What can I say except thank you, sir. I've walked past that statue (probably my favorite by the way) a dozen times and I've always wanted to know the story behind the general. The sheer happiness of me seeing you upload this video is unimaginable. Bless you and may you always finish both slices of bread of your burgers at the same time!
@@TheHistoryChapSadly the UK has been taken over by suicidal lunatics that hate everything about the UK and it's history. It's only a matter of time, 10yr maybe less before calls to remove these type of statues gain the support of 10 Downing street. I hope I'm wrong, but I think I'm not.
Excellent comment. I remember passing through France and seeing a memorial to the fallen in the Franco-Prussian War. It was sad to see their memorial was shabby and overshadowed by later events. For those those men, it was as real as now is for us.
A wonderful account of the forgotten expeditions of the British Empire. There is a strong tradition of officers leading from the front especially with the British. Bravo and kudos for another fine example of the history of the Empire and the men who fought in it.
Being a born and bred scouser I am thrilled to see and listen to this. At 65 years old I never knew who he was or about the battle. I myself is an ex veteran of RA with 25 years service. Thank you👏🏻
Cheers Paul, thank6for ya service 💯 Charles Gordon, wow what a man!!!! When you see old Sherlock Holmes stuff look to the pictures on the walls of his place and there he'll be, a true Great Britain, like me an you🧐💪🇬🇧💯 🙏🗣️💯 what men we were?? 🆘💯🗣️👍🎬😱☠️🤑🔚🇬🇧 Our Story is HIS-STORY💪🤩🙏🇬🇧💯 edit-64 bruv💪🙏🇬🇧💯
The fact that people have lobbied to demolish this statue is disgusting when he gave so much to the empire. I’m all for learning from the past but also awarding credit where it is due. Great video, subscribed.
Totally echo that sentiment, great local Liverpool connection ( Tarleton Banastre springs to mind..) ,keep up with the great work that you do, sir, best wishes from the wirral peninsula...E....😊
Good morning, Chris [ Oz time], You're correct I had not heard of the battle or General Earl. I am sorry I was a bit late watching this episode. But as always it had me rivetted to my office chair. Fantastic telling. Cheers
Another great post thanks. When I lived in Liverpool I walked past the statue of General Earle many times. It was many years later when I finally made the connection with the Gordon relief Expedition! :)
like the way the Brits run from Sudan last month, leaving their citizens to be rescued by other nations who care for their citizens, because a Tory government dont need to care for its citizens....
@@colinharbinson8284 hahahaha, you mean the French, Spanish and Germans did that.. because your Great Britain only rescued around 50 people from their embassy and left the rest behind... your Tories are scumbags!
You constantly raise the bar with the quality of your postings. I didn’t know of the General nor of the battle before seeing this. Another greatly informative post. 👍
Thank you for covering General Earl.Leadership by example. Remember seeing some illustrations in an old book by Michael Barthope. The career of Banaste Tarleton , who led the British Legion in North America was the son of a Lancashire cloth merchant. He too rose to the rank of General though he did not take part in the Napoleonic war.
My great great grandad was involved at tel el kebir, el teb tamaai, kirbekan and the nile. Also went to Cape colony. He left in 1904. Only to rejoin in 1914. Then being awarded the dcm in 1916 aged 60
I walk past St Georges Hall on a daily basis and always enjoy looking at the monument of William Earl. Would love to see the council clean it and restore it to former glory.
Thanks Chris. Any chance of delving into Robert Clive sometime. I remember reading With Clive in India at school, and found my interest in history due to that book. Again, much appreciate the work.
@@TheHistoryChap I understand your predicament. Although I'm firmly in the "hero" camp i sympathize with your need to appear unbiased no matter which view you hold. Thank you.
Brilliant as ever 👏 I could listen all day every day. Must take a hell of a lot of research to do .I love his unique passionate delivery .different tales of heroism within the story .keep it up old chap we love ye 👏
Waiting for Canadian boatmen doesn't display much urgency to rescue gordon, I've often wondered was this deliberate knowing gladstones position was sir garnet under orders? ...once again excellent chris!
Great post. I’ll tip my hat to this feller the next time I’m on Lime Street. Hardman Street runs down from Hope Street towards the city centre, would that be named after his father?
Did some work in Southampton 2 doors down from Charles Gordons old house. There's a plaque on the wall commemorating him. I would post the picture but UA-cam doesnt let you. Didn't realise such a hero lived in my own home town!
@@TheHistoryChap Hi Chris, for some reason I couldn't send the pictures on your website however I have emailed them to you using your email address on your UA-cam channel!
I've seen that statue many times - now I know. Thanks for covering another forgotten part of history. I wait with baited breath to see which 21st century protagonist gets a statue...
Great vids love them ! Tel El Kabir , seen this on war memorial outsid Inverness railway station a few weeks ago. Hope you do vid of rescue of Ali Pasha as Conrad , author of " Heart of Darkness was on this relief expedition.
Hi Chris, Very well related story I bet that explains the statue to almost all who walk by it. My ears pricked up when you mentioned the Battle of Alma in the Crimea, not that I know anything about it (well until I listen to your stories that is!) but it was the name of a pub near to where I used to live in Portsmouth, The Alma Arms, never knew why it was called that ...... just further up the same road is (or was) the Grave Diggers, this one is more obvious as its opposite a graveyard. Have a great weekend!!
Seen the thumbnail and thought that’s william earl, walked past his statue many times thank you history chap 🫶🏻 fabulous episode as you March closer to 100k 👊🏻
Earle was definitely one of Britain's more gifted tactical commanders at the time. General Sir William Howe used the same tactic to win a number of battles in the Ameraican Revolutionary War, Robert E. Lee at Chancellorsville with Stonewall Jackson carrying out the surprise attack, and by Frederick the Great at Leuthen. In regards to the Battle of Omdurman, 26,200 British, Egyptian, and Sudanses troops under General Kitchener faced off the 50,000 strong Mahdist army under Abdullah-el-Taashi which launched a series of frontal assaults on the Allied positions which were all bloodily repulsed; at the Battle of Auerstadt 92 years before, the 27,000 strong III Corps of the Grande Armee under Marshal Davout faced the 64,000 strong main Prussian army and Davout held his corps firm in the face of multiple Prussian assaults then charged driving them off which won the battle for the French. Also, at the First Battle of Ypres in autumn 1914 the 18,000 stong I Corps of the BEF under General Sir Douglas Haig at tremendous cost repulsed a powerful German onslaught and prevented Ypres's fall to the Germans. Looking forward to the video on Toski!
