The King’s German Legion in Bexhill

One of the largest barracks in England for its day were built in 1798 alongside Belle Hill, extending to the Old Town. Perhaps the most famous residents of this sprawling camp were the King’s German Legion, whose infantry was based there between 1804 and 1814. Historian Dr Peter Boyden tells the story of these Hanoverian troops who served as a foreign corps in the British forces. They are best known for their role in the defence of the farmyard at La Haye Sainte during the Battle of Waterloo. There Major George Baring and some 400 men from the Legion frustrated Napoleon’s efforts to break through by pouring fire into their flanks. The defeated French emperor is said to have sworn on St Helena that Legion’s stubborn resistance at La Haye Sainte had cost him the battle.