In December, 1797, the famous 5th Battalion was raised at Cowes, Isle of Wight, under Lieutenant-Colonel Baron Francis de Rottenburg, upon the Austrian model as a Special Corps of Jagers or Riflemen. Four hundred of Hompesch's Mounted Riflemen-a German corps raised for service under the British Crown, and 500 from a corps known as Lowenstein's Chasseurs-were drafted into the Battalion, which was armed with rifles and dressed in green with red facings. The second Lieutenant-Colonel was that celebrated Robert Crauford who afterwards made his name so famous in the Peninsular War as the leader of the Light Division. Thus, by the addition of the 5th Battalion to the Regiment as Riflemen in 1797 the gradual evolution of the 60th Royal Americans into The King's Royal Rifle Corps was auspiciously begun.

De Rottenburg

The raising of this Battalion and the appointment of de Rottenburg to its command mark not only a distinct epoch in the history of the Regiment but an important stage in the development of the British Army. Just as Bouquet, in 1756, had introduced radical changes of dress and tactics into the newly raised 60th Royal Americans in America so also did de Rottenburg in 1797 introduce a system new to the British Army, which contributed not a little to the successful issue of the Peninsular campaign.

De Rottenburg prepared for Field-Marshal H.R.H. Duke of York, recently appointed Commander-in-Chief, the "Regulations for the Exercise of Riflemen and Light Infantry, and Instructions for their conduct in the Field," illustrated by excellent diagrams, which, with a memorandum by the Adjutant-General, was published in 1798. This book became the text-book for the training of the 5th Battalion, and it formed the basis upon which subsequent Rifle and Light Infantry battalions were organized and trained. It was this work which largely influenced Lieutenant-General Sir John Moore, who in regard to his training of the famous Light Division thus writes to the Adjutant-General (30th August, 1803) "I mean to make De Rottenburg the ground-work, noting in the margin whatever changes we make from him."

It is interesting to record that in 1788 Sir John Moore himself served as a major in the 60th Royal Americans, and that de Rottenburg in 1808 succeeded him at Shorncliffe and Brabourne as a trainer of the light troops of the British Army.

The 5th Battalion, by reason of the nature of its role in battle, carried no Colours, and this became the rule-as it still remains-for all Rifle battalions.

It was in the 5th Battalion that "manoeuvre by bugle call" was introduced. The French General Foy wrote from the Peninsula "The echoing sound of the Rifleman's horn answered the double purpose of directing their movement and of signalling those of the enemy."

This practice was not dropped finally until 1897, by which time it had become unsuited to the modem battlefield.

The 5th Battalion was engaged under Sir John Moore in suppressing the rebellion in Ireland from April to December, 1798, and in July, 1799, went with the expedition to Surinam, Dutch Guiana, the garrison of which surrendered. The Battalion returned home in 1805 and was again in Ireland in 1807 where it was garrisoned in Cork from September 1807. In December of that year the strength of the Battalion was 960 rank and file. On July 12th, 1808 the Battalion set sail for Portugal arriving at Mondego Bay on July 30th, but did not commence disembarkation until August 1st at the village of Lavaos on the left bank of the Mondego River. The first troops to land being our Rifle Battalion and four companies of the 2nd Battalion, 95th, better known as the present day Rifle Brigade. The two Corps were commanded by Brigadier-General Henry Fane! Thus began the intimacy which has existed ever since between them.

The Riflemen assumed their duties as "the eyes of the army," by marching six miles southward the same day and taking up a position to cover the landing of the main body and give timely warning of the enemy's approach. The 5th Battalion were present in the Peninsular for the whole of that war and in accordance with the General Order of 21/8/1808; a Rifle Company was attached to each of the newly arrived 7th and 8th Brigades, leaving three only with Battalion Headquarters in the Light Brigade.