@@TheHistoryChap -- Chris, I'll have to find out if they are recruiting now. But I think you would be a short-listed candidate from among all applicants.
The Gordon relief campaign is the most interesting ,heroic yet ultimately saddest campaign in British military history especially as we didn't lose a single battle in the whole war.
What a ripping yarn! Well told, too. The fighting in these desert battles must've been intense and bloody for senior British commanders to be killed. I just hope that General Earl doesn't suffer a second 'death' by having his dramatic statue in Liverpool 'Colston'd' by modern fanatics!
Judging by the...robust..!! response from Merseyside police and the public at Aintree...I think the pampered protesterati will think twice before messing with our heritage...I guess that is why we have the slavery and Maritime museums cheek by Jowl down on the Royal Albert Dock here in Liverpool 😊😊😊
Like Custer in America, it's the guy who lost that's remembered. We had our William Earles - George Crook, Nelson Miles, and Ranald Mackenzie. Some things don't change. PS Have you considered putting some of your excellent series (Mutiny, Sudan, etc.) into book or long-length video form?
Interesting thought about the winners being forgotten. I like you idea about a book or long-length video. Maybe drop me aline via my website (www.thehistorychap.com) and we can discuss in more detail?
@@TheHistoryChap I was suggesting you write it. I am an expert on the U.S.S. Uruguay so I owe Wikipedia an article (long story -- Forest Gump's football coach as an officer and my grand parents met on the boat when it was a troop transport)
My salute goes out to the "Mahdi ," Shaikh Muhammad Ahmad's triumphant victory over the infidel British force. May ALLAH bless all the courageous Believers with the Firdaus al- Jannah , Ameen.❤
We should consider that a victory against a bunch of savage fanatics it 's never pointless, also if the British had to retreat, they literally mopped the floor with the mahadists, showing them what happen when a regular, well trained army fight a bunch of fanatics. Don't forget that the revolt expanded after some embarassing defeats of the egyptian army .
I must say great narrative cogently delivered & so very many special & touching points...but one thing has always baffled me about the British Army ( and their rationale re-Redcoats ,brave as they were ) With white webbing on red breast, they might just as well have put a white cross saying "shoot here" . I cannot but grieve over all those brave men senselessly going to their deaths like sitting ducks..Oh the stupidity of it all.
@Eric Ash Music: To respond to your question posed here, in the days of inaccurate musket fire, it didn’t in effect make too much difference, as each line of soldiers would march to within & between one hundred (100) & fifty (50) yards or meters (Often 30 yards in the case of the British) of each other, before discharging their volley fire for optimum lethal effect against the enemy line, which would be repeated as many times as thought necessary before the senior officer commanding would initiate a bayonet charge to disperse &/or further dispatch any remaining enemy troops left still offering resistance! That was the theory of operational infantry line-fire, & in practice British infantry soldiers (& when required, Royal Marines Light Infantry too), each of whom actually had earned a reputation for their efficacy at it, of being second to none in the successful execution of this practice, & aptly demonstrated on innumerable battlefields between the late 17th to the late 19th centuries, especially as the Empire 🇬🇧 was then being established & expanded! The redcoats worn by most British line infantry units were a traditional symbol that had originally emanated from Cromwell & Fairfax’s Parliamentary “New Model Army’ from the historical period of the English Civil Wars of the mid-17th Century (1641-53)! Cromwell’s pikemen & musketeers (Then armed with & using matchlock-operated types of firearms!) clad themselves either in russet (Usually made of sturdy leather) or scarlet (Or combination of these colours) colored vests & jackets primarily for easier identification purposes as well as for similarly being symbolically consistent with the red national colours of the cross on the ‘St George’s Flag’ of England!
@@trevorfuller1078 Armies always had Snipers, that is those who could gauge & shoot accurately- I still say it was stupid wearing bright red jackets. I respect your opinion of course- but all the combat services now prefer camouflage..which indicates some sense.
