Fought, captured and lost Numerous flags changed hands during the fateful Battle of Waterloo or "La Belle Alliance" on 18 June 1815 - in most cases under highly dramatic circumstances. Field insignia in particular were usually a favoured target of enemy attacks and the losses among flag bearers and their cover were often enormous during a battle. For a number of the captured and lost flags or standards, the circumstances under which they were taken from the troops or under which they were stubbornly defended have been recorded, sometimes very precisely. From time to time, more comprehensive personal details have also survived about those who snatched a standard from the enemy or saved it from being lost to the enemy, often at the cost of their own lives. On this basis, the reader learns details about a whole series of often bitter disputes over the possession of these standards. In the case of several other flags, their condition during the fighting or immediately after the battle is described. All flags and standards mentioned are graphically depicted in detail. In addition to the actual battle of Waterloo on 18 June 1815, the battles at Quatre Bras, Ligny and Plancenoit are also included, as far as events worth mentioning concerning the flags are concerned. The protagonists are members of the armies of all participating nations. In addition to the harrowing descriptions of battles for numerous field insignia, the reader learns interesting facts about the flags themselves, their significance and handling in the Napoleonic armies. What did the uniforms of the flag bearers and their cover look like, where did their members stand in the formation? The flag groups were composed of corporals, non-commissioned officers and officers. In addition to the numerous illustrations of flags, this volume contains detailed descriptions of the rank insignia and special features of these ranks of all participating armies on many colour plates!
Contents Field insignia. General introduction Battle of Waterloo 18 June 1815 The Imperial French Army The Royal British Army The Royal German Legion (KGL) The Royal Hanoverian Army The Ducal Nassau Army III. Prussian Army Corps, Saxon Division: The Flag of the I Guard Battalion The Ducal Brunswick Army The Army of the Kingdom of the United Netherlands The Royal Prussian Army Literature excerpt.
Group
Books (first-hand)
Author
Fuhrmann, Rolf
Title
Die Fahnen von Waterloo
Details
Colour illustrated throughout, many drawings, paperback. 72 pages.