French eagle standard captured at Waterloo, 1815
Napoleon meets his Waterloo
NAM 1971-10-24-3
The eagle, a popular emblem of empire builders throughout history, was a rallying point in battle for Napoleon’s veteran regiments. Soldiers fiercely defended their standards, as they were symbols of both the French Emperor and their unit identity. This eagle standard of the French 105th Infantry Regiment, captured by Captain A K Clark of the 1st (or Royal) Dragoons, was one of nearly 100 presented by Napoleon to his army in 1815. These eagles replaced those of 1804 that had been destroyed during his first exile in 1814.
The Battle of Waterloo on 18 June 1815 was the last great battle of the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815) and marked the end of France’s attempt to dominate Europe. From 1815 until 1914 there was no universal European war.
For the rest of the 19th century a balance of power was maintained on the Continent that allowed Britain to develop her overseas trading empire free from any lengthy European entanglement. At Waterloo, the 105th Regiment took part in the unsuccessful attack by D’Erlon’s Corps on the left of the Allied Army commanded by the Duke of Wellington. The French were stopped by General Picton’s Division and then driven back by the British heavy cavalry.
French Dragoon helmet from Waterloo, 1815
Souvenir of victory
NAM 1966-09-6
This helmet was picked up from the battlefield of Waterloo in the aftermath of the Duke of Wellington’s victory over the French in 1815. Dragoons were originally soldiers trained and armed to fight either mounted or on foot, but by the early 19th century were primarily heavy cavalry.
During the battle, Marshal Ney had launched repeated cavalry charges against the British infantry squares, which had held firm despite suffering heavy casualties from artillery fire.
Although more and more men were committed to the attack, the boggy ground hampered the French cavalry and eventually the attacks were called off. Dragoons, now organized as armoured units, still serve in both the French and British armies of today.
Colonel Skinner's Farm, 1828
East meets West
NAM 1956-02-27-1
The Anglo-Indian soldier James Skinner (1778-1841) was the son of a Scottish officer in the East India Company’s service and a Rajput lady. Formerly an officer in the Maratha Army, Skinner raised two cavalry units for the British, later known as 1st and 2nd Skinner's Horse. Nicknamed ‘The Yellow Boys’ for their flamboyant saffron-coloured uniforms, they were famous for their horsemanship and skill at arms.
Skinner was well rewarded, enabling him to acquire a town house in Delhi and a large estate at Hansi, Haryana, shown here. He maintained a close interest in Indian culture and was an important patron of the arts, commissioning a number of paintings recording his life and exploits. This important example has recently been restored and is displayed here for the first time.
Skinner lived in princely style and liked to be addressed by his Moghul title, Nasir-ud-Daula, Colonel James Skinner Bahadur Ghalib Jang - Most Exalted, Victorious in War. Although he was brought up as a Christian, his household included a number of Hindu and Muslim wives and mistresses. He built a church in Delhi, but also a mosque and a Hindu temple.
Such a cross-cultural lifestyle had few admirers among the following generations of soldiers and politicians in India. Towards the end of his life, although promoted to colonel and created a CB by the British, Skinner was conscious that his mixed race status had denied him the highest rewards for his military skills and leadership.
Photograph of a Burmese girl, by John McCosh, c1852
Imperial photographer
NAM 1962-04-3-287
Surgeon John McCosh (1805-1885) of the Bengal Army was one of the first people to photograph Indian subjects during the late 1840s and early 1850s. He produced many fine photographs and the National Army Museum holds an album of these rare images. They include portraits of different peoples including Bengalis, Sikhs, Pathans and Burmese, including the young girl shown here. As well as people, McCosh also photographed palaces, temples, landscapes and military scenes.
During the 19th century, both the British Army and the East India Company’s Army encouraged its soldiers to photograph India, to record its archaeological sites, places of scientific interest and ethnic diversity. Part of the imperial presence, the soldier photographers were among those who conquered, surveyed and ruled the sub-continent.
The rise of photography also coincided with the development of archaeology, anthropology and the spread of the museum, all of which were based on an impulse to collect, classify and control information about diverse cultures. At the same time, India’s position as ‘the jewel in the crown’ ensured it would be an attractive topic for photographers, who were eager to show people at home the wonders of Britain’s eastern empire. It is thanks to their efforts that we have such fine ethnographic collections in our museums.
Gold watch from the Birkenhead, 1852
Women and children first
NAM 1963-10-263
The steam transport Birkenhead sank off the coast of South Africa on 26 February 1852. She was carrying 480 officers and men as reinforcements for British troops engaged in the Eighth Cape Frontier War (1850-1853). Besides the soldiers and crew, there were about 26 women and children on board. As she rounded the Cape, the ship struck the rocks off Danger Point. Water rushed in through the damaged hull and drowned many soldiers in their hammocks. The remainder assembled on deck, manned the pumps and helped the few lifeboats with the women and children safely away.
As the ship broke up, Colonel Seton of the 74th Foot called on the soldiers to ‘Stand fast!’. If they jumped overboard they might endanger the boats, which were close by. They kept ranks and went down with the ship in shark-infested waters.
There were only 193 survivors out of 638 passengers and crew; but all the women and children were saved. The incident captured the world’s imagination and the story was read aloud to every regiment in the Prussian Army as an example of supreme discipline, courage and self-sacrifice. The disaster gave rise to the ‘Birkenhead Drill’ meaning ‘women and children first’. This gold watch was owned by one of the few soldiers who survived, Cornet Ralph Shelton Bond of the 12th Lancers. He carried it with him when swimming nearly 3 miles (5km) to the shore.
