By the time of its return to Britain in 1785 under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel de Peyster, the 8th King's had served the majority of its existence abroad. Panic soon beset the establishment in Britain after the French Revolution and the King's reinforced Jersey due to heightened tension caused by it.

In 1793, revolutionary France declared war on Great Britain. The King's became assigned to an expeditionary force sent to the Netherlands under the command of Prince Frederick, Duke of York. In 1794, the regiment attempted to lift the French Siege of Nijmegen. The allies planned a nocturnal attack, with the march conducted without audible commotion. The force leapt into the French earthworks, with hand-to-hand fighting ensuing. Despite the success, the town of Nijmegen was soon evacuated and the British withdrew from the Netherlands in 1795.

In 1799, the King's became resident on Minorca, which had been captured from Spain the previous year. In 1801, the regiment landed at Abukir Bay, Egypt, with an expedition sent under the command of General Ralph Abercromby to counter a French invasion. The King's participated in the capture of Rosetta, 65 miles west of Alexandria, and a fort located in Romani. The British completed the occupation of Egypt by September.

<< Back       Next - Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812  >>