Our first open day of 2001 was held at the New Mill Centre on Saturday 13th January. There was an interesting game organised by Jon Scrivens, (Squigs,) involving an army of frogs with German helmets, he even had a big frog with an Adolph Hitler, (Hopler,) mustache.
We also took the opportunity to stage the latest battle in the long running Napoleon’s Invasion of Great Britain campaign. The Duke of York, who was under orders from his wife, couldn’t turn up so he left me in charge. Perhaps he knew what the eventual out come would be and that’s why he did come. The French army, which included the Guard Corp, where heading south from Grimsby after there mauling at the hands of the Royal Navy in the Humber estuary. Supplies where running low so the headed for Boston (Lincs.) to stock up. Barring the way was an allied army, which included Hanovarians, Prussians, Portuguese as well as the odd Brit here and there. The plan of defense was simple but cunning. To hold the steep hills on the eastern edge of the battlefield, whilst tempting the French to attack what looked like a relatively weak eastern flank. The plan could have worked however the key to it was the Austrian Corp which was due to arrive on the eastern flank, If they arrived at the right time they would fall upon the flank of the attacking French forces. As fate would have it they got to the battlefield too early and where unable to deploy into a proper fighting formation before being hit by the advancing French Guard Corp. Although they fought bravely and manage to destroy the Guard Grand battery with a charge by the cavalry Division the quality of the opposition and luck was against them and they ran from the field with many casualties. This in turn led to the downfall of the British 2nd Division who where moving up in support of the Austrians, they lost over half their strength in the last moments of the battle.
Meanwhile, on the height to the east, the Lincolnshire Militia, despite many casualties, manage to inflict heavy losses on Marshal Ney’s Corp. Eventually, with the help of some Prussian cavalry and an Hanovairan Infantry Division, the attacking French where seen off and the quit the field. This came to late in the day to effect the outcome of the battle, which in the end turned out to be the bloodiest we have fought in the campaign so far.