Walcheren 1809 by Martin R. Howard

Author:Martin R. Howard
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Published: 2013-07-04T16:00:00+00:00

Napoleon returned to this theme remorselessly in letters written on the 12th and 18th.

Monnet was less convinced that flooding Walcheren was an easy solution. This would lead to the destruction of much of the island and significant loss of life. The civilian population of Flushing would become demoralised and difficult to control. When he met with the town’s council, he had conveniently lost Napoleon’s orders. It must be granted that it took some courage, or remarkable carelessness, to mislay the Emperor’s words. In a later defence of his actions, Monnet insisted that, where possible, he did cut the dykes. Once he understood the strength of the British forces on 1 August, he ordered a cut in the dyke of Ramakins. He intended to make a second breach in the Nolle dyke to the west of the town but this was prevented by the presence of the enemy and the thickness of the dyke. Work was therefore concentrated on gradually enlarging the first cut, thus flooding the land to the east of Flushing. The sluices in the counterscarp of the moat were also opened. These actions had so far not been as devastating as Napoleon had predicted. A combination of Monnet’s caution, the elements, and British ingenuity allowed the siege work to continue. The wind was only light and blew from the east and the tides were lower than expected. Chatham ordered the sluices at Middelburg and Ter Veere to be kept permanently open; as Middelburg was three feet lower than Flushing this lowered the water levels around the latter. The general warned the local prefects that they would be held responsible for any ‘mischief’ by local citizens which worsened the flooding.

So it was that the British soldiers found themselves up to their knees in water rather than their necks, and this was really the case from 9 August onwards. Between the 8th and the 11th, work continued on Batteries A, B (the ‘seamen’s battery’) and E, the mortar Batteries D and F, and the howitzer Battery C. Men also toiled on the redoubts and parallels. Fyer’s entry in his journal for Saturday 12 August is a good summary of a typical day’s siege work.

Friday 11th August from 8 o’clock pm to Saturday 12th August, at 8 o’clock pm.

Field officer for the trenches: Lieutenant-Colonel Pilkington.

Left of the Parallel

Relief at eight o’clock pm, 600 men.

Relief at day break, 150 men.

Relief at one o’clock pm, 400 men.

This proved a most unfavourable night, being extremely dark, with very heavy rain. The strength of the working-party was employed in uniting the two extremes of the parallel, and raising the Battery B, at which a party of seamen assisted. A small party was employed on the redoubt, and forming the Magazines to the battery E.

A battery was marked out at C, on the right of E, for two 10 inch Howitzers, intended for enfilading the front of attack, particularly the face of demi-bastion number 3. The platforms of the mortar battery D were completed this morning, and the carpenters began immediately to prepare the materials for the magazine.

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