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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: SAConnection on Sunday 20 February 11 18:58 GMT (UK)
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Hi All,
I've been reading another page where the above Regiment was discussed at some length. My great-great-grandfather, Major John Loch, also served in the Regiment and was present at the Battle of Waterloo. I have been fortunate enough to find a picture of him, albeit a photostat and not that bad either, and I was wondering if someone could possibly tell me what the colours of the uniform of an Ensign in the 70th Foot would've been. I tried to attach a copy of the picture but it's too large - won't accept it.
Many thanks
Jane
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My great-great-grandfather, Major John Loch, also served in the Regiment and was present at the Battle of Waterloo.
Jane, can I ask first where that information comes from?
Neither the 25th nor the 70th Foot served at Waterloo. And I don't see Major Loch's name on the Waterloo medal roll or the Waterloo roll call. :-\
...and I was wondering if someone could possibly tell me what the colours of the uniform of an Ensign in the 70th Foot would've been.
Facing colours (ie for collars/cuffs) was black for the 70th I believe.
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Hi Neil,
I found a whole history of the Loch family - "The Family of Loch" - on Ancestry.com written by Gordon Loch, and in the chapter, Lochs of Ireland, he states that John Loch was at the battle of Waterloo. He was the paymaster - supose he didn't get a medal for looking after everyone's money. The piece goes as follows :
"He was appointed Ensign in the 70th Foot on the 21st November 1796, and was promoted to Lieutenant on the 7th June 1797 and to Captain in the 83rd Foot on the 3rd July 1801. He was transferred to the 25th Foor (afterwards King's Own Scottish Borderers) on the 24th February 1803, and became Paymaster of the 2nd Battalion on the 29th August 1805. The 2nd Battalion was stationed at Antwerp and Brussels in 1815, and John was present at the battle of Waterloo."
He was placed on half-pay on the 25th April 1816, and died at Houghal, Country Cork, on the 14th January 1831.
Hope that clarifies it a bit. Thanks for you help.
Jane
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Hi Jane
The "Family of Loch" - on Ancestry.com written by Gordon Loch" is wrong. Neither of the 25th Regiment's battalions were at Waterloo; and Paymasters received medals like other officers.
Confirmation that he was not at Waterloo is also given by the 1819 Army List that has him on Half Pay of the 25th (on the Irish establishment), as he does not have a gothic W next to his name. The same list has him going on to the hp list on 25 March 1816.
As Neil says the facings of the 70th was black; and blue for the 25th Foot at the time of Waterloo. Officer's lace was gold.
Ken
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Hi Ken,
Thanks for the info. There's quite a lot wrong where the Irish Lochs are concerned. My great-grandfather was Major John Loch's youngest son - and just reading through the book was interesting. Not much we can do to correct it since it was written in 1934, but at least you've solved the Waterloo query. I'm almost sorry he wasn't there - that would've been quite something to put on his branch.
Thanks, too, for the info regarding the uniform. The drawing I have of him was done when he was a young man - probably just after he joined the army.
Regards
Jane
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The 2nd Battalion was stationed at Antwerp and Brussels in 1815, and John was present at the battle of Waterloo."
Jane, the Antwerp part is certainly true. 2/25th were there in 1814-15. Before that, they were in Stralsund & Rostock in Swedish Pomerania 1813-14.
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That's very interesting Neil. I'm not very clued up on all the European wars, but Waterloo has always held a fascination for me. I suppose he told someone that he'd been in Antwerp, and from there the story was embroidered upon to make it sound better than just "being in Antwerp". Where was Swedish Pomerania?
Jane
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Where was Swedish Pomerania?
What is now the Baltic coast of Germany.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedish_Pomerania
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Thanks for that info. One is NEVER to old to learn, and the more I work on this tree of mine, the more I learn about old Europe.
Take care
Jane
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The 25th were certainly present in the campaign but not at the battle of Waterloo, save for three individuals who all received Waterloo medals. Two were officers attached to the army's staff and the third was a private who had taken a wrong turn when marching out of hospital in an evacuation and who attached himself to the 33rd Foot until a wound caused him to quit the field. As a Paymaster your ancestor would not have been expected to be in the ranks during a battle and another unit records the Paymaster leaving to take up station in a rear area during the morning of Waterloo.
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The 2/25th suffered one man killed and three wounded in the First Battle of Merxem in 1814 and later one officer and twelve other ranks wounded at the Second Battle of Merxem and a further man wounded during the subsequent investment of Antwerp. It was fortunate enough to not be including in the force that unsuccessfully assaulted the fortress of Bergen-op-Zoom that March.
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Thanks so much everyone for your information. Always appreciated.
Regards
Jane