4th King's Own Regiment of Foot

1/4th King's Own was in Lambert's Brigade and been hurriedly returned from the United States where the Battalion had taken part in the War of 1812 - there the 4th suffered the loss of half its number at the Battle of New Orleans.  Soon after this they sailed for home.  The depleted battalion was reinforced from the second battalion and sent straight to Flanders to join Wellington's Army.

Lt Col Francis Brooke commanded the 4th.  The battalion did not see action at Quatre Bras and began the battle of Waterloo in reserve.  They were brought up to the front line just to the north east of La Haye Sainte.  The 4th suffered 12 killed and 122 wounded.  The regiments stayed in France until 1818 as part of the army of occupation.

I try to size my figures by different makes within the 20mm bracket.  The last square of Nassauers was mostly of the slimmer Hat type, this lot are largely the chunkier Airfix set, with various Les Higgins, quite a few Qualicast, Italieri, some Hagen and the odd S Range.  As ever, the front rank contains quite a few conversions.

Shako Plate

Inside of the square

This lot are mostly Airfix

The three staff officers are Hagen

A Les Higgins among the Airfix

A Strelets officer addresses the other officers

The drummers are S Range, Qualicast and Kennington

The Colour Party are Qualicast

A Great War conversion

Ten squares down, quite a few to go!

1/1st Nassau

I haven't posted for a while, having been busy with work.  My next square has been an enjoyable departure from the usual redcoats.

The Nassau contingent at Waterloo consisted of three regiments, two of which were in the Nassau service (1st and 2nd Line) and the Orange-Nassau Regiment which was officially in the Dutch service.  Nassauers fought across the battlefield.  The 1st Regiment fought in the centre of the Anglo-Dutch position under Colonel Kruse.

Colonel Augustus Kruse

The 2nd Regiment and the Orange-Nassau regiment fought on the Allied left holding the farms of Papelotte, Fischermont and La Haye.  The 2nd Regiment detached its flank companies to the other side of the battle at Hougoumont and the 1st Regiment sent a light company to La Haye Sainte.

Having been part of the Grand Army until 1813 when they defected to Wellington in the Peninsula, the Nassauers were organised along French lines and had a French cut to their green uniforms.

The Nassauers wore white covers to their shakos, but this attracted French fire so Kruse ordered them to take them off - this battalion is shown after the order was given revealing the black shakos underneath.

This close up from the Waterloo panorama shows how desperate the fight around the Nassau squares became.

The figures shown here are largely from the Hat Industrie sets, padded out with French infantry by Emhar and some conversions (largely in the front kneeling rank).

The standing soldier in the corner is War of Independence

Two W1815 officers

An Art Miniaturen Austrian converted to be Colonel Kruse

A Franznap Drum Major

A Franznap Pioneer (a Neopolitan coopted into Nassau uniform)

Grenadier Company - their red epaulettes and colpack plumes stand out against the green, yellow and buff of the line companies

Centre Company

ACW Conversion as Ensign

Close Up