 In spite of these early victories, by 1809 the British were in full retreat, and the battalion fought at the rearguard Battle of Corunna on 16 January 1809.The battle was a defeat for the British, though they managed to evacuate their troops, and the 1st/36th embarked for England on the following day.The 1st Battalion took part in the Walcheren Campaign, an unsuccessful attempt to open another front in the war in Flanders.