

Th€ Highland regiments, as might be expected, wore kilt andbonnet with the shorter doublet-like coat.

De Watteville's had a dark green coat with black collar andcufls and green tumbacks edged black. The cut of this coat wassimilar to that of the Austrian Army of this time - or inde€d tothe Kleber Ordinance Coat.2 The breeches *ere bdght blue and1lom with short cali length black gaiters. The regimental shakowas also unique being light gey, very slight bell-shaped, atrdwith a black edge-braided yellow band around the lower third.Grenadiers had a red cockade and loop with a white feather.The light company had this all in geen, the cente companies allblack.

The Chassews Britannique's uniform comprised a dark geencoat in a style that is best described like that wom by the Duchyof Wa aw troops in c18078, gr€y breeches with shon blackgaite6, and a black stovepipe shako. All belts, etc. were black,all buttons and plates silver or pewler. The regrment was issuedwith rifles and was true light inJantry. Ofhcers wore the roundhat.3

The Corsican Rangers were another unit of rifle armed ligbtinJanEy and again drcssed accotdingly. In app€arance theuniform was effectively ttat of the 60th Foot, but with r€dfacings to the coat. Breech€s wer€ gley and the belts, etc. black.A1l buttons w€re silver/pewter.4

lrwenstein's Jasers is a more obscure unit. It was also riflearmed tight inlantry and so probably wore a uniform akin to thatof the Corsican Rangers, although it is known to have womround hats throughout the Eglptian campaign. The coat wasdark grey-geen, faced green with all belts black and buttons theusual silver/pewter. Breeches werc grey-green and wom withshort black gaitels.

The artilery wore blue coats faced red. A uniform littledifferent from that wom in the Peninsula.

The Light Dragoon regiments which served with Aberoom-by were uniformed in a blue jacket with regimental facings oncollar. cuffs and tumbacks and lac€ across the front. Headwearwas the Tarleton' helmet.s Belts, etc. were white, as were thebreeches. The sadallecloth was edged in regimental facingcolour. (See Table 6 for d€tails of facings.)

Hompesch's Mounted Rifles or Light Dragooos was lhe onlyforeigD cavalry regiment to serve with Ab€rcromby and itsuniJorm was quite unusual. The j acket was mid green with a redplastron ftont, collar and cuffs. Red breeches and stovepip€shako, with a white and ted plume. Black belts, buttons, etc.yellow. The shabraque was green with a red van-Dyked edge.

Nearly all the battahons of Foot engaged in EgyPt, includingDillon's, Stuart's Minorcans, De Roll's and the Sepoys, worcred coats of the nomal 'Napoleonic' cut - Tabl€ 6 sets outderails of facings. etc.

Most units wore white or light grey trousers over, or m placeof, white breeches and short black gaiters De Roll's, andpo$sibly the 61st, wore gleyor *hile Saiter lrcusers suchashadbeen DoDular durinq lhe American War o[ IndePetrdencewentvvears earlier --tbere is alsolhe possibility lhat olher units

Table IThe Cavalry upon Dis€mbarkation, March Eth, t801Reimml Otrc€rs NCO'5 & M€n Hors€s

6l128131

lllh Light Dragoons (6) 4 5512th Lighr Dragoons 8 5n26th Light Dragoos 19 413(Plus an atlocation of 64 ho$es for the artilery.)

Table 2The Army's organisation upon dis€mbarkrtion, March 8th l80lCommander in Chief: Sir R.lph Abe.crombyCavalry Brigsdel11th Light Dragoons. one troop (attached to bdgade only)12th Light Dragoons26th Light DragoonsHompes€h's Mounted Rifles (2 or 3 Troops only present)Gusrds Bri$de - Mqior G€neral Ludlow1st Battalion Coldstream Regt. of Footguards1st Battalion 3rd Regt. oI Footguardslst Brigad€ - Major General Coote2nd Battalion lst or Royal Regt. of Foot1st Battalion 54th (West Norfolk) Foot2nd Battalion 54th (West norfolk) Foot92nd (Highland) Foot2nd Brigade - Mqjor G€neral Craddock8th (The Kingt Regimen0 Footl31h (lst Somersetshire) FootlSth (The Royal l.ish) Foot90th Perthshire Volunteen3d Brigad€ - Mqior General Lord cavan50th (West Kent) Foot79th Foot (Cameronian Volunteen)4th Brigade - Mqior C€n€ral DoJleznd or Queen's Own Royal Regt. of Foot30th (Canbridgeshire) Foot,'4th (East Essex) Foot89th Foot

sth Brigade - Major G€n€ral Joh Stu.rtStuart's Minorcan RegimentDe Roll's Swiss Regiment of InfantryEdward Dillon's Emig6 Regiment of InfanrryRes€rve Brigad€ - Sir John Moor€8rd (Royal Wetch Fusili€n)28th (North Gloucestershire) Foot42nd (The Royal Highland) Foot58th (Rurlandshire) Foor40th (2nd Somersetshire) Foot - 4 companies onlyConican RangersAn ery:24 x 6pdr guns in 4 batteries16 x 12 pdr guns in 3 batteries6 x 5%" howitzersSicge Train:4 x 12pdr guns20 x 24pdr guns2 x 10" howitze$10 x 8" howitzen18 x 5%" monars10 x 8" monars12 x 10' monars

De Watteville's Swiss Regiment of infantry, Irwenstein,sJage6 and The Chassews Britannique arrived a couple of daysafter the initial force - the first two went into Stuart's brigadeand the Chasseurs into Moore's.

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NOTES

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ro.irgs O.t.s t@Red WhiteBuff White

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1. Th€ date of March 4th given in me French Campaign iDEqWL Palt I (w1.34) is, after fiuther research, incorecl.

2. A good account of this rcgiment and its uniform appears inMilitary ModeliDg, Augtst 1981 .

3. See Military Mode ing for Ocrober 1987.4. See Witary Mode ing for December 1987.5. This helmet is traditionaly said to be the only wholy Britisb

military headwear ever wom.6. One troop only of this Regiment was present. The troop

served as the C-in-C's escort.7. I have been unable to ascertain the exact date ofthis muster -

it is certainly before the actual landings.8. The discrepancf in numbe$ for these Regiments is

accounted for in the men left on Malta.

YeIo* PairsYeIN Pairt

Ught yeloq ?ai$

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i'ffi*