The Great White Company

Ma latest Field of Glory army is the White Company. Many of you might know them and their Commander John Hawkwood from various books and films. The company was founded by Albert Sterz, a German peasant who fought as knight in english service, at the dismissing of troops in 1361 after the first period of the Hundred Years War. The company itself was a group of independent companies with an democratic elected leader. The troops of Sterz were mostly English and Welsh longbowmen and French, English or Navarrese knights. Their first action was to siege the Pope, who reigned in Avignon at that time. Only because of the thread of excommunication by the pope they lifted the siege and marched south to Italy. They were hired by the Pisans against Florenz until the split up between Hawkwood and Sterz in 1365, Sterz in fact was widely known to be inloyal and in consequence very successfull. Him and Johannes von Bongard founded the Company of the Star, mainly consisting of the Bongards Germany knights, who fought mounted while both French and English fought mainly on foot at that time. Bongard and Sterz had been comrads, while both were serving the Pisans.

My army is the Great White Company led by Sterz and includes Bongards German knights.
In Italian: i Pisani Grande Compagnia Bianca dello Sterz
Sub commanders are John Hawkwood, Bongard and Andre De Belmonte.

Here you can see the command of a dismounted knights unit, the Compagni Bianca is famous for intrudicing the tactic of dismounted knight in combat to Italy. Maybe it is known as 'the white' because of the knights shining plate armour.