Battalion of detachments facts for kids
A battalion of detachments was a special kind of army unit used by the British Army. Imagine a group of soldiers who got separated from their main army. Maybe they were recovering in a hospital, or got lost during a retreat. Instead of leaving them on their own, the army would gather them into a new, temporary unit called a "battalion of detachments." This helped keep them organized and supplied. These units could also be used to add more fighting power when needed.
A famous general named Arthur Wellesley (who later became the Duke of Wellington) created two such battalions in 1809 during the Peninsular War. These units were made up of soldiers left behind after a big British retreat. They fought in important battles like Oporto and Talavera. Even though they fought well, some people worried about their discipline when not in battle. Similar units were also used later, even during the Indian Mutiny in 1857.
Early Army Use
The British Army was usually organized into regiments, which were then divided into battalions. Battalions were the main fighting units. A battalion of detachments was a battalion-sized unit made from smaller groups, like companies, or even individual soldiers who had become separated from their main units.
These special battalions were not very common for regular infantry soldiers. However, they had been used before. For example, during the American War of Independence and an expedition to Ostend in 1798, temporary units were formed from foot guards. In 1803, during the Battle of Assaye, General Arthur Wellesley himself formed a battalion of detachments from small groups of soldiers (called pickets) who were usually on guard duty. He used them in the actual battle.
Napoleonic Wars
First and Second Battalions
After a British retreat and evacuation from Corunna in January 1809, many soldiers were left behind in Portugal. These included injured soldiers in hospitals, those who got separated during the retreat, and other lost soldiers. Since their main regiments had gone back to England, these men had no organization or supplies.
A general named Alan Cameron gathered these men into a temporary battalion of detachments. The main reason was to get them organized so they could receive food and clothing. This also helped stop them from causing trouble because they had no support. Later, this unit even fought in battles like a regular battalion.
General Cameron tried to group soldiers with officers from their own regiments. The 1st battalion had companies made entirely of soldiers from the 43rd Light Infantry, 52nd Light Infantry, and 95th Rifles. This was very helpful for General Wellesley, who needed more light infantry soldiers in Spain.
Soon, so many detached soldiers were found that a 2nd battalion was formed. By May 1809, the 1st battalion had 27 officers and 803 men, and the 2nd battalion had 35 officers and 787 men. Both battalions fought bravely in the Oporto and Talavera campaigns. The light infantry and rifle soldiers were praised three times for their actions at Oporto. General Wellesley also praised the 1st battalion for its courage in July 1809.
However, outside of battle, Wellesley was not happy with their behavior. His adjutant-general, Charles Stewart, said they caused "great disorder." He noted that they would fight well but didn't care about anything else. Their officers also didn't respect their temporary commanders as much as they would in a regular regiment.
The main British Army command in England also disliked these battalions. They felt it made the soldiers less disciplined and took away manpower from their original regiments. The commander-in-chief, David Dundas, criticized how these units were supplied and their lack of discipline. He wanted the soldiers back in their own regiments, especially for another planned expedition. So, after the victory at Talavera, these battalions were broken up. The soldiers either joined their own regiments if they were in Spain or went back to depots in Great Britain.
Other Units Formed
Another smaller unit was formed from soldiers separated from the Kings German Legion light infantry battalions. This unit stayed in service until 1811. A detachment battalion was also sent to Cadiz in 1809, made up of soldiers from the Coldstream Guards and 1st Foot Guards. This unit fought at the Battle of Barrosa in March 1811. During the battle, it split into its two original parts and fought separately. It was dissolved soon after. General Wellesley also used a detachment battalion to guard Gibraltar during the war.
Even though David Dundas had opposed Wellesley's use of these units, he later created his own "Corps of Embodied Detachments." This unit had about 800 men from 17 different regiments who were waiting to join their units overseas. This corps was sent to the continent in July 1809 for the unsuccessful Walcheren Campaign. When British troops left later that year, the corps was disbanded, and the men returned to their regiments. This arrangement caused problems for sending reinforcements to regiments fighting overseas.
In April 1814, General Henry Clinton formed a battalion of detachments in Tarragona, Spain. It included men from the British 67th Regiment and foreign regiments. Because there weren't enough soldiers, more battalions of detachments were created in March 1814 by the commander-in-chief, Prince Frederick. These were formed from soldiers at regimental depots. Three battalions were formed before the Treaty of Paris ended the fighting between Britain and France in May 1814. The Duke did not want to move men between regiments permanently, so he disbanded these battalions and sent the soldiers back to their original units.
Later Use
Battalions of detachments were also formed for British troops in other conflicts. For example, they were used for an attack on Raigad Fort in India in 1818 and for an expedition to Eastern Arabia in 1821.
During the Indian Mutiny in 1857, two battalions of detachments were formed to help with the Relief of Lucknow. The first was made from soldiers of three European regiments trapped in the siege. The second, smaller unit might have been formed from native regiments.
