- Time Period: Pre-WW1
- Year of Institution: 1818
- Country: Great Britain
The Hanoverian Waterloo Medal was a British Campaign issued to all members of the Hanoverian army who fought in the battles of Quatre Bras and Waterloo 16–18 June 1815.
The Hanoverian troops, excluding those of the King’s German Legion, present on the 16, 17 and 18 June at Battle of Quatre Bras and Waterloo, under the command of General Charles Alten, amounted to almost 16,900 men, equivalent to 18% of Wellington‘s Allied Army.
This medal was founded by George, the Prince Regent in December 1817, and was awarded to every soldier who was present in the Hanoverian army at the Battle of Waterloo.
The medal remained the property of the soldier, and if he left the military service, he was still allowed to wear it. It could not, however, under any circumstances, be transferred from one soldier to another (after the death of the first recipient, it was ordered that it should remain in his family as an heirloom).
The Hanoverian Waterloo Medal Design
The medal is struck in silver and measures 35 mm in diameter.
The obverse shows a profile and laureate head of the Prince Regent to the right, with the legend “GEORG. PRINZ. REGENT, 1815” around it. The reverse bears two branches of laurel and a breastplate, with two spears and two colors crossed on either side. Underneath is the date “WATERLOO JUN. XVIII.” and, above, in Roman letters, “HANNOVER SCHER TAPFERKEIT“. Round the rim is inscribed the soldier’s name, regiment, etc.
The ribbon is maroon edged with light blue.
The Different Waterloo Medals
The Waterloo medal was issued by the British Government to all soldiers present during action. Seven nations of the Seventh Coalition struck differently designed medals for soldiers who took part in the campaign. These are:
The Waterloo Medal
The Waterloo Medal is a British military medal established in 1816-17 and struck for all those who participated in the Waterloo campaign.
The Brunswick Waterloo Medal
The Brunswick Waterloo Medal was a campaign medal awarded to those who participated in the Battles of Quatre Bras and Waterloo.
The Nassau Waterloo Medal
The Waterloo Medal is a campaign of the Duchy of Nassau established by Frederick Augustus, Duke of Nassau on 23 December 1815.
The Saxe-Gotha Altenburg Waterloo Medal
The Saxe-Gotha Altenburg Waterloo Medal, instituted in 1816, was awarded for participation n the Napoleonic Wars against France.
The Silver Memorial Cross 1813–1815
The Silver Memorial Cross 1813–1815 was a Dutch campaign medal created by King William III of the Netherlands in 1865.
The War Commemorative Medal of 1813-15
The War Commemorative Medal for 1813–1815 was established in 1813 by King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia for the Wars of Liberation.
