| E Muilwijk | 05 Jun 2016 7:17 a.m. PST |
Are you a Waterloo buff? Interested in the battle?! Well, then you probably already know that Bijlandt's brigade was NOT positioned on the forward slope at the start of the Battle of Waterloo, but instead had already found a new position behind the hollow road at 9 a.m. on this morning. So, it was not the victim of the cannonade of the French grand battery. So, here is more evidence in the form of sketched maps of the time itself from Dutch officers, showing clearly Bijlandt's brigade was in position on the reverse slope. There is no longer any controversy! link |
| wrgmr1 | 05 Jun 2016 9:25 a.m. PST |
This looks like a good book. I agree with these facts. |
 Artilleryman  | 05 Jun 2016 10:11 a.m. PST |
This is a very good and interesting book. Always useful to have a different view of a battle, particularly an epoch maker such as Waterloo. Highly recommended as are the others in the series, '1815 – Mobilisation to War' and 'Quatre Bras – Perponcher's Gamble'. |
| Navy Fower Wun Seven | 05 Jun 2016 2:09 p.m. PST |
Yes a great series on the Netherlands Field Army – highly recommended! |
| Mike the Analyst | 06 Jun 2016 7:30 a.m. PST |
See also letter 175 by Charles Gore in Glover – Letters from the Battle of Waterloo (those not published by Siborne in his famous Waterloo Letters). There is a sketch showing Bijlandt formed behind the hedges rather than on the forward slope. More corroboration. |
| E Muilwijk | 06 Jun 2016 7:45 a.m. PST |
|
 deadhead | 08 Jun 2016 11:51 a.m. PST |
It is to the shame of the British contingent that they did belittle the contribution of their allies on the ridge. Obviously the Prussians' role was sidelined, but I love how often any non British units are described as drunken, whenever they showed enthusiasm (chance would be a fine thing, there were not too many pubs open in the area that Sunday) It was the manner of the time. The British way was very xenophobic (may be proved such again very shortly too). Bondarachuk showed little has changed. Trevor Howard is still told that Bylandt's Brigade has broken and he must fill the gap.
(Poor devil is trying to inhale that cigar, but he has had a laryngectomy…so he cannot draw any smoke into his mouth.) |
| Lapsang | 08 Jun 2016 2:57 p.m. PST |
No, it was Jack Hawkins. Throat Cancer got him in the end :-( |
| dibble | 09 Jun 2016 7:58 p.m. PST |
Yup! Hawkins (Picton) died in 1973, Trevor Howard (Father Collins in Ryan's Daughter) died in 1988. As for the Xenophobia. One or two tell of other units not behaving well. But there is also well documented British eyewitness evidence of four British Battalions not behaving as they should too! So it wasn't all about Johnny foreigner. It's another myth bandied about by those self same people who say that British historian authors ignore the Prussians in their tomes. Paul :) |
| E Muilwijk | 16 Jun 2016 11:13 a.m. PST |
I am really not in getting 'old scores' being settled or something as trivial in historical research as 'xenophobia', guys! Just merit my work and investigations for what they are worth. |
| deadhead | 16 Jun 2016 1:06 p.m. PST |
Jack Hawkins. How could I get that wrong? As a very junior in London in 1976 I worked under the surgeon who treated him for his laryngeal cancer and who had done the surgery. I was thinking of Lord Cardigan in the C of T L Brigade! How good was Trevor Howard in that role mind you? |
paints the Dogman from the Flintloque starter set.