"Corps of Royal Artillery saddlecloths" Topic

Does anyone happen to know the colour of the saddlecloths of the horses ridden by the Corps of Royal Artillery Drivers in the Peninsula and in the Waterloo campaign. Would it be the same blue as the Royal Horse Artillery? Also, would the saddle rolls be in the same blue with yellow trim as the Horse Artillery? (Come to that, what's in those saddle rolls? Is it just a big horse blanket?)

Thanks

Stephen

See Plate E Men At Arms 204, Wellington's Specialist Troops.

This plate shows a Field Officer, Royal Artillery in 1814. His horse blanket, in the style of a French Shabraque, is Plain blue (same colour as his uniform coat) with no trim or lace. No saddle roll is shown. I have seen other, black and white, ilustrations of RA officers showing a similar blanket.

Thanks Mapleleaf,

I'll go for plain blue with no trim then. I'll probably just do the saddle rolls blue as well.

Regards

Stephen

I have seen an illustration in Franklin's book which shows the blanket role on the cantle as plain blue, but the valise on the back was blue trimmed in yellow at the ends with RHA (or RA) in the centre also in yellow.

Thanks Artilleryman,

Sorry I didn't get back before, I missed your post. I've also realised that I was confusing the blanket roll with the valise – meaning I thought the valise was just another blanket roll. So what was kept in there? Does it just function as a knapsack of sorts?

I'll add the yellow trim as you suggest. I've got Pericoli's Armies at Waterloo and that's what it shows for officers and men of the RHA, I just wasn't sure whether it was the case for drivers as well.