The South Essex Regiment, later the Prince of Wales' Own Volunteers, is a fictional infantry line regiment in the

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 ...

that was created by

Bernard Cornwell Bernard Cornwell (born 23 February 1944) is an English-American author of historical novels and a history of the Waterloo Campaign. He is best known for his novels about Napoleonic Wars rifleman Richard Sharpe. He has also written ''The Saxon ...

in the ''Sharpe'' novel series.

Fictional history

The regiment first appears in the inaugural ''Sharpe'' novel, ''

Sharpe's Eagle ''Sharpe's Eagle'' is a historical novel in the Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell, first published in 1981. The story is set in July 1809, in the midst of the Talavera Campaign during the Peninsular War. It was the first Sharpe novel ...

'' (1981), taking place in 1809, commanded by Colonel

Sir Henry Simmerson Sharpe is a series of historical fiction stories by Bernard Cornwell centred on the character of Richard Sharpe. Cornwell's series (composed of several novels and short stories) charts Sharpe's progress in the British Army during the Napoleonic ...

, who has raised the regiment at his own expense. According to historian Mark Adkin, at the end of 1809 there were 103 regiments of foot in the British Army (the most junior being the 103rd), and the South Essex's designation would have been the 102nd, but it never received an official numerical designation, possibly because it was originally composed largely of

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

soldiers, because it was disgraced and re-designated a

battalion of detachments A battalion of detachments is a term used to refer to battalion-sized units of the British Army formed from personnel drawn from several parent units. They were used to temporarily collect together detached companies or individual stragglers into ...

shortly after its formation, or because it was disbanded only nine years after its formation (historically, the

New South Wales Corps The New South Wales Corps (sometimes called The Rum Corps) was formed in England in 1789 as a permanent regiment of the British Army to relieve the New South Wales Marine Corps, who had accompanied the First Fleet to Australia, in fortifying the ...

was designated the 102nd Regiment of Foot).Adkin, Mark. ''The Sharpe Companion'', Chapter 2. Sharpe and his small detachment of

riflemen A rifleman is an infantry soldier armed with a rifled long gun. Although the rifleman role had its origin with 16th century hand cannoneers and 17th century musketeers, the term originated in the 18th century with the introduction of the rif ...

from the

95th Rifles The Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own) was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army formed in January 1800 as the "Experimental Corps of Riflemen" to provide sharpshooters, scouts, and skirmishers. They were soon renamed the "Rifle ...

are attached to the South Essex after being separated from the rest of their regiment during Sir John Moore's retreat the previous year and the regiment is withdrawn to England. Sharpe quickly clashes with Simmerson over the latter's harsh treatment of his soldiers, and humiliates Simmerson by successfully teaching the battalion's Light Company to improve their

musket A musket is a muzzle-loaded long gun that appeared as a smoothbore weapon in the early 16th century, at first as a heavier variant of the arquebus, capable of penetrating plate armour. By the mid-16th century, this type of musket gradually d ...

ry skills. In what should be a straightforward mission to destroy a bridge at Valdelacasa, in French-occupied Spain, the South Essex is disgraced when Simmerson's bad judgment leads to a high number of casualties and the loss of their

King's Colour In military organizations, the practice of carrying colours (or colors), standards, flags, or guidons, both to act as a rallying point for troops and to mark the location of the commander, is thought to have originated in Ancient Egypt some ...

, though Sharpe manages to recover the Regimental Colour. Simmerson tries to blame the disaster on Sharpe, but General Wellesley rebukes him by designating the South Essex a

, and promoting Sharpe to the captaincy of the Light Company. At the

Battle of Talavera The Battle of Talavera (27–28 July 1809) was fought just outside the town of Talavera de la Reina, Spain some southwest of Madrid, during the Peninsular War. At Talavera, a British army under Sir Arthur Wellesley combined with a Spanish ar ...

, Simmerson panics at the sight of the advancing French and orders the South Essex withdrawn from the line of battle, leading to Wellesley relieving him of command and replacing him with Sharpe's old friend, Lt. Col.

William Lawford Sharpe is a series of historical fiction stories by Bernard Cornwell centred on the character of Richard Sharpe. Cornwell's series (composed of several novels and short stories) charts Sharpe's progress in the British Army during the Napoleonic ...

. During the battle, Sharpe and Sgt. Harper capture a

French Imperial Eagle The French Imperial Eagle (''Aigle de drapeau'', lit. "flag eagle") refers to the figure of an eagle on a staff carried into battle as a standard by the ''Grande Armée'' of Napoleon during the Napoleonic Wars. Although they were presented with ...

as a trophy, restoring the Regiment's honor (historically, the first British capture of an Imperial Eagle occurred at the

Battle of Barrosa The Battle of Barrosa (Chiclana, 5 March 1811, also known as the Battle of Chiclana or Battle of Cerro del Puerco) was part of an unsuccessful manoeuvre by an Anglo-Iberian force to break the French siege of Cádiz during the Peninsular War ...