@@ericashmusic8889 : Yes, Eric, you have some good points there! The British military (& naval too) staff during, or else in the immediate aftermath, or in the intervening periods in-between the larger scale wars or conflicts, of the 18th & early-19th centuries, were generally a conservative-bunch, whose primary focus normally placed European theatres of operations, as being the main priority in these numerous wars then, hence, they tended to think, plan & operate in a similar ways to each other (Friend & foe alike!) inclining towards attending to standard European armies/armed forces’ perceived needs & priorities of the day, often it must be still said, correctly & for good, sound strategic reasons! Therefore, other more peripheral theatres of action were generally considered less important in terms of either focusing resources &/or developing new, innovative tactics or weaponry etc, with a few notable exceptions, that is! One of these exceptions were the inception of Roger’s Rangers (mainly composed of Colonial militiamen) in 1755, who operated successfully then in the American ‘Backwoods’ against the French Forces, French Colonists & their Indian Allies in the Seven Years War or as it is better known in America or Canada, as the French & Indian War (1756-63). They operated in small groups, dressed in their own woodmen’s or farmer’s clothes, living off the land, & generally armed with their own (Muzzleloading) hunting rifles & used native-Indian combat tactics, methods & techniques! They also armed themselves with rifles, hatchets or tomahawks, hunting knives or seaxes (long knives or short swords), as well as slingshots or catapults, if they wanted to kill by stealth at some distance away! Rogers Rangers or their similar contemporary &/or successor units were also active on both sides in the American War of Independence/American Revolutionary War, mainly on the American Rebels side but also strongly represented in the Loyalist Militia units, especially in both the British Army’s former 60th Regiment of Foot, the Royal Americans, & also in Canada, the Canadian Army’s Reserve Unit, “The Queen’s York Rangers, 1st Americans”, as they later on both became better known! After Yorktown in 1781, this regiment either returned to Britain, or else fragmented into smaller militia units & became like other United Empire Loyalists (UELs), who trekked or more commonly sailed up-to Halifax, NS or Saint John, NB, Canada, then resettled there & re-formed “Rifle” &/or ”Light Infantry” companies or units in many Canadian Militia or Fensible units in either the Maritime Colonies, Lower Canada (Now Quebec) or eventually in Upper Canada (Now Ontario), these units in many cases, subsequently, many years & decades henceforth became some of the initiators & forerunners of Canada’s most famous & illustrious Army Regiments!! All these units then however, were actually trained & used as ‘Light-Infantry’ units, the British Army’s equivalent of the Prussian or Austrian “Jaeger - Hunter” units, which were normally formed & trained as irregulars &/or sharpshooters for frontier service in mountainous or remote rugged, be-forested areas in those kingdoms & empires then the in Central & Eastern Europe of the mid 18th & early-19th centuries! The French Army also had similar units throughout the 18th century that also saw much service then & in the later Revolutionary & Napoleonic Wars too that were called “Voltigeurs!” In an attempt to formulate a formal military doctrine that could systematically combine both the standards light-infantry units together with the irregular scouts & sharpshooters unit of the 60th Royal Americans! Therefore, another brand-new, experimental unit was created in 1800, by the British Army, under the guidance & initiative of Col. Coote Manningham. This development also coincided with the introduction into the British Army at the same time of the ‘Baker Rifle’, designed & manufactured by Ezekiel Baker, then a well-renowned London Gunsmith that was a radical innovation & enhancement in small arms technology at the time! This gave a trained rifleman a distinct advantage over his continental counterparts in terms of accuracy & range! The only potential problem was the fact that due to its rifling-grooves within the barrel, it was then slower to load than a standard smoothbore musket (The Brown Bess Model of the British Army) of the era, usually allowing a trained rifleman only enough time to fire two rounds per minute, but at a push, this could be increased also to three by using unorthodox loading methods! Rifles also had to be oiled & cleaned more frequently due to being prone to foul-up with spent power residues & minute shards of carbonized wadding etc., building up on & in-between the grooves along the length of the inner barrel, which if left unattended would reduce its efficacy & its range, as well as increase the chances of a potentially fatal blowback seriously injuring or even killing the shooter! The Baker Rifle’s introduction also precipitated an albeit “small-scale” radical rethink of skirmishing tactics within the British Army then, that often combined the skirmishing & battlefield reconnaissance practices of the light infantry along with the newly developing tactics of the scouts & sharpshooters of the new rifle regiments, who now under the leadership of Colonel (Later, Major-General) Coote Manningham & his able assistant, Lt. Col. William Stewart, of whom both formed the “Experimental Regiment of Riflemen,” & based it at the Shorncliffe Armoury near Dover in Kent, of which subsequently became known as the famous “95th Rifles” of Peninsula War & Waterloo fame (See also the BBC Historical Period Drama Series, “Sharpe” of the 1990s & early 2000s based on the books of the same fictional hero, Richard Sharpe that were written by Bernard Cornwell, but based substantially on historical facts & real experiences of numerous, authentic & true historical individuals’ own accounts of these times). One marksman of the 95th Rifles, an Irish soldier, Thomas Plunket from Wexford, who at an estimated distance of 350 to 400 yards shot a French General & his AdC from their horses, killing them both, using a Baker Rifle, then a huge & exceptional feat of marksmanship-skill, at the Battle of Cacabelos in northern Spain, during the Retreat to Corunna in 1809, in the initial stages of the Peninsular War! Incidentally, a few units of Riflemen even saw service in the American War of 1812 too, but not very many! The Baker Rifle subsequently became a mainstay of the British & Colonial Rifle (Scouts/Sharpshooter) units for over 60 years (1800-62), when the antiquated muzzleloaders were then being superseded by real-bullet-fed, repeat-action, breechloaders rifles & these were later, eventually replaced by magazines-fed, bolt-action, long range rifles,’ (Martini-Henry’s, Lee-Metford’s & then Lee-Enfields!) then incorporating updated advancements in technology & techniques, constantly being developed & upgraded at that particular time, in the mid-to-late 19th Century. The success of the rifles (As specialist Skirmishers, Scouts & Sharpshooters) regiments (The 60th & the 95th) were based to no small degree on the fact that unlike other comparable British Army units as the both wore as part of their regular dress & combat uniform, their unique & wholly distinctive, dark-green jackets & trousers with a black leather shako headwear or black tam o’ shanter beret & black boots, making them stand out distinguishably, from all other line-infantry regiments of the British Army of the day, who then attired themselves totally in red jackets & white or grey breeches. This was all done, so while on active service that they (Riflemen) could then easily blend into without being too obviously seen or detected in wooded or verdant bushes, hedgerows or other foliage or vegetation. The British Army had revived the use of natural landscapes, gleaned during their previous campaigns in North America, to then engage in the first successful basic & simplistic deployment & use of enhanced camouflage & disguise tactics & techniques on the battlefields of the Peninsula War (1808-13) in Spain, Portugal & SW France & later on colonial deployments in India & elsewhere! In time, both Rifle Regiments (The 60th & 95th along with others that had since formed) were amalgamated to form The Rifle Brigade, the Prince Consort’s Own, in later Victorian Times! All through this era, small arms specialists’ tactics & operational skills were constantly updated, upgraded & finely honed to be deployed at short notice anywhere across the Empire, albeit on small & limited scales designed to deal with the needs & demands of smaller sized colonial conflicts! It was perhaps the case that therein had lain the main, inherent weaknesses! In the long 100 years (1815-1914) or so of relative peace between the major powers of the day, the senior military cadres of the British Empire lost sight of the salient fact that the next major war would eventually involve Britain fighting an all out war with a major technically-advanced, & sophisticated, European enemy!! Many of these vital lessons in field craft & small units’ deployments were lost on the remote fighting fields of the far reaches of Britain’s vast Empire, but these important yet forgotten or disregarded oversights in infantry tactics, & operational deployments & strategy would eventually come back to haunt them (The British 🇬🇧 Empire’s Military’s Imperial General Staffs & the senior politicians in Government in London!) all with vengeance between 1899-1902, during the initial shocks & unpleasant surprises encountered during contact with a well-armed & adapted localized enemy, both in the Boer War in South Africa & again in the Great War (WW1) 1914-18, on the ‘Western Front’ & other theatres across the world then!!
