An Important Collection of Medals to The King's German Legion, the Property of a Gentleman

Waterloo 1815 (Capt. Fred. Sander, 5th Line Batt. K.G.L.) fitted with original steel clip and ring suspension, minor edge bruise and surface marks, otherwise nearly extremely fine £2400-2800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, An Important Collection of Medals to The King's German Legion, the Property of a Gentleman.

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Collection

Ex Lawson Whalley 1877 and Whitaker Collections.

Frederick Sander joined the Legion on 6 January 1806, and served with the expedition to the Baltic in 1807 and 1808. He served in the Peninsula from 1808 to 1811, and in the campaign in Northern Germany in 1814, although not actually with General Wallmoden’s corps. Sander was the senior Captain of the 5th Line Battalion at Waterloo, where he was severely wounded on two occasions.

Firstly, when in the rear of La Haye Sainte, the 1st Light, 5th Line, and 8th Line were attacked by a body of cuirassiers. The 1st Light and 5th Line, protected by British cavalry, were enabled to form square but the cuirassiers made repeated attacks on the square of the 5th Line battalion, retiring after each unsuccessful charge into a hollow where they were protected from the fire of the square. During one of these charges Captain Sander received a severe wound. The 8th Line were even less fortunate, having being caught in open line, and had 3 officers and 30 men killed, and 4 officers and 60 men wounded.

A little later, as the fifth battalion stood in square, behind the hollow road, a column of French infantry having debouched from La Haye Sainte, Sir Charles Alten sent Colonel Ompteda directions to deploy, if possible, the fifth battalion, and attack the column. Ompteda represented that such a movement could not be made without a useless sacrifice of men, more particularly as a body of the enemy’s cavalry lay in wait on the other side of the ravine. At this moment the Prince of Orange rode up and ordered Ompteda to deploy; on the same representations being made to his royal highness, he impatiently repeated the order, upon which Ompteda instantly mounted his horse, gave the fatal word of command, and led forward the battalion. His gallant men jumped cheerfully over the ravine in their front, and fell upon the French column with a loud hurrah! The column gave way and fled but, just at the same moment, the enemy’s horsemen rushing from their ambuscade, came thundering down upon the flank and rear of the German battalion. The consequence may be imagined; the battalion was literally ridden over, and the slaughter was tremendous. The brave Colonel Ompteda was killed; the adjutant Schuck also fell; Captain Sander, Lieutenants von Berger, von Bothmer, Klingsohr, von Witte, Meyer, Walther, and Winkler were all wounded, and about one hundred and thirty men were struck down; in short Lieutenant-Colonel von Linsingen and about eighteen men were all of the battalion that remained together after this fatal charge.

Sander recovered from his wounds, and was later Major by brevet on the Hannoverian retired list at Harburg.