pbi said:
I always thought that this was a Canadian corruption of Lord Wellington's words at Waterloo: "Up Guards, and at them!" which (IIRC) launched the Guards into a counterattack. Where are our history experts on Waterloo things? Cheers.
The actual words Wellington used IIRC was â Å“now Maitland now's your time, Up Guards and at em.â ?
It was towards the close of the battle of Waterloo in the evening. With the Prussians advancing on his flank Napoleon decided on one last effort to finish off the Anglo-Allied (Wellington commanded more German, and Dutch speaking soldiers than English) Army.
All day he had pounded the ridge the allies held. Two French Infantry Corps (7 Divisions) had been repelled and more or less destroyrd as had more than 12 separate cavalry charges involving almost all the French Cavalry (some 30-32 Regiments). In addition the entire allied army had been subjected to intense and continuous artillery bombardment all day long.
Most of Wellington's 26 odd Infantry battalions still holding the ridge were at half strength or less by this time. Several units had run, Dutch and Belgian ones mainly.
The coup de grace was the despatching of the Middle and Old Guard Divisions of the Imperial Army all Napoleon had left in reserve right at Wellingtons lines. Four brigades of four Battalions each, possibly the best 16 Infantry battalion in Europe at the time. Each man a hardened veteran of dozens of campaigns and never defeated in battle. Earlier in the day just 2 battalions had delivered a bayonet charge that had stopped and driven back an advancing Prussian Division.
Wellington pulled the remnants of his army together to oppose the advance and had his troops lay down in the fields. The centre of his line was Maitlands Foot Guard Brigade of two battalions, Coldstream and 1st Guards. Both Bns were under strength having fed several companies into the fighting for Huguomant earlier in the day.
At the crucial moment both Bns stood up and delivered a point blank volley into the advancing French columns. The columns actually stopped and the British were able to get off another volley before the French actually broke and fell back. Other British (52 Lt Inf) and Brunswick units also charged forward and forced the French to withdraw down off the ridge and back towards their own lines.
This action and the arrival of the advancing Prussians on the French flank cause the entire French army to collapse and flee the battle aside from a Bn of the Old Guard under General Camerone who formed square and chose to die to a man rather than surrender. His response to the call to lay down his sword was â Å“merde.â ?
The 1st Foot Guards were granted the name Grenadier Guards and the right to wear their Bearskin Caps after the battle. Ironically they did not actually engage the Grenadiers of the Old Guard, but the Chasseurs, who also wore Bearskins Caps.
Note: this is from memory as I'm at work, so some facts re numbers of unit etc may be off. Personally I like the version where the crap hats are pimped out myself ;D
