Worst British military defeat in History

originally posted by: ForteanOrg

originally posted by: ElGoobero
perhaps the Dutch sailing up the Thames and burning London.

Oh dear, did we? No wonder they charge me those high prices when I'm in a London hotel..

This episode in English History was known as " The Glorious Revolution "

A number of English noblemen hatched a scheme to overthrow King James II of England. The main reason James was a Catholic.

The English noblemen sent a letter to the Dutch King William Of Orange ( who was a Protestant ) to invade England and overthrow King James II. The plan was for the Dutch to sail into Torbay Devon and meet up with a group of English Rebels and then march on London and King William Of Orange and take the throne.

The whole episode was not an invasion in the normal sense, but an " Invitation To Invade "

en.wikipedia.org...

a reply to: alldaylong

Good decision it was too - it worked out rather well plus we got access to the Dutch navy (far better than ours at the time). In fact we ended up nicking a fair few Dutch ideas, the main one being the Dutch East India Company (which we honestly didn't copy in the slightest when we formed the East India Company - honest guv, we didn't).

The British problem at Isandlwana wasn't weapons but but underestimating the speed at which the Zulus could march.
Lord Chelmsford, commander of the British forces, was used to his own armies marching speed at 16 km (9.9 miles) a day. The Zulu did not have a baggage train , supplies etc to slow them down and could cover 80 km (50 miles) a day over rough terrain. Chelmsford also underestimated the amount of Zulu's he would be facing.

"Fuzzy wuzzy was a bear"
If you know the historical reference for that line you get a free moldy history cookie.

a reply to: mash3d

"Fuzzy wuzzy was a bear" If you know the historical reference for that line you get a free moldy history cookie

Medjyai aka Beja Bedawi,
Brits/Anglo Egyptians vs Mahdist Sudanese aka Dervishes, the reason for the nick name Fuzzy Wuzzy men who had huge Afros, was due to an ethnic group known as Bedawi/ Beja they were among the premier fighters on the Nile known to the Pharaohs as the Medjyai showed up in Egypt as Early as the 4fh dynasty became hereditary shock troops and police during the restoration era of the 17th dyn. under Ahmose.
Now can I have my moldy cookie pls..

a reply to: Spider879

Sorry I've been working late. Here is your cookie ''
For any one elese thats wondering fuzzy wuzzy refers to a poem by
Rudyard Kipling
www.bartleby.com...

WE ’VE fought with many men acrost the seas,
An’ some of ’em was brave an’ some was not,
The Paythan an’ the Zulu an’ Burmese;
But the Fuzzy was the finest o’ the lot.
We never got a ha’porth’s change of ’im:
’E squatted in the scrub an’ ’ocked our ’orses,
’E cut our sentries up at Suakim,
An’ ’e played the cat an’ banjo with our forces.
So ’ere ’s to you, Fuzzy-Wuzzy, at your ’ome in the Soudan;
You ’re a pore benighted ’eathen but a first-class fightin’ man;
We gives you your certificate, an’ if you want it signed
We ’ll come an’ ’ave a romp with you whenever you ’re inclined.

We took our chanst among the Kyber ’ills,
The Boers knocked us silly at a mile,
The Burman give us Irriwaddy chills,
An’ a Zulu impi dished us up in style:
But all we ever got from such as they
Was pop to what the Fuzzy made us swaller;
We ’eld our bloomin’ own, the papers say,
But man for man the Fuzzy knocked us ’oller.
Then ’ere ’s to you, Fuzzy-Wuzzy, an’ the missis and the kid;
Our orders was to break you, an’ of course we went an’ did.
We sloshed you with Martinis, an’ it was n’t ’ardly fair;
But for all the odds agin’ you, Fuzzy-Wuz, you broke the square.

’E ’as n’t got no papers of ’is own,
’E ’as n’t got no medals nor rewards,
So we must certify the skill ’e ’s shown
In usin’ of ’is long two-’anded swords:
When ’e ’s ’oppin’ in an’ out among the bush
With ’is coffin-’eaded shield an’ shovel-spear,
An ’appy day with Fuzzy on the rush
Will last an ’ealthy Tommy for a year.
So ’ere ’s to you, Fuzzy-Wuzzy, an’ your friends which are no more,
If we ’ad n’t lost some messmates we would ’elp you to deplore;
But give an’ take ’s the gospel, an’ we ’ll call the bargain fair,
For if you ’ave lost more than us, you crumpled up the square!

’E rushes at the smoke when we let drive,
An’, before we know, ’e ’s ’ackin’ at our ’ead;
’E ’s all ’ot sand an’ ginger when alive,
An’ ’e ’s generally shammin’ when ’e ’s dead.
’E ’s a daisy, ’e ’s a ducky, ’e ’s a lamb!
’E ’s a injia-rubber idiot on the spree,
’E ’s the on’y thing that does n’t give a damn
For a Regiment o’ British Infantree!
So ’ere ’s to you, Fuzzy-Wuzzy, at your ’ome in the Soudan;
You ’re a pore benighted ’eathen but a first-class fightin’ man;
An’ ’ere ’s to you, Fuzzy-Wuzzy, with your ’ayrick ’ead of ’air—
You big black boundin’ beggar—for you broke a British square!