Officer, 5th Dragoon Guards, 1812
del Prado 1:30 Scale Figure Review
Officer 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales) Dragoon Guards in Spain, 1812. The 5th Dragoon Guards fought at the Battle of Salamanca on 22 July 1812, approximately 90 km northeast of Ciudad Rodrigo in Spain. Led by their commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel William Ponsonby, and supported by the 3rd and 4th Dragoons, the 5th Dragoon Guards spearheaded the charge of Major-General John Gaspard Le Marchant’s British Cavalry Brigade. Le Marchant’s Brigade rode down several French infantry battalions, took numerous prisoners, and pursued the remnants of the French Brigade Maucune to the edge of a nearby woods. Some of the fleeing troops rallied here, faced about and opened fire on their pursuers, killing General Le Marchant in the process. This action cost Wellington one of his most able cavalry commanders.
Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the boyscout movement, was appointed Colonel of the 5th Dragoon Guards on 25 March 1897, when the regiment was serving in India. The 5th Dragoon Guards and 6th Inniskilling Dragoons were amalgamated in 1929 to form the 5th Royal Inniskilling Guards. On 1 August 1992 this regiment was amalgamated with the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards to form the Royal Dragoon Guards. Today, the Royal Dragoon Guards are a heavy tank regiment, equipped with Challenger 2 main battle tanks. The regiment is garrisoned at Münster and Tidworth, and they are currently stationed in Basra, Iraq.
Evaluation
Horse and rider are anatomically correct.
The red uniform with blue facings looks very attractive, and the elegant bicorne hat goes well with it.
The officers horse is a heavy cavalry mount of 165 cm height.
The 16-page Osprey booklet contains many colourful illustrations, and it describes the charge of the 5th Dragoon Guards at the Battle of Salamanca 1812.
Compatible with 1:30 scale military and civilian miniatures made by King & Country.
The del Prado miniature of a dashing guard cavalry officer can be the perfect centerpiece of a napoleonic diorama.