The Honourable George Augustus Frederick Lake (1781-1808) was a

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

Commanding Infantry Officer who Commanded His Majesty's 29th Regiment of Foot during the early stages

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spain ...

. George Lake's family were well-connected at court, and in 1790 he was appointed one of the Prince of Wales' Pages of Honour. George Lake's father was General

Gerard Lake Gerard Lake, 1st Viscount Lake (27 July 1744 – 20 February 1808) was a British general. He commanded British forces during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and later served as Commander-in-Chief of the military in British India. Background He was ...

who became Viscount Lake of Delhi and Laswary and Aston Clint after his service in India. George Lake served with his father as his aide-de-camp and military secretary from 1798 to 1803 in both

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

and

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. As a Major in the

94th Regiment of Foot The 94th Regiment of Foot was a British Army line infantry regiment, raised as the Scotch Brigade in October 1794. It was renumbered as the 94th Regiment of Foot in December 1802 and disbanded in December 1818. The regiment was reformed in Decemb ...

he was seriously wounded at the Battle of Laswaree, whilst ensuring his father remounted after General Lake had his horse shot from under him. In early 1808 Lieutenant Colonel Lake embarked with his regiment and travelling via

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

, landed in the Iberian Peninsula in June 1808. One of the regiment's officers claimed that they were one of the first British units to do so. In regimental muster returns for August and September 1808 it is recorded that Lake was killed in one of the early engagements with the French in the Peninsular War, at the Battle of Roliça on 17 August 1808. According to various accounts Lake was leading his Grenadier Company into a mountain pass when they were fired on by French infantry from well-prepared positions and he was killed; although his unit succeeded in overcoming the enemy defences. He was buried by his men after the battle (as was the habit of the time) close to the spot where he died (the grave site is marked with a cross); there is also a memorial plaque in Westminster Abbey commemorating his death. The monument is sculpted by James Smith. His father had predeceased him by six months having died shortly after his son's regiment had sailed for Gibraltar.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lake, George Augustus Frederick 29th Regiment of Foot officers British Army personnel of the Peninsular War Younger sons of viscounts 1781 births 1808 deaths British military personnel killed in action in the Napoleonic Wars