A Superb Peninsular And Waterloo Service 1796 Light Dragoon Officer's Sabre 7th {the Queen's Own} Light Dragoons {Hussars} of Captain Peter Augustus Hayliger

Napoleonic Wars & Hussars Light Dragoons officer's sabre: In 1807, they became the 7th (The Queen's Own) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons (Hussars). They served under Sir John Moore in Spain, fighting at Sahagún and Benavente (1808), and later in the Peninsula at Orthes (1814) and at the Battle of Waterloo (1815), where they made multiple charges.

A most stunning looking original combat-combined-dress sabre, commissioned from the London sword-cutlers, Richard Johnston, by an officer of the 7th Hussars, Captain Peter Augustus Hayliger {bearing his monogram} who used this sabre in the Peninsular Campaign at the Battle of Orthes in February 1814, and at Waterloo, when he charged the advanced French Piquets on the morning of the 17th of June 1815. {Noted with distinction}

Regulation broad curved single edge blade engraved with traditional crowned GR, with crowned GR, and Hanovarian 1801-1816 arms, military symbols engraved decor, copper gilt stirrup hilt, wire bound fish skin covered grip, in its original copper gilt mounted leather scabbard, commission maker engraved by esteemed London sword cutler

In 1807, the regiment was designated as Hussars and retitled 7th (The Queen's Own) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons (Hussars).5 Sent to Corunna in October 1808 to support Sir John Moore's retreat, they fought at the Battle of Sahagún on 21 December 1808 and Benavente on 29th. Part of the Queen's Own was shipped home in the Dispatch, which was wrecked just south of the Lizard on 22 January 1809; 104 men were lost from the regiment, only seven in total were saved. The unit returned to the Peninsula in August 1813 and made several charges at the February 1814 Battle of Orthes, Wellington reporting that the 7th Hussars distinguished themselves on this occasion and made many prisoners.In March 1814, the unit moved to Brighton, where it was used to put down rioting caused by the imposition of the Corn Laws. When Napoleon was restored in 1815, the regiment returned to the Netherlands; during the rearguard action at Genappe on 17 June, Lord Uxbridge ordered it to attack French lancers under Colonel Jean Baptiste Joseph Sourd.18 The following day, at the Battle of Waterloo, the regiment was held in reserve until the evening, but then again undertook a series of charges. Standish O'Grady, then a lieutenant in the 7th Hussars, wrote to his father:

"We charged twelve or fourteen times, and once cut off a squadron of cuirassiers, every man of whom we killed on the spot except the two officers and one Marshal de Logis, whom I sent to the rear"

29 inch blade maker marked by Runkel, a famous London based German emigre sword cutler/supplier, of somewhat dubious repute in his day. A most fascinating entrepreneurial King George IIIrd sword cutler and supplier who was arrested and imprisoned on numerous occasions for attempting to evade import duty on his Solingen made blades. He also imported 100 blades for His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales {the Prince Regent} for the officer's swords of his 10th Light Dragoons regiment

Good leather to the scabbard with two contemporary field service leather patches. Copper gilt hilt, with superb original sharkskin grip, triple wire bound, and scabbard with usual light surface combat wear and denting. The bright blade is excellent with just a few old original surface pitting marks. The last photo is a close up from the interior guard of the cutlers applied, owner's, small 'repair' monogram, PAH, likely when the leather was repaired. Somewhat akin to an old 19th century pawnbrokers mark on the inside of a gold pocket watch. All near invisible, but viewable with a powerful jewellers magnifying glass.

Code: 26121