"French Guard Grenadiers - 1812" Topic

I've been commissioned to paint these guys in 15mm, 12 fig bns, and want to get it right.

The figures will be wearing trousers, but not greatcoats. It's what I'd call "semi-dress."

I've seen Old Guard Grenadiers illustrated in white pantaloons, but also blue. Can anyone clarify that?

I figure the 3rd (Dutch) regiment and the Middle Guard Fusilier Grenadiers wore white trousers.

Subject to correction by the membership.

Now I'm being asked to consider the Old Guard Chasseurs a pied. Did they wear blue or white trousers?

I'd go white for the Grenadiers a Pied and blue for the Chasseurs a Pied just to differentiate between the two at a glance.

Blue for both

I'll second Green Tiger. Blue and Blue!

Another member posted this link recently. From Rousselot. For Grenadiers:

link

For Chasseurs:

link

Dark blue for both. In 15s' the red patch with white grenade on the back of the bearksin identifies grenadiers; black fur or goatskin identifies chasseurs.

Cuff are different.

Epaulettes with green boards for chasseurs, but red fringe and crescent would be hard to see.

I have never seen illustrations of the Dutch grenadiers in overalls, but white would seem most likely.

GdeP

As in illustrations above, grenadiers have Brandenburg cuff, chasseurs have Swedish cuff.

Difference between summer and winter dress I believe. Both the Grenadiers à Pied & Chasseurs à Pied wore both blue and white trousers at different times so both are valid uniforms.

The 3rd (Dutch) Grenadiers wore a white uniform with red trim if I recall correctly.

The Middle Guard Fusilier-Chasseurs & Fusilier-Grenadiers wore the same uniform as the Old Guard regiments but for shakos rather than bearskins.

Cheers,

The Bandit

This is pretty much as I expected. I'll leave it to the client to decide.

Many thanks to all.

As Bandit says. The word was; white for summer and blue for winter. I'd bet a different weight of cloth, not just the colour, but I doubt any evidence either way. In 1812 both may well have followed regulations.

By 1815 I have never seen either in anything but blue coveralls (trousers if you prefer)…the point is they did wear something underneath, like "longjohns".

Try this site as well: link

For the Middle Guard Fusilier Grenadiers you can also give them brown coverall-pants as they used them in Spain. I did my 1809 version that way. I believe it was due to a shortage of cloth and they needed something to protect their dress knickers. My source was from a book covering the Spanish campaigns- I think-"Napoleon's Spanish Campaigns". It has a series of French/allied and British/allied uniforms over the course of the war (1807-1814).

link
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