The composite battalion of the British Foot Guards which was based at Cadiz returned to the UK in April 1811. These were all second battalion companies. Has anyone seen evidence that prior to their embarkation men were taken to supplement the first battalions then serving with the field army in Portugal?
A contemporary letter regarding a private in the 3rd Guards mentions his presence at Cadiz in Oct 1810 and a subsequent note from the 3rd Guards orderly room states that the same man was "with the battalion" on 1 Feb 1812. Implicitly he was in the 2nd bn in 1810 and surely must have been with the 1st bn in 1812, but I have found no explicit record of a tranfer from one bn to the other.
Andrew Bamford's work on the 1/3rd Foots Guards (Napoleon Series) show a substantial increase in the number of effectives for the month of June 1811, which implies that it may have taken on men from the returning 2nd bn - but I can find nothing that proves it.
If anyone has such a snippet, I would be pleased to hear of it.
Thanks again.
Hello again Jim, thanks for this. I have some info about the graveyard in Bristol that I promised I would check out for you - I'll send it by email.
Cheers
Ian
Hi Ian,
Just come across your question, I have the full Muster from Dec 1810 to June 1811 for the 2/3rd Foot Guards, if you have specific question regarding an individual, I can check for you; Dilke's, Hepburn's & Torren's Company's were present and the Muster's were signed off at Westminster June 1811, although some men were shown 'on command' with no specific information.
Cheers
Jim
Hello Rod
Thanks for the swift response. If movement was at the company level rather than the individual, this could still support my hypothesis that the fellow moved from 2nd to 1st bn in 1811. Andrew Bamford's analysis shows the effective strength rising by about 100 or so (even accounting for possible returns from the sick list) so that would equate to a company or more.
Although I've seen no record of the movement, it now becomes an even more reasonable deduction I think.
Many thanks.
Ian
I seem to recall, and I might be wrong, that soldiers in the Foot Guards were held on the strength of their companies, and not battalions. Those companies could be moved between battalions.
Rod