Crazy to think that "only" 12 British casualties can result in 3 of the highest ranking officers on the battlefield. We tend to think of officer casualties by the perspective of the first world war which was a killing field for junior officers. It does however remind me of a useless fact I once heard regarding the Russians losing more generals at the Battle of Borodino than the Union Army during the 4 years of the American Civil War
in the present, the Brits run away, as usual, left their citizens behind, hopeing they maybe get rescued by other nations the Brits dont see as equals!
A wonderfully silly comment. I rather like this sort of thing. However, you must realise that members of my class don't really notice you at all. Thus, whether or not you are our equals is of no concern to us. I hope this puts your mind at rest. Best wishes to you, whatever you are.
@@robertcottam8824 i other words you are so special, that your class dont matters to everyone, and by mention YOUR class, i assume you living in your parents basement and never left your town!
Scouser here , ex kings regiment and proudly working class . Don’t confuse the vocal minority and middle class socialist local government types with working class scousers , working class scousers aren’t fans of communism as much as they’re not fans of far right stuff either . Be honest you only know what you know of scousers from opinions you’ve formed from social media / newspapers etc. you don’t know really know anything about scousers do you ?
I couldnt tell you how many times I've walked past this and not even gave it a glance. I can promise I will on Monday.
It is a great statue
What can I say except thank you, sir. I've walked past that statue (probably my favorite by the way) a dozen times and I've always wanted to know the story behind the general. The sheer happiness of me seeing you upload this video is unimaginable. Bless you and may you always finish both slices of bread of your burgers at the same time!
Glad you enjoyed it and I am chuckling at your final line!
You're doing great work bringing light to these lesser known conflicts. The brave souls who fought in them should not be forgotten.
+Adam Gilbert. Bringing up those old battles in the Sudan is very appropriate, now when that benighted country is so much in the news again.
Thanks for watching and for taking the time to comment
@@TheHistoryChap You’re a gentleman, Chris. And we all appreciate that.
@@TheHistoryChapSadly the UK has been taken over by suicidal lunatics that hate everything about the UK and it's history. It's only a matter of time, 10yr maybe less before calls to remove these type of statues gain the support of 10 Downing street. I hope I'm wrong, but I think I'm not.
Excellent comment. I remember passing through France and seeing a memorial to the fallen in the Franco-Prussian War. It was sad to see their memorial was shabby and overshadowed by later events. For those those men, it was as real as now is for us.
These men were some of the bravest and deserve to be remembered, thanks for doing this video and making sure they always will be. Stay well.
Thanks for taking the time to comment.
A wonderful account of the forgotten expeditions of the British Empire. There is a strong tradition of officers leading from the front especially with the British. Bravo and kudos for another fine example of the history of the Empire and the men who fought in it.
Thanks for watching.
Being a born and bred scouser I am thrilled to see and listen to this. At 65 years old I never knew who he was or about the battle. I myself is an ex veteran of RA with 25 years service. Thank you👏🏻
Cheers Paul, thank6for ya service 💯 Charles Gordon, wow what a man!!!! When you see old Sherlock Holmes stuff look to the pictures on the walls of his place and there he'll be, a true Great Britain, like me an you🧐💪🇬🇧💯 🙏🗣️💯 what men we were?? 🆘💯🗣️👍🎬😱☠️🤑🔚🇬🇧
Our Story is
HIS-STORY💪🤩🙏🇬🇧💯 edit-64 bruv💪🙏🇬🇧💯
Glad you enjoyed. I have a few more Liverpool stories to tell - the anti-German riots in Liverpool in 1915 spring to mind.
The fact that people have lobbied to demolish this statue is disgusting when he gave so much to the empire. I’m all for learning from the past but also awarding credit where it is due.
Great video, subscribed.
Thanks for your support and your passionate words about General Earle.
as usual, splendid history telling - very well done !!!🎉
Thank you very much.
Totally echo that sentiment, great local Liverpool connection ( Tarleton Banastre springs to mind..) ,keep up with the great work that you do, sir, best wishes from the wirral peninsula...E....😊
Good morning, Chris [ Oz time], You're correct I had not heard of the battle or General Earl. I am sorry I was a bit late watching this episode. But as always it had me rivetted to my office chair. Fantastic telling. Cheers
Thanks for watching over in Oz.
Thank you Sir for bringing to light this almost forgotten battle of Kirbekan. One of many battle against the Mahdi.
Thanks for your continuing support. Glad you enjoyed this one.
A great story that I’ll remember whilst walking past St George’s Hall from now on!
Thanks for taking the time to comment
Brilliant Story Well Told!!!
Many thanks.
Thanks Chris, another fascinating telling of history. I do particularly like following one combatant through a battle or campaign.
Thank you for watching
Another great post thanks. When I lived in Liverpool I walked past the statue of General Earle many times. It was many years later when I finally made the connection with the Gordon relief Expedition! :)
Glad it reminded you of Liverpool days.
Great story! Good to learn of these forgotten battles and forgotten heroes! You are doing a sterling job!
like the way the Brits run from Sudan last month,
leaving their citizens to be rescued by other nations who care for their citizens,
because a Tory government dont need to care for its citizens....
Thanks for watching.
@@Arltratlo Uk evacuated 2,450......where do you get your "facts"?
