When was the coldstream guards formed

They were cut off and had to fight against superior numbers until ammunition ran out. The grenadier companies of each regiment were formed into a composite battalion, a practice that was followed for the next 50 years. The Battle of Wilhelmstal took place on 24th June and mostly involved the cavalry. The Guards returned home in A composite battalion of men from the three Guards regiments commanded by Colonel E Mathews of the Coldstream Guards, set sail in March , arriving in North America five months later.

They had to fight almost immediately and helped capture New York. They were involved in most of the campaign and served two years in New York on garrison duty. By they were re-organised as a brigade.

They were at a disadvantage in their red coats and a decision was made to form a light company. These men acted as skirmishers and fought an unconventional type of warfare that was new to the British army. The formation was only a temporary measure and they were absorbed back into the other companies after the war. In February , the Brigade distinguished itself at the flooded Catawba river in North Carolina and six weeks later, on March 15th defeated a numerically superior force of Americans at the Battle of Guildford Court House, losing half their number.

Yorktown The Guards Brigade at the beginning of hostilities consisted of the 1st Battalion of each regiment and a Flank Battalion made up of Grenadier Companies and the newly re-formed Light Companies.

They sailed for Holland in February , very ill-prepared, with no transport, no reserve ammunition and few stores. Lincelles Major General Lake was sent to re-take Lincelles from the French after it had been given up by the Dutch. He had with him 1, men from the three Guards regiments but was supposed to have re-inforcements from the Prince of Orange. According to Dutch reports of the battle, the Dutch took part and suffered heavy casualties, but the British account insists that only the Guards stormed the town.

The French were well fortified with 5, men and artillery at the top of the hill so the advancing Guards were an easy target. The 1st Guards bore the brunt of their fire but the hill was taken and the bayonet was used with great enthusiasm. The French were unused to such robust treatment and fled. The Coldstreamers lost Lt-Col Bosville and 9 others, with 44 wounded. They were brigaded with the 1st Battalion Scots Guards and formed part of a force of 16, men. In December, they sailed to Minorca and then on to Marmorice Bay in Turkey, where they trained hard at landing from boats under fire.

Aboukir Bay In overall command was Sir Arthur Wellesley, under whom they successfully crossed the Douro, captured Oporto and covered themselves in glory at Talavera on 28th July They were part of Sherbrooke's 1st Division, in the centre of the line.

They suffered a severe artillery bombardment and then an attack by 15, French infantry. They held their fire until the enemy were at a range of 50 yards and then fired a withering volley. As the French struggled to recover, the Division charged them and drove them back. Unfortunately they pressed on too far and had to be rescued by the 48th Foot.

The Coldstreamers lost out of 1, men. They were awarded a battle honour for Talavera on 12th Feb and a special medal was struck for 'meritorious officers'. Colonel Monck crossed his Regiment into England at the village of Coldstream and made a five week march to London in order to support the restoration of the Stuart Monarchy. Colonel Monck was awarded the Order of the Garter for his support and the Regiment was assigned to keep order in London.

After this the King wished to retain the Regiment for his personal security; however he already had a bodyguard Regiment, formed during his exile in as the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards, which subsequently became the Grenadier Guards. Being the older Regiment it should have had seniority in the Household Troops but was placed as the second senior Regiment, after the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards.

Subsequently it adopted the motto Nulli Secundus Second to None , and always stands on the left of the line when on parade with rest of the Foot Guards.

It was part of the unsuccessful Walcheren Expedition during the War of the Fifth Coalition and was also fought at the chateau of Hougoumont as part of the Battle of Waterloo The defence of Hougoumont is considered one of the greatest achievements of the Regiment. Corporal James Graham and Lt-Col James Macdonnell led the closing of the farmhouse gates which helped to successfully hold the ground with few men and aided The Duke of Wellington to win the Battle of Waterloo, as a Napoleon diverted his troops to the area.

The band went again in , and In the band achieved international acclaim when it performed in the Olympic stadium in Sarajevo during the Balkans conflict. More recently the band has travelled to Switzerland, Germany, Belgium and France.

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