"Hougoumont - the bigger picture" Topic

Superb!

Main page
link

Amicalement
Armand

Good stuff as always James.

Best wishes,

Chris

Thanks Chris, working on the formal garden which seems incongruous given the destruction in the farm itself, but by all accounts it still looked much the same the next day.

That's surprising.

Troops have no sense of flower bed preservation and I would have thought that the mark one boot would have flattened them.

Best wishes,

Chris

The British love gardening.

(smile)

Amicalement
Armand

Here are some updates:

The full plan

Repurposed bonsai trees

Wounded

The garden

Given the high regard in which Wellington's Army is held on this forum, I'm surprised there haven't been accusations of the Guards looting cuttings from all those innocent Belgian plants?

That poor gardener was kept busy, that is for sure.

Intrigued by the map with numbered grids. Where is that from?

My friend… I was there… several times… and you are doing a superb work!… Congrats!.

Amicalement
Armand

Many thanks!

Hello Mr D.

The map you refer to is the proposed completed diorama layout.

The figures refer to the various sections that comprise the whole.

It is massive and James is ‘bonkers' in a truly positive way.

Best wishes,

Chris

Many thanks Chris, that's right – I took a modern map and superimposed a grid equating to each of my sections.

Dear All,

I've been working on the garden at Hougoumont. It's a big place and has taken some time. Here are a few pictures:

Best wishes!

Excellent as always James. The research and realisation are first class.

No ‘eyes' on the combatants please!

Magnificent work.

Best wishes,

Chris

Eyes are the least of my worries – this needs several thousand figures!!

Superb job my friend… chapeaux pour vous!! (smile)

Amicalement
Armand

Folks, here is an update:

I've done a full review of sources at: generalpicton.blogspot.com

Next tasks: garrison the chateau with Foot Guards Light Companies, bring the Nassauers to battalion strength, start the Scots Guards, bring in the Brunswickers and work out where the various Hanoverian companies would have been by 1800.

Wonderful build. Have you considered the pollarding of the hedge on the wood south of Hougoumont. This was a serious obstacle. It was 3m / 9 ft high. The mature trunks were 4-9 inches in diameter. See the Work of Alisdair White and Project Hougoumont.

There were only a limited number of gaps in the pollarding in front of the garden wall so it could be defended by such a few number. Attempted to comment upon your website but my university address did not permit me by Google.
Stephen Summerfield

Thanks Summerfield, yes I've drawn extensively on Alisdair White's article and the supporting Waterloo Uncovered work. My hedge should probably be a bit higher but you can see it quite clearly. I'm assuming that French pioneers would have cut gaps in it.

There were only a few gaps that were present due to the finds that were found. Pollarded hedges from experience are a real obstacle.
Stephen

Dear All,

Here are some update photos from my Hougoumont project. I've now had the pleasure of taking advice from two eminent Waterloo historians, Andrew Field and Gareth Glover. There's still much to do, but it's coming on. More on my blog at: generalpicton.blogspot.com

Hi James,

Super research, realisation and craftsmanship.

Personally I Like my troops filthy, especially so after the night of the 17/18.

However, this is a labour of love.

Nice to see the AEF taking a break by the wall!

Best wishes,

Chris

That is the guy on the box? Next to him is surely a BEF WWI seated wounded figure?

Attention to detail. Notice on the Guards light company the blue wings, the brass badge on the ammo pouch, the green cap ornaments and, above all the extra lace on the jackets. Let us assume the sergeant found that pike, dropped by the centre company, and it seemed a shame to leave it there. Swap the colours around though for Guards. Awkward chaps had to seem to do thing differently…Ok it was still King's Colour to the right, just that for Guards the King's Colour was not the Union Flag basically.

What brilliant work and what imaginative conversions gone into this. Never seen Hgmt better done.

Thanks Deadhead, a good point about the Colours, easily changed, and the Sergeants with pikes. Thanks also Chris, the Duke liked to see his men well turned out, so who am I to say otherwise?!

Hello Mr D.

Airfix WW1 American, hence the reference to the American Expeditionary Force, the Doughboys.

Good point about the Guards colours.

I must remember that for my project if the Guards ever arrive.

Chris

Oh I well recall the AEF. Some very unusual figures, esp that French MG, even if the Montana hat was daft…easily converted. Heck I gave some German helmets and they became Irish Free Sate soldiers pre WWII.

I read up so intently on the Guards to do the Three Armies figures. Clearly the case here too. Typical of the Guards they had to have their distinctions.

Officers gold lace obviously but only as a border on collar, lapels, turnback and cuffs…ie no cuff lace other than the free edge. NCOs with gold lace. Centre companies unusual minor details. The brass badge on the cartouche as shown above. A couple of unique buckles on the back of the two cross belts. White lace as Line but some additions and the spacing of buttons and lace we know so well from single, paired, triple etc. Extra lace around the edge of the cuff, down the seams at the back (as shown above) and a single centre stripe down the front edge of the coat. Most of this quite invisible in 1/72 scale of course.

The Colours? Almost universally wrongly shown because it seems the reverse of normal line practice.

That is surely the best rendering of the garden and orchard ever. Hgmt burnt out is just superb. I am temporarily distracted by various "distractions", the least of which is a series of Vietnam War figures recently posted. The most important of which is a "taste of my own medicine" very shortly! Should give plenty of time for painting though…..

Didn't the Guards Colours remain on the main position?

If I recall the only colour was that of the Nassauers. It was briefly displayed on the roof, before being ordered to be taken down. Later, it was taken back to the main position when they withdrew, by Sgt Andreas Buchsieb."As we moved into the estate, we had the our colours raised on the roof, but to avoid losing it in the fighting Lt Col Hardt had it quicklyy taken down again. Since I and my men were still at our post at the gate, he turned the colours over to me." Sometime later the fire forced them "…to seek refuge in the garden, and had to return from there to the main body. On our arrival with the colours, the English dragoons had just cut down an enemy square…"

Gareth Glover Ed, The Waterloo Archive Volume V: German Sources Page 116

Oh true. But are we not here seeing the colours in the orchard and not the formal garden (the latter being the large walled enclosure)? The orchard next to it changed hands repeatedly with attack and counterattack and I do wonder if colours might have been seen there.

I have only now appreciated that there are 44 photos on the blog and they are WELL worth seeing!

Orchards generally prune their trees to remain low, to aid picking. There being no mechanical harvesters spacing is likely to be tighter too. Having carried a modern colour, which are considerably smaller than the ones at this period, them and trees do not easily mix.

All the available evidence puts the Brigade's Colours on the main position, so they appear to be accounted for. I am unaware of any mention of Colours being deployed in the orchard, so I'm inclined against it.

I agree though, great photos!

It's great getting feed back and I agree the Colours should move – Andrew Field said the same, so he must be right!