@@colinharbinson8284 hahahaha, you mean the French, Spanish and Germans did that..
because your Great Britain only rescued around 50 people from their embassy and left the rest behind...
your Tories are scumbags!
Excellent, as usual!!
Thank you
Thanks again for bringing another lesser known event to light
My pleasure. Glad you enjoyed it
Thank you, brilliant as always.
Thank you for your support. Visit my website at www.thehistorychap.com
These Nile campaigns are fascinating. Very well explained.
Have you seen my other video about the main Nile campaign?
ua-cam.com/video/7cCdZbYZVN0/v-deo.html
Another cracking slice of history 👌
Thanks. Please join my newsletter at www.thehistorychap.com
@@TheHistoryChap will do
Another excellent post Chris ! Keep up the good work , thank you.
Thanks for your support. Make sure you sign up for my weekly newsletter at www.thehistorychap.com
Thank you. You are one of these guys who, if you had been on TV, I would still have a licence.
Thanks for your kind words of support. Please sign up for my weekly newsletter at www.thehistorychap.com
Thanks so much indeed Chris
Thanks for watching.
You constantly raise the bar with the quality of your postings. I didn’t know of the General nor of the battle before seeing this.
Another greatly informative post. 👍
Thank you. Working on my next one today.
A great story , read so well ... Thank so much 😀😃😃😄
My pleasure. Thanks for watching.
Always handy having the 42nd of Foot on your side in a fight :) Great video, Chris.
My pleasure. Glad you enjoyed it.
Excellent presentation of this little remembered of Queen Victoria's small wars
Thanks for watching
Thank you for covering General Earl.Leadership by example.
Remember seeing some illustrations in an old book by Michael Barthope.
The career of Banaste Tarleton , who led the British Legion in North America was the son of a Lancashire cloth merchant. He too rose to the rank of General though he did not take part in the Napoleonic war.
Indeed, imagine if he had been...
Thanks for sharing. Appreciated.
My great great grandad was involved at tel el kebir, el teb tamaai, kirbekan and the nile. Also went to Cape colony. He left in 1904. Only to rejoin in 1914. Then being awarded the dcm in 1916 aged 60
I’ve done videos on most of those battles.
I walk past St Georges Hall on a daily basis and always enjoy looking at the monument of William Earl. Would love to see the council clean it and restore it to former glory.
Thanks for sharing
I appreciate your content, Chris.
Thank you.
Thanks Chris. Any chance of delving into Robert Clive sometime. I remember reading With Clive in India at school, and found my interest in history due to that book. Again, much appreciate the work.
Clove is on my list. However, need to find the right balance as he is seen by some as a hero and others as a villain - even in Britain at the time.
@@TheHistoryChap I understand your predicament. Although I'm firmly in the "hero" camp i sympathize with your need to appear unbiased no matter which view you hold. Thank you.
@@jamesbishop4635 keeping with the India theme..General Slim and Orde Wingate,s Chindits might be worth a look too...😊
@@eamonnclabby7067 Definitely, another time period but just as fascinating. Completely agree .
@@jamesbishop4635 Mrs C,s da served in the Chindits in the first column, spoke very highly of the Gurkha soldiers alongside him...RIP...
What a terrific story of bravery and leadership!
Thanks for watching.
Brilliant as ever 👏 I could listen all day every day. Must take a hell of a lot of research to do .I love his unique passionate delivery .different tales of heroism within the story .keep it up old chap we love ye 👏
Thanks for your support.
I saw an epic movie about Gordon back in the 1960s. Charlton Heston and Lawrence Olivier were top billing.
Great film.
Waiting for Canadian boatmen doesn't display much urgency to rescue gordon, I've often wondered was this deliberate knowing gladstones position was sir garnet under orders? ...once again excellent chris!
Interesting thought. Thanks for sharing.
Another informative and exciting video, keep up the good work
Thanks for watching.
Cheers Chris for another really interesting tale from our history. Thanks for posting.
My pleasure. Thanks for your support. Nearly at 100k subscribers here on YT.
Excellent as always!!
Glad you think so!
Great post. I’ll tip my hat to this feller the next time I’m on Lime Street. Hardman Street runs down from Hope Street towards the city centre, would that be named after his father?
Not sure. It did spring to my mind but I haven't had the time to investigate.
Another high quality presentation.
Very kind. Thanks for watching.
Did some work in Southampton 2 doors down from Charles Gordons old house. There's a plaque on the wall commemorating him. I would post the picture but UA-cam doesnt let you. Didn't realise such a hero lived in my own home town!
By all means send me a copy via my website: www.thehistorychap.com
@@TheHistoryChap Hi Chris, for some reason I couldn't send the pictures on your website however I have emailed them to you using your email address on your UA-cam channel!
Bravo!
Thanks for watching.
Thank you very much for explaining who that man was that I looked upon as a young boy.
My pleasure.
Incidentally is the Zulu shield at his feet an error by the sculptor? Was the statue erected when the Zulu war was fresher in the public memory? 14:00
I've seen that statue many times - now I know. Thanks for covering another forgotten part of history. I wait with baited breath to see which 21st century protagonist gets a statue...
Tony Blair? Boris? Nicola Sturgeon? What a list!!!!
I've been meaning to look up who this was, see him every day.
Glad I have helped filled in the blank.
Great vids love them ! Tel El Kabir , seen this on war memorial outsid Inverness railway station a few weeks ago. Hope you do vid of rescue of Ali Pasha as Conrad , author of " Heart of Darkness was on this relief expedition.
Thanks for sharing.
Hi Chris, Very well related story I bet that explains the statue to almost all who walk by it.
My ears pricked up when you mentioned the Battle of Alma in the Crimea, not that I know anything about it (well until I listen to your stories that is!) but it was the name of a pub near to where I used to live in Portsmouth, The Alma Arms, never knew why it was called that ...... just further up the same road is (or was) the Grave Diggers, this one is more obvious as its opposite a graveyard.
Have a great weekend!!
Thanks for sharing about Portsmouth.
Been enjoying the channel! Great coverage of the Victorian period of the British Empire. Well done!
