Timeline of the British Army

This timeline covers the main wars, battles and engagements and related issues for the Scottish, English and British Army, from 1537 to the present.See John William Fortescue, History of the British Army (13 vol, 1899-1930), which tells the story to 1870.David G. Chandler and Ian Frederick William Beckett, eds. The Oxford illustrated history of the British army (Oxford UP, 1994)David G. Chandler, The Oxford history of the British army. (Oxford UP, 2003).Eric William Sheppard, A short history of the British army. (Constable, 1950).Robert Money Barnes, A history of the regiments & uniforms of the British Army (London: Seeley Service, 1950).Peter Young and James Philip Lawford, History of the British Army (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1970). See also Timeline of British diplomatic history.

1500–1599 1537The Overseers of the Fraternity or Guild of St George received a royal charter from Henry VIII on 25 August, when letters patent were received authorising them to establish a perpetual corporation for the defence of the realm to be known as the Fraternity or Guild of Artillery of Longbows, Crossbows and Handgonnes. This body was known by a variety of names since, but today is called the Honourable Artillery Company, and is the oldest regiment in continuous service in the British Army. 1539The Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineer Regiment is first mustered before becoming a militia force for the county of Monmouth. When the new Police was formed in the 19th century, the regiment switched to the Royal Engineers Reserve, becoming the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers Militia the senior regiment of the Reserve Army. 1572The Buffs were formed from London's urban militia to support the Protestants in Holland, where they remained until the outbreak of the Anglo-Dutch war in 1665 (93 years), at which point they were disbanded for refusing the oath of loyalty to the Dutch States General. Reformed in England as 'The Holland Regiment' in King Charles II British Army and designated 3rd Regiment of Foot. The Regiment became a part of the Queens Regiment in 1966. 1992 Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, with the Buffs cap badge Tudor Dragon origins from Queen Elizebeth I worn in the centre of the PWRR cap badge by all ranks.

1600–1706

1633The Royal Regiment of Foot (later the Royal Scots) is placed on the Scottish Establishment, later becoming the oldest infantry regiment in the British Army. And still to this day as The Royal Regiment of Scotland. 1642Marquis of Argyll's Royal Regiment was raised by Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll for service in Ireland, renamed in 1650 Lyfe Guard of Foot and reformed as the Scottish Regiment of Foot Guards in 1661 (later the Scots Guards). 1650George Monck's Regiment is formed (later the Coldstream Guards), becoming the oldest infantry regiment, not of the line, in the British Army but not under the monarch. 1656Lord Wentworth's Regiment is formed (later the Grenadier Guards), later becoming the most senior infantry regiment in the British Army because of the long serving loyalty to the monarch during the English Civil War. 26 January 1661King Charles II issues warrant, becoming the acknowledged beginning of the British Army. This concerned an assemblage of English regiments and Scottish regiments brought south with Charles II. The British Army would not formally exist, however, for another 46 years, as Scotland and England remained two independent states, each with its own Army. 1 October 1661The Tangier Regiment of Foot is formed spending 18 years in Tangier, first Battle Honour. After N Africa in England re named The Queens Regiment, today the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (PWRR) Englands senior Regiment. The Paschal Lamb, one of the first cap badges is worn by all ranks of PWRR on their buttons. 1684The English withdraw from the Colony of Tangier. 1688The War of the Grand Alliance begins. 1702War of the Spanish Succession begins.

