Piquet in Sicily, 1806. The 2nd Battalion of the 78th Regiment of Foot (Highlanders) served in the Mediterranean for the Sicilian Campaign of 1806, quartered at Syracuse, and the Alexandria expedition of 1807. The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, which comprised the South of Italy and the island of Sicily itself, had joined the alliance against Napoleon. But in 1806 the French under Napoleon's elder brother Joseph Bonaparte, invaded the Kingdom and deposed King Ferdinand. A British force was sent to Sicily to support the King, and in May 1806 the 2nd Battalion of the 78th sailed from Gibraltar to join it. When the 2 / 78th reached Sicily, the French seemed poised to invade the island itself, and so the British troops in SicIly were ordered to attack the mainland of Italy to preempt the invasion. The British force of 4,800 under General Sir John Stuart landed in Calabria, the 'toe' of Italy and on 4 July 1806 attacked the French force of General Regnier who had roughly 6,400 troops. The British in two ranks met the French who were deployed in three and after a brisk musketry duel, the British charged with the bayonet. The French, met by musketry of an accuracy and intensity which they had not before experienced, broke and fled. The battle was a remarkable demonstration that British linear tactics combined with the enormous improvements that had been achieved in discipline, musketry and training, could defeat the hitherto irresistible French columns. For its part in the campaign the 2nd Bn 78th was awarded the Battle Honour: 'MAIDA'