Wellington's Infantry at Waterloo

Breakdown by type

  • Guard Infantry
    		• 3,826 7%
  • Line Infantry
    		• 26,654 50%
  • Light Infantry (armed with muskets)
    		•  6,419 12%
  • Riflemen (sharpshooters armed with rifles)
    		•  4,437 8%
  • Landwehr/Militia
    		•  12,511 23%

    Breakdown by modern nationality

  • British
    		•  16,953 31%
  • Germans (KGL, Hanover, Brunswick, Nassau)
    		•  27,513 51%
  • Dutch
    		•  5,678 11%
  • Belgians
    		•  3,703 7%

    Breakdown by 1815 nationality

  • British (including KGL)
    		•  21,112 39%
  • Dutch (including Belgians and Nassauers)
    		•  16,653 31%
  • Hanover
    		•  11,129 21%
  • Brunswick
    		•  4,953 9%

    Notes:
    - George III of England was also Elector of Hanover, which explains the Hanoverian presence at Waterloo and the similarity of their uniforms to the British.
    - King William of the Netherlands was also Grand Duke of Nassau (an independent state centered around Wiesbaden, Germany), which explains their presence.
    - The Netherlands incorporated Belgium in 1814, an uneasy arrangement that ended in 1832 with Belgian independence.

    Detailed Order of Battle


    Unit (Commander) Strength

    Army (Wellington)

    53,847

    I Corps (Prince of Orange)

    25,314

    1st Division (MajGen Cooke)

    3,826

  • 1st British Brigade (Maitland)
    		• 1,628
      2/1st Foot Guards
    		781
      3/1st Foot Guards
    		847
  • 2nd British Brigade (Bing)
    		• 2,198
      2/2nd Foot Guards
    		1,098
      3/2nd Foot Guards
    		1,100

    3rd Division (von Alten)

    7,676
  • 2nd KGL Brigade (Ompteda)
    		• 2,087
      1st Light KGL
    		519
      2nd Light KGL
    		403
      5th Line KGL
    		529
      8th Line KGL
    		636
  • 5th British Brigade (Halkett)
    		• 2,274
      2/30th Foot
    		635
      33rd Foot
    		576
      2/69th Foot
    		565
      2/73rd Foot (Highland)
    		498
  • 1st Hanoverian Brigade (von Kielmansegge)
    		• 3,315
      Feld Jaeger Corps (2 comp.)
    		331
      Lueneberg Light Batt.
    		617
      Grubenhagen Light Batt.
    		643
      Verden Field Batt.
    		 559
      Bremen Field Batt.
    		 533
      Osnabrueck Field Batt.
    		 632

    2nd Dutch-Belgian Division (Perponcher)

    7,143
  • 1st Brigade (Bijlandt)
    		• 2,712
      27th Jager (Dutch)
    		550
      7th Line (Belgian)
    		701
      5th Militia (Dutch)
    		220
      7th Militia (Dutch)
    		675
      8th Militia (Dutch)
    		566
  • 2nd Brigade (Saxe-Weimar)
    		• 4,431
      2nd Line (Nassau)(2batt.)
    		2,673
      28th Line (Orange-Nassau)(2 batt.)
    		1,758

    3rd Dutch-Belgian Division (Chasse)

    6,669
  • 1st Brigade (Gen Detmers)
    		• 3,088
      35th Jager (Belgian)
    		605
      2nd Line (Belgian)
    		471
      4th Militia (Dutch)
    		519
      6th Militia (Dutch)
    		492
      17th Militia (Dutch)
    		534
      19th Militia (Dutch)
    		467
  • 2nd Brigade (d'Aubreme)
    		• 3,581
      36th Jager (Belgian)
    		633
      3rd Line (Belgian)
    		629
      12th Line (Dutch)
    		431
      13th Line (Belgian)
    		664
      3rd Militia (Dutch)
    		592
      10th Militia (Dutch)
    		632

    II Corps (Hill)

    9,557

    2nd Division (Clinton)

    7,570
  • 3rd British Brigade (Adam)
    		• 2,937
      1/52nd Foot (Oxfordshire Light Infantry)
    		1,130
      1/71st Foot (Highland Light Infantry)
    		936
      2/95th Rifles
    		666
      3/95th Rifles
    		205
  • 1st KGL Brigade (du Plat)
    		• 2,072
      1st Line KGL
    		478
      2nd Line KGL
    		527
      3rd Line KGL
    		589
      4th Line KGL
    		478
  • 3rd Hanoverian Brigade (Halkett)
    		• 2,541
      BremerVoerde Landwehr Batt.
    		655
      Osnabrueck Landwehr Batt.
    		633
      Quackenbrueck Landwehr Batt.
    		609
      Salzgitter Landwehr Batt.
    		644

    4th Division (Colville)

    2,007

  • 4th British Brigade (Mitchell)
    		• 2,007
      3/14th Foot
    		640
      1/23rd Foot
    		741
      1/51st Foot
    		626

    Army Reserve (Wellington)

    18,976

    5th Division (Picton)

    6,224
  • 8th British Brigade (Kempt)
    		• 1,923
      1/28th Foot
    		557
      1/32nd Foot
    		503
      1/79th Foot (Cameron Highlanders)
    		445
      1/95th Rifle
    		418
  • 9th British Brigade (Pack)
    		• 1,697
      3/1st Foot
    		453
      1/42nd Foot (Black Watch)
    		338
      2/44th Foot
    		494
      1/92nd Foot (Gordon Highlanders)
    		412
  • 5th Hanoverian Brigade (von Vincke)
    		• 2,604
      Hameln Landwehr Batt.
    		689
      Gifhorn Landwehr Batt.
    		640
      Peine Landwehr Batt.
    		635
      Hildesheim Landwehr Batt.
    		640

    6th Division (Cole)

    4,958
  • 10th British Brigade (Lambert)
    		• 2,289
      1/4th Foot
    		677
      1/27th Foot
    		750
      1/40th Foot
    		862
  • 4th Hanoverian Brigade (Best)
    		• 2,669
      Verden Landwehr Batt.
    		642
      Lueneberg Landwehr Batt.
    		647
      Osterode Landwehr Batt.
    		700
      Muenden Landwehr Batt.
    		680

    Nassau Reserve (von Kruse)

    2,814
      1st Line (Nassau) (3 Batt.)
    		2,841

    Brunswick Division (Olfermann)

    4,953

  • Gelernte Jaeger
    		• 635
  • Light Brigade (von Buttlar)
    		• 2,565
      Leib Battalion
    		565
      1st Light Batt.
    		688
      2nd Light Batt.
    		621
      3rd Light Batt.
    		691
  • Line Brigade (Specht)
    		• 2,193
      1st Line Batt.
    		586
      2nd Line Batt.
    		500
      3rd Line Batt.
    		667