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The history of this regiment was increasingly entwined with the 43rd (Monmouthshire) Regiment of Foot from the year 1803, when they became Light Infantry.
Battalions of the 43rd and 52nd served together under 'Black Bob' Craufurd in the famous Light Division in the Peninsula
In the Cardwell infantry reforms of 1881 they were united as the Oxfordshire Light Infantry.
The 43rd received the order to train in the light role in July 1803, joining General Moore's brigade at Shorncliffe in June 1804.
Training was greatly assisted by the model set for them by the 52nd Light Infantry, and by the transfer of personnel from that regiment.
In 1804 orders were issued raising second battalions for both regiments.
In August 1806 the 2nd battalion of the 52nd took part in the expedition to Copenhagen under the command of Major-General Sir Arthur Wellesly, the future Duke of Wellington and soon to be their commander in the Peninsula.
In August 1808 the 2/43rd and the 2/52nd landed in Portugal as part of a force under Sir Arthur, and were deployed near the village of Vimeiro with the force covering the ongoing landings.
On August 21st the French attacked, and in the ensuing fighting three companies of the 2/52nd clashed with the enemy. The battle itself turned out to be a British victory.
In October 1808, Lieutenant-General Sir John Moore marched part with part of the British Army in Portugal into Spain, reaching Salamanca by early December. A 10,000 strong reinforcement was by this time on the high seas heading for Corunna. With them, in the '1st Flank Brigade', were the 1/52nd. Their brigade commander was Robert Craufurd. By December 20th 1808 the reinforcements had been landed and had joined Moore, bringing the strenght of his army to 25,000 men. With it he advanced deeper into Spain in search for the French; but he found to his dismay that an enemy army 200,000 strong, led by the Emperor Napoleon himself, had defeated the Spanish, entered Madrid, and was now marching upon him. He decided to fall back on his base at Corunna, intent on embarking his army and returning it to Portugal. The retreat was conducted in fearsome winter weather, over almost impassable mountain roads.
Moore turned his force at Corunna, and in the ensuing battle lost his life. Thus died the general who had supervised the training of the first Light Infantry regiments, both of which had battalions in the combat that was to be his last battle.
With the French checked, Moore was buried in the citadel while his army embarked, its destination no longer Portugal but England.
Back in England, both battalions of the 52nd quartered at Deal. Little time elapsed before the 1/52nd, together with battalions from the 43rd and 95th, embarked and sailed again for Portugal. They formed what was termed a 'light brigade' under the command of Robert Craufurd. As soon as they landed in Lisbon, they were joined up with the British Army in Spain - once again commanded by Sir Arthur Wellesley.
Despite a spectacular final forced march the brigade reached Talavera too late to participate in the battle fought there on 27-28 of July 1809. They were soon assigned to outpost duty, and from this point on were nearly always the first troops in contact with the enemy. Their first task was to cover the withdrawal of the army from the Talavera position back into Portugal.
On September 27th 1810 the light Division held part of the British position above the village of Sul. French forces attacked and struck the British centre first, but was bloodily repulsed. They next struck at that part of the British left held by the Light Division, pressing Craufurds rifleman back up the slope from Sul as they 'fired and retired' to rejoin the division's line beyond the crest. The oncoming French now came under fire from the guns as they climbed to the crest of the ridge, which appeared to them to be held by only the riflemen, gunners and a single horesman. The horseman was Craufurd, waiting until the French had reached the crest. A captain of the 1/52nd described what happened next:
`... He turned round, came up to the 52nd, and called out
"Now 52nd, revenge the death of Sir John Moore! Charge! Charge! Huzza!"
and waving his hat in the air, he was answered by a shout that appalled the enemy
and in on instant of the brow hill bristled with two thousand bayonets wielded by steady English hands
which soon buried them in the bodies of the fiery Gaul!´
Both the 1/43rd and the 1/52nd poured a murderous fire into the French before they closed with the bayonet, and drove them back down the slope in the complete rout.
Some 1,200 Frenchmen were killed, wounder or captured, including a general and 61 other officers; the Light Division's casualties amounted to 132 all ranks.
Late 1812, every opportunity was taken to relax after the arduous campaigning of 1812. Regimental histories make note of the entertainments enjoyed, which included a 'Light Division Theatre'. The 43rd were a a joyous set - dandies of the army: the great encouragers of dramatic performances, dinner parties and balls, of which their headquarters was the pivot. The 52nd were highly gentlemanly men, of a steady aspect, they mixed little with other corps, but attended the theatricals of the 43rd with circumspect good humour, and now and then relaxed, but were soon again the 52nd.
When the Peninsular War was at its end, the 52nd were sent to Belgium, where it took part in the battle of Waterloo and the ultimate defeat and exile of Napoleon.
When battle honours for the Peninsular War were awarded the 43rd and 52nd, who had marched and fought side by side first in the Flank Brigade, the Light Brigade and then Light Division, received almost identical honours. They were PENINSULA, VIMIERA, BUSACO, FUENTES D'ONOR, CIUDAD RODRIGO, BADAJOZ, SALAMANCA, VITTORIA, NIVELLE, NIVE and CORUNNA. Only the 52nd received the battle honours ORTHES and TOULOUSE.
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