Horror in the breaches: The storming of Badajoz (The Peninsular War)

[@michaelstirling3782]

My ancestor sgt samuel humble Lawson led the forlorn hope, we still own his original forlorn hope medal and gsm with forlorn hope bar only 4 medals were issued by the duke of wellington he was 95 rifles and should have been mentioned, he was promoted to lieutenant after this action . My great uncle served in the artist’s rifles in ww1 and my grandfather served in ww1 and WW2 in rifle brigade and I served 12 years in 3rd royal green jackets successors to 95th and rifle brigade.Samuel humble Lawson served in the Crimea as an advisor to the Portuguese , we also have those medals.

[@NobleKorhedron]

One objection - I wasn't aware the Portuguese were in the Crimea...? 🤔

[@stevebannon9250]

You are not William Lawsons descendant.

[@turbulanceism]

Don't forget major Richard sharpe of the 95th rifles who single handedly breached the walls

[@macdansav1546]

Another great post. Your enthusiasm is very apparent. I've seen film of the repaired breeches today. They look comparatively small and the city walls look very tranquil, edged with lawn and trees. We're very fortunate to have the first-hand accounts of soldiers who participated in (and survived) the storming. It's good to hear the voices of the actual privates and NCOs alongside that of the officers.:)

[@redcoathistory]

Thanks a lot. I would love to visit one day!

[@ianworley8169]

I live close to Badajoz. I once asked a friend who lives there, why there were no guides, re-enactments or exhibitions, commemorating such a historically important site, as there would be in Britain. "Because the wounds are still unhealed". Poor Badajoz and it's warm, friendly people. Beyond the Napoleonic siege, In August 1936, 3,000 Nationalist forces under Juan Yegue, 'The butcher of Badajoz', stormed the city. After which, 4,000 civilians were slaughtered, 10% of the population. Bullet and musket shot holes are still there to see in it's Cathedral and castle walls. Beautiful, tragic Badajoz, but no warmer welcome anywhere in Spain

[@redcoathistory]

Thanks, Ian. I didn't know that about the civil war. A dark history indeed.

[@billybowen3023]

We can't imagine the horror them soldiers fort in! Grit and determination. Great one thank you!👍

[@redcoathistory]

Thanks a lot. It is an amazing story!

[@ElBoxeo1]

Fought

[@steveoakley796]

You never mentioned Lt McPhearson of the 45th who raised his red coatee up the flag pole to signal the castle had been taken. An honour still carried out to this day by my regiment - now the 2nd Mercian. Apart from that a very good post.

[@redcoathistory]

Cheers, Steve.

[@Ftanftangfnarrr]

It's one of the pivotal moments. The red coat is raised every year at Nottingham Castle.

[@andygeorgeparkinson2515]

What amazing soldiers they were , listening to the horror in their own words really brings it home , I shall find and listen to the full one hour podcast. Great stories brilliantly told and brought to life.

[@12HGC]

Don’t understand why so little mention of the fantastic contribution of the Portuguese Army! Led by a distant ancestor of mine Marshall William Carr Beresford. He was at this Battle when Wellesley wasn’t even there! He was a fighting General where Wellesley wasn’t! The same at Albuera!

[@redcoathistory]

Hi Alan - perhaps you’ll enjoy my episodes on Albuera and the invasion of france - with someone who must be a distant relative of yours…

[@12HGC]

@@redcoathistory Definitely will. The second most decorated General of the whole Peninsular War! The last Governor of Madeira and The last Governor of Jersey! I have a lot of information on his Life!

[@12HGC]

@@redcoathistory William was Irish and I am English. All the Beresford’s come from Fenny Bentley in Beresford Dale, Alstonefield, Derbyshire. I have 24 Great Grandads with the same name back to 1082! Williams line started after Agincourt where Thomas Beresford fought with Henry VI, had 19 Children one of which went to Ireland and started the Royal connection there, and also including Arthur Wellesley!

[@vectorbrony3473]

Wellington hated sieges. In an open battle he could use the terrain to his advantage. A siege is a mathematical nightmare where you have to open up breaches, make them practical to attack. But the defenders will have all the advantage. All you can do is keep pressing the attack till something gives.

[@rocnoir4233]

My fifth great grandfather was severely wounded in the head at Badajoz fighting with the 40th. He was also mustered for the Waterloo campaign and wound up staying in Van Diemen's Land following a few years of garrison duty.

[@cuebj]

My .... grandfather emigrated to the highlands of what is now Tasmania in 1821 from near Abergavenny in south Wales. 25 years later, the family hosted exiled member of Young Ireland famine rebel who had been imprisoned before helping him and his wife escape to America

[@welshwarrior5263]

Excellent commentary mate. Always keeps me gripped.

[@redcoathistory]

Cheers mate - its an amazing story.

