8e Regiment d'Infanterie de Ligne

The first French Eagle to be captured by the British was taken by the 87th (Royal Irish Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot from the French 8^e Ligne at the Battle of Barrosa (Chiclana) on 5 March 1811. The first British soldier to touch the battle standard was a young officer, Ensign Edward Keogh, although as his hand grasped it, he was immediately shot through the heart and killed. He was followed by Sergeant Patrick Masterson who grabbed the eagle from the French ensign who carried it, reputedly with the cry "By Jaysus, boys, I have the Cuckoo!".
Below is some of the regimental history and some pics of a unit recently painted by us.

8e Regiment d'Infanterie de Ligne

Regimental History

1776: Formed from 1er and 3e Bataillons Regiment de Champagne
1791: 8e Regiment d'Infanterie
1796: 8e demi-brigade d'Infanterie de Ligne (formed from the following)

3e demi-brigade de Bataille (1er Bat, 2e Regt d'Inf, 5e Bat Vol de l'Aisne and 5e Bat Vol de la Cote d'Or)
1er, 2e and 3e Bataillons Volontaires de Lille
1er Bataillon auxillaire de l'Eure
1er Bataillon auxillaire de l'Aisne

1803: 8e Regiment d'Infanterie de Ligne

Colonels and Chef de Brigade

1791: De Chalup (Jean-Marc) - Colonel
1792: D'Armenonvil'e (Robon-Antoine-Marie Le Coutrier) - Colonel
1793: Tugnot de Lanoye (Jean-Henri) - Colonel
1796: Sarrut (Jaques-Thomas) - Chef de Brigade
1803: Autie (Jean-Francois-Etienne) - Colonel
1811: Braun (Joseph) - Colonel
1815: Ruelle (Louis-Gabriel) - Colonel

The 8e Regiment produced two Generals of Brigade and above

Tugnot de Lanoye (Jean-Henri)

Born: 24 June 1744
Colonel: 8 March 1793
General de Brigade: 29 April 1794
Died: 25 August 1804

Sarrut (Jacques-Thomas)

Born: 16 August 1765
Chef de Brigade: 28 May 1794 (3e demi-brigade de bataille)
Chef de Brigade: 19 February 1796 (8e demi-brigade d'Infanterie)
General de Brigade: 29 August 1803
General de Division: 20 June 1811
Commander of the Legion d'Honneur: 14 June 1804
Died: 26 June 1813 (as a result of wounds sustained at the battle of Vittoria)

Colonels killed and wounded while commanding the 8e Regiment d'Infanterie

Colonel Autie: wounded 5 March 1811

Officers killed and wounded while serving with the 8e Regiment d'Infanterie during the period 1804-1815

Officers killed: Eighteen
Officers died of wounds: Fourteen
Officers wounded: One hundred and thirty-four

Regimental war record (Battles and Combats)

1793: Nerwinden, Nimegue and Tirlemont
1795: Armee du Nord
1797: Armee du Nord and Allemangne
1798: Armee de Mayence, Danube and Rhin
1800: Offenbourg and Hohenlinden
1802: Armee du Hanovre
1805: Austerlitz
1806: Halle and Lubeck
1807: Mohrungen, Ostrelenka, Dantzig and Friedland
1808: Espinosa
1809: Talevera-de-la-Reyna
1809: Essling and Wagram
1811: Chiclana and Fuentes-d-Onoro
1813: Lignenza, Vittoria and Pampelune
1813: Dresden
1814: Bar-sur-Aube and Arcis-sur-Aube
1815: Waterloo (Papelotte)

Battle Honours

Hohenlinden 1800 and Friedland 1807