Today is a day to remember the British army’s greatest 19th century triumph, the Battle of Waterloo. If the British and Prussian-led coalition had not been victorious at Waterloo, Napoleon’s 100 days would have become a French 100 years.
The British victory owed much to the bravery and initiative of a member of the ranks of the Royal Wagon Train, Brewster. He saw that the defenders of the farmhouse at Hougoumont were running out of ammunition. So, he slipped out through the French lines and, under heavy fire, brought back to Hougoumont fresh supplies of ammunition. Without Brewster’s intervention, the farmhouse would have fallen—as La Haye Sainte did—and the battle would have been lost.
But despite these noble tales of heroism, Waterloo has become a rather forgotten battle. Hougoumont itself was falling into disrepair, with souvenir hunters simply looting the site. But, thankfully, something is now being done about this.
George Osborne, who is surprisingly
Britain’s best politics newsletters
You get two free articles each week when you sign up to The Spectator’s emails.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate for just £1 a month
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for £3.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just £1 a monthAlready a subscriber? Log in