Osprey Elite 52 : Wellington's Foot Guards

Every army has among its establishment a unit which is considered its elite. In the British Army under the Duke of Wellington one or two units, such as those of the Light Division, could lay claim to elite status on the basis of their records. But surely the elite troops of Wellington's army were the Foot Guards. The Guards fought in every major British campaign on the continent during the Napoleonic Wars. They carved their place in history under commanders such as Sir John Moore and Wellington from Corunna and Talavera during the Peninsula War to their legendary defence of the Chateau of Hougoumont throughout the battle of Waterloo. Ian Fletcher examines the uniforms and insignia of the Guards as worn both on campaign and on ceremonial duties in this worthy addition to the Elite series, which features a wealth of accompanying illustrations including 12 full page colour plates by Bill Younghusband.

Contents

• Introduction
• Service Record
• Uniforms
• Campaign Dress
• Colours
• Organisation
• The Plates