#73 • Brunswick Waterloo Medal - Brunswick Light Infantry

Part of British & World Medals (live auction by Bannerman Auctions)

High bid $475.00

Status: Sold

Brunswick Waterloo Medal - Brunswick Light Infantry Brunswick (German) Waterloo medal. Naming is officially impressed "CHRSTP. MUELLER. AV, GARDE.". Medal exhibits polishing wear, some light edge knocks and some surface scratches and exhibits even toning. Medal lacks ribbon and exhibits a bend to jump ring. The medal was awarded to troops and officers from Brunswick who participated in the Battles of Quatre Bras and Waterloo. During the battle of Waterloo the Brunswick Avantgarde brought 627 men to the field and suffered 2 nco's and 9 soldiers killed and 1 officer and 11 soldiers wounded according to the book "History of the war in France and Belgium in 1815" by William Siborne. The Avantgarde was a group of light infantry and a detachment of cavalry. Estimate: $500 - $700 Historical Background: The Brunswick Waterloo Medal was a campaign medal established by the Duchy of Brunswick on June 11, 1818. It was presented to officers and soldiers from Brunswick who served in the Waterloo Campaign, specifically participating in the Battles of Quatre Bras and Waterloo between June 15 and July 7, 1815. The medal was authorized by the Prince Regent and is a notable example among the five nations of the Seventh Coalition that struck medals for their soldiers involved in the campaign. The medal is round and made of bronze, though officers' medals were gilded, and has a diameter of 34 mm. The bronze used often came from captured French cannons. Its obverse side features a left-facing profile of the fallen Duke of Brunswick, Frederick William. The reverse side features the inscription Braunschweig Seinen Kriegern, meaning Brunswick to her Warriors, above a wreath, and Quatrebras und Waterloo below. The ribbon is yellow with blue edge stripes and the medal is suspended from a steel clip and ring. The Brunswick Corps, commonly known as the Black Brunswickers, was a volunteer military unit raised by Duke Frederick William of Brunswick during the Napoleonic Wars. Recognized by their distinctive black uniforms and silver totenkopf badges, the unit had gained a fearsome reputation and served with distinction under Wellington in the Peninsula War. In the 1815 Waterloo campaign, the 'Brunswick Corps' contributed 5,376 men, including the Light Infantry Battalions, to the allied forces of the Seventh Coalition, forming a discrete division in Wellington's reserve. Their leader, the Duke of Brunswick, was mortally wounded at the earlier Battle of Quatre Bras, but the corps continued to fight actively despite the extreme duress and losses. At the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815, the Brunswick infantry was divided, with the 1st Light Battalion, along with the Avantgarde and Leib Battalion, committed to the crucial defense of the Hougoumont farm complex. The 2nd and 3rd Light Battalions, alongside the Line Battalions, initially stood in reserve with the other Allied squares in the right-center, eventually being called forward to cover gaps in the line. Despite consisting of many newly raised and young soldiers, these units maintained their positions under intense French artillery bombardment and successfully held against repeated cavalry charges, sustaining considerable casualties throughout the engagement.