CHRISTOPH BAUSEN, 2ND REGIMENT LIGHT DRAGOONS, KING’S GERMAN LEGION. Waterloo Medal (offic

CHRISTOPH BAUSEN, 2ND REGIMENT LIGHT DRAGOONS, KING’S GERMAN LEGION. Waterloo Medal (officially impressed: CHRISTOPH BAUSEN, 2nd REG. LIGHT DRAG. K.G.L.). Original steel clip and ring suspender, clip tightened, few minor edge nicks, otherwise an attractive example and Good Very Fine to Almost Extremely Fine.

Medal confirmed on roll, which gives spelling of surname as Bansen.

The 2nd Regiment Light Dragoons, King’s German Legion, played only a subsidiary role during the opening stages of the battle of Waterloo, having been detached from their brigade to cover the movements of some French cavalry. However, the regiment was brought back to the field of battle late in the evening of 18th June, to take part in one of the more important cavalry charges of the day, the success of which resulted in the officer who led the regiment in the final stages of the charge receiving the thanks of not only the regiment’s brigade commander, Sir William Dornberg, but also of the Duke of Wellington (during the charge the regiment’s two senior officers, Lieutenant Colonel Jonquieres and Lieutenant Colonel Maydel were both wounded, and command of the regiment devolved upon Major Friederichs, who at this critical moment rallied the faltering 2nd Light Dragoons and led them forward again to break the French cavalry they had been ordered to charge). The following account of the charge is taken from the regimental history: “The second dragoons of the German Legion made a brilliant charge upon the enemy’s cavalry during the allied advance. This regiment it will be remembered, had been detached from Sir William Dornberg’s brigade, in the early part of the day, for the purpose of watching a body of the enemy’s cavalry which shewed itself in the neighbourhood of Braine la Leud bur these withdrawing about half-past six, the regiment returned to the field, and soon after received orders to charge a large body of the enemy’s cuirassiers and chasseurs, which stood in a most favourable position behind a ditch. The French received the charge with a carbine fire from their rear ranks and then went about, followed by the Germans. The superior number of the enemy, however, enabled them to wheel round upon the flanks and rear of their pursuers, who were thus thrown into disorder, and lieutenant-colonel de Jonquieres and Meydell wereboth wounded. At this critical moment major Friederichs, on whom the command of the regiment devolved, rallied round him a few of the dispersed men, and made front to the enemy the rest of the scattered horsemen soon placed themselves on his flanks, and led by the gallant officer, again advanced upon their opponents whom they put to flight, capturing a gun and making many prisoners they also re-took those of the regiment who had been made prisoners in the first charge. For his distinguished conduct on this occasion major Friederichs received the special thanks of the Duke of Wellington, as well as of sir William Dornberg, who commanded the brigade.”

The charge by the 2nd Light Dragoons of the King’s German Legion on the evening of 18th June proved enormously costly. Although the regiment had survived relatively unscathed up till then, by the end of the day it had suffered 18% casualties, losing 82 officers and men killed, wounded and missing, out of the 437 present on the morning of 18th June 1815.