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Waterloo Remembered

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Capture at Waterloo of Fanions by Landwehr Battalion Osnabrück

I noticed the following (emphasis mine)


“I must report that the enemy was driven from from four pieces of cannon which he was attempting to carry off upon the right of the Genappe road, by the Osnabrück Battalion which also during it’s advance got possession of two pairs of colours”


Sir Henry Clinton to Lord Hill dated Nivelles 19 June 1815 quotes in ‘Waterloo: The Defeat of Napoleon’s Imperial Guard’ Gareth Glover Frontline Books Barnsley 2015


Thinking I should have heard of this before, I checked Gareth Glover’s Waterloo Archive:


Halkett no 29 vol VII 24 June 1815

Dreves no 22 vol II 3 Jan 1825 (Pflugk-Harttung)


But neither makes a mention.


So, my question is, does anyone have confirmatory evidence for the ‘colours’ (presumably fanions), documentary or otherwise?


Ideally, as there were supposedly 4 of them, someone will tell me at least one has survived in a museum or has been sold at auction and produce a photo. Or a description of being retired in triumph to Hanover?


Alternatively, as no mention is made in other reports and it occurs alongside the cap of artillery, might it simply be the misreading of ‘fanion’ for ‘kanon’? by Clinton?


it would be nice if we can nail down another potential Waterloo myth. Any help gratefully received


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david Tomlinson
david Tomlinson
Apr 22, 2021

@Michael-Andreas Tänzer Can you help?

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