"Who provided Wellington's bodyguard?" Topic

we all know Napoleon had the Guard Ch a Cheval for intimate protection and a unit composed of one squadron of each of the Guard Cavalry regiments for wider headquarters coverage on the battlefield, but I've never read of Wellington having any bodyguard? He always seems to be cruising around the battlefield with a few ADCs…does anyone know if anyone was detailed to provide some protection? Thinking from a command stand diorama point of view but also curious! What about Blucher?!

I don't think he had one – not even a duty squadron of dragoons. He was pretty defenceless when he had to run for it just before Talavera, and made for the nearest square at Quatre Bras.

For late Peninsular, you could add a soldier from the Cavalry Staff Corps to a command base – the new Light Dragoon uniform, but in red, and no epaulettes. But they weren't there as bodyguards.

British generals as a whole do not seem to have gone in for the "etat major" concept, and usually made do with an AdC or two, an orderly dragoon to take messages, and a fast horse to get them out of trouble. IIRC, several British generals had hairy escapes in the Peninsula, and one or two were actually captured, including one with one arm. Beresford at Albuhera was forced to take on a lancer with his bare hands for lack of an escort.

No one of French marshals don't have such bodyguard too.
Napoleon was Emperor, but Wellington was only general, not British Monarch.

British generals as a whole do not seem to have gone in for the "etat major" concept, and usually made do with an AdC or two, an orderly dragoon to take messages, and a fast horse to get them out of trouble. IIRC, several British generals had hairy escapes in the Peninsula, and one or two were actually captured, including one with one arm. Beresford at Albuhera was forced to take on a lancer with his bare hands for lack of an escort.

Have you read Wellington's Headquarters by SPG Ward? It might prove useful and is an excellent volume.

No one of French marshals don't have such bodyguard too

Bodyguards not exactly but escorts, yes.
This was generally the elite company of Light cavalry or Lancers from a cavalry regiment under their command. If there was several regiments the marshal usually took only 15 men from every elite company. This minimised the loss of combat strength that was often complained of by cavalry regimental colonels.

Sometimes, marshals used entire regiments of cavalry. For example in 1812 Marshal Berthier and his headquarters were guarded by 28th Chasseur Regiment and Saxon Chevau Leger.

In fiction, the hero Fabrice del Dongo in The Charterhouse of Parma (1839) briefly served in (I think) Ney's escort at Waterloo.

He had a cave troll.

There was one battle in the Peninsula where the Duke and his staff were set upon by a squadron of French cavalry. A nearby squadron of British cavalry obeyed a mistaken command and milled around in disorder. The Duke's staff had to draw swords before another unit rescued them. Hopefully someone with a better memory will recall the name of the battle. I think it was one of the Pyrenees fights.

Old Nosey had an arsenal of withering looks and caustic remarks ready to be deployed.

The SAS protected him, spesificaly a certain Andy Mcnab, who looks alot like Richard Sharpe

"The SAS protected him"

Somerset And Scovell?

This is Wellington, he doesn't need a personal bodyguard, deployment of an arched eyebrow and equally arch comment is quite sufficient.

I'm sure he could take Putin in a wrestling match too.

As noted above, Wellington wasn't a head of state, unlike L'Empereur. His command style was different too.

Still think it is an interesting question that an army commander had no personal escort, for an emergency. Must admit, it never occurred to me before (like many such questions!)

I know he needed to be mobile, as he was not one to delegate. Begs the question posed by Uxbridge….."If anything were to happen to you….errrr….?"

Perhaps a little irresponsible and self indulgent of DoW, but he was like any commander of his time.

Considering that Napoleon had corps the size of Wellington's armies, I'd consider that their needs were different.

The Duke being an excellent horseman on well bred horses and confident in his own abilities, negated his need of such a unit. No matter the danger, he never flinched. A bible's worth of eyewitness accounts can vouch for that.

Paul :)