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Auction: 25113 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 21

(x) Waterloo 1815 (John Nuttall, 1st Reg. Dragoon Guards.), polished, including rim, one edge bruise near suspension otherwise about very fine

Two men named John Nuttall appear on the Waterloo Medal Roll.

John Nuttall served as a Private with the 1st King's Dragoon Guards in the 1st Household Cavalry Brigade at the Battle of Waterloo. These were heavy men on heavy horses who performed the role of both light and heavy cavalry at Waterloo. In short they were a "poor man's heavy cavalry" (The Waterloo Companion refers, p. 214) because they were "less expensive to mount, maintain and pay". The 1st Household Cavalry Brigade was made up of 1,319 men and was led by Major General Somerset. The 1st King's Dragoon Guards, made up of 583 men in three squadrons, were led by Lieutenant-Colonel Fuller. They were the strongest cavalry unit of the Allied forces at the battle. The Brigade fought hard at the battle and lost half their men and horses. They protected the left flank of d'Erlon's corps by destroying Delor's cuirassiers. The 1st Dragoon Guards had not seen any active service in the Peninsular and had been kept at home since 1803. However, the inexperience of their officers and soldiers was not evident at the battle. They fought a hard battle and suffered the highest losses of any Anglo-Allied cavalry regiment at Waterloo with 48% of their men listed as casualties. Seven officers were killed, including commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Fuller and 124 men were listed as 'missing'.

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Estimate

Starting price
£480