"French Light Infantry Helmet AWI " Topic

Did French Light Infantry wear Helmets in the AWI?

I have some 25MM Minifig "Tricorne" Range(T-5109) French LI Advancing, with number 20 stamped on the Base. Also older Minifigs French LI Firing with 85 stamped on the base.

They have crested helmets and plume on the left. Long coats with turnbacks, as opposed to cut-off sleeves of uniform coat and attaching them to waistcoats like "Round-abouts".

My earlier paint references (20-years ago) called for Lt. Blue coats.

Could they be referring to Deux Pont, or Lauzan Legion Chassuers?

Thanks,

John Koprowski

I have a source that states, the light blue uniform belonged to German troops in French service and that there were pictures of chasseurs on recruiting posters wearing metal helmets with fur turbans, crest and plume.
Sorry to say I don't have any pictures for you.

The short answer is no, they did not wear the helmet. The light infantry would have the distinctively cocked hat of this new warrant. There is a wealth of pictorial reference of these lovely helmets, but they are not of the era of the AWI. BTW, I used those old Minifig light infantry to convert to other AWI troops that did wear helmets. I did a regiment of Carolina regulars in helmet, with much cutting and filing.

I was involved in reenacting French (Royal Deuxpont)for 20 years. Many of the fellows in our group did some amazing research to get our impression right. We had a real test with the grenadier bonnet. We never really nailed down the interior construction techniques. I built about a dozen using a reed basket frame as we had a British bonnet of the mid 19th c. to work from. This turned out to be wrong, but no one asks to look inside. They probably should have been leather like the Brit bonnets of the AWI.

The French light infantry is composed of the rifle companies (Chasseurs)of each regiment. "Chasseurs" have the tricorn, their main distinctive is the horn on the back of the dress.

Chasseur de Lauzun

Not during the AWI.
Helmets rather similar to that of the Dragons

(both types variants of the so-called 'Schomberg' helmet designed by Maurice de Saxe) but lighter were given to the mixed Legions of light troops at their creation after the SYW

This type of helmet was planned (ca. 1770-72) to be given to the whole line infantry, but soon disappeared, probably because of its price.

By the time of the AWI, among the French infantry only two 'line' regiments, 'Colonel Général' and 'du Roi', were still wearing this type of helmet -they kept it proudly to the end of the monarchy.

Excellent gentlemen!

Thank you for your time and your accurate responses.

John Koprowski

The helmet was worn by the chasseurs (light infantry) of Lauzun's Legion, according to Eugene Leliepvre, Costume Militaire, Ancien Régime 12, La Légion de Lauzun, Edition Husards du Marais, Paris.

Those paintings/art work look 1790s to me and they are all dragoons, not infantry.

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