[@Gun_Samurai]

Interesting and brutal battle. I think the ratio was something like 10:1 in deployment. Also my favourite Sharpe Episode; Shapre’s Company 👍

[@Roberto-tu5re]

Great video, while watching this I also looked at Badajoz on Google maps and you can see the trianglar forts still visable today although some are parks. If you go to street level you can imagine the scale of what they went through. La Picurina is visable too which its own trianglar shape just on the outskirts of the old town. We are over that way in the summer so I may a drive over to see for myself. Look foward to viewing more on the Peninsular since it is an interest with me being an expat in here in Spain.

[@manatarms7652]

Rifleman Costello’s book is probably one of my favourite Napoleonic memoirs

[@redcoathistory]

Thanks- it's a cracking book

[@patrickbarrett5650]

I could listen to you reading an audiobook for hours. Excellent work.👏🏻

[@redcoathistory]

Thanks, Patrick!

[@shawngarratt2887]

Really Injoyed watching this on this July's summer night! Learning all the time thanks to you my friend 👍

[@li4398]

Excellent work. Well done.

[@copferthat]

The troops embarked on an orgy of rape, murder and plunder once inside, which the Spanish have never forgot. Some years ago the British army approached the town to erect a plaque to the fallen but were refused. On seeing the huge piles of corpses in the breech Wellington cried. Picton approached him and on seeing him asked…. Whatever’s the matter my dear Wellington.

[@redcoathistory]

Thanks. You would probably enjoy the full podcast episode I made that also covers the aftermath...Pls search in your podcasting app for the Redcoat History Podcast.

[@Swift-mr5zi]

It was the convention at the time that upon an attacking force meeting a fort, they would allow the safe exit of their soldiers, equipment and supplies so that they could take the fort peacefully. If they did not leave, then it was understood that the heavy casualties and bloody fighting of the attackers through attacking defensive positions would justify loot, plunder and sacking once inside. It's hard to motivate men to fight in such horrendous conditions and against such odds, many being simple cannon fodder, without the promise of something in return other than just 'glory'.

[@steveforster9764]

I was always told the citizens had assisted the French

[@redcoathistory]

@@steveforster9764 They were certainly well known Francophiles.

[@condedooku9750]

@@Swift-mr5zi The problem is that in that situation the civilians were from a country that was being occupied against their will by the defending soldiers, they were not French but Spanish and that made Wellington angry after seeing what had happened, I am Spanish and I can confirm that no one here holds a grudge for what was done at that time but I understand why it would be disrespectful to put a monument on behalf of the fallen soldiers after what those soldiers did after taking the city, anyway, I'm glad that the past stays in the past and there are no more wars in the future between France, Spain and the United Kingdom.

[@grahamking2239]

The breach has now changed , Picton,s attack at the castle is much as it was , great battle field to visit

[@redcoathistory]

Thanks, Graham - I would love to visit one day.

[@Inquisitor_Vex]

These are so good. I can’t believe you don’t have more views/likes. Please keep doing these.

[@redcoathistory]

Thanks a lot - fingers crossed the channel will grow and we can share these stories with a wider audience eventually.

[@alkevinzmedia]

Apparently my ancestors come from Badajoz. It's nice to learn the history and see what happened

[@geraintnewman2070]

So exciting 👏👏👏

[@stevethomas5849]

Great Narration

[@dmc12345]

Brilliant video as always 👍🙌

[@redcoathistory]

Thanks, Dan.

[@markrunnalls7215]

Wow very interesting ,war then must have been a terrible business ,I know war is anyway ,however back then it was extremely up close … Would you like to see a modern remake of Waterloo ? But surely if the makers want to get it right it would have to be an 18 cert ,have pondered this many a time ,any way ,really great account .

[@toytoy1091]

Hey - why don't you get a bigger microphone. The one u got is too small ....

[@redcoathistory]

It's not the size, it's what you do with it... 😜

[@toytoy1091]

@@redcoathistory Mmmm. What exactly do u do with yours ?

[@redcoathistory]

@@toytoy1091 You wouldn't want to know! 😂😂

[@toytoy1091]

@@redcoathistory Some people say that people use oversize microphones for the same reason that some people drive overpowerd sports cars ... to compensate for deficiencies in other departments ...

[@redcoathistory]

@@toytoy1091 😂😂😂

[@noahgibsonspeninsularwarsa1134]

Blood and Wounds, the 3rd are in.

[@CAP198462]

“Where are we going? Badahoth!”

[@gordonmillar110]

Brilliant very interesting

[@redcoathistory]

Thanks Gordon.

[@Kyleinasailing]

This is true....40 years ago I arrived in Badajoz, late in the evening, on my bicycle as I was following, the whole way with bicycle, Wellingtons peninsula campaign from the Portuguese landing place to Vittoria. After a delicous meal with much wine, I accosted two beautiful girls and then took all their money (that's not true). I then needed a place to lay out my sleeping bag. So, I went into the deserted castle and had nightmares all night......the castle is haunted and...... that is true.

