The Forced March to Talavera de la Reina

The Forced March to Talavera de la Reina. July 1809 – July 1985

During the Peninsular War 1808-1814, the Spanish and the British were allied against the French. Napoleon Bonaparte, in his desire for hegemony in Europe, had placed his brother Joseph upon throne in Madrid. On 2nd May 1808 the Spanish people had risen against the usurpers and called upon the British for help.

In July 1809 at Talavera de la Reina Sir Arthur Wellesley (later Duke of Wellington) and the Captain General de Extermadura, Gregoria de la Cuesta, defeated the French despite the absence of the crack Light Brigade under the command of Sir Robert Craufurd. This unit, comprising of the 1st/43rd, 1st/52nd, 1/95th and the Chestnut Troop of the Royal Horse Artillery was hurrying eastward having been landed at Lisbon. Craufurd’s 2500 men had crossed mountain and river in a desperate attempt to reach Wellington and Cuesta in time for the expected battle. They failed by one day but in so doing performed what is generally regarded as an outstanding feat of discipline and endurance. In one of his books Winston Churchill stated that the rapidity of pace has never been equalled. The area of operations is shown on Map 1.

The campaign of July 1809 was intended to eject the French from Madrid. The opponent of Wellington and Cuesta was Marshal Victor. The allied army confronted him at Talavera de la Reina. The Spanish took the right of the line, the place of honour. The British occupied the Cerro de Medellin on the left.

Victor dared not attack the strongly-positioned Spanish but launched a night assault against their allies. This was repulsed. Further massive attacks during the following day were defeated in one of bloodiest battles of the war. The Spanish Regiment of Horse, ‘del Rey’, made an outstanding charge against a French infantry column and an artillery battery. During the night the French retired behind the Albreche. Shortly afterwards, at dawn, the sound of silver bugles was heard from the west and the Light Brigade, with the Chesnut Troop trotting in its midst, marched on to the smoking and burning battlefield. It had covered 68km in 26 hours.

In 1985 a group of members of the British Royal Air Force planned to repeat the route covered by the Light Brigade in 1809. Through established channels in the Spanish Ministry of Defence, aided by our Air Attaché in Madrid, the team was greatly honoured by being given authorisation for the march while wearing their uniforms and carrying the British national flag. A further great honour was the accompaniment of a patrol of the elite Special Operations Group (GOE) from Colmenar Viejo under the command of Lt Col Evaristo Muñoz Manero. The British team included two members of the Royal Green Jackets who are the direct military descendants of the Light Brigade.

Many of the difficulties that faced Sir Robert Crawford and his men are attenuated by modern times. Their feat will remain forever matchless but it provided a noble target by which men of a technologically-advanced service might measure their minds and bodies.

Of special interest are the 68kms from Navalmoral de la Mata to the hill of Medellín, north of Talavera de la Reina. The most reliable sources claim that the Light Brigade covered this distance in 26 hours. Their march from Coria had taken 4 days. The route and timings of the last day are shown on Map 2.

The Forced March to Talavera in July 1809 was carried out in scorching arid conditions. Water was very scarce. The soldiers were in their usual thick uniforms, tightly fitting with leather stocks clamped around their throats and heavy shakos on their heads. Each infantryman carried his musket or Baker rifle, ammunition, bayonet or sword-bayonet, greatcoat, a blanket, a knapsack and haversack. The total weight was in the region of 22kg.

The members of the RAF team and of the GOE carried the equivalent weight representing the weapons, ammunition and other equipment of their predecessors. The Spanish team carried the Altus mountain backpacks. They also carried the Z-70 sub-machine-gun and ammunition. On the other hand, the members of the RAF team, who were not armed, carried their weight in 1958 pattern webbing consisting of a harness, two front pouches, two rear pouches and two water bottles, all weight being distributed on the hips. The weight of personal belongings was augmented by lead shot to bring it to the specified load.

The members of the RAF team were not combat personnel but technicians and support staff. With the exception of the two drivers all had as their sport Long-distance Road Marching. Every year such enthusiasts train over a period of six months for the culminating event in Holland, the Nijmegen 4-Days. Over 80,000 marchers, military and civilian, from many countries, take part. The standard distance for the 4-days is 160km, 40km per day. Emulation of the 1809 Forced March presented a challenge even to the experienced members of the RAF team. Their trainer and marching captain was Flight Lieutenant Sherwood Moore, the most experienced marcher in the RAF.

In June a reconnaissance of the proposed route was made by the expedition leader and the marching captain, accompanied by a Captain and NCOs of GOE No 1. This established the actual route, the timings and stopping places. The RAF Air Attaché in Madrid, Group Captain Entwistle, arranged with Austin-Rover Iberica for the loan of a new Range Rover and a new Sherpa minibus for the use of the expedition in July to be driven by two drivers of Strike Command who would travel to Madrid from La Linea by train.

On 19th July the RAF team flew by 32 Sqn VIP Andover to Madrid Getafe thence by its two vehicles to Colemnar Viejo where it was made welcome by GOE No 1. The next day a convoy of vehicles travelled to Zarza la Mayor on the Portuguese border. There the full size of the Spanish logistical support became clear. As well as the marching patrol there were 20 support staff and 7 vehicles including an ambulance and an MO. There was also a field kitchen and tents. A short ceremony was held to present each Spanish officer and soldier with the expedition brassard.

The marching stages were as follows:

1st day: Sunday 21st July. Zarza la Mayor to Tentadero de Miralrio; 20km.

2nd day: Monday 22nd July. Tentadero de Miralrio to Coria; 20km.

3rd day: Tuesday 23rd July. Rest and preparation for the following days.