, in 1811, chronicled in ''

Sharpe's Fury ''Sharpe's Fury'' is the eleventh historical novel in the Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell, published in 2006. The story is set in 1811 during Wellington's campaign in the Iberian peninsula. Plot summary In the spring of 1811, the Pe ...

''). This Eagle is later featured on the Regiment's flag and jacket badges. The South Essex continues to serve throughout the Peninsular Campaign, with Sharpe in command of its Light Company, which incorporates his remaining Riflemen. After Lawford is wounded during the storming of

Ciudad Rodrigo Ciudad Rodrigo () is a small cathedral city in the province of Salamanca, in western Spain, with a population in 2016 of 12,896. It is also the seat of a judicial district. The site of Ciudad Rodrigo, perched atop a rocky rise on the right bank ...

in 1812, he is replaced by Col. Brian Windham, who is ambushed and killed by a treacherous French officer outside

Salamanca Salamanca () is a city in western Spain and is the capital of the Province of Salamanca in the autonomous community of Castile and León. The city lies on several rolling hills by the Tormes River. Its Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritag ...

. In ''

Sharpe's Regiment ''Sharpe's Regiment'' is the seventeenth historical novel in the Sharpe (novel series), Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell, first published in 1986. The story is set in England as Sharpe looks for the missing Second Battalion of the Sout ...

'', the South Essex is in danger of being disbanded for lack of fresh recruits. Sharpe and Harper return to England and discover that Simmerson is using the South Essex's Second (recruiting) battalion in a crimping scheme, using the First Battalion's lustrous reputation to attract new recruits, then selling them off to other regiments without replacing the First Battalion's losses. Unable to take official action against Simmerson, Sharpe assumes command of the Second battalion and parades it in London, renaming it the Prince of Wales' Own Volunteers, playing on the military enthusiasm of the

Prince Regent A prince regent or princess regent is a prince or princess who, due to their position in the line of succession, rules a monarchy as regent in the stead of a monarch regnant, e.g., as a result of the sovereign's incapacity (minority or illness ...

, who gleefully endorses Sharpe taking the battalion to Europe (in reality, the

South Lancashire Regiment The South Lancashire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1958. The regiment, which recruited, as its title suggests, primarily from the South Lancashire area, was created as part of the Childers Ref ...

is known as the "Prince of Wales's Volunteers"). Sharpe installs the Second battalion's nominal commander, Colonel

Bartholomew Girdwood Sharpe is a series of historical fiction stories by Bernard Cornwell centred on the character of Richard Sharpe. Cornwell's series (composed of several novels and short stories) charts Sharpe's progress in the British Army during the Napoleonic ...

, in overall command of the Regiment, while making it clear that the rank-and-file's loyalty is to Sharpe alone. Girdwood suffers a

nervous breakdown A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...

during the

Battle of Nivelle The Battle of Nivelle (10 November 1813) took place in front of the river Nivelle near the end of the Peninsular War (1808–1814). After the Allied siege of San Sebastian, Wellington's 80,000 British, Portuguese and Spanish troops (20,0 ...

, as the South Essex Regiment joins the British Army's invasion of French territory. After the Battle of Toulouse and

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

's abdication, Sharpe leaves the Regiment and settles in

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

with his French lover,

Lucille Castineau Sharpe is a series of historical fiction stories by Bernard Cornwell centred on the character of Richard Sharpe. Cornwell's series (composed of several novels and short stories) charts Sharpe's progress in the British Army during the Napoleonic ...

. The Prince of Wales' Own Volunteers is present at the

Battle of Waterloo The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo, Belgium, Waterloo (at that time in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium). A French army under the command of Napoleon was defeated by two of the armie ...

, under the command of Lt. Col. Joseph Ford. At the

Battle of Quatre Bras The Battle of Quatre Bras was fought on 16 June 1815, as a preliminary engagement to the decisive Battle of Waterloo that occurred two days later. The battle took place near the strategic crossroads of Quatre Bras and was contested between ele ...

, the regiment was nearly decimated by French cavalry. During the climactic attack of the

Imperial Guard An imperial guard or palace guard is a special group of troops (or a member thereof) of an empire, typically closely associated directly with the Emperor or Empress. Usually these troops embody a more elite status than other imperial forces, in ...

