Osprey Men-at-Arms 119 : Wellington's Infantry (2)

The Duke of York, ever ready to innovate, began a study of the value of specialist light troops as early as 1797, and it was under his aegis that Sir Harry Calvert issued a memorandum recommending Horse Guards to form corps of light infantry. Even so, it was not until 1802 that Whitehall finally accepted the need which, as Dunda had reported 14 years earlier, meant that 'voltigeurs', 'chasseurs', 'tirailleurs', 'jägers', 'cacciatori' and 'caçadores' were already well established in other armies. Finally, they ordered that the 52nd Regiment, and subsequently the 43rd Regiment, should be transformed to Light Infantry. In 1803 Sir John Moore was instructed to train these two regiments, along with the equally novel 'Experimental Corps of Riflemen'. Training was centred at Shorncliffe, Kent, where he commanded. The methods of training were partly devised by Moore, but appear to have been partly culled from earlier work in the field by the Swiss Maj. Gen. Baron de Rottenburg of the 60th Regiment. Moore's policy was to produce quick-thinking, intelligent, mobile soldiers capable of attacking on their own initiative. Old-style drill manuals, which still governed the training of the mass of British infantry, were set aside and discipline was maintained, at least to some extent, by appeals to pride in self and unit rather than by the lash. In this companion book to Men-at-Arms 114 : Wellington's Infantry (1), Bryan Fosten details the history and uniforms of the light infantry troops who served under Wellington, together with numerous illustrations including eight detailed full page colour plates by the author himself.

Contents

• The Light Infantry Regiments
• The Rifle Corps
• The Highland Regiments
• Other Units
• The Plates