4th day:Wednesday 24th July. Corian to Galisteo. 29km.

5th day:Thursday 25th July. Galisteo to Malpartida de Plasencis. 20km.

6th day: Friday 26th July. Malpartida to Toril. 20km.

7th day:27th July. Toril to Navalmoral de la Mata. 20km.

8th day: 28th July. Navalmoral de la Mata to Cerro de Medellin, Talavera de la Reina. 68km.

In total there were seven stages of march totalling 211km following the route taken by the Light Brigade. The timing of each stage was set by the known timings of 1809. Craufurd’s men set out before first light to avoid the heat of the day, typically setting off at 04.00 and completing that day’s march by 09.00. A rest of fifteen minutes was taken every two hours. Adopting the same approach in 1985 ensured that the final stage was reached with the participants fit enough, mentally and physically, to challenge the time set by Craufurd’s men. A difficulty not encountered by the Light Brigade were modern asphalt road surfaces that retained the heat of the previous day throughout the night. The heat encountered in 1985 was the hottest for a century at 42deg C. All knew that the last day was going to be very tough as there would be forced marching for most of the day in that heat.

Each day the teams marched in one column or two, depending on the road conditions, taking the lead in turn, with the national flag to the fore. The pace of march was set by the team captain.The average speed during the seven days was of 6.5 km per hour, giving a classification for the six first days of movement as ‘quick marching’ and of the last day classified as ‘forced marching’, given the distance covered and the weight of around 22kg of equipment and weapons that was carried on that day. The British team, whenever the itinerary permitted, made good use of marching at a standard pace, and like the Spanish, sang marching chants of their country.

An important aspect was the logistical effort to supply and maintain the fitness of the participants. Primarily this was the function of the field kitchen under the command of an officer of the GOE. Meals appropriate to this type of effort were provided in accordance with the marching schedule.

The heat, as already has been mentioned, was the constant public enemy number one. It not only increased fatigue on the march, but because of the scorching asphalt raised the temperature of the feet and made blistering more likely. The high temperature also made it difficult to sleep during the daylight hours between marching stages. The RAF team, recognising and anticipating the difficulties of the climate, had prepared well, each man carrying two water-bottles and wearing floppy hats and tropical combat uniform.

It was a special highlight of the whole expedition when, on the 29th July, Lt Col Muñoz Manero gave the order to march at 04.00 at the Town Hall at Naval Moral de la Mata thus commemorating the departure of the Light Brigade in its effort to join Wellington and Cuesta who were already in combat with the French. Sixty-eight kilometres lay in front of the teams along the side of the E-4 highway.

After 5½ hours marching a 30 minute rest stop was made at Orepesa for food and refreshment. 32km had been covered. The march resumed at 10.00 until a halt was called at noon. A rest period of 5 hours was made, the same as in 1809. The final stage of that day’s march commenced at 5pm. The heat was crippling and the teams had to have a constant re-supply of water.

The battlefield of Talavera was reached at 20.45. The two members of the Royal Green jackets were dressed in the uniform of the period. The 68km had been covered in 17 hours. The Light Brigade, despite the difficulties that it faced in 1809, had taken 26 hours. The RAF and GOE teams congratulated each other heartily.

The following day, the 29th July, the teams gathered again on the Cerro de Medellin at the monument that commemorates that bloody encounter of 1809. The Alcalde of Talavera and the Air Attaché attended. Addresses were delivered by Lt Col Muñoz Manero and Sqn Ldr Hamill-Keays. Wreaths to remember the Spanish, the British and the French dead were laid. Another ceremony was held in Talavera where a street was named after the Duke of Wellington. This was followed by a civic reception.

In a token of appreciation of the tremendous support given to the RAF team by GOE Nº1, a fiesta was held in Madrid on 30th July where the British team hosted their Spanish comrades. At the request of Lt Col Muñoz Manero the two flags that were carried during the march were exchanged.

The return to the UK was made by coach arriving back at Victoria 13.00A on 2nd August 1985. The expedition came to an end, as planned, at 15.30A at RAF Halton.

In retrospect, it must be said that without the unstinting support of the Spanish Army in terms of transport, rations, fuel for our vehicles, and medical attention, not to mention comradeship, the Forced March to Talavera de la Reina in July 1985 would have be very much more difficult, if not impossible. Muchísimas gracias a la noble GOE Nº1!

Seamus Hamill-Keays. Squadron Leader. Senior Lecturer in Control Engineering. Royal Air Force College Cranwell

BRITISH TEAM MEMBERS

Squadron Leader Seamus Hamill-Keays. Senior Lecturer in Control Engineering. Royal Air Force College Cranwell

Squadron Leader John Haywood. Senior Lecturer in Electronic Engineering. Royal Air Force College Cranwell

Flight Lieutenant Sherwood Moore. Lecturer in Advanced Radar Techniques. Royal Air Force Cosford

Sergeant Mick Walters. Administrator. Madrid

Officer Cadet Russ Clements. Engineering Student. Cranwell

Junior Technician Phil Cockram. Air Radar Technician. Laarbruch

Junior Technician Neil Spink. Air Radar Technician. Wyton

Senior Aircraftman Glyn Rowland. Supplier. Laarbruch

Senior Aircraftman Martin Long. Driver

Senior Aircraftwoman Hayley Cooper. Driver

Apprentice Technician George Mair. Avionics Technician. Cosford

Rifleman Beasley. Royal Green Jackets (RGJ) Infantry Regiment of the British Army

Rifleman Desson. Royal Green Jackets (RGJ) Infantry Regiment of the British Army

Seamus Hamill-Keays. Squadron Leader. Senior Lecturer in Control Engineering. Royal Air Force College Cranwell