~*** 1st Irish Brigade***~

[center]The 88th was established in Connaught in 1793 and it bore on its colours and appointments a harp and a crown with the motto Quis Separabit – "Who shall divide us". It first saw service in 1794 in Flanders in the disastrous Walcheren campaign against Napoleon's troops and, despite their inexperience, the troops fought well, but hundreds perished in the British Army’s winter retreat that year. The regiment later fought in the West Indies, Egypt, India and South America before it joined Wellington’s army in the Peninsular in 1808. It was during the Peninsular campaign that the 88th distinguished itself as one of the finest regiments in what Wellington himself was later to describe as "that most astonishing infantry".

Posterity has ensured that we have a first hand account of some of the most extraordinary actions that took place in the Peninsular of that time by the published diaries of Lieutenant William Grattan who served with the 88th in Spain from 1809 until 1813. The Connaught Rangers were "the most Irish of all Irish regiments" (Oman) and in Grattan's own words were "a parcel of lads that took the world aisy" and "without shoes they fancied themselves at home, without food they were nearly at home." The 88th served under General Picton in the 3rd Division or the "Fighting Division" as Grattan was proud to call them. Picton himself seemed to have had a love-hate relationship with the 88th. When he first addressed them he called them "The Connaught Footpads" in reference to their reputation for plundering, but he soon recognised their abilities when it came to a hard fight.

It is evident that in moments of crisis he came to use the 88th as shock troops – heavy stormtroopers to be used at the critical point of a battle to break the spirit of their opponents by hand-to-hand fighting, and it was Picton who came to give them the infamous nick name of "The Devil’s Own". The many battles of the Peninsular War have filled many books but the major actions in which the Connaught Rangers made an inimitable contribution can be summarised below:

For example, during the storming of Ciudad Rodrigo, it was in order to confer a mark of distinction upon the Connaught Rangers that a junior officer or subaltern volunteer from the 88th was requested to lead the "Forlorn Hope", the first storming party through the main breach of the fortress walls. Almost certain death, but if he survived, the leading officer was normally assured a captaincy. A Lieutenant William Mackie volunteered and was granted the command, composed of 20 volunteers from the 88th.[/center]



[p20]~`88th Connaught Rangers`~[/p20]

Colonel- John Thomas

Lt Colonel-

Major-

Captain-

1LT
2LT-
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