"Foot guards with militia coats at Waterloo?" Topic

During my research for the "field uniforms" of the British Army 1815 I came across a note the acknowledged researcher Rev. Sumner left in his notes / sketches, now in possession of the ASKB.

He wrote in the section covering the Foot Guards: "Many men of the Foot Guards at Waterloo fought in their Surrey Militia jackets (Cotton, "Voice from Waterloo", page 10).

The mentioned text of Edward Cotton in his memoirs is written on page 7 of 1854 edition (can be downloaded via google) – he states that "a large proportion of the British troops was composed of weak second and third battalions, made up of militia and recruits, who had never been under fire*…" – the footnote says "* The 3d guards and 42nd Highlanders had near eight hundred militia-men in their ranks. The guards actually fought in their Surrey militia jackets."

Of course I checked several other sources – e.g. the three-part study of Bryan Fosten published in the series "Soldiers of the Napoleonic Wars" of Almark in the 70/80s … but I could not find any other reference to this curious fact.

Bob Burnham and Ron McGuigan give in their exceptional study about the British Foot Guards at Waterloo some strength numbers for the four battalions present in the Netherlands – with the addition of reinforcements; for the period of March to June 1815, the following numbers can be derived as "new" soldiers to the guards battalions:

2nd bat. / 1st Guards: 79 men
3rd. bat. / 1st Guards: 35 men
2nd bat. / Coldstream Guards: 264 men (!)
2nd bat. / 3rd Guards: 274 men (!)

So particularly the Coldstream and the 3rd guards got lots of reinforcements, most of them in April/May 1815.

Now the very interesting question: do you have any more hints except the quote from Edward Cotton that the foot guards (particularly 2nd and 3rd Guards) had a significant number of soldiers fighting at Waterloo in their (Surrey?) militia jackets?

This would give figure dioramas surely a nice additional note :-)

Greetings from Berlin
Markus Stein

Surrey Militia circa 1810.

Using 28mm figures, except for the guards having additional cuff lace, and shako plates (rather than hunting horns) on the light bobs shako's, I'd be hard pressed to identify any blue faced line infantry from any other (even with a reference book to hand).

IMHO, it's usually only the flags that identify British wargame units. Facings only narrow it down a bit in most cases (exceptions, of course, like Chasseurs Brittianique with light blue facings but mostly its flags). Who paints lace distinctions? Who knows their lace?

interesting illustration, but 1810? With a queue?

@Olicana: good point for the wargamer's position … as you said I should only be seen at the regiments, particularly the 3rd Guards, which hadn't rows of lace and buttons in pairs.

Dave Tomlinson gave a good point in the Napoleonic Wars forum (cf. link) – he stated that regimental tailors may have changed the uniforms laces and buttons … but my last point was, that if the note of Cotton is true, which should be proven by other sources, it may be difficult to do this for all soldiers arriving in May 1815 – and also because of material missing at the regimental bivouacs.

Greetings from Berlin
Markus Stein

I had heard that 600 men of the Berkshire militia were transferred to the Foot Guards in April. I forget where but the numbers above line up with this if we assume that the 600 men were not the only ones who were drafted in.

As the militia wore standard regular gear their jackets would have been indistinguishable except for the lace and buttons. I haven't got Dibble's excellent chart handy but the lace might not even be different depending on which regiment it was.

This is always a fun topic because the Napoleon / Prussian fanbois are always keen to understate the British contribution to Waterloo. A favoured way is to reinvent the disbanded Middle Guard and claim that it was this non-existent junior formation, and not the actual Old Guard, that the Foot Guards helped to drive off. This bit of revisionism is neatly undone by the revelation that whomever the Foot Guards drove off, the drivers-off were largely actually the militia.

It's also a useful data point in working out how to rate British militia units in counterfactual campaigns such as a French invasion.

Cuirassier – thank's for the comment, perhaps you and Dibble may find the reference of this militia troop. And as I stated before, I think only the rows of buttons/laces would make the different coats more obvious.

And I'm a fanboy of no particular army, but the last years I'm more interested in the opponents of the French army including England, Austria, Russia – and also Prussia (the last one also due to my research and book about their 1870/71 uniforms). Instead I'm fan of my favorite football team and an (ice hockey) team :-)

But to follow your suggestion – yes it would be interesting to compare the different units' tactical behavior on the battlefields regarding their composition of experienced vs. militia soldiers.

Greetings from Berlin
Markus Stein

Both The Berkshire and Surrey Regiments of Militia were Royal Regiments. The Berkshires had Silver Buttons/Braid for the Officers. The Surrey had Gold braid/Buttons. The Officer of the Berkshires would have 'most probably' got their buttons and braid changed to gold.

Here's a Berkshire gent'

I'd be surprised if any of the militia transfers were of officers. Guards officers were members of a very socially exclusive club indeed. Militia officers were, well, not. I don't imagine Guards' commission were handed out to country clodhoppers because they happened to be in the right militia at the right time.