The regiment left Hythe on the 9th of March, 1805, for Canterbury, and while stationed at this place Colonel Brinley was appointed quartermaster-general in the West Indies. On his leaving the regiment, the officers evinced their esteem for him by inviting him to an entertainment prepared for the occasion, and by presenting him with a sword valued at fifty guineas.[31]
During the summer of this year both battalions were encamped on Beachy Head, where they were reviewed in brigade, with the twenty-third regiment, commanded by Major-General the Honourable Edward Paget, by their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales and Duke of York.
Bonaparte, after having been crowned King of Italy, and having added Genoa to his empire, proceeded to Boulogne and reviewed his army; and immediately afterwards marched against the forces of Russia and Austria, to crush at once the coalition forming against his interests, in which the British cabinet was taking a decided part. At the same time the French troops were withdrawn from Hanover, which country they had seized on soon after the resuming of hostilities in 1803. On the 21st of October the glorious victory at Trafalgar was won by the fleet, which gave Great Britain the uncontrolled sovereignty of the sea: and on the 27th of that month the first battalion of the KING'S OWN embarked at Ramsgate for Hanover. Having landed at Cuxhaven on the 19th of November, it marched up the country and was cantoned at Blumenthal, where it was formed in brigade with the twenty-third and twenty-eighth regiments under Major-General Honourable E. Paget; the British troops in Hanover designed to co-operate with the continental powers being under the orders of Lieut.-General Lord Cathcart. Meanwhile the Austrians had been overpowered by Bonaparte, who had taken possession of Vienna; and the united Austrian and Russian armies were defeated in the beginning of December at Austerlitz, which established the preponderance of French power. In a subsequent treaty concluded at Vienna, it was stipulated, that Hanover should be occupied by the Prussians, and the British troops under Lord Cathcart retreated to Bremen and embarked for England.
The first battalion of the KING'S OWN landed at Yarmouth in February, 1806, and marched to Woodbridge barracks; from whence it proceeded in May to Colchester: the second battalion was quartered at Chelmsford.