The 3rd Battalion of Detachments, struck from all official records, exemplified Brigadier General Alan Campbell’s view, “I have collected several detachments of recovered men belonging to Sir J. Moore’s army, whom I found scattered in all directions, without necessaries, and some of them committing every possible excess that could render the name of a British soldier odious to the nation.” During the Douro campaign and capture of the city of Oporto in 1809, the 3rd Battalion had its first taste of action near the village of Grijo. There they crossed bayonets with the infamous French regiment, les Bouchers (the Butchers). The bloody encounter was also notable for the savage dog fight between Duchess, the 3rd’s bull terrier mascot, and the French poodle, Fifi, both animals leaving their mark.

These exceptional miniatures are oozing character and cast in finest Warlord Resin are a must for any self-respecting (and those not quite so self-respecting) Napoleonic British wargamer.