RootsChat.Com

The 2/25th suffered one man killed and three wounded in the First Battle of Merxem in 1814 and later one officer and twelve other ranks wounded at the Second Battle of Merxem and a further man wounded during the subsequent investment of Antwerp. It was fortunate enough to not be including in the force that unsuccessfully assaulted the fortress of Bergen-op-Zoom that March.

Hi

Iam interested in this post as I have just got the discharge papers for two family members who fought at Quatre Bras and Waterloo.

The first was Smith McDole who was in Captain David Davies company of the 32nd - he was shot in the ankle at Quatre Bras on 16 June 1815 and was pensioned off as a result. He is on the Waterloo Medal Roll.

The second is Nathaniel Dunsheath who joined 32nd in Jan 1811 and was finally pensioned off in 1835 aged 40. According to his papers he got 2 years extra for having been at Waterloo. BUT I can't find him on medal roll - he also served 8 years in the Ionian Islands - anyone have any idea what 32nd would have been doing there ?? 

Why if he got the extra pension for Waterloo is he not on medal roll.

For Serjeant - these are two more men to be added to list of 32nd at Waterloo.

By the way both these men came from Co Antrim, Ireland.


Yvone

Yvone,
Possibly Nathaniel served with his unit in the campaign , but missed the two major battles, so got the two years bonus service but was not awarded a medal for the action.(s) The awarding of the medal could be hit and miss in an age without computers  and a reliance on handwriting. Quite a lot of the unit would be absent on the day of battle due to being put to guard various types of baggage, wounded officers, medical stations etc , some would be detached as servants with absent officers, some would be sick a few ranks such as paymasters and paymaster sergeants, probably school master sergeants, were sometimes classed as none-combatants and would leave the fighting element of the battalion prior to an action. Some units chose to ignore this distinction, look at the disparity between the 33rd and the 2/69th who where in the same Brigade and actually fought as an amalgamated unit at Waterloo~ the 2/69th had some 60 men not present at the battle but they still recieved a Waterloo medal..some 12% of the ones issued to the unit. In contrast the 33rd, with a similar amount of absentees, refused to issue them to these individuals and also barred men who were found to have fled or in some cases left with the wounded but had not managied or contrived to return to the unit during the rest of the action.   

Hi All,  My ggg Grandfather John Common was in the 33rd regiment of foot and fought at Waterloo.
However according to a relative of mine ( another of Johns g g g grandsons) who has been to Kew and checked through the regimental muster rolls his name was incorrectly written as John Cumming throughout  his time in the regiment.
I know Jean has said she has tried allsorts of spelling  variations but John Commons case shows that mistakes did happen.
regards Malcolm.

Malcolm
Is this the Sergeant Common who was with the Northumberland Militia in Ireland? I have a few references to him in the correspondence of the Thain family. He seems to have been responsible for drilling young William Thain who transfered into the 33rd foot in the regular army. William Thain wrote from Europe after the suicide of the 33rd's adjutant , urging his father to get Common transfered to the 33rd, as Thain felt that the unit needed a good drill instructor and believed that Common could occupy the vacant adjutancy (not a common occurance, but a few Sergeants held this position in units).  Not sure if you can email me via a link on this site? If not try the 33rd Foot re-enactment website's contact address and someone will forward it. 
John R White. BTW an ancestor of mine joined fought the 33rd but died at Quatre Bras.