The British Army of the 1820s can be looked upon as a veteran army capable of fielding units whose men had fought during the recent Napoleonic Wars. The number of British men who had field experience was so great that many veterans were forcibly (similar to modern policies of reduction in force) released from service. Such men were often regarded as having an unsuitable temperament for employment in the civilian industries. These jobless veterans were often attracted to adventures in Latin America, Spain (Carlist Wars) and India in an attempt to obtain employment.

The potential loss in manpower due to disease concerned the British Commanders because of the corresponding loss in firepower experienced by combat units. The British Army was not yet the trim professional force is often characterized by the Victorian era. The politicians were not yet echoing the cries of the value of men versus the needs of the Empire. The countless deaths among the troops of these early 1800s adventures hardly caused a ripple of concern among the halls of Parliament in distant London. The losses in manpower seemed to be justified by the success of campaigns. In the near future, the loss of troops in Afghanistan in the 1830s raised more concern not because of the casualties but because the disastrous expedition failed to control the country. In my opinion it would not be until the 1860s, after the Crimean War and Indian Mutiny, before the cost in troops worked into the equation of the value of Imperial policies.

British Infantry

The British infantry wear the classic red colored coast with summer campaign white pants. The headgear is the ‘Regency’ style bell-top shako adopted in the 1820s. Its crown is more exaggerated than the shakos wore by the French in the Napoleonic Wars. Being still of felt construction; the shakos would not last long in the tropical weather of Burma. Battle illustrations show men who appear to be high-ranking officers are wearing the fore-aft hat with a feathered center plume.

Based the battle honors awarded (Ava), the following Indian units were employed in Burma. This may not be all of them but I have been able to identify these regiments as being in Burma during the 1824 campaign. These regiments were the 1st (Royal Scots) Foot ?, 13th (Somerset) Light Infantry, 38th (Staffordshire) Foot, 41st (Welsh) Foot, 44th (East Essex) Foot, 45th (Nottinghamshire) Foot, 47th (Lancashire) Foot, 54th (West Norfolk) Foot, 87th (Prince of Wales Irish) Foot, 89th Foot. The facing colors for these regiments were 1st Foot = Blue, 13th Light Infantry = Yellow, 38th Foot = Yellow, 41st Foot = Red, 44th Foot = Yellow, 45th Foot = Dark Green, 47th Foot = White , 54th Foot = Green, 87th Foot = Green, 89th Foot =Black.

Indian Army

The Indian Army of British controlled India during this era was also vastly different than the image of the Army associated with Victorian Britain. The Army commonly associated with India is one of the post-Indian Mutiny era that was controlled by the British government. The pre-Mutiny Army was one involved with the expansion of British interests in India but was loyal to the commercial concerns of the East India Company rather than the British government.

The Indian territory controlled by the East India Company was divided into three main districts. The forces of these districts were the Madras, the Bengal and the Bombay. They also maintained a number of alliances with local independent Indian Princes Most of the troops deployed to Burma were Madras troops . So they wore the Madras style of dress that was characterized a ball headgear which was a wicker frame wrapped in colored cloth. The infantrymen wore a red coat with white trousers and a mid-blue ‘turban’.

The Regimental Facing Colors for all Madras Indian Regiments, not just those in Burma are as follows:

Green = Madras 2nd, 9th, 12th and 20th
Orange = Madras 4th
White = Madras 3rd, 24th and 25th
Black = Madras 5th and 14
Buff = 6th, 11th and 19th
Light Blue = Madras 1st European and 7th
Deep Yellow = Madras 8th, 17th and 21st
Dark Blue = Madras 18th
Light Yellow = Madras 13th, 16th and 22nd
Red = Madras 3rd and 10th
Unknown = 2nd European Light Infantry, 1st Native, 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th, 30th, 31st, 32nd, 33rd, 34th, 35th, 36th, 37th, and 38th

Cavalry

Few Cavalry units accompanied the Sea-borne invasion force. However several Cavalry units were involved in operation against Burmese forces in northern (Upper) Burma. One illustrated cavalrymen wore a light blue coat with red facings, white trousers and a red turban. The Madras Cavalry wore Red dolmans with various facing colors.

The colors were 1st = White; 2nd = Dark Green; 3rd Buff; 4th = Deep Yellow; 5th Black; 6th = French Gray; 7th = Mid-Yellow; and 8th = Pale Yellow. The may have used the helmet with a red Life Guard style comb or variously colored turbans. An artilleryman wears a dark blue coat with red heavily braided gold facings, dark blue trousers and a dark blue turban. Men of the specialized Rifle units wore a rifle green coat, gray trousers and a dark blue turban.

Based the battle honors awarded (Ava), the following Indian units were employed in Burma. This may not be all of them but I have been able to identify these regiments as being in Burma during the 1824 campaign. These regiments were the 1st, 3rd Palamcottan Light Infantry, 7th, 9th, 12th, 16th, 22nd, 26th, 28th, 30th, 32nd, 34th, 36th, 38th, 1st European Fusiliers, Madras Bombadiers (artillery) and the 1st Madras Lancers. I have also identified that the 2/20th Bengal Infantry which was reformed into the 40th Bengal Regiment in May of 1824 and the 1/23 Bengal Infantry were employed in the re-conquest of the Chittagong Island.

Note that in the late 1700s many of the madras units had two battalions. In an effort to more resemble the British Organization many of the second battalions were used to form new regiments numbered 26th and above. Some used Reserve (third/ depot) battalions or split first battalions as cadres for new regiments. Some data suggests that the facing colors of these expanded regiments were the same as the parent/original regiment.

Irregular forces.

During the Anglo-Indian operations in the Manipur region, a number of irregular forces volunteered to fight against the Burmese occupiers. The Manipur’s exiled prince had a musket-armed bodyguard force of 500 men had accompanied the invasion force. Between 2,000 and 2,400 Manipur irregulars armed mainly with swords, spears and shields, joined the invasion force prior to the battle at Bishenpur.

In the Sea-borne invasion force a number of Arkanese men volunteered to help the British as laborers or scouts. A Chittagong Provincial Battalion of weaken strength was also formed but I am unable to verify that were musket armed as reported. The Mugh Irregular forces were armed with swords and spears.

Anglo-Burmese War of 1824

Introduction
Burmese Empire During the 1700s
Burmese Army of the 1700s and 1800s
British-Indian Army of the Early 1800s