Dear Members and would be members,

For several years David Milner has been compiling a register of all those British soldiers who served at the Battles of Waterloo and Quatre Bras. The register is designed to serve as a guide for researchers seeking details about individual soldiers and has several thousand names already on it. However, it is far from complete. Whilst a minority of the soldiers who fought in the Battle were retained in the service, some changing regiments and being sent to other parts of the world where the British redcoat was still needed, the majority were simply discharged with next to nothing and left to fend for themselves. However, some of the soldiers who were either wounded or injured in their duties and considered as being unable to work, were granted a small pension. The records of many of these soldiers still remain and David has been busy flagging them in his research guide. The work on soldiers with a surname beginning A to M is complete and is continuing with the remainder.

Incoming information from the UK has led to David being able to identify the last resting places of seven Napoleonic soldiers, four of whom fought at Waterloo and three who fought in the Peninsular War. One of the Waterloo men was a Private in the 69th (South Lincolnshire) Foot who had been unheard of until now, so this is especially welcome. There is also information coming in from New Zealand referring to four Peninsular War officers who went to the colony and ultimately died there. A memorial to one has been found and recorded and research on the other three continues. Also from New Zealand has been some correspondence from an elderly lady who has proved to be a descendant of a Rifleman in the 95th who was wounded by a French sabre and treated by a Prussian surgeon!

David is always happy to hear from people with real, or suspected, Waterloo ancestors which you would like included in the research guide, for the benefit of future generations of researchers. Please email David with as much supporting information as you have and he will be happy to include verified names in the research guide. Any submissions are accepted on the basis that you agree to their inclusion and access by other researchers, although your personal details will not be disclosed without your prior consent. Also, if you have a soldier for whom you have reason to believe was at the Battle, David will be delighted to check it out for you. Please note though, that David will not undertake “one name” or “blanket” searches. David can be contacted at battle.veterans@btinternet.com

Yours sincerely

RI Yonge
Web editor

battlewaterloo@hotmail.co.uk