Waterloo Medal, did you have to fight to get it?

[Regorian]

Bookbox has answered your last question. The Army was not territorial for a long time to come.

I thought the cavalry on our left flank was relatively quiet as the French assaults were on our right and centre. Not so. Strength of 12th LD's 18th June. 26 officers and 373 other ranks: Killed 2 officers and 45 other ranks: Wounded 3 officers and 61 other ranks: Missing 0 officers and 0 other ranks.

[johngosling]

Thanks, it was of course certainly a time of need.

Their headquarters at the present time is in Wigston, just a few miles from Leicester.

I'm struggling to find any reference to the presence of the regiment in Leicester in the early 1800s. Did they have a barracks there? If not, how would a man from Leicester end up in their ranks?

They wouldn't necessarily have been stationed there. In times of need, recruiting parties regularly went out to major towns for enlistment purposes.

[km1971]

Hi John

Some of this has already been covered.

The 12th LD moved to England from Ireland in 1805 - firstly to Romford. They spent the next four years moving around the South East, mainly in Kent and Sussex. This was to guard against an invasion by the French. There were no large barracks then so they would be spread over a wide area in detachments of one or more troops. Each troop was about 60-70 men.

In addition they would have 5-6 recruiting parties under a Corporal or Sergeant each with a few men scattered over the country. So he was probably enlisted by one such party. Every few months the recruiting party would travel to wherever the CO was at the time with its recruits. It is also possible that they landed in Liverpool and marched to Essex via Leicester.

It is easy to verify if you can get to Kew. The musters also acted as paylists and the Paymaster would only take recruits on his books when they arrived at headquarters. But they would also pay them for the time they had been 'on a march'. The NCO would also be repaid for stopping at an inn etc.

Regarding Waterloo the nearest place that you could consider a hospital would be back in Brussels. So if he was present he almost certainly fought. Again the musters may tell you which troop/squadron he was in at Waterloo. So you can see how their casualties compared to others within the 12th.

Ken

[johngosling]

Hi Ken,

Thanks for additional info. That's very much appreciated.

Regards

John

Hi John

Some of this has already been covered.

The 12th LD moved to England from Ireland in 1805 - firstly to Romford. They spent the next four years moving around the South East, mainly in Kent and Sussex. This was to guard against an invasion by the French. There were no large barracks then so they would be spread over a wide area in detachments of one or more troops. Each troop was about 60-70 men.

In addition they would have 5-6 recruiting parties under a Corporal or Sergeant each with a few men scattered over the country. So he was probably enlisted by one such party. Every few months the recruiting party would travel to wherever the CO was at the time with its recruits. It is also possible that they landed in Liverpool and marched to Essex via Leicester.

It is easy to verify if you can get to Kew. The musters also acted as paylists and the Paymaster would only take recruits on his books when they arrived at headquarters. But they would also pay them for the time they had been 'on a march'. The NCO would also be repaid for stopping at an inn etc.

Regarding Waterloo the nearest place that you could consider a hospital would be back in Brussels. So if he was present he almost certainly fought. Again the musters may tell you which troop/squadron he was in at Waterloo. So you can see how their casualties compared to others within the 12th.

Ken

[Regorian]

Do you know what they looked like? The 1812 -1815 uniform was very impressive and yet probably quite comfortable to wear. I've been trying to find an illustration but not successful. What I did find was with a lightish blue grey jacket as used by LD regiments in hot weather countries like India. Not happy with that.

I have a postcard print of an officer of the 9th LD's 1812 by Charles Hamilton Smith via the National Army Museum. 

[johngosling]

Oddly enough, it had just crossed my mind to go have a look for a picture of the uniform, so I'm afraid the answer to that is no, but I'll see what I can find.

Do you know what they looked like? The 1812 -1815 uniform was very impressive and yet probably quite comfortable to wear. I've been trying to find an illustration but not successful. What I did find was with a lightish blue grey jacket as used by LD regiments in hot weather countries like India. Not happy with that.

I have a postcard print of an officer of the 9th LD's 1812 by Charles Hamilton Smith via the National Army Museum.

[johngosling]

Is this what we are looking for?

http://napnuts.tripod.com/napwars/frameltdragoon.htm

Do you know what they looked like? The 1812 -1815 uniform was very impressive and yet probably quite comfortable to wear. I've been trying to find an illustration but not successful. What I did find was with a lightish blue grey jacket as used by LD regiments in hot weather countries like India. Not happy with that.

I have a postcard print of an officer of the 9th LD's 1812 by Charles Hamilton Smith via the National Army Museum.

[johngosling]

There's a nice picture of an officer from the 12th on this page.

http://www.napoleon-online.de/goddard_booth1812_england.html

Do you know what they looked like? The 1812 -1815 uniform was very impressive and yet probably quite comfortable to wear. I've been trying to find an illustration but not successful. What I did find was with a lightish blue grey jacket as used by LD regiments in hot weather countries like India. Not happy with that.

I have a postcard print of an officer of the 9th LD's 1812 by Charles Hamilton Smith via the National Army Museum.

[Regorian]

That will do nicely. Officer though, need NCO and Private.

I vaguely remember the names Goddard and Booth. However, I think all the illustrations were by Charles Hamilton Smith for his 'Uniforms of the British Empire 1812'. A copy is in the Victoria and Albert Museum library.

Very interesting man Hamilton Smith, he was a Colonel in the Army. He had all sorts of interests and skills. Surprising he had any time for soldiering yet he was supposed to be attached to the Russian Army Staff during Napoleon's invasion of Russia. I remember reading when they were following the French out of Russia, him writing one day, something like 'it's quite warm today, we're not wearing our cloaks or greatcoats'. I wondered whether he had met Carl von Clausewitz who was with the Russians also, but I think von Clausewitz was with Russian forces in the Baltics.