, Ford suffers a breakdown, and Sharpe takes command to prevent the Regiment from breaking, addressing the soldiers by the Regiment's original name, the South Essex. As the French army breaks, Lord Wellington confirms Sharpe in command of the regiment and orders it to join the general advance of the British line. After Waterloo, in ''

Sharpe's Assassin ''Sharpe's Assassin'' is the twenty-first historical novel in the Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell, published in 2021. The story is set in June 1815, immediately after the Battle of Waterloo, and during the occupation of Paris. Plot ...

'', the Regiment is assigned to rescue British prisoners from the

Château de Ham The Château de Ham (also called fort or forteresse de Ham) is a castle in the ''commune'' of Ham in the Somme ''département'' in Hauts-de-France, France. History The early castle, whose construction date is unknown, is mentioned in a 1052 c ...

. Later in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, the regiment is sent with 3 Prussian companies to attacks a French battalion hiding in a vineyard. Soon after, Sharpe retires, and Major Peter D'Alembord takes command. According to Adkin, the Regiment was disbanded in 1817, many of its remaining soldiers returning to civilian life, while others transferred into the 9th Regiment of Foot (the

Royal Norfolk Regiment The Royal Norfolk Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army until 1959. Its predecessor regiment was raised in 1685 as Henry Cornwall's Regiment of Foot. In 1751, it was numbered like most other British Army regiments and named ...

) or the

44th (East Essex) Regiment of Foot The 44th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment in the British Army, raised in 1741. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 56th (West Essex) Regiment of Foot to form the Essex Regiment in 1881. History Early history The regime ...

. The latter was merged with the 56th to become the

Essex Regiment The Essex Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1958. The regiment served in many conflicts such as the Second Boer War and both World War I and World War II, serving with distinction in all three. ...

under the

Cardwell Reforms The Cardwell Reforms were a series of reforms of the British Army undertaken by Secretary of State for War Edward Cardwell between 1868 and 1874 with the support of Liberal prime minister William Ewart Gladstone. Gladstone paid little attention ...

and there are several similarities between the (fictional) South Essex and (historical) East Essex regiments: both captured

s, both have yellow coat facings, and they share a county designation.

Battle honours

According to Cornwell's novels, the South Essex/Prince of Wales' Own Volunteers has fought in the following engagements: *

, 1809 (''

'') (As part of the

2nd Infantry Division (United Kingdom) The 2nd Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army that was formed and disestablished numerous times between 1809 and 2012. It was raised by Lieutenant-General Arthur Wellesley for service in the Peninsular War (part of ...

) *

Battle of Bussaco The Battle of Buçaco () or Bussaco, fought on 27 September 1810 during the Peninsular War in the Portuguese mountain range of Serra do Buçaco, resulted in the defeat of French forces by Lord Wellington's Anglo-Portuguese Army. Having o ...

, 1810 (''

Sharpe's Escape ''Sharpe's Escape'' is the twenty-third (tenth in chronological order) historical novel in the Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell, published in 2004. Sharpe is embroiled in the British retreat through Portugal in 1810 from the defence ...

'') *

Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo Sieges of Ciudad Rodrigo are a series of sieges of the Spanish town Ciudad Rodrigo. Specific sieges are: * Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo (1370) * Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo (1707) * Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo (1810) * Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo (1812) ...

, 1812 ('' Sharpe's Company'') (As part of the

3rd Infantry Division (United Kingdom) The 3rd (United Kingdom) Division is a regular army division of the British Army. It was created in 1809 by Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, as part of the Anglo-Portuguese Army, for service in the Peninsular War, and was known as the ...

) * Siege of Badajoz, 1812 ('' Sharpe's Company'') (As part of the

4th Infantry Division (United Kingdom) The 4th Infantry Division was a regular infantry division of the British Army with a very long history, seeing active service in the Peninsular War, the Crimean War, the First World War, and during the Second World War. It was disbanded after ...

) *

Battle of Salamanca The Battle of Salamanca (in French and Spanish known as the Battle of Arapiles) on 22July 1812 was a battle in which an Anglo-Portuguese army under the Earl of Wellington defeated Marshal Auguste Marmont's French forces at Arapiles, so ...

, 1812 (''

Sharpe's Sword ''Sharpe's Sword'' is a historical novel in the Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell. It is the fourth in the series, being first published in 1983, though the fourteenth chronologically. Set in the summer of 1812 including the Battle of ...

'') *

Battle of Vitoria At the Battle of Vitoria (21 June 1813) a British, Portuguese and Spanish army under the Marquess of Wellington broke the French army under King Joseph Bonaparte and Marshal Jean-Baptiste Jourdan near Vitoria in Spain, eventually leading to ...

, 1813 (''

Sharpe's Honour ''Sharpe's Honour'' is the sixteenth historical novel in the Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell, first published in 1985. In the Vitoria Campaign of the Peninsula War in 1813, Sharpe is framed for murder. He must find a way to clear ...

