"Main difference in "look" between the Middle and Young Guard" Topic

Without getting into great detail, was wondering if anyone could give me a quick bit of advice on the overall difference in appearance between the Middle and Young guard (please don't answer age). Thanks for any help!

For full dress appearance you can go here and look at the figs for each:

link

It's easier to describe in terms of the difference between old and middle. The ONLY difference between old and middle was the headgear. The young guard units had completely new uniforms. These can be quite confusing.

There is a web site on the Grande Armee uniforms of 1812 which provides a lot of info on this. I don't know how to link it--I'm quite the Luddite--but it can't be too hard to find. I found it, after all.

Try this:

link

and

link

Probably the most obvious visual difference is long coat tails for the middle and short for the young.
Phil

Agree with Valmy92 re the cut. Blue lapels for the YG rather than white are a key difference in colour terms.

Dear Forum,

Have seen many color scans of the French Young Guard, circa 1812. Would the French Young Guard uniforms of 1809, look any differently? If so, what would be the subtle distinctions, if any? Reply posts with color scans of the French Young Guard, as they appear, in 1809, would be greatly appreciated!

VR
wayneempire

Dear VR,

I cannot provide scans, and the Young Guard are hard to document, especially before 1812. There were many changes. However, the 1809 period is a bit easier, since there were not yet very many YG units. My uniform source is Funken, with some reservations. At this point, all members of the "grenadier corps" had uniforms based on the OG grenadiers, and likewise for the "chasseur corps."

1809 Young Guard Infantry units:
Conscrit Grenadiers
Conscrit Chasseurs
Tirailleur Grenadiers
Tirailleur Chasseurs

Conscrit Grenadiers:
Uniform like OG grenadiers, with the following exceptions: short tails on the jacket. White turnbacks piped red with red eagles. Blue shoulder straps with red piping, blue colar and lapels without piping. Shako with brass eagle badge, white side chevrons, red plume and cords. Funken shows short gaiters (to below the knee), but this might be incorrect, as the short gaiters did not appear otherwise until 1813. Of course, it's possible that the short gaiters originated with these units. I don't know.

Tirailleur Grenadiers:
Dark blue jacket with pointed blue lapels, piped white. Red turnbacks with white piping and white eagles. Red collar piped blue, red shoulder straps piped white, red pointed cuffs, piped white. Shako with white chevrons, brass eagle badge, white cords, red over white plume (Funken shows half and half). Again, Funken shows the short black gaiters, but those probably date to after 1812.

Note that all the grenadier corps below OG had white chevrons on their shakos. Not so with the chasseur corps.

Conscrit Chasseurs:
Blue jacket with blue pointed lapels, piped white. White waistcoat. Red collar piped white. Blue shoulder straps piped red. Red pointed cuffs piped white. Blue turnbacks with green horns and red piping. This may be in error. I would expect white piping along with the lapels, as well as red turnbacks, but I cannot be sure. Funken shows blue trousers, but I would expect white breeches with short black gaiters, based on Funken's other illustrations. Shako with white cords and green pompon.

Tirailleur Chasseurs:
As above, but green shoulder straps piped red, red collar piped blue, red turnbacks with white piping, green horn on outside turnback, green eagle on inside.