Thank you. www.thehistorychap.com
Brilliant as always.
Very kind of you. Thanks
Seen the thumbnail and thought that’s william earl, walked past his statue many times thank you history chap 🫶🏻 fabulous episode as you March closer to 100k 👊🏻
Just 300 away from the 100k mark. Reckon I will pass it by this weekend.
You sir, should be classed as a national treasure.
Very kind of you. Please visit my website and sign up for my weekly newsletter: www.thehistorychap.com
@@TheHistoryChap I most certainly will!
Earle was definitely one of Britain's more gifted tactical commanders at the time. General Sir William Howe used the same tactic to win a number of battles in the Ameraican Revolutionary War, Robert E. Lee at Chancellorsville with Stonewall Jackson carrying out the surprise attack, and by Frederick the Great at Leuthen. In regards to the Battle of Omdurman, 26,200 British, Egyptian, and Sudanses troops under General Kitchener faced off the 50,000 strong Mahdist army under Abdullah-el-Taashi which launched a series of frontal assaults on the Allied positions which were all bloodily repulsed; at the Battle of Auerstadt 92 years before, the 27,000 strong III Corps of the Grande Armee under Marshal Davout faced the 64,000 strong main Prussian army and Davout held his corps firm in the face of multiple Prussian assaults then charged driving them off which won the battle for the French. Also, at the First Battle of Ypres in autumn 1914 the 18,000 stong I Corps of the BEF under General Sir Douglas Haig at tremendous cost repulsed a powerful German onslaught and prevented Ypres's fall to the Germans. Looking forward to the video on Toski!
Thank you for taking the time to pen your in-depth comment. Appreciated.
Chris -- You would be an excellent Instructor of Military History at RMAS (Royal Military Academy Sandhurst). It's just a thought.
I would be flattered to be offered the opportunity. Spread the word.
@@TheHistoryChap -- Chris, I'll have to find out if they are recruiting now. But I think you would be a short-listed candidate from among all applicants.
Another great video. Perhaps you would like to do the real story of Breaker Morant not the Hollywood version.
Will add to my list.
But a key question unanswered remains: did he sound like the Beatles (especially Ringo)?
Somehow I doubt it. However, I am chuckling at the thought.
The Gordon relief campaign is the most interesting ,heroic yet ultimately saddest campaign in British military history especially as we didn't lose a single battle in the whole war.
Have you seen my video about it?
ua-cam.com/video/7cCdZbYZVN0/v-deo.html
What a ripping yarn! Well told, too. The fighting in these desert battles must've been intense and bloody for senior British commanders to be killed. I just hope that General Earl doesn't suffer a second 'death' by having his dramatic statue in Liverpool 'Colston'd' by modern fanatics!
Judging by the...robust..!! response from Merseyside police and the public at Aintree...I think the pampered protesterati will think twice before messing with our heritage...I guess that is why we have the slavery and Maritime museums cheek by Jowl down on the Royal Albert Dock here in Liverpool 😊😊😊
Perhaps someone will try to replace his statue with some islamic goon's One! 😱
Lets hope not.
12 fatal casualties- and 3 of them officers (all Lt. Col. and above)! Absolutely the lead-from-the-front attitude personified
We sometimes forget just how many officers (especially junior ones ended up as casualties.
Excellent video 📹
Ashanti War ?
Here is one I made earlier...ua-cam.com/video/Jfr6N3iNzEQ/v-deo.html
great story.
Thank you
I see his statue every time I go in to the city centre. I knew of the man but not the name of the battle until now.
Now you know a little bit more about his story
Like Custer in America, it's the guy who lost that's remembered. We had our William Earles - George Crook, Nelson Miles, and Ranald Mackenzie. Some things don't change.
PS Have you considered putting some of your excellent series (Mutiny, Sudan, etc.) into book or long-length video form?
Interesting thought about the winners being forgotten.
I like you idea about a book or long-length video.
Maybe drop me aline via my website (www.thehistorychap.com) and we can discuss in more detail?
@@TheHistoryChap Sure.
The Wikipedia article is lacking for Kirbekan...
Maybe I should write one for them?
@@TheHistoryChap I was suggesting you write it. I am an expert on the U.S.S. Uruguay so I owe Wikipedia an article (long story -- Forest Gump's football coach as an officer and my grand parents met on the boat when it was a troop transport)
Bravery with out brains is merely slaughter.
Thanks for your thoughts.
I really love your vids very much
Very kind of you. if you haven't already, please do subscribe to my channel here on UA-cam.
Just a thought..what would he made of Eurovision...?? ...😅😅😅
Goodness only knows!
That statue's gesture is way too casual. It should be having him pointing.
Really?
All was Not , "All Sir Garnet" this time.
Indeed not!
🇬🇧🇨🇦Go back a century or more from 1885 to the British heroes of the French and Indian Wars in North America.
I will get there (eventually!). Sign up for my newsletter so you don't miss it when I get there; www.thehistorychap.com
Awesome work thanks for your efforts ❤
My pleasure.
My salute goes out to the "Mahdi ," Shaikh Muhammad Ahmad's triumphant victory over the infidel British force.
May ALLAH bless all the courageous Believers with the Firdaus al- Jannah , Ameen.❤
He didn't defeat the British force. Did you actually bother to watch the video?
That damnit is a highland charge ever it was thus
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
The Mahdist seems to be even more skilled than the Taliban.
Could put more men in the field over a larger geographic area.
Five stars
Many thanks
👍👍👍
Thanks for watching
We should consider that a victory against a bunch of savage fanatics it 's never pointless, also if the British had to retreat, they literally mopped the floor with the mahadists, showing them what happen when a regular, well trained army fight a bunch of fanatics. Don't forget that the revolt expanded after some embarassing defeats of the egyptian army .
Thanks for taking the time to comment.
I must say great narrative cogently delivered & so very many special & touching points...but one thing has always baffled me about the British Army ( and their rationale re-Redcoats ,brave as they were ) With white webbing on red breast, they might just as well have put a white cross saying "shoot here" . I cannot but grieve over all those brave men senselessly going to their deaths like sitting ducks..Oh the stupidity of it all.
