Recreating the 95th Rifles Part 1

The existence of ‘light infantry’ goes back to ancient times, where lightly-equipped but experienced hunters because of their inherent skills were employed by commanders as ‘auxiliaries’ to scout ahead of a military force. These groups were soon after incorporated into regular armies and also used in battle as flankers or skirmishers. The need for regular ‘light troops’ to support ‘heavy infantry’ and fulfil such a role - especially employing a concept known as ‘aimed fire’ - came to light during The Seven Years War in North America or as it is more usually termed, The French and Indian War. After a series of British and Colonial disasters, units were raised and trained to deal with native Indians supported by French ‘backwoodsmen’ who at first had no real or organised opposition and as skirmishers who used all available cover and in fast and highly-effective raiding parties caused a great deal of both actual and psychological damage. During the War of the American Revolution, light troops were actively used by both sides and again, the subject of ‘aimed fire’ - or rather, the lack of it on the British side - came to the fore. In the mid-1790’s, with the threat from Revolutionary France it was decided that the British Army would no longer employ ‘German auxiliaries or foreign mercenaries’ to fill the role of rifle-armed light infantry and a ‘regular regiment’ would be raised based on a nucleus from the existing German units and drafts of men from regiments of the British Army. The result in 1799 was - after some years of debate as to how best to achieve this - a unit named The Experimental Corps of Riflemen whose very first parade in 1800 was jocularly arranged for April 1st - April Fool’s Day - as many of the original drafts from army regiments were seen to have provided their commanders with an opportunity to get rid of their worst men ! The Experimental Corps of Rifleman quickly ironed out all their initial formative problems and under Colonel Coote Manningham and Lieutenant-Colonel The Honourable William Stewart saw many changes and developments from the original concept. For some years the establishment of the British Army had been under scrutiny, especially by younger or more experienced officers who saw the concept of Frederick the Great as a soldier being trained to be a ‘walking musket’ and obey all orders at once - with any failure to behave accordingly governed by the lash or the noose - as wholly outmoded. Some more enlightened officers believed that a soldier would perform his duties far better if trained to ‘think for himself’ and encouraged to do so by the example of his officer - and several of these officers were selected to become involved in the establishment of The Experimental Corps of Riflemen.

The uniforms of The Experimental Corps copied the tradition of German ‘jagers’ or huntsmen who dressed in dark green with brown or black leather accoutrements. A problem was discovered in that many of the rifles the base-units possessed were of several different designs and several different calibres. From a military point of view though these troops maintained the tradition of wearing a short hunting-sword or ‘hanger’ not all their rifles accepted a bayonet. The quest began for a ‘British Infantry rifle’ which would avoid or simplify the difficulties of soldiers using a rifled arm in the field and in an existing calibre, a search that ended with trials in January and February 1800 at Woolwich by The Board of Ordnance in choosing a rifle that fitted all the necessary set criteria being a design made by Ezekiel Baker : this simple yet soldier-proof and battlefield-effective design became the weapon ordered from March 1800 to be issued to The Experimental Corps of Riflemen and through Baker’s correspondence and contact with rifle-officers became subject to several changes to further improve the design and performance of the rifle from 1800 to 1815.

Recreating ‘The 95th Rifles’

An Exclusive Feature written and compiled

A Brief History of The 95th Regiment ( Rifles )

British heavy infantry of the Line - including massed Grenadiers (above) - were seen in 1750 as a battle-winner in a European conflict. But - events in India and especially North America and Canada from 1750 until 1785 proved the need for organised, well-trained and effective ‘light infantry’ having the added facility of ‘marksmanship’.

The intention right from the start to make The Experimental Corps a crack and highly-effective unit can be seen in the innovative ‘field-craft’ lectures of Coote Manningham and the organisational and training skills of William Stewart as laid down in the first manual of The Experimental Corps which became known as ‘The Green Book’. Manningham spotted the military advantages of having trained soldiers acting as ‘the eyes and ears of the army’ but in operating for long periods in close-proximity to the enemy, he instructed the riflemen in techniques to maintain themselves when in this situation (a point often missed by researchers of the 95th Rifles). Officers of The Experimental Corps were instructed by Stewart within his ‘Company System’ that they must form a very close attachment to the men in their command and pay special attention to their welfare : rifle recruits were in turn shown that field-sports, games and dancing were far more beneficial to health and performance than tobacco, whoring or alcohol abuse. Stewart also laid down that within each ‘independent company’ the officers and soldiers of squads of ten to twenty riflemen would stay together and never be split up : this ‘company system’ ensured that a firm and lasting bond of mutual trust, friendship and confidence would develop.

By January 1803, the establishment and development of ‘the Rifle Corps’ and the behaviour and performance of officers and men both on and off-duty during their recent active service overseas led to it later that year being admitted to the British Army under the title ‘the 95th or Rifle Regiment’. Shorncliffe Camp became the base for the training of a brigade of light infantry to deal with the threat of a French invasion from Boulogne and comprising the 95th Rifles and the 43rd and 52nd Foot under the command of Sir John Moore. By September 1803 this unique brigade was described as an ‘elite formation’ and more regiments were then re-designated as ‘light infantry’. Though companies of the 95th Rifles saw active service in South America and Denmark, the real challenge would come in 1808 when the people of Spain ‘revolted’ against a French occupation and representatives from Spanish provinces asked Britain for support in the form of money and arms. Though the Spanish didn’t envisage British troops being sent, an expeditionary force was raised to support and defend Britain’s oldest ally, Portugal - to include ‘the light brigade’ - under the command of Sir Arthur Wellesley. After the troops landed in Portugal, after five days on the march on August 15th 1808 the 95th Rifles met the French and in a running fight over five miles towards Obidos fired the first British shots of the conflict now known as ‘The Peninsular War’.

By the start of The Peninsular War, the 95th Rifles had adopted the familiar uniform depicted in several modern books. This ‘turn of the century’ illustration shows a very trim rifleman of the 95th on campaign - but the artist has omitted the soldiers’ powder-horn, haversack and water-bottle, his knapsack is the wrong size and his cap is several sizes too small for him. The wearing of ‘loose overalls’ by the 95th Rifles instead of breeches happened circa 1810 as it was found that the tighter breeches wore out very quickly on active service in Portugal. This soldier on campaign would quickly lose this smart look and there are several period-references to the 95th Rifles at times during the Peninsular War literally wearing uniforms which were ‘hanging in shreds’.