RECOLLECTIONS OF MY MILITARY LIFE 1806-1808 Military Engineering During The Peninsular War

George T Landmann, Lieutenant-Colonel Royal Engineers (1779–1854) became a cadet at the Royal Military Academy 16 April 1798, and obtained at second lieutenant in the royal engineers 1 May 1795.
On 10 July 1804 he was promoted second captain, and in December 1805 embarked at Portsmouth with troops for Gibraltar. On 1 July 1806 he was promoted captain. In the summer of 1808 he embarked as commanding royal engineer with General Spencer’s corps of seven thousand men from Gibraltar, and landed in August at Mondego Bay to join Sir Arthur Wellesley. He was then attached to the light brigade under Brigadier-general Hon. H. Fane, was present at the battle of Roleia (17 Aug.), when he succeeded Captain Elphinstone, who was wounded, in the command of the royal engineers. He made a plan of the battle for Sir Arthur Wellesley, which was sent home with despatches. He reconnoitred the field of Vimeiro, and commanded his corps at the battle on 21 Aug. In September he was sent to Paniche to report on that fortress, and when Major Fletcher went to Spain with Sir John Moore, he assumed the command of his corps in Portugal. In December he was sent to construct a bridge of boats at Abrantes, on the Tagus, another at Punhete, on the Zezere, and a flying bridge at Villa Velha, and to reconnoitre the country about Idanha Nora, &c. The bridges were completed in five days.