especially if, like Gurwood, they had been mentioned in dispatches. Gurwood was much too junior to be promoted within his own regiment and was made Captain in the Royal African Corps. This was a decidedly inferior regiment and Gurwood tried to exchange into the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards. This was not allowed, again because he was not senior enough, but he then obtained permission to make an exchange into the 9th Light Dragoons where he became brigade-major. He returned to England to sort out his financial affairs now he was of age, was befriended by the Napier family, and was made ADC to Lord Charles Somerset who made him known to the Duke of York and presented him at Court. Gurwood returned to the Peninsula in December 1812 and on 17 January 1813 acted as Esquire when Wellington knighted Sir Charles Stuart on the orders of the Prince Regent. From this time he was frequently in Wellington's company. He fought in the battle of Vitoria in June 1813 and was sent to keep order ih the town which was being subjected to extensive plundering and looting. He and his brigade then took part in the long campaign up through Spain and France. After three months leave in England, Gurwood went to Brussels in August 1814 having been appointed ADC to Sir Henry Clinton, who was second in command to the Prince of Orange in the Netherlands. When the news broke that Napoleon had escaped from Elba and Sir Henry was ordered to remove immediately to Tournai. In the hurry and confusion Gurwood offended Clinton and felt obliged to resign as ADC. He rejoined the 10th Hussars to which he had transferred in 1814 and served with them at Waterloo, where his horse was killed under him and he was wounded in the knee. Service in Britain At the end of 1815 Gurwood joined his Regiment for embarkation to England where they were quartered in Brighton and then in Eastbourne. He was still a regimental captain and very aware that his promotion prospects were severely reduced by the peace. Officer promotions in the British Army were customarily made by purchase except in time of war when vacancies occurred because of death or wounds. The sums involved were considerable but could be offset by selling the previous rank. However officers could not sell non-purchase commissions which left them constantly having to