Introduction & Setup

• Technical Difficulties playing Citation Needed game show
• Participants: Tom Scott (host), Chris Joel, Gary Brannan, Matt Gray
• Rules: facts from Wikipedia article earn points and "dings"
• Topic: Battle of Fishguard

Location & Basic Facts

• Fishguard confirmed as place in Wales
• Gary learned location from Beano annual, Chris from shipping forecast
• Battle named after actual location (unlike some historical battles)
• Discussion of Battle of Hastings location discrepancy

Historical Context & Timeline

• Battle occurred during War of First Coalition (1792-1797)
• French invasion attempt against Britain
• Part of broader conflict with France
• Weather caused failure of earlier invasion attempts

French Invasion Force

• 1400 troops from "La Légion noire" (Black Legion)
• Led by Irish American Colonel William Tate
• Force composition:
  • 600 regular soldiers (Napoleon's B-team not needed for Italy conquest)
  • 800 irregulars: republicans, deserters, convicts, royalist prisoners
• Intended as diversionary attack while main force targeted Ireland

Breakdown of Discipline

• Irregulars deserted upon landing to go looting
• Discovered Portuguese wine from shipwreck on coast
• Discipline collapsed among recruits who got drunk on found wine
• French took over local farmhouses

British Response

• Commanding officer William Knox initially slow to react
• British HQ established at Royal Oak pub
• Lord Cawdor led British forces from pub headquarters
• Pubs commonly used for official business (inquests, courtrooms)

Battle Averted

• French realized British had superior numbers
• Retreated to camps as light failed
• Next morning: two French officers came to pub to negotiate surrender
• Lord Cawdor rejected conditional surrender, demanded unconditional

The Bluff & Welsh Women

• Cawdor bluffed about having more troops and reinforcements
• French saw figures on cliffs in distance
• Traditional Welsh women's costume: top hat and red dress
• Speculation: French mistook Welsh women for British soldiers due to resemblance to military uniforms (shako hats, red coats)

Resolution

• French accepted unconditional surrender
• Colonel Tate briefly imprisoned, then returned to France with most troops
• No actual battle fought

Historical Significance

• Battle of Fishguard = most recent landing on mainland Britain by hostile foreign force
• Last invasion of mainland Britain (not 1066 as commonly believed)
• Occurred in 1797