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Walcheren 1809: Scandalous Destruction of a British Army

Walcheren 1809: Scandalous Destruction of a British Army

In July 1809, with the Dutch coast â€˜a pistol held at the head of Englandâ€™, the largest British expeditionary force ever assembled, over 40,000 men and around 600 ships, weighed anchor off the Kent coast and sailed for the island of Walcheren in the Scheldt estuary. After an initial success, the expedition stalled and as the lethargic military commander, Lord Chatham, was at loggerheads with the opinionated senior naval commander, Sir Richard Strachan, troops were dying of a mysterious disease termed â€˜Walcheren feverâ€™. Almost all the campaignâ€™s 4,000 dead were victims of disease. The Scheldt was evacuated and the return home was followed by a scandalous Parliamentary Inquiry. Walcheren fever cast an even longer shadow. Six months later 11,000 men were still registered sick. In 1812, Wellington complained that the constitution of his troops was â€˜much shaken with Walcherenâ€™.

REVIEWS

For anyone with a soldier or sailor at Walcheren this book tells the story well, explaining with documentation how details may differ in other histories (especially Fortesque's History of the British Army). For researchers, the bibliography of official documents and identification of numerous surviving memoirs is excellent."
FGS Forum

Country	USA
Author	Martin R. Howard
Binding	Hardcover
Brand	Brand: Pen and Sword
EAN	9781848844681
Feature	Used Book in Good Condition
ISBN	1848844689
Label	Pen and Sword
Manufacturer	Pen and Sword
MPN	16pp B&W plates
NumberOfItems	1
NumberOfPages	224
PartNumber	16pp B&W plates
PublicationDate	2012-10-24
Publisher	Pen and Sword
Studio	Pen and Sword
ReleaseDate	0000-00-00

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