1707–1800 1707Kingdom of Great Britain is formed. Scottish and English armies merged to create the British Army. 1722Royal Regiment of Artillery is formed. 1742War of the Austrian Succession begins.Basil Williams and C.H. Stuart, The Whig Supremacy 1714-1760 (1965) pp 231-70 1743Battle of Dettingen, King George II becomes the last British monarch to lead his troops into battle. 1746Battle of Culloden, The British Army, made from Scottish, English and Irish soldiers and led by the Duke of Cumberland, fights the last major battle on British mainland soil against French supported Scottish rebel Jacobites. 1751A numerical system is introduced into the Army, such as 1st Regiment of Foot, 2nd Regiment of Foot, etc. 1755Seven Years' War begins. 1759Battle of Minden, the Duke of Brunswick leads an Anglo-German army against the French. 1759British forces, led by General James Wolfe, take French Quebec.Oliver Warner, With Wolfe to Quebec: the path to glory (1972). 1775American War of Independence begins.See Jeremy Black, "Could the British Have Won the American War of Independence?." Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research. (Fall 1996), Vol. 74 Issue 299, pp 145-154. online 90-minute video lecture given at Ohio State in 2006; requires Real Player 17 June Battle of Bunker HillRichard M. Ketchum, Decisive Day: The Battle for Bunker Hill (1999). 1776British victory at the Battle of Long Island.Barnet Schecter, The battle for New York: The city at the heart of the American Revolution (2003). 1777British victory at the Battle of Brandywine.Bruce Mowday, September 11, 1777: Washington's Defeat at Brandywine Dooms Philadelphia (White Mane Pub, 2002). 1777British defeat at the Battle of Saratoga.Michael O. Logusz, With Musket and Tomahawk: The Saratoga Campaign and the Wilderness War of 1777 (Casemate Publishers, 2010). 1781British defeat at the siege of Yorktown.Jerome A. Greene, The Guns of Independence: The Siege of Yorktown, 1781 (Casemate Publishers, 2009). 1793War on revolutionary France declared 1795Capture of Ceylon. 1796slave forces in Haiti led by Toussaint L'ouverture British Forces defeated 1798Large-scale rebellion in Ireland. 1799Capture of Seringapatam.

1801-1898 1801The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland is formed. French Revolutionary Wars (A campaign to expel a French invasion force in Egypt) takes place. 1803The Napoleonic Wars begin. 1803Second Anglo-Maratha War begins, ends 1805 1 September Battle of Aligarh 11 September Battle of Delhi 23 September Battle of Assaye 1 NovemberBattle of Laswari 28 November Battle of Argaon 15 DecemberBattle of Gawilghur 1806Seizure of the Cape of Good Hope. An abortive (initially unauthorised) invasion of Spanish South America begins. 1808The Peninsular War begins. 16 JanuaryBattle of Corunna 1810 24 JulyBattle of the Côa 25 JulySiege of Almeida (1810) 27 SeptemberBattle of Bussaco 1811 19 FebruaryBattle of the Gebora 3 AprilBattle of Sabugal 14 AprilSiege of Almeida (1811) 3 MayBattle of Fuentes de Onoro 16 MayBattle of Albuera 25 MayBattle of Usagre 28 OctoberBattle of Arroyo dos Molinos 1812The War of 1812 against the United States begins. 7 JanuarySiege of Ciudad Rodrigo 16 MarchBattle of Badajoz (1812) 11 AprilBattle of Villagarcia 11 JuneBattle of Maguilla 22 JulyBattle of Salamanca 23 JulyBattle of Garcia Hernandez 11 AugustBattle of Majadahonda 19 SeptemberSiege of Burgos 23 OctoberBattle of Venta del Pozo 1813 21 JuneBattle of Vitoria 7 JulySiege of San Sebastián 25 JulyBattle of the Pyrenees 25 JulyBattle of Roncesvalles (1813) 25 JulyBattle of Maya 28 JulyBattle of Sorauren 7 OctoberBattle of the Bidassoa (1813) 19 NovemberBattle of Nivelle 9 DecemberBattle of the Nive 1814The Gurkha War begins. 15 FebruaryBattle of Garris 27 FebruaryBattle of Orthez 10 AprilBattle of Toulouse (1814) 14 AprilBattle of Bayonne 1815 8 JanuaryBattle of New Orleans 16 JuneBattle of Quatre Bras 18 June The Battle of Waterloo takes place, ending in defeat for the French. 1819 16 August The Peterloo Massacre takes place. 1839First Anglo-Afghan War begins ends 1842 23 JulyBattle of Ghazni SeptemberSiege of Kahun 1842 6 JanuaryBattle of Gandamak 15 JanuaryMassacre of Elphinstone's Army AugustBattle of Kabul (1842) 1854The Crimean War begins; ends in 1856. 19 SeptemberThe siege of Sevastopol begins. 20 SeptemberThe Battle of Alma takes place. 25 October The Battle of Balaklava takes place; Charge of the Light Brigade. 5 NovemberThe Battle of Inkerman takes place. 1855 8 September The siege of Sevastopol ends. 1857The Indian Mutiny begins. 30 MayIndian rebels begin the siege of Delhi, siege of Lucknow 5 JuneSiege of Cawnpore begins 8 JuneBattle of Badli-ki-Serai, siege of Delhi 30 JuneSiege of Lucknow begins, Battle of Chinhat 25 AugustBattle of Najafgarh 11 OctoberBattle of Agra 19 NovemberSecond Battle of Cawnpore 1858 Central India Campaign (1858) 1 MarchCapture of Lucknow 1859Due to fear of invasion by France, a volunteer movement begins, known as the Volunteer Rifle Corps. 1870The Army withdraws from Australia and New Zealand. 1871The Army adopts the Martini-Henry rifle, replacing the Snider. Abolition of the purchase of commission. 1878 Second Anglo-Afghan War begins, ends 1880 21 NovemberBattle of Ali Masjid 15 DecemberSiege of the Sherpur Cantonment 1879The Anglo-Zulu War takes place. 22 JanuaryBritish force defeated at Battle of Isandlwana. The defence of Rorke's Drift begins; eleven Victoria Crosses would be gained in the process. 1880 19 AprilBattle of Ahmed Khel 27 JulyBattle of Maiwand 1 SeptemberBattle of Kandahar 20 DecemberFirst Boer War begins ends 23 March 1888 20 DecemberAction at Bronkhorstspruit takes place 1881Mahdist War begins, ends 1889 28 JanuaryBattle of Laing's Nek 1 JulyGeneral Order 70, the culmination of the Cardwell-Childers reforms of the Army's organisation, came into effect. 1884 13 MarchBattle of Tamai 22 MarchBattle of Tofrek 1885 JanuaryBattle of Abu Klea 28 JanuaryGeneral Charles George Gordon is killed by Mahommed Ahmed (the self-proclaimed Mahdi) after his siege of Khartoum; British relief force arrives two-days later. 8 FebruaryBattle of Schuinshoogte 10 FebruaryBattle of Kirbekan 27 FebruaryBattle of Majuba Hill 30 DecemberBattle of Ginnis 1889The Maxim machine gun is introduced. 3 AugustBattle of Toski 1896 7 JuneBattle of Ferkeh 1898 8 AprilBattle of Atbara 2 SeptemberBattle of Omdurman 24 NovemberBattle of Umm Diwaykarat

