Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The Waterloo medal awarded to Lieutenant Frederick De Leschen, 3rd Line Battalion, King’s German Legion, who was severely wounded on 18th June at Waterloo and died of his wounds at Brussels on 28th June, 1815

Waterloo 1815 (Lieut. Fred. De Leschen, 3rd. Line Batt. K.G.L.) fitted with original steel clip and ring suspension, highlights a little rubbed on the obverse, otherwise toned, good very fine £5,000-£6,000

Frederick de Leschen served as an N.C.O. in the 3rd Battalion, King’s German Legion from 1808 and was appointed a Lieutenant on 29 August 1812. He served with the K.G.L. in the Mediterranean from 1808 to 1814, in the Netherlands in 1814, and the campaign of 1815 and the battle of Waterloo where he was severely wounded on 18th June and died of his wounds at Brussels on 28th June. His fellow officer, Lieutenant Frederick Jeinsen of the 3rd Line, was also severely wounded and also died at Brussels on the same day as Lieutenant Leschen.

Lieutenant Leschen received his fatal wound at Waterloo late in the day, as described in Beamish’s History of the King’s German Legion:

‘At this time also, about seven o’clock, the first and third line battalions, formed in one square, beat off a powerful charge of the enemy’s cavalry, as did the fourth battalion, which formed another square.

The second line battalion pressed on towards Hougoumont, from the garden of which a hot fire was poured upon them, but rushing forward they threw themselves into the ditch by which the place was surrounded, and then, aided by the skirmishers of the brigade, charged into the garden, and progressively drove the enemy before them in the direction of Belle Alliance; the remaining battalions advanced in a line of four deep on the left of the farm, and a large battery of the enemy’s artillery was deserted by the gunners as they approached.

The first brigade of the legion suffered a severe loss in these movements: colonel du Plat, who commanded the brigade was killed; his brigade major, captain Wiegmann, of the second light battalion, also fell; captain von Saffe, Charles von Holle, and ensign Lücken, of the first line, as well as captains Tilee, of the second, Diedel of the third, and ensign Cronhelm of the fourth battalion were killed; major George Chüden, brevet major Leue, and captain George Heise of the fourth, as well as lieutenants Jeinsen and Leschen of the third line were mortally wounded; major von Robertson, captain von Schlutter, lieutenants Müller, von Einem, Henry Wilding and adjutant Schnatt of the first; captain Purgold, lieutenants von der Decken and Fischer of the second; major Boden of the third, and lieutenants de la Farque and Hartwig of the fourth line battalion were severely wounded; several other officers of the brigade were slightly wounded, and the casualties among the non-commissioned officers and men of these battalions alone, amounts to nearly five hundred.’

Lieutenant Leschen is named on the regimental Memorial at Lay Haye Sainte, Waterloo, and also on the Waterloo column, Hanover.