WFLAL-02
John Jenkins Designs
Not yet released - expected in early January.
During the Seven Years War the regiment was ranked 109th, and was under the command of Thomas Arthur Comte de Lally-Tollendal.
On March 6 1757, the 2nd battalion of the regiment left Brest on board a squadron under the command of Admiral d'Aché to reinforce the French posts in India. The fleet pursued by British men-of-war loitered on the voyage to Mauritius. It then took three months on his passage to the Coast of Coromandel.
On April 25th 1758, the fleet transporting the 2nd battalion finally arrived before the British Fort St. David. The 2nd Battalion took part in the operations on the Coast of Coromandel and in the Siege of Fort St. David until its capitulation on June 2nd. From December 1758 to February 1759, the battalion took part in the unsuccessful Siege of Madras.
In 1759 the 2nd Battalion took part in the operations on the coast of Coromandel. At the beginning of August, it was in garrison at Chittapett (present day Chetpet). It broke into open mutiny and marched out of the fort with the avowed intention of joining the British. Their officers followed them, and by promises to discharge the arrears of their pay, now several months overdue, succeeded in Conciliating most of them, but 60 men persisted in their resolution and deliberately carried it out.
On January 22nd 1760, the battalion took part in the Battle of Wandewash.
Throughout the rest of the year, it was involved in the defense of Pondicherry. On September 4th, during the blockade of Pondicherry by a British amphibious force, Lally made an attack on the British camp which was repulsed after one redoubt had been taken by the French, 1 gun captured, 2 others spiked and a British officer and 3 men had been taken prisoner. The Lally battalion was particularly distinguished in this occasion, losing 8 sergeants and 25 privates killed. On January 15 1761, when Pondicherry surrendered, the regiment became prisoners of war.
Thomas Arthur, Comte de Lally, Baron de Tollendal (13th January 1702 – 9th May 1766) was a French general of Irish Jacobite ancestry. Lally commanded French forces including two battalions of his own red coated Regiment of Lally of the Irish Brigade, in India during the Seven Years’ War. After a failed attempt to capture Madras he lost the Battle of Wandewash to British forces under Eyre Coote and then was forced to surrender the remaining French post at Ponticherry.
After time spent as a prisoner of war in Britain, Lally voluntarily returned to France to face charges where he was beheaded for his alleged failures in India. Ultimately the jealousies and disloyalties of other officers, together with insufficient resources and limited naval support prevented Lally from securing India for France. In 1778, he was publicly exonerated by Louis XVI from his alleged crime.