The Robin Scott-Smith Collection of Medals to Casualties


It was immediately found necessary to send forward the light companies of the division, to resist the swarms of French skirmishers which were advanced as the prelude to an attack in force. Whilst this musketry fight was in progress, the division suffered terribly from the French artillery on the opposing heights against which the Allies had but few guns to oppose, and upon seeing the heads of the attacking columns emerge into the open, Wellington decided to attack in turn rather than await their advance. The division, with the exception of the 92nd, advanced, and though suffering severely from the fire of both artillery and infantry, pressed forward steadily till their opponents, overawed by their demeanour and the bristling line of levelled bayonets, broke and fled.


The division now formed a series of battalion squares which were fiercely assaulted by large bodies of French Cuirassiers and Lancers, which they repulsed with loss. To support the 42nd and 44th, which were occupying a more exposed position, and were surrounded by cavalry, Picton decided to unite The Royals and 28th, and led them boldly forward in quarter columns into the midst of the French troops. On reaching a favourable position a square was formed. A contemporary account by W. Siborne describes what followed:


“The repeated and furious charges which ensued were invariably repulsed by The Royals and the 28th, with the utmost steadiness and consummate bravery, and although the Lancers individually dashed forward and frequently wounded the men in the ranks, yet all endeavours to effect an opening of which the succeeding squadron of attack might take advantage, completely failed. The ground on which the square stood was such that the surrounding remarkably tall rye concealed it in a great measure in the first attacks, from the view of the French cavalry until the latter came quite close upon it, but to remedy this inconvenience, and to preserve the impetus of their charge, the Lancers had frequently to recourse to sending forward a daring individual to plant a lance in the earth at a very short distance from the bayonets, and then they charged upon the lance flag as a mark of direction.”


In this way, the battalion, in common with the others forming the division, sustained repeated charges from an overwhelming force of French cavalry, and notwithstanding heavy losses from artillery fire, presented an undaunted front to all opponents, even though towards the end of the day, shortness of ammunition rendered it impossible to sustain an adequate fire to keep down that of the ever present French tirailleurs.


Siborne concludes: “Along the whole front of the central position of the Anglo-Allied army, the French cavalry was expending its force in repeated but unavailing charge against the indomitable squares. The gallant, the brilliant, the heroic manner in which the remnants of Kempt’s and Pack’s brigades held their ground, of which they surrendered not an inch throughout the terrific struggle of that day, must ever stand prominent in the records of the triumphs and prowess of British infantry.”


The 3/1st Foot lost 6 Officers and 20 men killed, and 12 Officers and 180 men wounded in this engagement. Captain William Buckley was one of the officers killed and the most senior officer in the regiment to be killed either at Quatre Bras or at Waterloo, itself, on the 18th. On the recommendation of the Duke of Kent, and approved by King George, his wife was granted a Royal Bounty of Sixty pounds a year, in addition to her usual pension as an officers’ widow, commencing from 17 June 1815, she being left with four children in very distressed circumstances. Buckley’s name heads those recorded on the white marble Regimental memorial in St Joseph’s Chruch at Waterloo.


205


The Waterloo Medal awarded to Private Arthur McGee, 1st Battalion, 27th Foot, who was wounded in the right thigh at Waterloo


Waterloo 1815 (Arthur M’Gee, 1st Batt. 27th Reg. Foot.) fitted with steel clip and ring suspension, light edge bruising and polished, otherwise nearly very fine


£1,800-£2,200


Arthur McGee was born in Armagh, County Armagh, and enlisted for the 27th Foot at Newry, County Down, on 3 February 1812, aged 18, for unlimited service, a weaver by trade. He was discharged on 24 May 1817, in consequence of the disbandment of the Battalion, having been ‘wounded in the right thigh at Waterloo’, where he served in Captain Hare’s No. 3 Company.


This regiment had just returned from active service in America. Out of 698 men, the 1/27th lost 480 men at Waterloo, having been almost blown to pieces when standing in square above the sandpit on the Charleroi road, as witnessed by Captain Jonathan Leach, of the 1/95th Rifles, who occupied the sandpit:


‘The 27th Regiment had its good qualities of steadiness, patience under fire, and valour, put more severely to the test than, perhaps, any corps in the field. It was formed in a hollow square, a short distance in rear of the right of our division, with one of its faces looking into the road, as a protection to it against any attempt which the enemy’s cavalry might make by charging up that road. This brave old regiment was almost annihilated in square, by the terrible fire of musketry kept up on it from the knoll, whilst it was impossible for them to pull a trigger during the whole time, as they would thereby have been as likely to kill friends as foes. Those who may chance to visit the field of Waterloo, cannot fail to find on the spot which I have mentioned, near the road, and at a short distance from the thorn hedge, a small square of a darker colour than the ground immediately about it, marking the grave of this gallant Irish regiment.’ (Rough Sketches of the Life of an Old Soldier, Lieutenant-Colonel Jonathan Leach, C.B., late 95th Rifles)


Sold with copied discharge papers. www.dnw.co.uk all lots are illustrated on our website and are subject to buyers’ premium at 20% (+VAT where applicable)


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