@Eric Ash Music: To respond to your question posed here, in the days of inaccurate musket fire, it didn’t in effect make too much difference, as each line of soldiers would march to within & between one hundred (100) & fifty (50) yards or meters (Often 30 yards in the case of the British) of each other, before discharging their volley fire for optimum lethal effect against the enemy line, which would be repeated as many times as thought necessary before the senior officer commanding would initiate a bayonet charge to disperse &/or further dispatch any remaining enemy troops left still offering resistance!
That was the theory of operational infantry line-fire, & in practice British infantry soldiers (& when required, Royal Marines Light Infantry too), each of whom actually had earned a reputation for their efficacy at it, of being second to none in the successful execution of this practice, & aptly demonstrated on innumerable battlefields between the late 17th to the late 19th centuries, especially as the Empire 🇬🇧 was then being established & expanded!
The redcoats worn by most British line infantry units were a traditional symbol that had originally emanated from Cromwell & Fairfax’s Parliamentary “New Model Army’ from the historical period of the English Civil Wars of the mid-17th Century (1641-53)! Cromwell’s pikemen & musketeers (Then armed with & using matchlock-operated types of firearms!) clad themselves either in russet (Usually made of sturdy leather) or scarlet (Or combination of these colours) colored vests & jackets primarily for easier identification purposes as well as for similarly being symbolically consistent with the red national colours of the cross on the ‘St George’s Flag’ of England!
@@trevorfuller1078 Armies always had Snipers, that is those who could gauge & shoot accurately- I still say it was stupid wearing bright red jackets. I respect your opinion of course- but all the combat services now prefer camouflage..which indicates some sense.
@@ericashmusic8889 : Yes, Eric, you have some good points there! The British military (& naval too) staff during, or else in the immediate aftermath, or in the intervening periods in-between the larger scale wars or conflicts, of the 18th & early-19th centuries, were generally a conservative-bunch, whose primary focus normally placed European theatres of operations, as being the main priority in these numerous wars then, hence, they tended to think, plan & operate in a similar ways to each other (Friend & foe alike!) inclining towards attending to standard European armies/armed forces’ perceived needs & priorities of the day, often it must be still said, correctly & for good, sound strategic reasons! Therefore, other more peripheral theatres of action were generally considered less important in terms of either focusing resources &/or developing new, innovative tactics or weaponry etc, with a few notable exceptions, that is!
One of these exceptions were the inception of Roger’s Rangers (mainly composed of Colonial militiamen) in 1755, who operated successfully then in the American ‘Backwoods’ against the French Forces, French Colonists & their Indian Allies in the Seven Years War or as it is better known in America or Canada, as the French & Indian War (1756-63). They operated in small groups, dressed in their own woodmen’s or farmer’s clothes, living off the land, & generally armed with their own (Muzzleloading) hunting rifles & used native-Indian combat tactics, methods & techniques! They also armed themselves with rifles, hatchets or tomahawks, hunting knives or seaxes (long knives or short swords), as well as slingshots or catapults, if they wanted to kill by stealth at some distance away! Rogers Rangers or their similar contemporary &/or successor units were also active on both sides in the American War of Independence/American Revolutionary War, mainly on the American Rebels side but also strongly represented in the Loyalist Militia units, especially in both the British Army’s former 60th Regiment of Foot, the Royal Americans, & also in Canada, the Canadian Army’s Reserve Unit, “The Queen’s York Rangers, 1st Americans”, as they later on both became better known!
After Yorktown in 1781, this regiment either returned to Britain, or else fragmented into smaller militia units & became like other United Empire Loyalists (UELs), who trekked or more commonly sailed up-to Halifax, NS or Saint John, NB, Canada, then resettled there & re-formed “Rifle” &/or ”Light Infantry” companies or units in many Canadian Militia or Fensible units in either the Maritime Colonies, Lower Canada (Now Quebec) or eventually in Upper Canada (Now Ontario), these units in many cases, subsequently, many years & decades henceforth became some of the initiators & forerunners of Canada’s most famous & illustrious Army Regiments!!
All these units then however, were actually trained & used as ‘Light-Infantry’ units, the British Army’s equivalent of the Prussian or Austrian “Jaeger - Hunter” units, which were normally formed & trained as irregulars &/or sharpshooters for frontier service in mountainous or remote rugged, be-forested areas in those kingdoms & empires then the in Central & Eastern Europe of the mid 18th & early-19th centuries! The French Army also had similar units throughout the 18th century that also saw much service then & in the later Revolutionary & Napoleonic Wars too that were called “Voltigeurs!”
In an attempt to formulate a formal military doctrine that could systematically combine both the standards light-infantry units together with the irregular scouts & sharpshooters unit of the 60th Royal Americans! Therefore, another brand-new, experimental unit was created in 1800, by the British Army, under the guidance & initiative of Col. Coote Manningham. This development also coincided with the introduction into the British Army at the same time of the ‘Baker Rifle’, designed & manufactured by Ezekiel Baker, then a well-renowned London Gunsmith that was a radical innovation & enhancement in small arms technology at the time! This gave a trained rifleman a distinct advantage over his continental counterparts in terms of accuracy & range! The only potential problem was the fact that due to its rifling-grooves within the barrel, it was then slower to load than a standard smoothbore musket (The Brown Bess Model of the British Army) of the era, usually allowing a trained rifleman only enough time to fire two rounds per minute, but at a push, this could be increased also to three by using unorthodox loading methods! Rifles also had to be oiled & cleaned more frequently due to being prone to foul-up with spent power residues & minute shards of carbonized wadding etc., building up on & in-between the grooves along the length of the inner barrel, which if left unattended would reduce its efficacy & its range, as well as increase the chances of a potentially fatal blowback seriously injuring or even killing the shooter!