[@redcoathistory]

That sounds like an amazing trip!

[@Matty10thDVN]

Love the 3rd division

[@benjaminpicton7235]

same

[@notsoaveragegamer353]

honestly this is a good video especially compared to the size of your channel

[@redcoathistory]

Glad you think so!

[@joserumbado317]

The assault on Badajoz was a complete disaster for the English and Portuguese allies. 27,000 allied soldiers faced only 5,000 French soldiers. The allies had nearly 5,000 casualties. What happened after the assault became part of the universal history of infamy, because the allied soldiers, drunk and crazed, looted the city for several days, killing and raping the poor Spanish civilians who were their allies. More than 4,000 Spanish civilians were killed

[@redcoathistory]

The assault was bloody and brutal though it wasn't a disaster as they were succesful. As for the aftermath and sack of the city I have made an entire video on it so feel free to watch 👍🏻

[@joserumbado317]

@@redcoathistory A carnage and a shame for United KIngdom. It's my opinion.

[@redcoathistory]

@@joserumbado317 I hope you found the video of interest. All the best and thanks for keeping touch.

[@Delogros]

@@joserumbado317 1) the Spanish casualties you state are the maximum possible no one knows the real number other then it's 200-4,000 2) Those casualties are for "killed, wounded or captured" - pretending the full measure where just killed is intellectual dishonesty at it's worst. 3) England hadn't existed as a political entity for over 100 years in 1812. 4) you seem to not know how sieges and fortifications work the entire point is a small force can hold or defeat a larger one, the Spanish and French failed for 4 years to take Gibraltar for example despite outnumbering it's garrison by 10-1, again presenting the numbers like it's an open battle and being surprised fortifications are difficult to capture is just silly. 5) of the Garrison of 5,000 at least 1,300 died and 3,500 where captures, that's 4,800 out of 5,000 so how is at most 200 survivers "for the most part, managed to flee" exactly? 6) Yeah, I refer you to my previous points about fortifications, assaulting a single breach is (as should be obvious) a choke point and tends to result in heavy casualties especially if the like the Allies you have limited time to try and take the fortification. 7) not particularly after a hard siege armies have universally gone on the rampage through newly conquered cities and towns so this is hardly new, Spanish armies used to do it in Flanders when they where fighting there, Spanish civilians being seen on the ramparts helping the French, firing at the Allies didn't help.

[@Delogros]

@@joserumbado317 By the way just to illustrate this is a common issue with Armies and of through all ages of Warfare Spanish nationalists did the same thing in 1936, indeed unlike with Wellingtons army where this was an isolated incident the Nationalist Spanish did it all along there lines of March, the White death costing maybe as as many as 200,000 lives, perhaps you should learn your own history before suggesting that he sad facts of war are shame to anybody.

[@Baskerville22]

Horror in the Breaches ? A History of Diarrhea in the British Army ? PS: I know "breeches" is the correct spelling for the article of clothing involved....but I could not resist.

[@paddygallagher226]

Hope the Connaught rangers get a decent mention they were the ones who took when the English were dying at the breaches. Don't get much of a mention the Irish regiments.

[@redcoathistory]

Well Paddy, you could just watch the film mate instead of hoping 😜

[@LeePenn2492]

In a lot of action was the Connaught Rangers.

[@henkstersmacro-world]

👍👍👍

[@heria_shg7225]

👏

[@pmzere]

Fun Facts. I really appreciate English management of forces. during Napoleonic Wars most of British soldiers were Irish and Scots… Mac this, Mac there etc At Waterloo 30% were Irish including Duke of Wellington, the rest was Prussians, Dutch.. English 15% maximum. Using mercenaries is a skill ! No hard feelings please. I have myself English ancestry!

[@redcoathistory]

Hi Phillippe, thanks for watching. The British did recruit from around the world (as did the French of course), but just to be clear Irish and Scots were not mercenaries, those countries were and predominantly still are part of Great Britain.

[@doug6500]

What reference have you got for the English percentage, or did you just pull it out of your arse? The English working class made up more than the Irish, Scots and Welsh combined. Are you telling me that they just sat about in England collecting mud? There doesn't seem to be any solid academia on this subject. The figure for the Irish is arbitrarily chucked around at 40% but there doesn't seem to be any solid data backing this up.

[@whitepanties2751]

The Duke of Wellington was born in Ireland, but is supposed to have denied that that made him Irish, saying 'To be born in a stable does not make one a horse.' As Jesus would agree.

[@Richard500]

The origins of the term "a forlorn hope". It was always left to a junior officer who was almost certain to die. Them I caught up with this account @steveoakley796 2 years ago You never mentioned Lt McPhearson of the 45th who raised his red coat up the flag pole to signal the castle had been taken. An honour still carried out to this day by my regiment - now the 2nd Mercian.

[@sir_wooly]

Funny because the band ‘forlorn hope’ is how I found out about this battle…it’s a perfect circle