tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2591229843590982581.post4967666706091134443..comments2024-03-28T11:28:58.010-07:00Comments on JJ's Wargames: Waterloo Part Two, Hougomont, the Allied centre/left flank, La Haye Sainte and La Caillou - Belgium 2015carojonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11826580638291659193noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2591229843590982581.post-60240739089308840252016-05-19T00:33:35.644-07:002016-05-19T00:33:35.644-07:00Hi Peter,
Thank you for your comment and link, I w...Hi Peter,<br />Thank you for your comment and link, I was very interested to see what you had discovered and the brooch is a marvellous piece of Waterloo memorabilia.<br /><br />Like you, I think it is important to record and recognise the deeds of these men who are not subject to the modern standards of recognition, with many of those who were killed lying in unmarked graves,very often their names lost to history and I hope this blog, as well as celebrating the hobby, fills a small part of that process.<br /><br />Thanks for sharing yet another interesting aspect of the fight for Hougomont.<br /><br />Since writing this post my youngest son has discovered that a school friend of his, who read this post, was one of the young Guardsmen who were present representing the modern day Guards at the unveiling of the new memorial to the defenders on the 200th anniversary.<br /><br />Cheers<br />JJcarojonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11826580638291659193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2591229843590982581.post-27110748199028415842016-05-18T15:28:26.845-07:002016-05-18T15:28:26.845-07:00Hi Vince - this is a great item and it's very ...Hi Vince - this is a great item and it's very interesting to see the pics of Hougoumont which have helped me (a novice) to understand this important incident in the Battle of Waterloo.<br /><br />I've recently acquired a Georgian mourning brooch which has turned out to be that of Sergeant Brice McGregor of the 3rd Guards of Foot (Scots Guards) who was one of the named men involved in closing/barring the gates at Hougoumont. <br /><br />Since acquiring the brooch, I've researched all the contemporary records I've found so far, and I'm now embarking on a campaign to try and get his name corrected wherever possible. I think the least we can do for a long dead hero is to try and get his name right!<br /> <br />I'm convinced that his name was actually Charles Brice McGregor but he dropped using the 'Charles' and just called himself 'Brice'. He never used the name 'Bruce'<br /><br />On rootschat.com, I've just added a post which lists all the contemporary sources which record him as 'Brice' together with a few details of his life. The vast majority of references to him as 'Bruce' on the internet are from publications produced long after his death. There is also a photo of the mourning brooch. The link is http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=748170.msg5962660<br /><br />Thanks<br />Peter ReevePeter Reevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18043063757435123761noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2591229843590982581.post-54477647066016706602015-07-10T23:35:55.437-07:002015-07-10T23:35:55.437-07:00Hi Vince,
Yes when you peer through one of those l...Hi Vince,<br />Yes when you peer through one of those loopholes you can't not think of the Peter Gilder Grand Manner style rule sets, "can't miss range, first volley, rested muskets, British elite infantry firing" throw in a bit of " routed ground" to hold the next French assault up for a move and you have to wonder if Napoleon had ever played before!<br /><br />Talking of routed ground, looking forward to watching Jimmy Anderson turn on the magic in Cardiff this morning. If you're watching on the telly, we're in the front row, Fosters stand, side on to the pitch. Can't wait!carojonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11826580638291659193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2591229843590982581.post-32008009892355016752015-07-10T11:52:11.163-07:002015-07-10T11:52:11.163-07:00The distance between the outer wall of Hougomont a...The distance between the outer wall of Hougomont and where the wood was is definitely "Oh my God !" range.<br /><br />VinceVincehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03691369848035290908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2591229843590982581.post-65356489947428795182015-07-07T01:17:06.897-07:002015-07-07T01:17:06.897-07:00Hi Mattias, thank you for your comment, I'm gl...Hi Mattias, thank you for your comment, I'm glad you enjoyed it.<br />Cheers<br />JJcarojonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11826580638291659193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2591229843590982581.post-19511916164170906492015-07-07T01:15:11.227-07:002015-07-07T01:15:11.227-07:00Hi Lawrence, great, I'm glad you feel inspired...Hi Lawrence, great, I'm glad you feel inspired to go see, that what this blog's all about.<br /><br />Yes both Tom and Will have developed a strong interest in history and the hobby and have been brought up on the occasional trip with Dad. Given the state of teaching history in the UK I wanted them both to at least know the story of British/World history in a sequential way and they have both come and gone and got back into it. Will is our classics scholar and has developed a strong interest in Greco/Roman history whereas Tom has a more gregarious interest with Napoleonics a preference at the moment.<br /><br />There is something very special about standing in a particular place and reading the account of the person who stood there in that moment of peril describing a particular moment in time and both the boys have tapped into that living history experience. <br /><br />A few years ago I took them to Omaha beach and we entered the bunker described by 18 year old Private Franz Gockel and his terrifying description of what was happening in front of and around this cramped dark little bunker. The vivid description enabled us to easily identify specific points he mentioned and sixty plus years of past time suddenly vanished as we read through his account. <br /><br />I like to think it has allowed them to appreciate the sacrifice that has been made by past generations to give them the opportunities they have today, and that is no bad thing.<br /><br />Cheers<br />JJcarojonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11826580638291659193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2591229843590982581.post-84063576285521990142015-07-07T00:46:40.617-07:002015-07-07T00:46:40.617-07:00An interesting read! Thanks for posting!
/MattiasAn interesting read! Thanks for posting!<br />/MattiasNW Crewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07515691990727716838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2591229843590982581.post-54732205067458843892015-07-07T00:19:15.382-07:002015-07-07T00:19:15.382-07:00A great series of posts, and after no less than fo...A great series of posts, and after no less than four aborted attempts these have only deepened my desire to mount a successful one in the next couple of years. Was it your sons' first trip, were they reasonably well-versed in the battle and preceding events beforehand, and did they get as much out of it as you have done on your visits (they certainly appear to be getting into the spirit of things in the photos you have posted)? Lawrence Hhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11626386564817082992noreply@blogger.com