William Fuller

William Fuller joined the King’s Dragoon Guards on 28 Aug 1805 with the rank of lieutenant-colonel. He had previously served in the 10th Light Dragoons and came to the KDG as second lieutenant-colonel while Henry Fane was CO. He was faced with a difficult position and acted firmly. For two years the regiment had had an absentee commanding officer or one who commanded no respect. Major Balcomb, the senior major, who had been serving continuously with the regiment, was made to take the blame for the relaxation of discipline. Colonel Fane soon left the regiment and Fuller took command while the regiment was stationed in Brighton, then in 1808 went north to York then Scotland. In 1810 they were stationed in Ireland until April 1815 when they were ordered to sail for Belgium. Fuller caught up with his regiment on 27 April as he had been attending to his affairs in London.
On 18 June 1815 Colonel Fuller led the KDG in a charge against French Cuirassiers and infantry. Lt Hibbert wrote, ‘In this affair poor Fuller lost his life, his horse was killed by a lance, and the last time he was seen he was unhurt and dismounted. Of course the lancers overtook him and killed him, for our men were on the full retreat.’ He was one of many men of the KDG that were killed in action that day. Lt Hibbert recorded that the bodies of five officers were ‘thrown into one grave and buried by the 32nd Regiment’ Colonel Fuller’s was one of those bodies buried on the field of Waterloo.
A plaque on the wall of St-Joseph’s Church at Waterloo commemorates Colonel William Fuller. It was erected by his brother, Maj-General Fuller of the Coldstream Guards. The miniature portrait shows a young William Fuller c1790.

Regimental Details | Commanding Officers