Osprey Men-at-Arms 355 : Wellington's Belgian Allies 1815

The army commanded by the Duke of Wellington at Quatre-Bras and Waterloo included two infantry divisions and three cavalry brigades of the newly-unified Netherlands (or 'Dutch-Belgian') army. Early British accounts of the Dutch-Belgian troops' part in Quatre Bras and Waterloo were, at best, grudging, and have been repeated ever since without serious examination. Contemporary documents in Continental archives now reveal the truth - that these troops, representing a third of Wellington's army, fought hard and took heavy casualties. An expert Napoleonic researcher and art historian present the evidence regarding the Belgian units; explain their complex origins; and illustrate the text with many new monochrome studies and colour plates of troop uniforms. The organisation, uniforms, and battle record of the Belgian units are explained here in detail, and illustrated by a specialist in the period, who actually lives at Waterloo. Text by Ronald Pawly with illustrations by Patrice Courcelle.

Contents

• The Low Countries in 1813-14
• Austria and the Légion Belge - Organisation, Service, Uniforms
• The Dutch-Belgian Army 1814 - Organisation, Uniforms
• The Dutch-Belgian Army 1815 - Organisation, Uniforms
• Belgian Units at Quatre Bras and Waterloo - Siborne's Slanders & the Documentary Record
• Bibliography
• Commentary on the Colour Artwork