Battle of Fishguard

Overview

The Battle of Fishguard was a military invasion of Great Britain by Revolutionary France during the War of the First Coalition. The brief campaign, on 22–24 February 1797, is the most recent landing on British soil by a hostile foreign force and thus is often referred to as the "last invasion of mainland Britain".

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Fishguard was a French military landing on British soil during the War of the First Coalition, making it the most recent hostile foreign force to set foot on mainland Britain. The incursion lasted only from 22 to 24 February 1797 before collapsing, with France suffering 1,360 casualties. Its principal historical weight lies less in any operational consequence for the broader war than in the distinction it holds: no foreign force has successfully landed on British mainland territory since. That record has given the episode lasting symbolic prominence in British national memory disproportionate to its military scale or duration.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (2)