'') *

, 1813 (''

'') * Battle of Toulouse, 1814 (''

Sharpe's Revenge ''Sharpe's Revenge'' is the nineteenth historical novel in the Richard Sharpe series written by Bernard Cornwell, first published in 1989. The peace of 1814 formally ends the Peninsular War, but it does not end all hostilities among individua ...

'') *

, and

, 1815 (''

Sharpe's Waterloo ''Sharpe's Waterloo'' is a historical novel in the Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell. Originally published in 1990 under the title ''Waterloo'', it is the eleventh novel of the Sharpe series and the twentieth novel in chronological or ...

'') (As part of the 5th brigade,

I Corps (United Kingdom) I Corps ("First Corps") was an army corps in existence as an active formation in the British Army for most of the 80 years from its creation in the First World War until the end of the Cold War, longer than any other corps. It had a short-lived ...

)

Regimental Colonels

(1809), relieved of command during the

; *

(1809–1812), wounded and invalidated home during the

; *Brian Windham (1812), transferred to the Colonelcy from

Sir Thomas Picton Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Picton (24 August 175818 June 1815) was a British Army officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. According to the historian Alessandro Barbero, Picton was "respected for his courage and feared for his irascible ...

's staff, ambushed and killed shortly before the

; *

Thomas Leroy Sharpe is a series of historical fiction stories by Bernard Cornwell centred on the character of Richard Sharpe. Cornwell's series (composed of several novels and short stories) charts Sharpe's progress in the British Army during the Napoleonic ...

(1812–1813), expatriate

American Loyalist Loyalists were colonists in the Thirteen Colonies who remained loyal to the British Crown during the American Revolutionary War, often referred to as Tories, Royalists or King's Men at the time. They were opposed by the Patriots, who supporte ...

, originally one of the regimental captains; killed at the

; *

(1813), originally the commander of the Second battalion, based in England, placed in regimental command until his mental breakdown at the

; *Major Sharpe exercises ''de facto'' command between 1813 and 1814, and it is unknown who the nominal Colonel is, or if one is even appointed; the name(s) of the Regimental Colonel(s) between the Battle of Toulouse and the Regiment's appearance during the

Waterloo Campaign The Waterloo campaign (15 June – 8 July 1815) was fought between the French Army of the North (France), Army of the North and two Seventh Coalition armies, an Anglo-allied army and a Prussian army. Initially the French army was commanded by ...

are unknown; *Joseph Ford (1815), suffers a complete mental breakdown during the final stage of the

, and is relieved of command and replaced by Sharpe; *Richard Sharpe (1815), confirmed in command by the

Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of 19th-century Britain, serving twice as prime minister of ...

. * Peter D'Alembord (1815), appointed after Sharpe retires from the army; *The

was the nominal Colonel-in-Chief beginning in 1813.

Structure

*10 Infantry

Companies A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of people, whether natural, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specific, declared go ...

** Light Company (left flank) – with Riflemen from 95th attached **

Grenadier A grenadier ( , ; derived from the word '' grenade'') was originally a specialist soldier who threw hand grenades in battle. The distinct combat function of the grenadier was established in the mid-17th century, when grenadiers were recruited fr ...

Company (right flank) **8 Regular Line Companies *Attached Regimental Units **10 Pioneers **10 Bandsmen *Regimental Headquarters **Commanding Officer ** Colour Party **

Regimental Sergeant Major Regimental sergeant major (RSM) is an appointment that may be held by warrant officers class 1 (WO1) in the British Army, the British Royal Marines and in the armies of many other Commonwealth and former Commonwealth nations, including Australi ...

Quartermaster Quartermaster is a military term, the meaning of which depends on the country and service. In land armies, a quartermaster is generally a relatively senior soldier who supervises stores or barracks and distributes supplies and provisions. In m ...

Paymaster A paymaster is someone appointed by a group of buyers, sellers, investors or lenders to receive, hold, and dispense funds, commissions, fees, salaries (remuneration) or other trade, loan, or sales proceeds within the private sector or public secto ...

Surgeon In modern medicine, a surgeon is a medical professional who performs surgery. Although there are different traditions in different times and places, a modern surgeon usually is also a licensed physician or received the same medical training as ...

and Assistant Surgeon ** Armourer Sergeant

References

Sources

*Adkin, Mark. ''The Sharpe Companion: A Detailed Historical and Military Guide to Bernard Cornwell’s Bestselling Series of Sharpe Novels''. London; New York: Harper Collins, 1998. , , {{ISBN, 0-06-073814-6.

External links

Bernard Cornwell's Official Site
Fictional British Army units Sharpe characters

Fictional history

Battle honours

Regimental Colonels

Structure

See also

References

Sources

External links