Search Peninsular War, British Army Officers 1808 – 1814

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