The Cavalry that Broke Napoleon: The King’s Dragoon Guards at WaterlooThe best-selling author of The Battle, Alessandro Barbero, was asked which action saved Wellington at Waterloo prior to the arrival of the Prussians. He replied: ‘If I should indulge in that game, I’d say the cavalry charge which effectively broke d’Erlon's attack.’ In terms of regiments the greatest contributor to that charge, made by the British heavy cavalry, was the King’s Dragoon Guards (KDG), which fielded nearly half of the Household Brigade’s sabres. This book tells the remarkable story of the KDG before, during and after the battle of Waterloo, drawing on private, unpublished archive material. It concludes by describing the KDGs link to their descendant regiment, 1st Queen’s Dragoon Guards, of which HRH The Prince of Wales is Colonel-in-Chief. |
Contents
Who Were the Men? | |
Regimental Structure | |
Clothing and Equipment | |
The First Charge of the Union Brigade | |
The First Charge of the Household Brigade | |
The Journey Back from the First Charge | |
The Rest of the | |
Aftermath | |
The Pursuit and Occupation | |
The Officers | |
The Soldiers | |
Daily Life | |
Training and Tactics | |
From the Plains of Clonmel to Flanders Field | |
16 June to the Morning of 18 June | |
Mounted Opponents | |
What Happened to the Regiment? | |
The Cavalry that Broke Napoleon? | |
The Battle of Waterloo Appendix II Regimental Roll of KDG Who Fought at Waterloo | |
Notes | |
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The Cavalry That Broke Napoleon: The King's Dragoon Guards at Waterloo Richard Goldsbrough No preview available - 2019 |
Common terms and phrases
18 June 1st Life Guards 2nd Life Guards Allied line attack Barlow battle honour Battle of Waterloo Belle Alliance British Army British cavalry British heavy cavalry Brussels Captain Cavalry Brigade cavalry regiments cavalry’s centre charge Colonel commanding officer cornet Corps cuirassiers d’Erlon’s described Division Duke east Elton enemy enemy’s flank fought French cavalry French cuirassiers French infantry French lancers French lines front Genappe Greys Hasker Haye Sainte Haythornthwaite heavy brigades Hibbert Household Brigade Hussars infantry squares James John KDG officers KDG’s killed King’s Dragoon Guards La Belle Alliance La Haye Sainte lefthand letter dated Lieutenant LieutenantColonel London Lord Lord Edward Somerset Major Mont St Jean mounted Napoleon Naylor o’clock Paris Prussians Ptº Queen’s Dragoon Guards ranks recruiting Red Lancers road Royals sabres sergeants Siborne soldiers Somerset sword Thomas troops trumpeter Union Brigade Uxbridge Waymouth Wellington whilst William wounded