Thomas James is one of nine black soldiers decorated with the Waterloo Medal – the first awarded to British fighters without distinction of rank. But this man’s story has long been ignored. The London War Museum wants to repair this silence, as reported in an article in the Guardian.
The museum has indeed just lifted part of the veil, by identifying Thomas James as the presumed subject of a painting “extremely rare» by the painter Thomas Phillips, dated 1821. An unusual work for this artist known for his portraits of great figures – the Duke of Wellington, the poet Lord Byron and even London aristocrats.
“There is a false belief that there were no black soldiers at Waterloo»underlines Anna Lavelle, curator of the museum. “It’s not the public’s fault, this part of military history is not covered in the historical narrative.” Thomas James was one of many black soldiers who fought under British colors in the Napoleonic Wars.
PAINTING OF THE DAY: PORTRAIT OF THOMAS JAMES, 1821 by #ThomasPhillips #EnglishArtist #painting #portrait #BritishMilitaryMusician #1820s pic.twitter.com/X1zuAfcmum
— Frank Malfitano (@FrankMalfitano) October 30, 2025
From slave to soldier of the 18th Light Dragoon Regiment
Born a slave in Montserrat, West Indies, in 1789, Thomas James was an illiterate percussionist. He enlisted in 1809 after arriving in the south of England, in Sussex, where slavery had already been abolished. At the time, black men had few choices: serve as domestic servants or enlist in the army. Thomas James chose arms, joining the 18th Light Dragoon Regiment.
His Waterloo medal was awarded to him after a singular episode: his fight against a group of deserting Prussian soldiers who were trying to pillage the officers’ personal effects. “About twenty soldiers guarded the officers’ luggage, but James was the only one to be seriously injured»explains the specialist. He clearly fought with courage, which speaks volumes about his solidarity and sense of camaraderie..”
In the military hierarchy, skin color did not matter: same outfit, same salary and same pension for all soldiers, whatever their origin. But having his portrait painted remained an unaffordable luxury for veterans. According to Anna Lavelle, it was probably the officers who commissioned the painting, as a tribute to the courage of their compatriot.
On the canvas, the soldier appears dressed in a dazzling white cavalry uniform, a ring on his hand, holding cymbals – a symbol of his role within the regiment’s band. “The musicians twirled the cymbals under their legs, threw them in the air, caught them and banged them loudly… They put on a very theatrical and energetic show”explains the curator.
The museum acquired the portrait for 30,000 pounds sterling (around 34,000 euros) last year, without knowing the identity of the model, but aware of its rarity: only two other portraits of black British soldiers from the same period are listed to date. Unveiled to the public at the end of October, the portrait will remain permanently exhibited in the gallery Army at Home. Objective: to repair part of the historical oversight and remind us that the British army was not only white and aristocratic.
