A British Lieutenant's Intense Firsthand Account From The Battle Of Minden (1759)

[@frankmorton1920]

It was at the battle of Minden that the British infantry won immortal glory and set the standards for the rest of the British Army.

[@jamesmurdoch9805]

XXV

[@allangibson4354]

Minden/Yorkshire Day ( 1st of August ) is still celebrated both by the "Minden Regiments" and the loyal people of Yorkshire. "They advanced through rose gardens to the battleground and decorated their tricorne hats and grenadier caps with the emblem of England. These regiments celebrate Minden Day still, and all wear roses in their caps on this anniversary in memory of their ancestors."

[@the.pandamonium]

Love these, please keep them coming. If there are any first hand accounts of the battle of agincourt that fit the concept for video like this id love to see it (or battle of crecy, poitiers etc.)

[@martint5606]

or the battles of Patay, Cocherel, Formigny, Orleans, Castillon... ;)

[@the.pandamonium]

@@martint5606 Yes

[@wojtekkolo3003]

so many years of waiting and finally a new video :P thanks :)

[@throneandaltar7557]

He's been making a video most months

[@HistoryUncovered]

I had 2 videos released in May. I wish I could do them faster.

[@chickenassasintk]

love this channel, its a mixture of this guys voice and speech and content

[@FanOfHistory777]

this was a fun watch, i love primary source channels

[@paulhowden720]

There is few British graves near the old Kingsley Bks Minden.

[@Numba003]

This is a cool video as always guy. I enjoy these firsthand accounts. Stay well out there everybody, and Jesus Christ be with you friends.😊

[@Albukhshi]

@ 4:50 For those wondering what 13 files means: that's 52 men, plus officers. Prior to 1764, a file was strictly defined as 6 men--a holdover of a time when the British indeed deployed 6-deep. This meant that in a typical 3-rank deep formation, what we would think of as a file--3 men--would be called a "half-file". And no, this was not normal for Europe at the time: this was a uniquely British quirk for the time between ~1688 and the Seven Years War. This wasn't abolished until 1764, and the British joined the rest of humanity in how to define a file. Comparing the numbers to the total number of survivors, I'm wondering if Montgomery was skirting around his regiment having at least partly routed (he does say it retired). See, if you do the math, it works out that the regiment he was in had 178 surviving other ranks, not ~52. So it appears that most survivors had pretty much dropped out of the fight altogether. Of course, it could just be that a lot of them were involved in carrying the wounded (technically forbidden, but happened anyway), or that they became temporary hors de combat. Whatever the truth, Montgomery clearly doesn't hold the soldiers' actions against them, but is instead quite proud of himself and the rest of the regiment.

[@knutclau705]

As an officer Montgomery would certainly have praised his regiments conduct and in perfectly gentlemanly understatement given an account of his compatriots behaviour, slighteing the cowardly froggies and slighting the hannoverian and hessian forces present (rule britannia), given his upbringing, his youth (lieutanant) and his age (18th cent.) he might be excused (as most veterans in any action at any time), also that battle participants of all ages were trying not to alarm their kin... Yet fighting a linear battle must have been a most unnerving experience, to say the least! I have done (peacetime) soldiering in the (west) german Bundeswehr and 20 odd years reenactment of the "powder and ball" period 16th -19th centuries, fought "mensur" as a german fraternity student, and did a modest bit of Martial Arts & HEMA battles... Scaling that up to the real thing as my grandfathers (and some british and american family members) had to go through, I cannot but admire the sheer guts of those men (and some women) who braved shot & shell (and PTBS!!!) 😮

[@golem5809]

Amazing video and imagery, as always. And here we go again...reinstalling Empire Total War...(plus Mods of course^^)

[@Achilles22]

1st Battalion Royal Anglians (Vikings) still wear a yellow lanyard to celebrate this Battle. My regiment before transferring to AAC. We also wore red/ yellow roses in our berets on Minden Day.

[@micahistory]

You're back!

[@richardkluesek4301]

Barry Lyndon was there !

[@HistoryUncovered]

One of the most realistic historical movies ever made.

[@Evlogite19]

There was another Hugh Montgomery involved in the "Boston Massacre" incident on King Street in Boston (now State Street) in 1770.

[@carausiuscaesar5672]

In 1758 Britain also bagged Louisbourg in Cape Breton Nova Scotia Canada.General Wolfe led from the front jumping into the waters of Kennington Cove.

[@SaintJust1214]

and they were also defeated by a french force 6 times smaller at Carillon

[@doug6500]

@@SaintJust1214 Lol... It was on the Plains of Abraham when the British finally got the French to face them in a stand up fight. No barricades, no forts, no entrenched positions... a stand up fight, muzzle to muzzle, bayonet to bayonet. Guess what... the British won.

[@ancientmusketeer6564]

This account totally ignores the actions of the British Artillery, which for the first time were called upon to follow with the advancing infantry at a pace faster than a slow walk. This was lead Captain Forbes MacBean who afterwards war received an autograph letter of thanks from Field Marshal Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick and a gratuity of 500 crowns. That unit was given honour of Miden to attach to their standard.

[@coling3957]

Lord Sackville was court-martialled and cashiered from the army.. he would have disappeared from history but for the fact accepted a legacy and inheritance that required him to accept name of Germain. for which he is known from 1770. he entered politics and became a minister in Lord North's govt responsible for the American colonies.. his political career peaking in same disastrous fashion as his army one had.. Sackville's second in command at Minden was General Granby, who pleaded with Sackville to order the cavalry attack. Granby was an immensely popular commander and secured pensions for army veterans, there are pubs in his name in England to this day originally owned by veterans who commemorated him. in the 1990's the British army called their venture against Iraq "Operation Granby" ...

