IR No. 23 – Huske (Royal Welsh Fusiliers)

Inhaber
1756 Huske

Unit History
The regiment was formed in 1689 as Lord Herbert's Regiment by Henry, Lord Herbert of Chirbury. Although designated as the Welsh Regiment of Fusiliers in 1702, it has always contained men from all over Britain. The regiment was selected, during the War of the Spanish Succession, together with an English and Scottish regiment, to become 'Fusiliers' for the purpose of guarding the artillery train. The fusiliers all wore mitre caps; originally, these mitre caps were ordered to be lower than those of the Grenadiers but this distinction was soon lost. The unit was present at Dettingen in 1745 and became the 23rd Foot in 1751. The three feathers in the unit's flag are also found on the badge of the 3rd Dragoon Guards.
At the outbreak of the Seven Years War, the 23rd Foot was one of four regiments that unsuccessfully defended Minorca against the Duc de Richelieu. The unit then took part in the unsuccessful and wasteful raids on Rochefort and St. Malo. Later the 23rd Foot formed part of the initial forces sent to Western Germany after the battle of Hastenback. It was engaged at Minden, Warburg, Klosterkamp, Vellinghausen, and Wilhelmstal. The 23rd Foot was a regular unit whose motto was 'Nec aspera terrent' (Nor do difficulties deter).
At Minden, August 1759, the unit fought in the centre in the first line along side the 12th Foot (Napier) and 37th Foot (Stewart). The first line was commanded by Major General Weldegrave and was under the direction of Lieutenant General von Sporcken. The formation led the advance against the French and received supporting fire from Philip's Artillery battery.
The unit later participated in the American War of Independence and was sent out to the American Colonies in 1773. When the rebellion erupted in Boston, the unit took part in the battles of Lexington and Concord. As the War progressed, the 23rd Foot took part in many of the major battles. These battles included Bunker (Breed's) Hill, Germantown and Camden before the unit surrendered at Yorktown in 1781, but not before the Colours had been smuggled out and only the cased flagpoles surrendered. Their heroism at Yorktown was so admired by the opposing forces, and the fact that so few men had held out for so long, that the Fusilier Redoubt that they held along with a detachment of Royal Marines still stands as a memorial to them.

Comments
The appeal of the mitre says it all. The figures are British Grenadiers from Dixon’s French & Indian series. When placed beside the more full figured Front Rank, they definitely seem like ‘Welsh-miners’ in that they are just a bit shorter of stature. The beautiful flag is from GMB Designs and really make the unit stand out. Unit painted in the spring of 2000.

Sources
J. Mollo, Uniforms of the Seven Years War 1756-63, Blandford Press, page 154.