Craufurd And His Division

New Zealand Listener, Volume 9, Issue 211, 9 July 1943, Page 4

Craufurd And His Division

N one of his recent addresses, General Freyberg said that the New Zealand Division would have the place in military history that Craufurd’s Light Division won in the Peninsular Wert, Several people have asked us who Craufurd was, and for information about his Division. HE article on Craufurd in the Encyclopedia Britannica describes him as "one of the quickest and most brilliant of Wellington’s lieutenants in the Peninsular War.’’ He was born in Newark, Ayrshire, on May 5, 1764, entered the 75th Foot in 1779, and saw service in India (1790-92), and with the Austrians in 1793, In 1799 he was at the Russian headquarters in Suvarov’s Swiss Campaign. Nine years later, he held a big command in the Corunna Campaign, and then in 1809 he was sent to Spain in command of the 43rd, 52nd and 95th Battalions, which were soon to become famous as the Light Brigade (Subsequently created a division by Wellington, as an honour), Fortescue’s History of the British Army describes the man himself, and his methods of training: ‘"Craufurd’s temper was fiendish, and his instincts were tyrannical. Before he had been with the army six months, complaints reached the Horse Guards of his unusual severity to the men." Craufurd added to the efficiency of the Light Brigade, which had been trained under Sir John Moore, by drawing up regulations which would enable him to reckon exactly the time that would be required for any given march or other operation. For instance, the men were forbidden while on the march to step a foot out of their way to avoid a puddle or other unpleasant obstacle; rules like this, Fortescue says, were at first vexatious to the men, but soon they saw the object of the code. "Seven minutes sufficed for the Division to get under arms in the middle of the night, and 15 minutes, by day or (Continued on next page)

(continued from previous page) night, to bring it in order of battle to its alarm post with baggage loaded and assembled in the rear. . . . These results were obtained with astonishing economy of strength and labour. The soldiers were never harassed, whatever may have been the case with the officers, and were subjected neither to strain nor fatigue. Not a man was employed more than was absolutely necessary, and thus was attained the ideal of good outpost duty, vigilance maintained, energy husbanded and repose assured." Though reports were frequent of Craufurd’s tactlessness and severity, no one who encountered them allowed his final estimate of the man to be affected. The men of the Division who endured his severe training methods had one opportunity to test the command of another leader (Sir William Erskirie), over the winter months, but when Craufurd returned on the very morning of the Battle of Fuentes de Onoro, he was greeted with ringing cheers. The Division continued to build on its reputation, leading attacks, covering changes of position, and so on, until the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo, where Craufurd himself led the storming of a breach, and received a mortal wound, Five days later (January 24, 1812), he was buried in the breach made by his men.