Brigade van Bylandt

Brigade van Bylandt was a Dutch infantry brigade led by major general Willem Frederik Graaf van Bylandt which fought in the Waterloo Campaign (1815).

Formation

The brigade was the 1st Brigade of the 2nd Dutch Division (Baron de Perponcher-Sedlnitzky's) of the Anglo-allied I Corps (Prince of Orange's) in the Duke of Wellington's Anglo-allied army.

At the start of the Waterloo Campaign, the Brigade as part of the I Corps was cantoned to the south-east of Brussels. The brigade consisted of:

  • 27th Light Battalion (Bataljon Jagers, 550 men), commanded by Lieutenant Colonel J.W. Grunebosch
  • Dutch 7th Infantry Battalion (701 men), commanded by Lieutenant Colonel F.C. van den Sande
  • Dutch 5th National Militia Battalion (220 men), commanded by Lieutenant ColonelJ.J.Westenberg
  • Dutch 7th National Militia Battalion (675 men), commanded by Lieutenant Colonel H. Singendonck
  • Dutch 8th National Militia Battalion (566 men), commanded by Lieutenant Colonel W.A. de Jongh.

Waterloo Campaign

The brigade fought in both the Battle of Quatre Bras and the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815 against the French Army of the North commanded by Napoleon Bonaparte.

On 15 June Nassau units of the 2nd Brigade were engaged by the vanguard of the French army's left wing; which developed into the Battle of Quatre Bras where the Brigade van Bylandt played a major role during the morning and early afternoon of 16 June 1815. After the battle the Brigade withdrew with the rest of the Anglo-allied army to the escarpment at Mont-Saint-Jean, Belgium, where they stood in the front-line during the Battle of Waterloo. They were attacked during the early stages of the battle by the French infantry of the I Corps (d'Erlon's).

After the Battle of Waterloo the Allied army marched on Paris, where Emperor Bonaparte would eventually abdicate which finally ended a 25-year period of war.

References

  • Barbero, Allesandro (2006), The Battle: A new history of Waterloo, Walker & Company.
  • Boulder, Demetrius C. (2005), The Belgians at Waterloo.
  • Muilwijk, Erwin (2012), 1815 - From mobilisation to war, Souvereign House Books, Bleiswijk.
  • Muilwijk, Erwin (2013), Quatre Bras - Perponcher's gamble', Souvereign House Books, Bleiswijk.
  • Muilwijk, Erwin (2014), Standing firm at Waterloo, Souvereign House Books, Bleiswijk.
  • Op de Beeck, Johan (2013), Waterloo - De laatste 100 dagen van Napoleon, Manteau Uitgeverij.
  • Pawly, Ronald (2001), Wellington's Belgian allies, Osprey Publishing.
  • Pawly, Ronald (2002), Wellington's Dutch allies 1815, Osprey Publishing.


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