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Auction: 22075 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 7

Waterloo 1815 (. Woolstenholm, Driver, Royal Horse Artillery), first initial obscured by suspension, one or two very minor edge knocks, otherwise about extremely fine

Thomas Woolstenholm served in Captain Whinyates's Troop, R.H.A. Otherwise known as the '2nd Rocket Troop', Whinyates commanded a unique battery during the Waterloo Campaign which comprised five 6-pounder guns and a rocket section. Whilst the Duke of Wellington himself disliked these weapons of war - known for their wild innaccuracy - they were nevertheless used to good effect during the withdrawal from Quatre Bras on 17 June, as recounted by the well-known Captain Mercer, another R.H.A. Troop Commander:

'Meanwhile the rocketeers had placed a little iron triangle in the road with a rocket lying on it. The order to fire is given - port-fire applied - the fidgety missile begins to sputter out sparks and wriggle its tail for a second or two, and then darts forth straight up the chausee [road]. A gun stands right in its way, between the wheels of which the shell in the head of the rocket bursts, the gunners fall right and left and, those of the other guns taking to their heels, the battery is deserted in an instant. Strange; but so it was. I saw them run, and for a few minutes afterwards I saw the guns standing mute and unmanned, whilst our rocketeers kept shooting off rockets, none of which ever followed the course of the first'...

At Waterloo, Whinyates's Troop were positioned in the very centre of Wellington's line and saw much hard fighting: his rockets supported the defence of the farmhouse of La Haye Sainte and additionally assisted in the repulse of D'Erlon's infamous massed infantry attack, where again they excited much comment from witnesses to that bloody day.

Sold with a card index note, stating: "Spink £2.10 VF. Summer 1947

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Sold for
£2,000