The Waterloo Collection: Hougoumont and D'Erlon's Attack

This final part takes us through the dramatic events when Wellington’s Anglo-Dutch Army aided by Blucher’s Prussians defeat Napoleon. The French army was outfought and Napoleon was out-generaled by Wellington. At Wavre Grouchy beat the Prussian rearguard before retreating to France. Meanwhile, the Anglo-Dutch army counted the bloody cost of the previous days fighting while Wellington wrote his controversial Waterloo Dispatch and the vengeful Prussians pursued the French towards Paris, leading to Napoleon's abdication and the occupation of the city by the Allies.

During the Napoleonic Wars the British Army realised that it needed skirmishers, as a result it raised 2 Rifle Regiments both armed with the icon Baker Rifle. This programme explains how the Riflemen of the 95th Rifles were dressed and equipped. It is an ideal accompaniment to our Series on the 95th Rifles.

This film shows the kit and equipment that the 42nd of Foot, The Black Watch wore and used at Waterloo. The Battalion was in 9 Bde of Picton's 5th Division and fought at Quatre Bras and Waterloo. The 8 British Battalions in Picton's Division were all Peninsula Battalions and most probably the most relaible in Wellington's Army. Hence their use at Quatre Bras and their position at Waterloo. The Division lost 43% of its men as casualties at Waterloo including Picton himself, Wellington's greatest fighting general.

In 1800, as Napoleon Bonaparte rises to power in France, a rivalry erupts between Armand and Gabriel, two lieutenants in the French Army, over a perceived insult. For over a decade, they engage in a series of duels amidst larger conflicts, including the failed French invasion of Russia in 1812, and shifts in the political and social systems of Europe.

After the victory at Salamanca Wellington's Army had mixed fortunes and by the the winter of 1812/3 was back in Portugal. Wellington took advantage of the winter to re-equip and retrain his army for his final master stroke in Spain. In June 1813 Wellington launched his whole army in a rapid push NW towards the Spanish/French border outflanking the French. At Vittoria he beat the main French Army on 21st June and pushed the remainder into the Pyrenees on The French border. He was now able to prepare for the invasion of France. In all these actions and leading the Army were the Light Division containing the 3 Battalions of the 95th Rifles. It was during this period that they had some of their toughest and bloodiest actions that showed them to be an elite formation.

Due to the hostile terrain of the Iberian Peninsula Siege Warfare took on an importance here more than anywhere during the Napoleonic Wars. For the French in particular fortresses and fortified towns were the only places they could guarantee the safety of their logistics from the Spanish and Portuguese guerillas. If Wellington was going to liberate Portugal and Spain he would have to overcome these fortified locations. This film looks at the British and French experience during this period and uses the the great sieges of Ciudad Rodtigo and Badajoz to illustrate how both defence and attacks were carried out . The BHTV team use footage from Spain, re enactments, maps and models to bring this much neglected aspect of the Peninsula war to life.

Following on from Hougoumont and D'Erlon's Attack, Part III starts just as the great battle reaches its crisis point. Marshal Ney launched thousands of France's finest heavy cavalry against Wellington's thinning lines who had already taken a terrible battering on the Mont St Jean Ridge. Wave after wave of armoured horsemen broke against the steady squares of British, Dutch/Belgian and German troops. The crisis, however, took a further turn for the worse as the key bastion in Wellington's centre, the fortified farm of La Haie Sainte, fell to the French onslaught. The way to Brussels was now open and Wellington muttered, 'Give me Blucher or give me night'. With the situation looking bleaker by the second for Wellington and his troops, Napoleon fatefully hesitated to complete the coup de grace as the Prussians had closed in on his right flank at the Village of Plancenoit. Would the Young Guard be able to hold Blucher's men? There was all still to play for.

After defeating France and imprisoning Napoleon on Elba, ending two decades of war, Europe is shocked to find Napoleon has escaped and has caused the French Army to defect from the King back to him. The best of the British generals, the Duke of Wellington, beat Napolean's best generals in Spain and Portugal, but now must beat Napoleon himself with an Anglo Allied army.

In David Grubin's NAPOLEON watch Napoleon's rise from obscurity to victories that made him a hero to the French people and convinced him he was destined for greatness. Learn of his love for Josephine Beauharnais, and his rise to Emperor. Witness his extraordinary achievements and ultimately his fall, his final battles, his exile to Elba, and his defeat at Waterloo. For nearly two decades he strode the world stage like a colossus -- loved and despised, venerated and feared. From his birth on the rugged island of Corsica to his final exile on the godforsaken island of St. Helena, NAPOLEON brings this extraordinary figure to life.

Based on the novel by Bernard Cornwell, "Sharpe's Waterloo" brings maverick British officer Lt. Col. Richard Sharpe to his last fight against the French, in June of 1815.

A gleaming giant of steam and its cute Lilliputian cousin are an even match in this newsreel battle of the trains.

This fascinating 60s tour catches London's South Bank in the middle of a cultural metamorphosis.

Dealing heavily with perceptions of time, Aeon documents the urban cityscape as Wellington transforms through a zen-influenced eternal cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth within a 24-hour period.

An insider’s look into the gritty reality of building the local live music scene, Rock This Town brings to life the exciting history of rock music concerts in KW from the 1960s & ‘70s. Rock stars come and go but live music is here to stay!

Passionate romance, brutal treachery, and selfless nobility are set against the background of Napoleon’s 1810 invasion of Portugal.

95th Rifles 1809 to Salamanca is the second DVD in 95th Rifles trilogy of films and part of The Peninsular Collection from BHTV . The DVD explores the history of the 95th Rifles, who were masters of the battlefield and particularly skilled in skirmishing. Held in high esteem by the French and Allies alike, they played a momentous role in the outcome of the Peninsular War. Following the events set out in the Salamanca DVD, this film serves as a prequel to explain the years leading up to the Battle of Salamanca, starting with the aftermath of Sir John Moore’s retreat to La Corunna in the winter of 1808/1809.

This film gives an overview of Napoleons return to France in 1815 before covering in detail the Battles of Ligny and Quatre Bras. Filmed on the Battlefields in Belgium using re-enaction footage expert Presenters follow the Emperors brilliant initial plan which however soon begins to fall apart due to flaws in the French staff, Napoleons arrogance and the courage and fighting ability of the Allied Troops. Both these battles deserve to be better known but they have been overshadowed by Waterloo the culmination of the Campaign

Portrait of a Knight is a musical romance about the way in which historic ideals inform contemporary urban life. Rachel is a young archivist living and working in Wellington, New Zealand. Feeling alone and disconnected from life, she projects her romantic fantasies onto the paintings she loves, until one day her song brings Reginald - a Knight of the Realm - to life. His carefree innocence and zest for life begin to open Rachel up to the beauty around her, but the fates have a way of making trouble when miracles occur...

An entertaining look at life in Wellington, New Zealand in the 1960s, giving a colourful impression of Wellington city: hills, winding streets, busy people and strong winds.

Major John Peel returns to England, following Napoleon's Waterloo defeat, and renews his acquaintance with Lucy Merrall, but she tells him she is engaged to be married. He later learns that, Cravens, the man she is to marry already has a wife. He also learns that Craven cleaned out Lucy's father in a crooked gambling game, and Lucy is paying the price to hold the family home together.