London museum identifies black Waterloo veteran in rare 1821 painting

Published 14 hours ago
Source: theguardian.com
London museum identifies black Waterloo veteran in rare 1821 painting

‘Honourable’ bandsman Thomas James will feature in display at National Army Museum highlighting service of black soldiers in Napoleonic wars

He fought in the Napoleonic wars and is one of only nine Black soldiers known to have received the Waterloo Medal, the first British medal awarded to soldiers regardless of their rank.

Yet the story of Pte Thomas James has been overlooked for centuries.

Continue reading...

Categories

HeritageMuseumsMilitaryNapoleon BonaparteRaceUK newsArt