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Eagles at Waterloo?

Posted by Harry Faversham on 31 Jan 2020, 15:34

The two French Eagles captured at Waterloo by the British Army are very well documented. It's also well documented that His Grace's Army, by and large spent the night on the battlefield, and took little part in the pursuit of the enemy. So my question is...

Wot 'appened to the rest of Boney's gilded chickens?


I'm not having it for a minute, that in the rout which saw Boney lose the Imperial Chamberpot, resolute clumps of Frenchies stalwartly defended their Eagles agin the rampaging Prussians. Were they picked up, discarded in roadside ditches by triumphant Deaths Head Hussars, or meekly surrendered as scores of Frenchmen tried to jack it in?

:neutral:
Last edited by Avatar on 31 Jan 2020, 16:41, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Racist terminology changed
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Harry Faversham  England
 
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Posted by C M Dodson on 31 Jan 2020, 16:01

There is a general misconception that the ‘One Hundred Days’ campaign effectively ended on the 18th June 1815.

Whilst that is essentially true, the fighting continued back into France with some severity and this is covered in the closing volume of Andrew W Fields excellent ‘Waterloo’ quartet of books.

The ‘cuckoos’ were the ‘soul’ of the regiments and to lose them was a disgrace. They would not be left lying around but moreover defended to the death.

Whilst I personally have not read this last volume, Waterloo rout and retreat, it has received very good reviews, covering the closing aspects of this most decisive of military campaigns.

Best wishes,

Chris
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Posted by Beano Boy on 01 Feb 2020, 01:14

Perhaps they burnt them, like they did the Eagles before in Russia?
Waterloo, was made a ,`Full Stop', in the ensuing History Books, by those guided by the State to do so.
After Waterloo, i believe the next day Napoleon thrashed the Prussians again, but never destroyed them or their desire to destroy him. BB
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Posted by Harry Faversham on 01 Feb 2020, 10:22

BB, any details on the 'thrashing' of the Prussians by Boneypart on the 19th. He must have acted a bit sharpish, seeing as how he was picking up his P45 by June 22nd?

:oops:
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Harry Faversham  England
 
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Posted by Beano Boy on 01 Feb 2020, 15:56

No details about that thrashing Harry me young bean sprout,i just read it referred to in a long forgotten book. Very true :-D about his P45. He still had plenty of troops in France before and after Waterloo,but his downfall was already written of upon the wall where they pasted the News Pages. The pen is mightier than the sword,and especially damp gunpowder. Whatever happened to his hat? BB
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Posted by Harry Faversham on 01 Feb 2020, 16:26

Beano Boy wrote: Whatever happened to his hat? BB


He broke it after Waterloo...

Image

:mad:
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Harry Faversham  England
 
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Posted by MABO on 02 Feb 2020, 08:40

He let him into the carriage when he changed to a horse to get away faster. Prussian soldiers found him and took him to Blücher. Today he is in the "German Historical Museum" in Berlin.

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MABO  Europe
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Posted by FredG on 02 Feb 2020, 16:12

Perhaps this is your reference BB?

At 10:30 on 19 June General Grouchy, still following his orders, defeated General Thielemann at Wavre and withdrew in good order—though at the cost of 33,000 French troops that never reached the Waterloo battlefield.
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FredG  United Kingdom
 
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Posted by CPN on 02 Feb 2020, 18:39

Et voilà
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Rocquencourt

Just for the honours but always good to the spirit like the victory in rugby today for France!

Cheers
CPN
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