"French Lancer Gendarmes" Topic

I recently bought some old 2nd gen Minifigs on eBay and they included a couple of packs of figures that are described in the catalogue as French Lancer Gendarmes (product code 14FC). I've never heard of these troops before. Can anyone tell me who they are?

The uniform is unusual in that it appears to consist of a long-tailed coat with frogging on the chest.

Lancer Gendarmes served in Spain; lances first seem to have been issued in 1810, with the entire unit being lance armed by late 1811/early 1812. Scroll about 2/3 of the way down this page for uniform details:

link

Thanks pas de charge. It's a nice-looking uniform. I'll enjoy painting those.

Here is an earlier post on the topic:

TMP link

As far as I remember (I'm not at home right now, and can't double check references ), the gendarme-lancers normally were deployed as single squadrons. I have a recollection, though, that I've seen a reference in Oman to a massed formation of 6 squadrons at one of the Peninsular battles.

Rick

Thanks Rick,

At present I've only got 8 figures and no command so, for the time being at least, I will also only be deploying them as a single squadron.

Stephen

You can probably get more from Caliver.

Unfortunately not. My figures are 15mm from the old 2nd gen line that is no longer made. The current 15mm French Napoleonic range is much smaller and doesn't include Lancer Gendarmes. (They still make them in 25mm though)

Stephen,

Here is a quick lunch-hour update that demonstrated my memory is not totally faulty. Oman's Vol. VI, Appendix II, "The French Armies in Spain: October 15, 1812" lists a Cavalry Brigade Laferrière as part of Cafarelli's Army of the North. The brigade consisted of 6 squadrons of gendarmes, 2 squadrons of the Lnacers of Berg, and 3 squadrons of the 15th Chasseurs.

Like you, my gendarme-lancers consist of a single squadron of 8, painted for me by one of my sons, though they are 25s.

Rick

There were gendarmes and gendarme lancers; I am not sure how many of each Laferriere had.

Thanks Rick,

Sounds like I also need to get on with painting those Lancers of Berg I've been meaning to get round to for as long as I can remember.

There were gendarmes and gendarme lancers; I am not sure how many of each Laferriere had.

Alas, yes. Oman's OOBs only distinguish the foot gendarmes from the mounted gendarmes.

I believe I formed the belief that the gendarme-lancers were involved from Oman's description of the defeat of the British cavalry by Laferrière's brigade (commanded by Col. Faverot of the 15th Chasseurs on this occasion) at Villadrigo on Oct. 23, 1812 (also called the combat of Venta del Pozo, see Oman, pp. 71-75). He speaks collectively of the brigade as "Lancers and Chasseurs." I do not recall seeing gendarmes ever described as chasseurs, hence concluded that they were lance-armed. On a closer read of Oman, by the way, I note that he states in a footnote (p. 73) that 4 squadrons of the Burgos Legion gendarmes were present, and two were absent, so I was wrong in my memory of the 6 squadrons involved in the charge.

Elting's description (Swords Around a Throne, pp. 415-416) is, also alas, somewhat ambiguous about whether the Burgos Legion gendarmes were lance armed. He indicates that the other mounted gendarmes in Spain were "provided with lances" after Villadrigo. I can only speculate rhetorically, did he mean "as a result of?" One of my posts in the link provided above does cite Embleton's statement that all the mounted gendarmes in Spain were lance-armed by Dec. 1812.

I also need to get on with painting those Lancers of Berg

My unit is the Berg Light Horse (4 squadrons) from their 1808-1809 incarnation, mostly because their white/amaranth uniform with tschapkas is my all-time favorite Napoleonic uniform. Double alas, they did not have lances at this time, so I had to use the Minifig casting of the 2nd rank lancers armed only with swords.

Rick