A vivid voice all the way from Waterloo

"The sun rose beautifully. The artillery of both armies had commenced the work of death."

So begins the diary entry for Sunday, June, 18, 1815, of William Gavin, whose regiment had been encamped in a saturated meadow a few miles south of Brussels.

It continues: "The men were ordered to dry their clothes and accoutrements and put their firelocks in order, and the writer was sent with a party to a farm house, to seize on all the cattle that could be found about it. This was soon performed. Cows, bullocks, pigs, sheep and fowls were put into requisition and brought to camp.

"Butchers set to work, fires made by pulling down houses for the wood, camp kettles hung on, and everything in a fair way for cooking, when the word ‘fall in’ put everything to the route. Men accoutring, cannon roaring, bugles sounding and drums beating, which put a stop to our cooking for that day…"

‘That day’, as Gavin put it in his matter-of-fact language of the time, was to be momentous. He was describing how routine military labours were suddenly overwhelmed by the sounds and opening salvoes of an event that changed the course of European history: the Battle of Waterloo.

Two centuries on, his great, great, great, great grandson, retired York schoolteacher Stephen Gavin, marvels at the vividness of his ancestor’s account.

“It’s as if he’s speaking to us directly. His words help us to visualise that day and give us a sense of what it was like to be there. He wasn’t only a participant but a keen observer describing the landscape and those he encountered as he played his part in those exceptional times. As a family we are privileged to share his history and especially fortunate that, through his writing, he remains an eye-witness for subsequent generations.”

This year being the 200th anniversary, Stephen plans to visit the battlefield site for the first time, and he’ll be in exalted company during four days of ceremonies that will include the largest historical re-enactment ever staged in Europe.

Among the thousands there will be direct descendants of Waterloo’s great adversaries, the Duke of Wellington and Napoleon, and those of the Prussian army’s hierarchy.

There are several gaps in William Gavin’s personal story as well as much detail. He was born around 1775 but it’s not known where or the circumstances in which he learned to read and write. He became a professional soldier who’d pursued Napoleon's forces through much of Europe.

He fought in the Peninsular Wars and other campaigns in South Africa and South America, steadily gaining promotion through the ranks. By the time of Waterloo he was a quartermaster officer in the 71st Highland Light Infantry.

He’d kept a diary of his various exploits since 1806 and more than a century later it was seen by military experts who described it as being "in small handwriting on common paper of the period". Then, at some point, it was lost but not before extracts were published in the regimental magazine, the Highland Light Infantry Chronicle, in 1921.

Stephen, who lives in Huntington, found out about the diary relatively recently when a cousin of his late father sent him a photocopy. Since then he has created a website dedicated to William and to help further understanding of the era.

At a time when European history is currently dominated here by memories of the First World War – it’s a 90-minute drive across Belgium from Waterloo to the fields of Flanders – the charity Waterloo 200 is also striving to increase awareness through direct family connections.

It’s estimated that up to a million Britons have forebears who fought in the battle that finally put paid to Bonaparte and French dominance and brought peace to Europe for half a century. Several could be in Yorkshire because troops from the county were at Waterloo.

Supported by detailed Army records that include the recipients of medals in 1815, so far over a thousand people have registered as descendants and have the opportunity to apply for tickets to attend a commemoration service at St. Paul’s Cathedral.

James Morrow, honorary secretary of Waterloo 200, says: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the response. Until now, for a great many people the name Waterloo has meant a railway station or a song by Abba.”

This lack of awareness is borne out at the excellent Wellington Museum in the village of Waterloo. On average it attracts barely 60 visitors a day despite being the former inn where the ‘Iron Duke’ spent the nights before and after the battle and wrote his report of victory to the British government, reinforcing his hero status that led to him becoming Prime Minister twice.

There’s an audio guide detailing the day’s military tactics and outcome – "the nearest run thing you ever saw in your life", was Wellington’s verdict – and among the artefacts are weapons, uniforms, maps, paintings, letters and even the wooden leg of Lord Uxbridge who lost the real one on the battlefield a couple of miles away.

The site is dominated by the Lion's Mound, a monument whose summit is reached by 226 steps and constructed from earth taken from the pastures where thousands fought and died that midsummer’s day.

For all that, some of the most compelling human detail of Waterloo and its aftermath is to be found through the efforts of Stephen Gavin in Huntington. His website brings a remarkable document to a new and worldwide audience.

Retired York teacher Stephen Gavin, whose great, great, great, great grandfather fought at Waterloo. He is holding his family tree

For instance, William’s description of the battlefield that afternoon: "At one time we had only the front of the square formed when a squadron charged us, but we soon had it complete, with Lord Wellington in the centre. In the confusion my hat fell off, and on recovering it put it on front part to the back, and wore it like this for the remainder of the day, not knowing it was so.

"In this charge Ensign Todd was killed, also Lieutenant Elwes mortally wounded. Lieutenant Lawe, who acted as adjutant to the left wing, and was mounted, was hit by a cannon ball, which passed through the calf of his right leg, through the horse’s body, and wounded his left leg.

"The enemy began to retreat about seven in the evening. We followed them to Nivelles and took a great number of cannon. The road was actually blocked up with cannon and wagons deserted by the French. We bivouacked this night outside the village, up to our knees in mud. Our loss during the day was: 3 officers killed, 7 wounded; 24 rank and file killed, 160 wounded; 3 missing – loss of 71st at Waterloo."

On July 7, his regiment entered Paris and encamped in the Champs-Élysées, but it was not until the following January that William returned to England and later set up home in Ireland with his wife Alicia, ‘where I now am, thank God, in good health’, and had three sons. He died there in 1834.

Says Stephen Gavin: “From his writings he comes across as a fascinating character, not only a valued soldier whose gifts were recognized by the military leadership, but a man with impressive descriptive and personal skills that gave him insights into the lives of others from all walks. As a natural communicator, he speaks to us still.

“The fact I’m here at all, one of his direct descendants, is astonishing too when you consider what people of the time went through, surviving war and disease and much more.”

 Sgt Ewart seizing the Eagle at Waterloo. Scene supplied by the Waterloo Association

Fact File:

Over nine hours the Battle of Waterloo resulted in around 65,000 casualties and losses, two-thirds of them French. It’s estimated that 12,000 horses were also killed that day.

Napoleon finally surrendered to a Royal Navy captain a month later and was subsequently exiled to St. Helena where he died in 1821.

• The diary of William Gavin and details about his life can be seen at waterloodiary.net/william gavin's_diary_08.html

• Waterloo commemoration events: waterloo2015.org/en

• For details of the Waterloo 200 project and information on tracing ancestors visit waterloo200.org