Peninsular War, British Army Officers, 1808-1814
Discover whether your ancestor was an officer during the Peninsular War against Napoleon’s armies between 1808 and 1814. Find out the ranks they held, what unit they served with and what battles they fought in, as well as the wounds they received and how they died.
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Discover whether your ancestor was an officer during the Peninsular War against Napoleon’s armies between 1808 and 1814. Find out the ranks they held, what unit they served with and what battles they fought in, as well as the wounds they received and how they died.
Learn about these records
Each record contains both an image and a transcript. The amount of information contained can vary considerably but you can find out the following about your ancestor:
- Name
- Regiment
The image contains further information and is worth checking as well. It can tell you the following:
- Their ranks
- When their ranks changed
- Units they served with
- Staff positions held
- Wounds received, as well as the date the wound was received on
- Date and cause of death, if during the Peninsular War
- Battles and campaigns they fought in
- Decorations they received
The Peninsular Roll Call was compiled by Captain Lionel S. Challis of the Queen’s Westminster Rifles. He started with the project after WW1 with the aim of creating a listing of every officer who had served in the Peninsular War.
Using Army lists, Gazettes, despatches, official records and regimental histories, he gathered information on more than 9,600 officers. He recorded the information on index cards with the intention of publishing the final list, but as it became clear that publication would be too costly he donated the research to the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). The original index cards are still kept in their library.
The Peninsular War was fought for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom and Portugal. The war lasted until Napoleon’s defeat in 1814.
Capt. Challis used a considerable number of abbreviations when compiling the Roll Call. Below is a list of some of the more common abbreviations:
- Ranks, Roles and Units
A.A.G. Assistant Adjutant General
A.C.G. Assistant Commissary General
A.D.C. Aide-de-Camp
Adj. Adjutant
A.Q.M.G. Assistant Quartermaster General
Arty. Artillery
Ass./ Asst. Assistant
B1/2/3 1st, 2nd, 3rd Brigade
B.M. Brigade Major
Bn. Battalion
Brig. Brigade
Capt. Captain
Chass. Britt. Chasseurs Brittanique
Col. Colonel
Comm./ Commsy Commissary
Corn./ Cornt Cornet
Coy. Company
D1 – 6 1st, 2nd, 3rd etc Division
D.A.G. Deputy Adjutant General
D.A.A.G. Deputy Assistant Adjutant General
D.A.Q.M.G. Deputy Assistant Quartermaster General
Detchts Detachments
Depty Deputy
D.G. Dragoon Guards
Drag Dragoons
Ens. Ensign
F.G. Foot Guards
Ft. Foot
Gds. Guards
Gen./ Gnl. General
G.O.C. General Officer Commanding
Huss. Hussars
K.G.L. King’s German Legion
L.D. Light Division
L.D. Light Dragoons
L.I. Light Infantry
Lt. Lieutenant
Maj. Major
M.S. Military Secretary
O.C. Officer Commanding
P.A. Portuguese Army
Paymr Paymaster
QMr Quartermaster
R.A. Royal Artillery
R. African C. Royal African Corps
R.D. Royal Dragoons
R.E. Royal Engineers
Reg. Regiment
R.H.A. Royal Horse Artillery
R.H.Gds. Royal Horse Guards
Sergt Sergeant
Staff C. Cavalry Staff Corps Cavalry
Surg. Surgeon
V.B. Veterans Battalion
- Campaigns, Battles and Places
Adour Passage of the Adour River
Alb. Albuera
Alba de T. Alba de Tormes
Aldea P. Aldea del Pontea
Alm. Almaraz
Arroyo. Arroyo dos Molinos
1/2 Bad. 1st or 2nd Siege of Badajoz
Bad. Capture of Badajoz
Ba. del P. Barba del Puerco
Bal. Baltic
Barba de P. Barba del Puerco
Bay. Bayonne
Ben. Benevente
Bid. Bidassoa
Bordx Bordeaux
Brunswk Brunswick
Bt. Brevet
Burg. Burgos
Burg R. Retreat from Burgos
Bus. Busaco
Caca Cacabellos
Cacad. Cacadores
Camp M. Campo Major
Casal N. Casal Nova
Casta. Castalla
Castr. Castrejon
Cond. Condeixa
Cor. Coruna
Cor. Camp. Coruna Campaign
Ciud Ciudad Rodrigo
Douro Douro Campaign
El Bod. El Bodon
Foz d’A Fox d’Arrounce
Fuent. Fuentes d’Onoro
F Guin. Funete Guinaldo
Gall. Gallegos
Garris. Garris or St. Palais
G.H. Good Hope
Han. Hanover
Majal. Majalahonda
Mata. Matagorda
Medd. Mediterranean
N'America North America
Neth. The Netherlands
N’lle Nivelle
N'Orleans New Orleans
Obid. Obidos
Oliva. Olivencia
Orth. Orthes
P de Maya. Puerto de Maya
Pomb. Pombal
Port. Portuguese
Pyr. Pyrenees
Red. Redhina
Rol. Rolica
Sab. Sabugal
S.Am. South America
S. Millan. San Millan
San M. San Munos
S. Seb. Siege of San Sebastian
1 S. Seb San Sebastian 1st Assault
2 S. Seb San Sebastian 2nd Assault
Saur. Sauroen
Sev. Seville
Sge Sal. Siege of the Forts of Salamanca
Sob. Sobral
St. Et. Saint Etienne
Tal. Talavera
Tar. Tarifa
Tarr. Tarragona
Toul. Toulouse
V. Del P. Venta del Pozo
Vent. De. P. Venta del Pozo
Vera. Vera
Vic B. Vic Bigorre
V. Muriel Villa Muriel
Vim. Vimiero
Vitt. Vittoria
Vent. De. P. Venta del Pozo
Walch. Walcheren
W.I. West Indies
W’loo Waterloo
- Honours and Awards
C.B. Commander of the Bath
G.C. Gold Cross
G.M. Gold Medal
K.C.B. Knight Commander of the Bath
K.H. Knight of Hannover
M.D. Mentioned in Despatches
M.D.B. Mentioned in Despatches Beresford
M.D.W. Mentioned in Despatches Wellington
NGSM Navy General Service Medal
S.M. Army General Service Medal
- Miscellaneous terms
Actg Acting
Attchd Attached
D. Died
E.O.P.S. Employed on a particular Service
F.P. Full Pay
Gn. Garrison
Hon. Honourable
Hosp. Hospital
H.P. Half Pay
K./ Kd. Killed
K/A Killed in Action
O.D.D. General Beresford’s Orders of the Day
Pa. Served in the Peninsula between the following dates
Pens. Pension
Purvr. Purveyor
PW Prisoner of War
R. Royal
Resd. Resigned
Rl./ Ryl./ Roy. Royal
Sev. Wd. Severely Wounded
Sli. Wd. Slightly Wounded
Trn. Train
Usag. Usage
Vol./ Voltr. Volunteer
Vty. Veterinary
Wd. Wounded