Correct, the 39th Foot, Pea Green silks. He served with the colours from 1809 until 1821, was wounded at the Battle of Vittoria. A French musket ball to the shoulder. Fought in Canada in the 1812 War and returned to France as part of the Occupation Army. Born and Died in Somerset. Is recorded as a "Waterloo Veteran" in his village's archives where he cleared the graveyard Yew trees and church steeple of Ravens and Crows. Army pensions weren't large in those days. The MGSM (Peninsular War Medal) was only awarded to those who survived as it could only be applied for in 1847, and covered actions from 1793 to 1814. Some had to wait nearly 50 years for their award.
Interesting. A storied career to say the least. Britain's wars with France during that period had a major impact on early American affairs, both colonial and post Revolution national. We owe France a tremendous debt of gratitude. We could not have done it w/out them. They practically financed the American Revolution. Most Americans who think they know history think 1812 was a decisive American victory. Although we repelled all British incursions into the US proper and its territories, it was our intention to expand into Canada and that was in turn thwarted by British Forces positioned there, to include naval battles on the Great Lakes. If you count the Spanish(who backed Britain), overall losses were about equal on each side. Our only big gain was Florida. In the end the status quo was more/less maintained. The Treaty of Ghent very possibly saved the US as the British were rapidly recovering from Napoleon and a significant sector of British society wanted to continue pressure on the US. The tax burden needed to sustain the war for another couple/few years was a deciding factor. A simple tip of the scale back then would've resulted in the world being a very different place these days. They were interesting times indeed.
I gotta admit to not knowing an awful lot about the 1812 war other than the only time the Whitehouse was put to the torch by an invader. The Gov buildings being invaded recently I assume was an inside job. I should read more about it I suppose. I'd like to follow the 39th's journeys through Portugal, Spain and France someday. To look at what he saw albeit 200 years later.
I took an evening swim tonight at dusk, in Coniston…peaceful apart from the kids playing on the other side of the water… nice to wash away the days BS in cool clear waters…
Not to scale. Those electrons around the nucleus would surely be half way to Mars if it were? Edit: Sorry just calculated they would be only a mere 500 km away from a 5m orb. I got carried away.
I drove past it in 1969, and then it was looking very down at heel, abandoned and covered in weeds. Apparently it was only intended to last 6 months when it was built in 1958.
S Club 7 make me want to do the same. Just live the moment. Rachel Stevens - even the name makes me need a long cold shower and a warming brew of bromide tea.