1899–1918 Second Boer War 1899 11 OctoberWar is declared. 20 OctoberThe first major battle of the war takes place at Talana Hill. December"Black Week", in which the Army suffered a series of defeats, takes place. 1900 28 FebruaryThe siege of Ladysmith is lifted. 1 AprilThe Irish Guards is formed in honour of the Irish regiments in the Boer War. 17 MayThe siege of Mafeking comes to an end. 1902 31 MayWar ends with the signing of the Treaty of Vereeniging. 1905The 5th Battalion, The Royal Garrison Regiment is the last British battalion to leave Canada. 1908The Territorial Force (later Army) is formed. 1911 1 AprilFollowing an order issued on 28 February, the Air Battalion Royal Engineers is formed. 1912The Vickers machine gun is introduced into the Army; it remains in service until 1968. 13 MayThe Air Battalion Royal Engineers becomes the Royal Flying Corps. It remains part of the Army.

First World War 1914 4 AugustBritain declares war on Germany. AugustBritish Expeditionary Force begins to deploy to France.Nikolas Gardner, Trial by fire: Command and the British Expeditionary Force in 1914 (2003). 19 OctoberThe First Battle of Ypres begins in Belgium.Ian Beckett, Ypres: The First Battle 1914 (Routledge, 2013). 1915 26 FebruaryThe Welsh Guards becomes the last Foot Guards regiment to be formed. 25 AprilLandings at Helles, Gallipoli. 10 AugustLandings at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli. 22 OctoberThe Machine Gun Corps is formed. 1916 AprilThe Easter Rising in Dublin takes place . 1 JulyThe First Day of the Somme begins; about 60,000 casualties are incurred, 20,000 of whom had been killed. 1917