Walcheren 1809: Scandalous Destruction of a British Army

In July 1809, with the Dutch coast 'a pistol held at the head of England', the largest British expeditionary force ever assembled, over 40,000 men and around 600 ships, weighed anchor off the Kent coast and sailed for the island of Walcheren in the Scheldt estuary. After an initial success, the expedition stalled and as the lethargic military commander, Lord Chatham, was at loggerheads with the opinionated senior naval commander, Sir Richard Strachan, troops were dying of a mysterious disease termed 'Walcheren fever'. Almost all the campaign's 4,000 dead were victims of disease. The Scheldt was evacuated and the return home was followed by a scandalous Parliamentary Enquiry. Walcheren fever cast an even longer shadow. Six months later 11,000 men were still registered sick. In 1812, Wellington complained that the constitution of his troops was 'much shaken with Walcheren'.

About the Author :
Dr Martin Howard, a hospital consultant and Fellow of the Royal Colleges of Physicians and Pathologists, has a longstanding interest in the Napoleonic Wars and has lectured and written extensively on the subject. He has made a special study of the British army's less-well-known campaigns of the period, and his most recent book in the field is Walcheren 1809: The Scandalous Destruction of a British Army.

Review :
Presents a refreshing approach to this little-known disaster in which some 40,000 men and 600 ships were involved. -The Military Historical Society This is a deeply researched work, with excellent use of primary and contemporary sources...It is extensively referenced, has appropriate and valuable statistical appendices and an extensive bibliography of contemporary and modern sources. An excellent read. -SOFNAM Newsletter, Spring 2013 Martin Howard draws heavily on a variety of primary sources to tell the story of this ill-fated campaign. In addition to writing a lively account of the military operations, he explores in depth the divided British national leadership and how the expedition was undertaken for political reasons rather than military necessity. Walcheren 1809 covers a huge gap in a little known campaign that had a major impact on the Peninsular War. Because of its long-term implications for operations by the British in the Peninsular, it should be in every Napoleonic library, not just those specializing in the British Army. -Napoleon Series Martin Howard examines the reasons for this ambitious expedition in great detail, looking at the political and military characters involved, and their working relationship with each other. The author has woven an enthralling story to explain and examine all facets of the disastrous campaign. Walcheren 1809 is an informed, well researched account of the campaign and its aftermath and fills a gap in the study of this notorious event in the annals of the British Army. -Waterloo Journal