Waterloo
Thomas Eckley, 1st Reg. Dragoon Guards
original clip and a metal V suspension
With copy discharge papers. From Wormbridge, Hereford. b. 1782 Enlisted 1804 and served for a remarkable 26 years until 1831 plus 2 for Waterloo.
‘In the campaign of 1815 . Wounded severely in several parts of the body at the Battle of Waterloo.’
the Board records ‘Two slight wounds of the head (or slight by 1831) and two severe lance wounds of the left thigh
Died Preston, Lancs, 1864
At the Battle of Waterloo, the King’s Dragoon Guards were part the Union Brigade, which made a charge on two regiments of French Cuirassiers and massed troops of d’Erlons infantry corps at about 2.30pm. The Union Brigade attacked sweeping away the Cuirassiers, and scattering the retreating I Corps into the valley below Mont St. Jean. This charge captured 2000 prisoners and two French Eagle standards.
However, the soldiers of the Union Brigade charged too far, pursuing the infantry right up to the French cannons on the opposite ridge. A British Major, De Lancey Evans explained that he and “all the officers of any discretion” tried to order their troops to turn back, but were ignored by their blood-crazed men. Scattered and with their horses exhausted from galloping across the valley, the Union Brigade were caught by the French lancers, who inflicted terrible casualties. At least 2,400 French soldiers on horseback, armed with lances and swords, inflicted severe casualties. The King’s Dragoon Guards suffering some 279 in killed or wounded, including the commanding officer Lt. Colonel Fuller.
Sergeant Major Page later wrote
‘We overturned everything, both cavalry and infantry, such cutting and hacking never. was before seen. When the French lines broke and ran, our Regiment being too eager, followed the French cavalry while the cannon and musketry sweeping our flank. Many fell and our ranks suffered severely…..of the French wearing armour, very few left the field. They were fine men but could not look us in the face, and dreadful was the havoc we made among them.’
Lieutenant John Hibbert
‘Our Brigade , never having been of service before, hardy knew how to act. They knew how to charge, but never thought about stopping at a proper time.’
Captain Naylor
‘Our attack was almost completely successful, but our men were too sanguine in the pursuit of the fugitive Cuirassiers and at the moment our horses were blown, we were attacked by a multitude of Lancers who did us considerable injury.’
A super Union Brigade medal
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