Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Waterloo 1815 (William Torn, 1st Bat. 92nd Highlanders.) fitted with steel clip and ring suspension, edge bruising and contact marks, otherwise better than good fine £2400-2800

At Quatre Bras on 16 June 1815, the 92nd were heavily engaged suffering over 280 casualties. They formed part of Picton’s 5th Division in Major-General Dennis Pack’s 9th British Brigade.

At Waterloo they were positioned on the front left flank of the British line, and heavily bombarded, but the effect was reduced when they were ordered to lay down behind the crest. They were then attacked at 2.15 p.m. by D’Erlon’s corps of some 11,000 fresh veterans. Pack’s men stood for a brigade volley, followed by regular half Company volleys, and the French retreated badly mauled, to be caught by the heavy cavalry of the Union Brigade, with the Scots Greys charging through a gap deliberately left by the 92nd. Big men on big horses, they were supported in a rush by the 92nd, some of whom clung to the horses stirrups and were carried along in the charge, an incident in the battle which became famous.

The British line was then subjected to 5 further attacks by French Cuirassiers, who failed to break their squares. The Duke of
Wellington entered the square of the 92nd several times, receiving a charge by French light cavalry and personally directing the first volley, the subject of many paintings of the battle. The 92nd nearly ran out of ammunition, and suffered severely from Tirailleurs sniping from close range. The 92nd suffered at Quatre Bras and Waterloo a total of 402 out of 588 present as casualties, at 68% the highest percentage of any British regiment. Sold with an annotated copy of the Waterloo Medal Roll for the 92nd.