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Waterloo 51st Light Infantry renamed

Waterloo Medal, 18th June 1815, Robert Wooler, 51st Regiment of Light Infantry, contemporarily re-engraved naming. Invalided in 1819 with Walcheren Fever.

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SKU: J7897 Category:
Origin: United Kingdom
Very Fine

Description

Waterloo Medal, 18th June 1815, Robert Wooler, 51st Regiment of Light Infantry. Yorkshire West Riding Regiment.

 

Contemporarily re-engraved naming between the original impressed stars:”*** ROBERT WOOLLER 51st Lt INFANTRY ***”

 

On the medal roll “Robert Wooler”, a Private of Captain Edward Kelly’s Company, 51st Regiment of Light Infantry.

 

Robert Wooler, or Wooller, was born in the Parish of Colne, Blackburn, Lancaster.

 

He attested for service at Hythe in Kent on 28th August 1807 for the 51st Light Infantry.

 

He would see 11 years of 153 days of service, with an extra 2 years added onto his pension for his service at Waterloo.

 

He might have continued his service but was invalided out of the Army on 2nd February 1819: “In consequence of a decreased state of his spleen in consequence of Walcheren Fever and subseqeuent disease.”

 

Shortly after enlisting the 51st Light Infantry, late known as the Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, set sail for the Peninsular and fought at Corunna with Sir John Moore.

 

They were then sent in the ill fated Walcheren Expedition to the “swampy” island in the Netherlands in late 1809.

 

This was the beginning of the end however for Robert, as he along with almost 8000 British troops were caught up with “Walcheren Fever”, which seems to have got him in the end during 1819.

 

A small consolation was that in memory of the late Sir John Moore, the 51st earned the honour of being titled as Light Infantry.

 

1st battalion returned back to the Peninsular in 1811, and fought for 3 years at Badajoz, Ciudad Rodrigo, Salamanca, Vittoria, Sorauren, Bidassoa, Nivelle, Nive, and Orthez.

 

They landed back in England in June 1814, before sailing in March 1815 for Belgium, to fight at the battle of Waterloo.

 

Robert did not claim an MGS later in life, but likely saw service in at least some of the Battles fought by the 51st in the Peninsular Wars.