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Auction: 22102 - Orders, Decorations and Medals e-Auction VI - e-Auction
Lot: 2

Waterloo 1815 (Thomas Wood, 2nd Batt. 69th. Reg. Foot.), polished, heavy edge bruising, therefore good fine, with later silver clip and ring suspension

Thomas Wood was born at Stanford, Essex in 1790 and enlisted in the 69th (South Lincolnshire) Regiment of Foot in December 1813. He served with the Regiment at Quatre Bras - when they lost a Colour - and at Waterloo, when was wounded by a musket ball in the thigh on that famous day.

At Quatre Bras, Sir Colin Halkett ‘himself then rode forward to the stream to observe the French positions. From there he saw Kellerman with his cavalry preparing to advance and the French artillery re-opening fire. So he sent his A.D.C. back to Colonel Morice ordering him to “form square” since a cavalry attack was to be expected, whilst he himself galloped back to the rest of the brigade and gave similar orders.’

‘A few minutes later, whilst the regiment was in the process of forming square, the Prince of Orange galloped up and asked the Colonel in a loud voice what was the object of his movement. “I am forming square,” Colonel Morice replied, “to resist cavalry.” “There are none coming, deploy at once into line,” replied the Prince. The order had to be obeyed; but at that very moment the French artillery fire died away into an ominous silence as Kellerman at the head of the 8th and 11th Cuirassiers, 800 strong, crossed the stream and advanced through the tall rye. The regiment had by then its three right Companies (Grenadiers, Nos. 1 and 2) in line with the 8th company covering the deployment, the remaining companies being in process of formation.’

‘The muffled thunder of hoofs was heard amongst the rye. The steel-clad horsemen, headed by Kellerman, having failed to break the 33rd then in square, “seeing the 69th in a hollow below, wheeled round and charged down upon them. The Regiment made shift to throw itself into square, and apparently, would have succeeded had not the Captain (Lindsay) of the grenadier company wheeled the two right hand companies about in order to fire, instead of closing square.” The companies actually in position did partially check the charge by a sharp discharge of musketry. The two companies were destroyed and the rest were partly broken. The remainder of the Regiment saved themselves by taking refuge under the bayonets of the 42nd and 44th of Pack’s Brigade. Kellerman, continuing his career, charged the 30th, who, having had time to form square, beat the cavalry off.’

At Quatre Bras, the 69th lost the King's Colour, a French cuirassier cutting down Ensign Duncan Keith. Thankfully honor was restored for they were able to re-capture the Colour on the field at Waterloo. Discharged in November 1827, he entered the Royal Hospital Chelsea as an In-Pensioner on 1 October 1862 and died on 15 November 1873, being buried in the Brompton Cemetery, Fulham; sold together with copied research and letter from the Archivist at the Royal Hospital.

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Sold for
£1,500

Starting price
£1500