That's it. Four years of slog terminated with a script from the Goons! My comrades in arms for the Waterloo 95 venture and I would like to publicly thank Chris Durkin of the 21ème for inviting us and organising a most excellent Belgian adventure. Well done that, Adjutant!

Rifleman Moore who skilfully evaded capture, despite best efforts, has provided me with the following information that might be of interest to the reader.

Waterloo 95

Waterloo 95 was observed by some 78,000 paying members of the public plus some 7,000 who took advantage of a lapse at a security gate and got in for free. They watched 3,127 (registered) uniformed re-enactors re-fight the battle. 235 'British' Infantry, supported by 3 guns and 15 Cavalry were assisted by 225 Prussian Infantry, 10 Cavalry and 4 guns in defeating 2,650 (Yes 2,650) 'French' Infantry who could count on the support of some 72 French Cavalry and 8 guns. It is the observer's considered opinion that the French only lost because Napoleon had a minor heart attack - the gentleman concerned, last I heard, has made a good recovery. The irony of the situation is that at the 1985 re-enactment there were three Napoleons, in 1990 reportedly five. And in the most organised of the trio of events we had only one - surely everyone knows that where monarchs are concerned you need an heir and a spare!

Equally ironic, amongst all of this French Imperial splendour there could only be found 52 true born Frenchmen!

For those interested in such trivia, you never know it may come up in a pub quiz (!), 15% of the re-enactors present came from the former Eastern-block countries, the British staff (i.e., posers who don't like getting dirty) numbered 17 of which 12 were supernumeraries (i.e., posers with nothing to do!) and the French staff (i.e., posers who don't like getting dirty and do it with an accent!) counted 12 with 9 supernumeraries in their number. Reportedly the funniest moment was the Rocket troop - true to historical form - attempting a launch only to have it explode on the 'ramp'. Biggest cheer went to the British Cavalry brigade who captured a 'Jingling Johnny' allegedly in the mistaken belief that this mattered and was akin to the capture of an eagle! Curiously the Highland brigade provided the most popular British unit with the paying public - (not surprising really I suppose men in skirts always go down well - don't they Adrian). To round this bit off 10 re-enactors reported injuries that required treatment. In case you can remember last issue's 'Last Thing' - yes all three of us managed to get injured. I learnt a valuable lesson, never wipe your flint with your finger it hurts and it do bleed!

New Issues

I have received notification and or review notices of the following publications and by way of introduction to what will be a new column I include the information here. New Issues will not be a review sections as such but will announce newly release products prior to being reviewed in a subsequent edition of First Empire. So here we go.

A Dorset Rifleman - The recollections of Rifleman Harris. £15.95 from Shinglepicker Publications phone (10929) 425670 for further details (Publication date April 1995).

1812: Napoleon in Moscow (follow up to 1812 The March on Moscow) £19.50 published by Greenhill *. (Pub date 16th June 1995)

History of The Waterloo Campaign (as reviewed this issue) £25 published by Greenhill *. (Pub date 16th June 1995)

For King and Country Diaries of John Mills - Coldstream Guards 1811-1814 edited by Ian Fletcher £20.00 Published by Spellmount, The Old Rectory, Staplehurst, Kent TN12 0AZ *.

Napoleon and Waterloo by A.F. Becke £19.50 published by Greenhill *. (Pub date 16th June 1995)

* indicates that you can order these titles from your favourite magazine see page 16/17 for postage rates.

And finally...

Just call me dweagle@delphi.com from now on. Yes First Empire is now the First Napoleonic Magazine on the Internet. Now don't be shy I know many of you are already on line so lets here from you! At the moment we are only taking E-mail, however, a forum will be set up on Delphi and in due course a WWW page. If you don't know what a WWW is then you ain't going to find out here. Just in case you hadn't noticed we now have a new postal address for all those none digital messages. See page 3, 16 etc.