2nd Light Battalion KGL - Eight men finished

Unfortunately I missed the Paint Table Saturday this weekend. But I wasn't lazy anyway. Here are the first eight riflemen for my 2nd Light Battalion KGL:

The battalion was part of the Kings German Legion which was founded in 1803 after England lost its Hanoverian possessions to Napoleon. The legion consisted of eight line battalion, two light battalion which were - at least partly - equipped with Baker rifles, four batteries of foot artillery, two batteries of horse artillery, two regiment of heavy dragoons and three regiments of hussars. Overall there were between 20.000 and 30.000 Germans who gathered under the banner of King George III. Mostly of course from the lost Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg but from other occupied German countries as well.

 

The KGL took part in all major British campaigns during the Napoleonic wars. They fought in Hanover, Pomerania, Kopenhagen and during the Peninsular Campaign as well as during the battles of Quatre Bras and Waterloo.

The 2nd Light Battalion KGL gained immortal fame during Napoleon's last battle when they defended La Haye Sainte. Under command of Major Georg Baring the helt the estate until late afternoon when the ran out of ammunition.

 

Some friends and me are planning to revive this very event in a special scenario for Black Powder. As one of the "British guys" - those bumblebrains collecting the British forces for our Napoleonic games - I got swept into the preparations of the game and agreed to paint some riflemen. "Some" in this case means 40 since we decided to play the scenario with a 1:10 ratio...

 

 So these are the first eight and there are some more to follow rather soon. The miniatures are from Alan and Michael Perry's excellent Napoleonic range and although I didn't like the colours that much - too much black - it was real fun to paint them. Once again some figures with very characterful expression.

For further reading about the KGL I highly recommend North Ludlow Beamish's work. It's a contemporary report which was published in 1837. Although there is a reprint edition it's available for free at Googleplay here in German and English.