London – Kensington and Chelsea (Borough of) – National Army Museum (Wellington’s Despatch Case)

This is the despatch case that was used by the Duke of Wellington during the Peninsular War of 1808 until 1814 and at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. The National Army Museum acquired it in 1973, but their web-site isn’t very good at providing the provenance of items or where they’ve been. The museum notes Wellington’s quote, when asked why he was so successful, of “I was always on the spot – I saw everything; and did everything for myself”.