Monday 23 March 2009

The Holland Regiment

To add further confusion to the situation of English troops on the continent there was the Holland Regiment. Described in 1667 'The men are very handsome and in excellent order; four companies wearing red jackets, lined with yellow'.
During the winter of 1673-4, the States General pressed King Charles II. to recall his troops from the service of France, and solicited permission again to employ in their army a British division. The king refused to recall his regiments from France; but his majesty engaged not to permit any additional British corps to be levied for the service of Louis XIV., and to prevent the others being recruited: at the same time permission was given to the States to raise for their service a body of troops in England and Scotland, to be commanded by the colonel of the old Holland Regiment, Sir Walter Vane, who was promoted to the rank of major-general in the Dutch army, and appointed colonel of one of the regiments to be raised for this service, now the Sixth Regiment Of Foot, his commission bearing date the 12th of December, 1673. He was killed in 74 after wounds received while acting as a volunteer at Seneffe being buried at the Hague.
And while repelling, in the midst of his troops, with a brave hand, but with a braver soul, a furious attack of the enemy, at the battle of Seneffe, was struck with a blind, but inevitable blow, and in the town of Montium, which is a town of Hannonia,
In the year of our Lord 1674 In the 55th year of his own age
Further reading Historical records of the British army Infantry

No comments: