Beschreibung:

WATERLOO MEDAL, 1815, with contemporary replacement steel clip and original iron ring suspension (Miles Bird, 2nd Batt. Grenad. Guards.); officially impressed. Lightly toned, minor surface marks in places, a bold fine / nearly very fine. Sold with copy roll mention confirming this award to Private Miles Bird, who served in Lieutenant-Colonel Banlay’s Company at the Battle of Waterloo. The 2nd Battalion 1st Foot Guards played a key part in the defence of Hougoumont, the large farmhouse building and walled orchard on the British right. Identified by both Wellington and Napoleon as holding the key to potential victory, Wellington placed his elite 1st (Foot Guards) Division both in and around the chateau - the 1st Brigade (2nd & 3rd Battalions 1st Foot Guards) under Major General Maitland inside the Chateau itself, and the 2nd Brigade (2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards and 2nd Battalion 3rd (Scots) Foot Guards) under Major General Byng in the gardens and on the ridge immediately behind. During the course of the day, the 1st Division held on despite the desperate fighting at Hougoumont, as Napoleon launched repeated heavy attacks in his attempt to seize the farmhouse and shatter the British right. Despite suffering very heavy casualties, the Guards managed to repulse the French, and even as a handful of troops managed to force their way in, the Guards swiftly reclosed the door, and killed the trapped soldiers, sparing only a young French drummer boy. As Wellington later wrote, “the success of the battle turned upon closing the gates at Hougoumont”, and for the bravery of the 1st Foot Guards in the final defeat of the Grenadiers of the French Imperial Guard, they were granted their famous title - The Grenadier Guards.