[@frankmorton1920]

I served in 1st Battalion Kings Own Scottish Borderers which was then one of those immortal infantry battalions that fought at Minden. The regiment fought on every continent and in every corner of god's known earth

[@billythedog-309]

The Marquis of Granby was so keen to overcome the cavalry's disgrace at Minden that at the next encounter, Warburg, he led a charge before receiving orders and with such dispatch that his wig fell off giving rise to the phrase 'to charge bald-headed' and his name was subsequently adopted by many pubs throughout England.

[@coling3957]

@@billythedog-309 the pubs were named after him by veterans he'd campaigned for pensions for. i suppose Sergeants etc could afford them.. his name as almost forgotten in UK until the Gulf War .. and the news had to explain where the operation's name came from for the British contingent.

[@TheFrenchGrunt]

Any chance of going back to the earlier video formats? Felt like they had something niche about them, whereas these are kind've saturated

[@bangdragons]

try someone with an accent according to the ethnicity of who wrotethe letter. thats the only improvement i can think of

[@pdubya4690]

The accent would be a Suffolk one.

[@johntillman6068]

@@pdubya4690 Its East Suffolk association wasn't until 1782. That LT Montgomery's given name was Hugh, he might have come from Montgomeryshire, Wales, but there were many Scottish Montgomerys as well. So, without knowing his family history, his accent can only be guessed at. An early version of today's RP might have to suffice.

[@Albukhshi]

@@johntillman6068 Only RP simply didn't exist at the time. The pronunciation guides suggest an accent that no longer exists today, for men of means (like Montgomery). The best reconstruction I found is here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZitdmuoesmdg5Y

[@Anglisc1682]

​@@pdubya4690People sounded different back then

[@edwardjohn1614]

*_Liked_* *_Subscribed_* 👍

[@Tippet76]

Definitely the only guy I've ever heard of to be hit by two cannon balls, never mind the only one to just walk it off.

[@FabriceLEQUEUX]

MONSIEUR C EST BIEN MERCI

[@alrafter1593]

Addressing his mother as dear Madam?

[@_ZimZam]

Awesome

[@K.I.A22]

Wow that letter was on a soldiers pocket, and had aunts and uncles!!

[@cuanmccarogher4926]

Don’t mention the Sackvilles!

[@cheydinal5401]

That's right next to my home town, BTW

[@ShadySheev]

Same here. Born in Minden, raised in Espelkamp :-)

[@KAMiKAZE-T.V.]

Please collab with voices of the past

[@carausiuscaesar5672]

“Ran Away”-feets do yo stuff!

[@paulbrowne3033]

Any information on the Irish Regiments fighting for the French? They had given Coldstream Guards a beating in previous battles between France and England ceasing that regiment's colours!

[@michellearmstrong7903]

Irish fought for all the despots of europe

[@paulbrowne3033]

No they didn't fight for the Hanoverians who fought against America independence, thankfully with French help including Irish Regiments as part of the French army that was achieved ironically many Americans who supported the "Patriotic Cause" were Presbyterians from the North of IRELAND, you seem to be from there or Scotland. On a broader front many exiles from Ireland and Scotland fought with distinction all over Europe including the defence of Vienna against the Ottomans eg Leslies from Scotland, topically Field Marshall de Lacy from Limerick who annexed the Crimea from the Tattars who scourged Eastern Europe for centuries on behalf of the Empress Anna the one aspect common to all these exiles is take note "no alligance to the Union Jack" not something in the distant past since Ireland is a Republic and Scotland may or may not be independent soon so past history may have a bearing on the near future, British military history is only one dimension on these Islands there is another narrative educate yourself and less of the narrow sarcasm!PS German Hanoverians as opposed to the Native Scottish Stewarts!

[@tombristowe846]

Do you mean "seizing" them by any chance ?

[@ToTaLePiCpEaNuT]

@@paulbrowne3033 The Irish have always and I mean always fought in the British army. Irish catholic’s were arguably the backbone of the British army until the First World War. The British couldn’t have filled the ranks during the Napoleonic war without Irish and at one stage in India 30% of all soldiers stationed there were Irish catholics. The Scottish were also disproportionately represented in the British army, strangely when English often didn’t even make up 50% of the British army.

[@Swift-mr5zi]

@@ToTaLePiCpEaNuT As someone who is aware of these facts I also find it funny when people assume the British empire was dominated by England, 50% of the east India company staff at one point were Scottish as well

[@justsomeguy4099]

Its "Cavalry" not "Calvary". Great videos though.

[@christisking1576]

Today's young men will complain when they can't find Starbucks on their phone.

[@FieldMarshalYT]

Said the guy making sweeping generalizations behind his computer screen.

[@Anglisc1682]

@@FieldMarshalYT Yes he's generalising, but is he wrong?

[@FieldMarshalYT]

@@Anglisc1682 Yes.

[@FieldMarshalYT]

@@Anglisc1682 Because it's a baseless and shitty generalization.

[@sweaspurdoddd5466]

@@Anglisc1682 yes, it's an idiotic Boomer assumption and hyperbole.

[@markwoodford1733]

Balls bounding

[@SirThanksalot_1]

Your way of talking reminds me of Rick and Morty

[@Aurel.1809]

I live in minden

[@Ken-k7z]

The 25th Regiment of Foot was not an English regiment but a Scottish Regiment.

[@Falukorvification]

The music is too loud in comparison to your voice. Upload a version with lower music and get more views.

[@NathanDudani]

mOrE vIeWs

[@Psychol-Snooper]

So much sarcasm.

[@oriffel]

neat

[@stevenkanzler2319]

They’re pronounced DOOKOTS not duckets

[@PhilipKerry]

We English pronounced it as Duckets ......

[@iceberggibson199]

This dudes voice man…too robotic