London – Kensington and Chelsea (Borough of) – National Army Museum (Earl of Uxbridge Loses his Leg)

Here’s a lovely cheery display at the National Army Museum, the saw which was used to cut the Earl of Uxbridge’s leg off. The note by the exhibit explains that “the Earl remained composed throughout the operation and his only comment was that the saw appeared somewhat blunt”. A stiff upper lip and all that… I can say, with some confidence, that if I was in the military I would be more vocal with my annoyance about such a situation.

The little incident took place during the Battle of Waterloo when a cannon ball, one of the last to be fired that day, hit the Earl in the leg. It’s said (well, it’s written on Wikipedia) that he turned to Wellington and said “By God, sir, I’ve lost my leg!” and the response was “By God, sir, so you have”.

The glove that was worn by Thomas Wildman, the Earl of Uxbridge’s aide, which got covered in blood when his master’s leg was sawn off. What a delightful day that must have been for all concerned. The Earl of Uxbridge, more commonly known as Henry Paget, was born in 1768 and he died in 1854.