Editing Frederick Haldimand (section)

==Early life and career==
Haldimand was born in [[Yverdon-les-Bains|Yverdon]], [[Vaud]], Switzerland on 11 August 1718.<ref name=HDS/> He was the second of four sons of François Louis Haldimand, a [[notary]] and civil servant, and Marie-Madeleine de Treytorrens.<ref name=HDS/><ref name="Sutherland"/> His grandfather, Gaspard [[Haldeman|Haldimand]], was a cooper who moved from [[Thun]] to Yverdon in 1671.<ref name="Sutherland"/> Haldimand received only a limited education and became interested in the military at an early age.<ref name="Sutherland"/>

In 1740, Haldimand joined the [[Prussian Army]] as [[Swiss mercenaries|a mercenary]].<ref name=HDS/><ref name="Sutherland"/> During the [[War of the Austrian Succession]] he fought at the [[Battle of Mollwitz]], and probably also saw action at [[Battle of Hohenfriedberg|Hohenfriedberg]] and [[Battle of Kesselsdorf|Kesselsdorf]].<ref name="Sutherland"/>  He next joined the [[Swiss Guards]] of the [[Dutch States Army]] in 1748, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1750.<ref name=HDS/> There he formed a friendship with [[Henry Bouquet]], another Swiss mercenary, with whom he would serve in the [[British Army]].<ref name="Sutherland">[[#Sutherland|Sutherland]]</ref>