23rd June 2019 - Remember Bannockburn

Thought for the day:"That’s a strange day – first I find a hat full of money – then get chased by an angry man with a guitar"

Battle of Bannockburn

On this day 1314, 1,000 Welsh longbowmen were part of the defeated force at The Battle of Bannockburn.

Following Edward I's subjugation of Wales after the death of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd in 1282 and the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284, Wales was annexed to the kingdom of England. This left Welsh military forces redundant, they were a large group of men used to regular pay and a soldier's way of life. They were ideal mercenaries for Edward as they included the much respected Welsh Longbowmen that had been used to such good effect against the English during the preceding conflicts, so it stood to reason that the English were keen to utilise them. .Many Welshmen fought in Edward I's campaigns in Scotland, forming 10,000 of the 12,000 foot soldiers led by Edward to defeat William Wallace at Falkirk in 1298. But they were disobedient and riotous, on one occasion almost killing Edward I himself in a camp dispute, although the gradual rehabilitation of the Welsh gentry, where the Welsh were again allowed to hold positions as Sheriffs and in government, helped restore their discipline, as the Welsh soldiers only really obeyed their own native officers. Later, Edward II (1307-27) had reason to fear a union between his Scots, Irish and Welsh enemies, so he was keen to keep the Welsh soldiers in his employment. In his total force of 15,000 foot soldiers at The Battle of Bannockburn 5,000 were Welsh including 1,000 longbowmen, dressed in their distinctive white and green.

The Battle of Bannockburn opened with one of the most celebrated individual contests in history. Sighting Robert Bruce isolated, Sir Henry de Bohun, charged him, lowered his lance and bared down on the king. Bruce met the charge, dodging the lance at the last minute, stood up in his stirrups and brought his battle axe down on de Bohun's helmet, splitting his head in two. The following battle was an unremitted disaster for the English, suffered heavy casualties, thousands of infantry, 100 knights and one earl lay dead on the field. Those fleeing caused chaos in the massed infantry behind them. In the rout that followed hundreds of men and horses were drowned in the burn desperately trying to escape. Some however managed to escape the confusion, the Earl of Pembroke and his Welsh infantry made a safe retreat to Carlisle.

Down on the South Coast again ...

Cheers..