British Heavy Cavalry 1st and 2nd Brigades

On to Paris!

There were two British heavy cavalry Brigades at Waterloo - Somerset's Household Brigade and Ponsonby's Union Brigade. Both served with distinction on the day, repulsing the French attack in the centre.

While mounted on exceptional horses, most of these units hadn't see a battle since 1794. The 1st Dragoons had fought in Fuentes D'Onor in 1811, and the Household had been in the Peninsular (but not in any battles). They were keen for a fight.

Somerset's 1st British Cavalry Brigade

• Household Cavalry
• 1st Life Guards - "the Cheeses"
• 2nd Life Guards - "the Cheesemongers"
• Royal Horse Guards - "the Blues"
• 1st Dragoon Guards

Ponsonby's 2nd British Cavalry Brigade

• 1st Dragoons - "Royals"
• 2nd Dragoons - "Scots Grey"



1st and 2nd British Cavalry Brigades 

• 6th Dragoons - Inskilling

Lead by Lord Uxbridge, Somerset's brigade destroyed Delort's Cuirassiers on d'Erlon's left flank. Posonby scattered some of d'Erlon's infantry divisions before crashing onto the French Grand Battery. Two lancer regiments from Jacquinot's Division hit both heavy brigades after they were spent from the charge and caused heavy casualties. Both brigades lost almost have its men and horses. Many of their commanding officers were killed - one the Colonel of the 1st Dragoon Guards died after yelling "On to Paris!" before being shot by a skirmisher. Ponsonby also lost his life to a French Lancer in the muddy field of Mont St Jean.

The figures are all Redline 10mm. Fenando Enterprises painting services did the 1st Brigade and the Royal Dragoons. I did the Scot's Grey and Inskillings. This is the majority of the Allied heavy cavalry of the campaign. There is another division of Dutch Belgian heavy cavalry I am waiting for Si at Bend Sinister to release the figures for.

Scots Greys and Royal Dragoons

The Blues, followed by the Cheese and the Cheese mongers

1st Dragoon Guards

1st Brigade

The last we saw of them.