Description
Waterloo Medal, 18th June 1815, Private Ernst Luttermann, 1st Regiment of Hussars, King’s German Legion.
Officially impressed, with stars to fill out the rim: “ERNST LUTTERMANN, 1st Reg. Hussars K.G.L.”
Confirmed on the medal roll.
At the Battle of Waterloo, the 1st Regiment of Hussars KGL formed part of the 6th Brigade, Commanded by Major General Sir Hussey Vivian, riding beside the 10th and 18th Hussars.
The 1st Hussars KGL fielded 493 men.
Vivian’s Hussars provided essential cavalry service during the battle, General Gaspard Gorgaud, one of Napoleon’s close confidants and his Aide de Camp at Waterloo who once saved Napoleon’s life, later wrote of the battle in his book “La Campagne de 1815” where the following has been quoted from and translated courtesy of the Cornish Poet Henry Sewell Stokes, for his book Rhymes from Cornwall, Sir Hussey Vivian was a Truro Man from Cornwall is highly regarded in the county:
“Gourgaud, the Emperor’s aide-de-camp, ascribes the loss of the battle mainly to this happy charge of Vivian’s Brigade on the flank of the Old Guard, after the repulse of the Middle.
‘The sun,’ he says, ‘was set, nothing was despaired of when the brigades of the enemy’s cavalry, who had not yet charged, penetrated between La Haye Sainte and the Corps of General Reille. They might have been stopped by the 4 squares of the Guard, but seeing the great disorder which prevailed towards the right, they turned. These 3 thousand Cavalry prevented all rallying.’ “
The career details of their commander, the later Lieut General Richard Hussey Vivian, 1st Baron Vivian, recalls the following service at Waterloo:
“In April 1815, Sir Hussey Vivian was appointed to command the 6th Brigade of the Earl of Uxbridge’s Cavalry Division. Vivian’s brigade included the 10th and 18th Hussars as well as the 1st and 2nd Hussars King’s German Legion.
At the Battle of Waterloo the 6th Brigade was posted on the Duke of Wellington’s left flank.
In the late afternoon, Vivian’s regiments, with those of General Ormsby Vandeleur’s 4th Brigade, were ordered to move to support the centre of the line, which was under pressure from Napoleon’s Imperial Guard.
After the enemy were repulsed, Vivian’s Hussars made the final charge of the day between Hougoumont and La Haye Sainte, sweeping the Middle Guard and Line units before them before breaking upon the squares of the Old Guard, which they soon learned to avoid.
This service was rewarded by the thanks of both houses of Parliament, an award of the KCH, and the Orders of Maria Theresa and St. Vladimir from the emperors of Austria and Russia.”
