De Watteville's Regiment

De Watteville's Regiment was a regiment of Swiss troops composed of veterans of disbanded Swiss regiments from the French service. The troops then signed on as mercenaries, to be paid by the British. They fought in the Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815), mainly around the Mediterranean, and were based in Malta and then in Egypt from 1801 to 1803, fighting in Sicily and Naples. The regiment fought in the Battle of Maida, a decisive victory for the English army over the French, in Italy in July 1806. From 1811 to 1813 the unit was involved in the Peninsular War in Spain, defending Cadiz in the Siege of Cádiz. The regiment sailed to Canada in 1813 to fight in the War of 1812.