CASUALTIES IN THE EXPEDITION TO JAVA, 1811.
+-----------------------------+-----------------+-------------------+ | | _Officers._ |_N.C.O.'s and Men._| | _Regiments._ +--------+--------+--------+----------+ | | K. | W. | K. | W. | +-----------------------------+--------+--------+--------+----------+ |Royal Navy | - | 5 | 15 | 55 | |Royal Artillery | 1 | 2 | 1 | 9 | |Bengal Artillery | 1 | 1 | 3 | 12 | |Madras Artillery | - | 1 | 2 | 6 | |Bengal Engineers | - | 1 | - | - | |Madras Engineers | - | 1 | - | - | |22nd Light Dragoons | 1 | 1 | 1 | 19 | |14th West York | 1 | 5 | 11 | 90 | |59th East Lancastrian | 5 | 10 | 18 | 128 | |69th Welsh | 3 | 8 | 14 | 60 | |78th Seaforth Highlanders | 1 | 7 | 33 | 137 | |89th R.I. Fusiliers | - | 8 | 11 | 65 | |Governor-General's Bodyguard | - | 1 | 1 | 5 | |Madras Pioneers | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |3rd Bengal Native Vols. | - | - | - | 3 | |4th Bengal Native Vols. | - | 2 | 11 | 28 | |5th Bengal Native Vols. | - | 1 | 2 | 22 | |6th Bengal Native Vols. | - | 3 | 4 | 22 | +-----------------------------+--------+--------+--------+----------+
This distinction is borne only by the 121st Pioneers, formerly the Bombay Marine Battalion, and was awarded to that regiment by the order of the Governor of Bombay in Council as a recognition of its services when employed under Sir W. Grant Keir in the destruction of the piratical strongholds in the Persian Gulf in the year 1819. A previous expedition had been undertaken against the same tribes in the year 1809, when Sir Lionel Smith, with the 65th (York and Lancasters), the 47th (North Lancashire), and the 2nd Bombay Infantry had taught the pirates that they could not attack vessels flying the English flag with impunity. For some years the hot bloods of the Arabian coast abstained from exercising their predatory habits, but in the year 1817 they plundered several vessels, massacring their crews. The vessels of the East India Squadron had more than one sharp tussle with the pirates, but these were always able to escape to their lairs, where the seamen were unable to follow them. It was determined in 1819 to despatch a second expedition against the Joassma, the offending tribe. The command was entrusted to Major-General Sir W. Grant Keir, an officer who had conducted more than one successful campaign in Cutch and against other recalcitrant petty potentates. The troops selected were the 65th (York and Lancaster Regiment), and the flank companies of the 47th (Loyal North Lancashires). These two corps had been associated in the previous expedition in the year 1809. In addition to the British contingent, the 1st Battalion of the 2nd Bombay Native Infantry (now the 103rd Mahratta Light Infantry), the 11th Marine Battalion (now the 121st Pioneers), and the flank companies of the 1st Battalion of the 3rd Bombay Infantry (now the 105th Mahratta Light Infantry), also accompanied the force, which was convoyed by H.M.S. _Liverpool_ and several of the Honourable East India Company's cruisers.