As promised, I present a brief AAR on this campaign, conducted under the watchful eye of my Chief of Staff.
The Saxon tower of Oxford Castle remains strong, standing for over 800 years—remarkably unchanged despite centuries of turmoil, civil wars, economic fluctuations, and industrialization.
This scenery has not changed much over the centuries—the Saxon tower from Norman Motte-and-Bailey:
I visited the haunted Norman crypt below the tower alone; the Chief of Staff was unimpressed and opted to stay in the rearguard.
Wales did not disappoint with its scenery and weather. The Three Castles Walk has been checked off the list. It seems the Normans invested heavily in these castles, though some never saw battle, providing little return on their investment.
The Lake District was a hidden gem to me, as I hadn’t realized it is a popular getaway spot with relaxing views.
My Chief of Staff was particularly fond of this area. We also visited the castle of a local knight who was responsible for the Saint George banner at the Battle of Agincourt, for which he was paid 35 pounds. The corresponding letter from Henry V is on display within the vault of the castle.
Next was the Culloden Battlefield—a reminder to NWC officers to follow the example of the Duke of Cumberland and to keep a second line in reserve to support the disordered first line in case it gets smashed by melee. The Chief of Staff, however, was less enthusiastic due to the atrocious Scottish weather in August (rain with gusty winds) and retired to the baggage train while I inspected the battlefield at my own pace. Fraser’s memorial stone seems to be the most popular, likely due to the Outlander TV series. A view from the left flank of the British line (the one which was smashed) looking towards British right flank.
The Argyle area managed to outdo Inverness in terms of bad weather—probably the reason the much-anticipated midge attack on my regiment has never materialized. On the downside, the Chief of Staff frequently refused to leave quarters and participate in foraging parties in the countryside, giving me the opportunity to inspect the abandoned fortifications of Maclachlan clan and the surrounding forest hexes.
My field HQ at Argyle area:
The situation with the Chief of Staff's mutiny was resolved during our stay at Dalhousie Castle near Edinburgh, where we set up our HQ, following in the footsteps of King Edward I (the Longshanks), who stayed at the castle on his way to meet Sir William Wallace at the Battle of Falkirk.
The reason the castle has a banner with a German Eagle is due to the fact that the castle's owners, the Ramsay clan, have an ancestor who came to the British Isles with William the Conqueror. He was a German knight—though another source mentions him as a "pirate" which back then was probably the same.
Back to London via King John's HQ in Scarborough and the Viking village in York.
More castles on the way! A view from the hill where the royal artillery was shelling the Parliamentarian castle:
Quintessential Oxfrodshire scenery, plus the view from inside:
In London, we made an extensive inspection to fortifications built by a chap named William. He did an impressive job—his personal quarters are much more spacious than those found elsewhere. The six 6-pound cannons captured at Waterloo are in good shape and ready for deployment (I wonder which hex they occupied during the battle?!).
By this time, the Chief of Staff had reached an point of castles overdose and mainly used London as a hub to refill regimental magazines with uniform-related supplies and took a very personal and hands-on role in directing the foraging parties and personally overseeing the routes of advance and ETAs.
Now back to Winter quarters to recover the damage to the regimental treasury and planning next campaign most likely around Tyrole and Danube where 1809 events took place.
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