DESCRIPTION

SCARCE TO THE LIFE GUARDS //

WATERLOO MEDAL NAMED TO: RICHARD AHRILL. 1st. LIFE GUARDS.

Condition: VF.

36% Casualty rate at Waterloo.

Confirmed on the roll.

Comes with research.

Born in the Parish of St. Nicholas, Lanark c 1790. Enlisted in the 1st LIFE GUARDS on April 1808 aged 18 years. A gardener. Served on the Flanders Campaign of 1815 and was present at Waterloo. Discharged from Hyde Park Barracks on 2 June 1818 on account of ill health. Description at discharge aged 28 years.

The 1st Cavalry Brigade, commanded by Maj. Gen. Lord Edward Somerset, `consisted of 1st Life Guards, 228 men; 2nd Life Guards, 231 men; Royal Horse Guards, 237 men 1st Dragoon Guards, 530 men.

On 17th June, French cavalry advanced in great force, pressing on Quatre Bras, 1st Life Guards were directed to charge French Lancers, and pursued them thru streets of Genappe. On 18th June, battle started about 10:30 in the morning. Repeated charges were made by the French cavalry upon the British infantry, but were uniformly unsuccessful, and afforded opportunity to the British cavalry to charge, in which Lord Edw. Somerset's Brigade highly distinguished itself. They battled till dark, during which the 1st. Life Guards had eleven times, charged into the French. The Anglo-Allied Army consisted of 67,661 men, the French had 71,947 men.

WATERLOO medal named to SERJ. GEORGE SMITH. 3rd BATT. GRENADIER GUARDS.

Condition: VF+.

Confirmed on the roll.

Lt. Colonel The Hon. J.H. Stanhope's Company.

59% Casualty rate at Waterloo.

Grenadier Guards at Waterloo

In the campaign of Waterloo the 2nd and 3rd battalions of the First Guards, under Maitland, and the 2nd battalions of the Coldstream and Third (Scots) Guards, under Byng, formed the First Division of the army. They rendered service never to be forgotten. The Division reached Quatre Bras about half past six on the evening of June 16th, having met many wounded who said the day was going badly for us. Maitland was at once directed to clear the Bots de Bossu, on the right of the position, and his men straight away rushed into the wood with a cheer, and drove all before them, but the French turned their gun fire upon the wood, and many were killed or injured by trees cut down by the balls. Maitland's Guards were then formed outside the wood, where they were furiously charged by cavalry. Taking shelter therefore at the edge of the thicket and supported by some Black Brunswickers, they almost annihilated their assailants and, with heavy loss, held the ground.

At Waterloo the light companies of both brigades were posted in the wood and gardens of Hougoumont, where they were reinforced at midday by four more companies of the Coldstreamers, while the brigades themselves were on the ridge of the position to the rear, on the extreme right of the line. At Hougoumont the First Guards fought with heroic valour. It was a conflict worthy of Titans. In vain did Prince Jerome throw his strength against the old château, to the possession of which Bonaparte attached high importance. The walls were loop holed, and the place was held in strength, but repeatedly the French came on to achieve a temporary success, and then to be driven out again. A desperate struggle took place in the wood, where on one side or the other, men retreated fighting from tree to tree. Not less than 8,000 Frenchmen were put hors de combat in the tremendous onslaught made upon Hougoumont. But Lord Saltoun maintained his position, and renewed attacks were in vain. The loss, however, was terrible and the light infantry were almost annihilated when the Coldstreamers came to their aid. During this momentous struggle, the farm buildings were set on fire by the guns, adding immensely to the difficulty of the defence, and consigning many wounded to an agonizing death.

While the attack on Hougoumont was thus being made, a tremendous fire was poured on the allied line. When it ceased, the Imperial Cavalry, at headlong speed, charged the steady squares of the Guards, and the decimated ranks recoiled, but to hurl themselves anew on our bayonets.

The 3rd battalion of the First Guards was one of the regiments most exposed to this terrible onslaught. "It was upon these troops," says Siborne, "that fell the first bursts of the grand early attacks, and it was upon these troops also that the French gunners seldom neglected to pour their destructive missiles." Through all that terrific day the vast masses of gallant Frenchmen were broken against the iron sturdiness of the British squares, which stood like stony islands amid the lapping waves of a sea of fire. General Cooke, commanding the division of Guards, and Colonels D'Oyly and Stables, in command of battalions, retired wounded from the field, and Lord Saltoun, who had returned from Hougoumont, succeeded to the 3rd battalion. At length, as the day wore on, Bonaparte, seeing the oncoming of the Prussians, concentrated his furious cannonade mainly on the position held by the Guards preparatory to his grand attack, and but for the shelter of a hollow way, they must have been annihilated. At this time, Maitland, by the Duke's orders, formed his two battalions into line four deep, and scarcely was the change made, when 5,000 men of the Old Imperial Guard, led by Ney, were seen advancing at the pas de charge to the attack. Shouting Vive l' Empereur! they came steadily on, but, when they reached the crest, the Guards rose up like a wall and poured out a pitiless volley, the rear ranks passing with loaded muskets to the front. What matters it, says Lord Saltoun, whether Wellington cried "Up Guards and at 'em!" or no? He never heard the words only "Now Maitland, now's your time!" Thus was the iron shower set free. The Old Guard wavered and when at length the column reeled, shattered and broken, Saltoun cried out, "Now's the time, my boys!" and the Guards sprang forward, and drove the enemy over a hedge of dead and dying down the hill. In that conflict of giants, and at Quatre Bras, the First Guards lost 181 killed, including 7 officers, and had 853 wounded, making a total of 1,034. They had rendered glorious service, and earned undying fame. "Guards," exclaimed Wellington, "you shall be rewarded for this." and so it happened that, as a distinguished honour, they became "The First or Grenadier Regiment of Foot Guards."

WATERLOO medal named to: THOMAS. KISBIE. 1st DRAGOON. GUARDS.

Wounded at Waterloo

Condition: VF

Born at Barnwell, Oundle, Northamptonshire, circa 1775, and enlisted into the 1st Dragoon Guards at Huntingdon on 24 January 1796, aged 21 years. He was wounded at Waterloo, promoted to Corporal in December 1815, and discharged at Ballinrobe, Ireland, on 2 September 1821, due to a reduction and chronic catarrh.

Comes with copy of the roll and further research.

WOUNDED TO THE CAVARLY AT WATEROO ARE SCARCE //

FROM MY PRIVATE COLLECTION // SCARCE

WATERLOO medal named to: JAMES ANDERSON. 1st. BAT. 92nd FOOT. (The GORDONS).

Condition: VF.

The casualty rate for the Gordons at Waterloo were among the highest in the British Army. It was 68%. Only the 79th had casualties as high as the Gordons.