"Russian Flags" Topic

Hi Folks

I have managed to find details of Russian Infantry flags and the appropriate flag to use for each regiment BUT I still have on bit of info that I can't find.

All the regiments in an inspection use the same flag but the sources say that they are differentiated by the colour of the staff. I have three queries related to this …

(1) By 'staff' do they mean the actual wooden pole or the part of the flag that wraps around it (or possibly both). Illustrations on prints seem to show the latter but I'm not sure.

(2) Is there any source that gives the colour of the staff by regiment or is it linked to other distinguishing colours for the regiment in any way.

(3) The regiment had 5 flags so I'm presuming that these had staffs that were all coloured in the same way (I know the 1st Bn would have the White flag and the rest the coloured version) – is this a reasonable assumption ?

I'm aware that this info may not actually be available but I thought that, if it was known, someone here would know where it could be found.

Thanks

Tony Hughes

Tony
All my research indicates that few Russian units abided by the staff painting rules. For the record, the first battalion would be painted white and the other battalions (usually only two, a second battalion and a reserve or garrision battalion) would have black staffs.
The staff, not the flag, would be painted that way.
the outlander

For a brief but accessible survey of flagstaff colours, and changes over various 'issues' of the flags, please see the summary at this site: link

It really depends on: a) the period you're trying to represent; and b) the specific regiments you're modelling.

Hope this helps,

Bryce

this site may help

link

Thanks guys but the Napflags site doesn't give any specifics of the bits I was originally looking for, I got much of my main info from there and confirmed it elsewhere.

I am beginning to suspect the references are to the wooden bit and not the cloth surrounding it, as I had first thought. Considering how little of the staff can be seen on a painted figure it probably isn't that important.

My confusion comes from a couple of old prints I found on the net where the cloth part around the staff was a different colour to the main flag colour. I have pretty much decided to discount this as either error, faded colours or artistic licence.

Thanks

Tony

Are the Hourtouelle books any good about flags?
donald

1) 'Staff' means the wooden pole on which the flag was mounted;
2) The colours of staffs are indicated by battalion, regiment, and division, in the link previously provided--note that these changed frequently over time;
3) Under the 3 battalion organisation, musketeer infantry regiments had 6 flags: the 1st battalion carried the "Colonel's" flag (White or White cross) + a "coloured" flag; the 2nd (depot) and 3rd battalions each carried two "coloured" flags only.

Bryce