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Calling all armchair generals! Boudica's Last Stand.
(11-30-2015, 12:23 AM)Nathan Ross Wrote: Cerialis and his surviving troops could have retreated north and tried to link up with Paulinus on Watling Street, in which case he could have met them (or messengers with news of the defeat) on the 22nd or 23th, as he approached Towcester (and, indeed, passed Church Stowe!)

Alternatively Cerialis could have gone to St Albans and waited there for Paulinus, who would have arrived there on the 25th. (all dates hypothetical and provisional, of course!)

This is where you and I part company.  As far as Paulinus was aware, the revolt was in the east and Colchester was under threat.  That is where he would have been heading and I suggest that he would have taken the most direct route, along the Via Devana.  London would be irrelevant until he knew that Colchester had fallen and that the rebels were moving in that direction.  If he was at Towcester when he heard of the fall of Colchester and the defeat of Cerialis (to all intents and purposes, simultaneous events), he was going the wrong way.

After his defeat, Cerialis would have made his way back to where the remainder of his legion was based.  If he did then try to link up with Paulinus, he clearly failed or we would have heard of the involvement of his legion in the final battle.

(11-30-2015, 09:20 AM)John1 Wrote: Day 1 a marching camp and any subsequent days whilst awaiting the IX and II or the return of a recce force could be spent embellishing those earthworks.

So Paulinus, not knowing precisely what the enemy is up to, chooses a point at random and digs in and, BINGO!, the rebels choose to go to exactly the same spot and fall into his trap.  Forgive me if I don't find that convincing.

(11-30-2015, 09:20 AM)John1 Wrote: The real waste of effort would be having the 3 Roman forces bimbling around potentally enemy territory looking for each other

Forget this 'bimbling about' nonsense.  Paulinus would have had scouts out constantly, establishing where his reinforcements were and passing instructions to them.  He knew exactly where everyone was.
Michael King Macdona

And do as adversaries do in law, -
Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends.
(The Taming of the Shrew: Act 1, Scene 2)
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Messages In This Thread
Re: Calling all armchair generals! - by Ensifer - 03-11-2010, 03:13 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 02-18-2012, 06:26 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 02-19-2012, 12:02 AM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 02-19-2012, 02:50 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 02-19-2012, 05:40 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 02-19-2012, 11:26 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-24-2012, 05:11 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-24-2012, 09:42 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-24-2012, 10:10 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-25-2012, 03:11 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-25-2012, 03:25 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-25-2012, 08:36 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-26-2012, 02:57 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-27-2012, 01:50 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 08-05-2012, 02:24 PM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-07-2014, 02:18 PM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-08-2014, 01:50 AM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-11-2014, 02:03 AM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-18-2014, 07:54 AM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-20-2014, 02:37 AM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-25-2014, 08:29 AM
RE: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica's Last Stand. - by Renatus - 11-30-2015, 10:57 AM

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