Tiffin's Inniskilling Regiment at the Siege of Namur

William III at Namur.

In 1695 the British were at war with the French during the Nine Years’ War. William III of England, anxious to repossess Namur, which his forces had lost three years earlier, laid siege to the city on 23 June 1695. On 19 August, William, having invited the garrison in the citadel to surrender and having received a negative reply, ordered the assault for the following day. The Inniskillings provided Captain Carleton and 36 Grenadiers for the storming party.

The attack against the main breach began at 1000 hours on 20 August. However, so great was the enemy's fire from the walls of Namur that this attack failed and every officer in the storming party was either killed or wounded. Although this attempt had failed, the troops attacking another part of the city's walls were successful, and soon the citadel was captured. Some 1,350 officers and men were casualties; of this total it is believed the Inniskillings' casualties were three officers wounded, 44 men killed and 25 men wounded as a result of both the siege and the final attack.