I wonder if any study has been made of British NCOs who were commissioned into Portuguese service, such as Johann Schwalbach, late of the 5/60th, who was commissioned into the 6th Caçadores after helping General Fane capture a French gun at Vimeiro. He was a corporal and Fane's orderly at the time. He stayed in the Portuguese army after the war, rose to General and was made a viscount.
One of the most talented British artillery officers, Alexander Dickson, could not get promoted in the British service, so he 'transferred' to the Portuguese army and was appointed a general. Wellington made him his chief of artillery, which was an excellent choice and his service was excellent and he left a superb record of his service. He went to North America and ended up as Pakenham's artillery commander at New Orleans, where he had trouble, though not of his making. The senior Royal Navy officers blamed him for the failure of Pakenham's artillery, which was both incorrect and wrong. He did not get back to Europe and to Belgium in time to be Wellington's artillery commander, but he was given command of the allied siege train. He is one of the most overlooked senior officers of the period and any allied artillery success in the Spanish Peninsula was his doing.
I wonder if any study has been made of British NCOs who were commissioned into Portuguese service, such as Johann Schwalbach, late of the 5/60th, who was commissioned into the 6th Caçadores after helping General Fane capture a French gun at Vimeiro. He was a corporal and Fane's orderly at the time. He stayed in the Portuguese army after the war, rose to General and was made a viscount.
One of the most talented British artillery officers, Alexander Dickson, could not get promoted in the British service, so he 'transferred' to the Portuguese army and was appointed a general. Wellington made him his chief of artillery, which was an excellent choice and his service was excellent and he left a superb record of his service. He went to North America and ended up as Pakenham's artillery commander at New Orleans, where he had trouble, though not of his making. The senior Royal Navy officers blamed him for the failure of Pakenham's artillery, which was both incorrect and wrong. He did not get back to Europe and to Belgium in time to be Wellington's artillery commander, but he was given command of the allied siege train. He is one of the most overlooked senior officers of the period and any allied artillery success in the Spanish Peninsula was his doing.