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In March 1801 the regiment formed part of the British expeditionary force that landed at Aboukir Bay in Egypt to oppose Napoleon's Army of the East. On the 21st March, during the Battle of Alexandria, French cavalry broke through the British lines, formed up behind the regiment, and began to charge. Still heavily engaged from the front, the order was given as follows, "Rear Rank, 28th! Right About Face", and standing thus in two ranks, back to back, the regiment successfully defended itself. For this action the regiment was accorded the unique privilege of wearing the regimental number both on the front and the back of its head-dress. The regiment was dispatched to Denmark and took part in the Battle of Copenhagen in August 1807 during the Gunboat War. The regiment next landed in Portugal in July 1808 for service in the Peninsular War. It took part in the Battle of Corunna on 16 January 1809 before being evacuated from the Peninsula the following day. A detachment remained behind and fought at the Battle of Talavera in July 1809. The remainder of the regiment went on to take part in the disastrous Walcheren Campaign in the summer of 1809.The regiment returned to the Peninsula in January 1810. It saw action at the Battle of Barrosa in March 1811, the Battle of Albuera in May 1811 and the Battle of Arroyo dos Molinos in October 1811, as well as the Battle of Vitoria in June 1813 and the Battle of the Pyrenees in July 1813. It then pursued the French Army into France and fought at the Battle of Nivelle in November 1813, the Battle of the Nive in December 1813, the Battle of Orthez in February 1814 and the Battle of Toulouse in April 1814. It was one of the few Peninsula veteran regiments which was available for the Hundred Days campaign and fought at the Battle of Quatre Bras and at the Battle of Waterloo, as part of the 8th Brigade commanded by James Kempt, in June 1815. Because of its actions and bravery in this campaign, the regiment earned a distinguished mention in the dispatches of the Duke of Wellington, one of only four regiments to ever do so.
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