Pike & Shotte: Sir William Waller

A supporter of the Parliamentary cause, Waller raised his own regiment of cavalry and captured Portsmouth in September 1642. He went on to fight at Edgehill and learned from the defeat of the Roundhead cavalry. He spent the rest of the year consolidating the approaches to London and several key strategic locations including Farnham, Winchester, and Arundel.

In early 1643, Waller was appointed Major General of the West and fought along the Welsh Marches. He secured Bristol and won an important fight at Hingham House, outside Gloucester. His string of victories was finally halted at Ripple Field by Prince Maurice in April 1643. He then led a campaign against his old friend Lord Ralph Hopton, who had been appointed command of the Royalist armies of the West. Avoiding defeat whilst fighting greater numbers at Lansdown Hill in July 1643, he was roundly thrashed at Roundway Down, just over a week later.

In November 1643, Waller was appointed to command the forces of the newly formed Southern Association army. Following a series of skirmishes and manoeuvres, Waller won his revenge for Roundway with his victory at Cheriton in March 1649. The battle was regarded as the greatest Parliamentarian victory to date and demonstrated the improving quality of the Roundhead cavalry. Working with the Earl of Essex's army, Waller's forces were ordered to mark the King's army, whilst Essex marched to disaster in the south-west. Launching an attack at Cropredy Bridge in June 1644, Waller's army was bloodily repulsed and promptly fell apart. Fighting at the Second Battle of Newbury, he was the last of the old Parliamentarian Generals to surrender his commission following the creation of the New Model Army.

Pack contains one metal miniature on horseback.

Models supplied unassembled and unpainted.