The Baker Rifle’s introduction also precipitated an albeit “small-scale” radical rethink of skirmishing tactics within the British Army then, that often combined the skirmishing & battlefield reconnaissance practices of the light infantry along with the newly developing tactics of the scouts & sharpshooters of the new rifle regiments, who now under the leadership of Colonel (Later, Major-General) Coote Manningham & his able assistant, Lt. Col. William Stewart, of whom both formed the “Experimental Regiment of Riflemen,” & based it at the Shorncliffe Armoury near Dover in Kent, of which subsequently became known as the famous “95th Rifles” of Peninsula War & Waterloo fame (See also the BBC Historical Period Drama Series, “Sharpe” of the 1990s & early 2000s based on the books of the same fictional hero, Richard Sharpe that were written by Bernard Cornwell, but based substantially on historical facts & real experiences of numerous, authentic & true historical individuals’ own accounts of these times).
One marksman of the 95th Rifles, an Irish soldier, Thomas Plunket from Wexford, who at an estimated distance of 350 to 400 yards shot a French General & his AdC from their horses, killing them both, using a Baker Rifle, then a huge & exceptional feat of marksmanship-skill, at the Battle of Cacabelos in northern Spain, during the Retreat to Corunna in 1809, in the initial stages of the Peninsular War! Incidentally, a few units of Riflemen even saw service in the American War of 1812 too, but not very many!
The Baker Rifle subsequently became a mainstay of the British & Colonial Rifle (Scouts/Sharpshooter) units for over 60 years (1800-62), when the antiquated muzzleloaders were then being superseded by real-bullet-fed, repeat-action, breechloaders rifles & these were later, eventually replaced by magazines-fed, bolt-action, long range rifles,’ (Martini-Henry’s, Lee-Metford’s & then Lee-Enfields!) then incorporating updated advancements in technology & techniques, constantly being developed & upgraded at that particular time, in the mid-to-late 19th Century.
The success of the rifles (As specialist Skirmishers, Scouts & Sharpshooters) regiments (The 60th & the 95th) were based to no small degree on the fact that unlike other comparable British Army units as the both wore as part of their regular dress & combat uniform, their unique & wholly distinctive, dark-green jackets & trousers with a black leather shako headwear or black tam o’ shanter beret & black boots, making them stand out distinguishably, from all other line-infantry regiments of the British Army of the day, who then attired themselves totally in red jackets & white or grey breeches. This was all done, so while on active service that they (Riflemen) could then easily blend into without being too obviously seen or detected in wooded or verdant bushes, hedgerows or other foliage or vegetation. The British Army had revived the use of natural landscapes, gleaned during their previous campaigns in North America, to then engage in the first successful basic & simplistic deployment & use of enhanced camouflage & disguise tactics & techniques on the battlefields of the Peninsula War (1808-13) in Spain, Portugal & SW France & later on colonial deployments in India & elsewhere!
In time, both Rifle Regiments (The 60th & 95th along with others that had since formed) were amalgamated to form The Rifle Brigade, the Prince Consort’s Own, in later Victorian Times! All through this era, small arms specialists’ tactics & operational skills were constantly updated, upgraded & finely honed to be deployed at short notice anywhere across the Empire, albeit on small & limited scales designed to deal with the needs & demands of smaller sized colonial conflicts!
It was perhaps the case that therein had lain the main, inherent weaknesses! In the long 100 years (1815-1914) or so of relative peace between the major powers of the day, the senior military cadres of the British Empire lost sight of the salient fact that the next major war would eventually involve Britain fighting an all out war with a major technically-advanced, & sophisticated, European enemy!! Many of these vital lessons in field craft & small units’ deployments were lost on the remote fighting fields of the far reaches of Britain’s vast Empire, but these important yet forgotten or disregarded oversights in infantry tactics, & operational deployments & strategy would eventually come back to haunt them (The British 🇬🇧 Empire’s Military’s Imperial General Staffs & the senior politicians in Government in London!) all with vengeance between 1899-1902, during the initial shocks & unpleasant surprises encountered during contact with a well-armed & adapted localized enemy, both in the Boer War in South Africa & again in the Great War (WW1) 1914-18, on the ‘Western Front’ & other theatres across the world then!!
Don't forget that apart from a few notable exceptions, most of their enemies were not armed with highly accurate rifles.
They have cleaned the statue, pigeons used to sit all over it.
Thanks for watching my video
God rest them all as usual it's the rank file, who
Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Were his final words, "Calm down, calm down!"?
Chuckling...
Crazy to think that "only" 12 British casualties can result in 3 of the highest ranking officers on the battlefield. We tend to think of officer casualties by the perspective of the first world war which was a killing field for junior officers. It does however remind me of a useless fact I once heard regarding the Russians losing more generals at the Battle of Borodino than the Union Army during the 4 years of the American Civil War
Thanks for watching my video & your interesting feedback.
Thanks for watching my video & your interesting feedback.
in the present, the Brits run away, as usual, left their citizens behind, hopeing they maybe get rescued by other nations the Brits dont see as equals!
You are welcome to your opinion. The good news is that by making your comment you have helped raise my YT profile. Well done!
A wonderfully silly comment. I rather like this sort of thing.
However, you must realise that members of my class don't really notice you at all. Thus, whether or not you are our equals is of no concern to us.
I hope this puts your mind at rest. Best wishes to you, whatever you are.
@@robertcottam8824 i other words you are so special, that your class dont matters to everyone, and by mention YOUR class, i assume you living in your parents basement and never left your town!
@@Arltratlo
Best wishes, poppet. 💕
Knowing the Scousers as I do and their communist politics, I am surprised that General Earle's statue has not been toppled.
Scouser here , ex kings regiment and proudly working class . Don’t confuse the vocal minority and middle class socialist local government types with working class scousers , working class scousers aren’t fans of communism as much as they’re not fans of far right stuff either . Be honest you only know what you know of scousers from opinions you’ve formed from social media / newspapers etc. you don’t know really know anything about scousers do you ?
Shhhh
@@TheHistoryChap me or the other fella ?
Very,very interesting. Think i may have stated that a few times before...😂.But praise you deserve Mr Green! Cheers and thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for your post.