Georg Carl August du Plat

Georg Carl August du Plat , also Charles du Plat (born March 30, 1770 in Hanover , † June 21, 1815 in Brussels ) was a royal Hanoverian and royal British colonel and commander of the 1st Brigade of the King's German Legion in the battle of Waterloo .

Life

He came from the French noble family du Plat , whose first representative in Germany was Pierre Joseph du Plat (1657–1709), the progenitor of the Hanoverian line. Descendants of this German line later entered royal Danish and British services. He was the son of the Elector General of Hanover Georg Josua du Plat (1722–1795) and his second wife Bernhardine von Derenthall (1749–1782). He was baptized in the Church of St. Clemens in Hanover.

In 1788, Plat had the rank of ensign in the Electorate of Hanover and already owned a collection of military books. He was captain of the 1st Infantry - Regiment . Immediately after its establishment, in 1803 he switched to English military service in the King's German Legion , which was made up of Germans , was a major in the 4th Line Battalion in 1804 and was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in this battalion in 1807 . In 1812 he was at the same time in the British Army adopted and 1813 for certification - Colonel promoted. In 1805 he was stationed in Hanover, 1807 in the Baltic States and from 1808 to 1812 in Sicily . During the Spanish War of Independence (English: Peninsular War), Plat was stationed with his regiment on the Spanish east coast from 1812 to 1814 . From 1814 to 1815 he was assigned to the Netherlands as commander of the 3rd Brigade of the King's German Legion , and most recently in 1815 to the 1st KGL Brigade (1st – 4th line battalion; 1758 men in total) to France and Flanders . The brigade was part of the 2nd British Allied Army Corps under the command of Lieutenant General Rowland Hill .

As their commander, he took part in the Battle of Waterloo. During the battle gathered between the farm and the farm Hougoumont La Haye Sainte about 12,000 French rider who tried to formed by the Allies squares break. The Legion Brigade du Plat was ordered to the first line and had to make several squares on its way there. Brigade commander Carl du Plat was seriously wounded in a heavy fire from Hougeoumont. He died three days later on June 21, 1815. In June 1815 he was chairman of a general court martial that had to judge deserters . He is said to have been a very level-headed officer.

Plat married on December 30, 1792 in the garrison church in Lüneburg, Caroline Countess von Taube (born January 15, 1773 in Hanover, † November 27, 1837 in Stuttgart ). After eleven years of marriage, he was divorced from her again in Hanover in 1803. The couple had three daughters and two sons, the older and later British major general Gustav du Plat (1796-1854) and the royal Hanoverian titular major of the artillery Carl du Plat (1800-1837), who died in Greek military service near Nauplia .

literature

Gothaisches Genealogisches Taschenbuch der Areligen Häuser , series B ( old nobility and letter nobility ), Justus Perthes Verlag, Gotha 1932, page 474
Ms. Tobiesen: Om Slægten du Plat , in: Personalhistorisk Tidsskrift , Volume 63, Samfundet for Dansk genealogi og personalhistorie, 1942, page 213

Web links

Individual evidence

↑ Strasse und Autobahn, Volume 15, Forschungsgesellschaft für das Strassenwesen (Ed.), Verlag Kirschbaum, 1964, page 322 ( excerpt )
^ British 2nd Army Corps
↑ His adjutant Heinrich Wiegmann , father of the architect Rudolf Wiegmann , died in the battle.
↑ The Battle of Waterloo. The German Legion at the Battle of Waterloo. - Several sources claim that du Plat already died in battle. It is true that he was badly wounded and only died after three days.
^ Letter from General Wellington to du Plat, June 6, 1815.
↑ Quote: "always be relied on to keep his head" - Source: An Infamous Army: Du Plat

personal data
SURNAME	Plat, Georg Carl August you
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Plat, George Charles Augustus you; Plat, Charles you
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Elector of Hanover and brigadier of the German Legion
DATE OF BIRTH	March 30, 1770
PLACE OF BIRTH	Hanover
DATE OF DEATH	June 21, 1815
Place of death	Brussels

[1] Strasse und Autobahn, Volume 15, Forschungsgesellschaft für das Strassenwesen (Ed.), Verlag Kirschbaum, 1964, page 322 ( excerpt )

[2] British 2nd Army Corps

[3] His adjutant Heinrich Wiegmann , father of the architect Rudolf Wiegmann , died in the battle.

[4] The Battle of Waterloo. The German Legion at the Battle of Waterloo. - Several sources claim that du Plat already died in battle. It is true that he was badly wounded and only died after three days.

[5] Letter from General Wellington to du Plat, June 6, 1815.

[6] Quote: "always be relied on to keep his head" - Source: An Infamous Army: Du Plat