""Companie de bon tireurs?"" Topic

A couple years ago, one of our contributors posted a picture from Col. Elting's work of one of these soldiers. I recall that he was from the 88ieme de ligne, wore a bearskin with no cords, no plume, no plate – just black fur or goatskin. A brown officer-looking surtout; black boots with straight tops.

Does anyone have access to that picture, and can you add more information – perhaps some narrative from the book?

I am building British and French units in 28mm Victrix plastics, and find I have too many French officers and drummers, and I am looking to convert these in some way. This figure offers a good start! We could also do dismounted French dragoons ("pokalem" forage cap head – or Perry dragoon heads) at the port, as though returning for re-mount; part of a way-station small garrison, etc. I have cut all the Victrix bases down with a metal cutter, and have tons of scrap to fashion into Spanish-type "belly" ammo boxes to avoid a lot of crossbelt work.

Picture, info welcome. Also other ideas?

GdeP

From Elting V.1 Line Inf. plate 51

88th Line Inf. Regt., sharpshooter co. 1810
'Possibly because of the need for picked shots to deal with elusive Spanish guerrillas, the col. of the 88th Regt. organized this special co. Their distinctive uniform included Portuguese coats and peculiarly shaped Spanish bearskin caps, both captured from the enemy. Their weapons were also captured – English muskets, probably utilized because of their larger caliber (.75 as compared to the Fr. .69) and thus greater hitting power.'

Figure wears a tall tapered plain black bearskin. Brown coat with green collar, pointed cuffs, coat-tails and piping down single breasted coat front. Brown collar trim. Brass buttons – single row down coat front and two at cuffs. Green epaulettes with red fringe. White breeches, black calf height boots. Black pouch with white cross-belt. Brown knapsack with white straps, brown blanket on top.
Musket with white sling. Bayonet is mounted – there is no bayonet scabbard drawn.
Drawing is from the front so back details are not shown.

Hope this helps.
Cliff

Thank you, Clff! Great help!

I did not recall the green on the coat. I wonder if this could have been a Portuguse Cacadore officer coat. NOr did I remember the green epaulettes with red fringe.

As I remember the picture, it DID have a narrow-topped bearskin hat.

This sounds like a good figure to add to a line voltigeur company, using a officer figure as a private man: Not enough elites in the Victrix plastic sets.

This figure could also be used for Spanish/Portuguese irregulars for the non-purists among us!

If you have this book, do you recall any French soldiers wearing the Spanish-like "belly" cartridge box; a typical cartridge box hung at the waist; and/or Spanish brown leather leggings with sandals?

GdeP

GdeP

I have these plates by Boisselier – not sure where I found them. I seem to recall that it was a link on TMP.
They are part of a 91 plate set of French, Allies and Spanish of the Peninsular War.
link
link

The first figure is that same Companie de bon tireurs and only difference between it and the Knotel plate appears to be pewter buttons and it looks like there isn't a brown trim on the collar.

I don't see any French soldiers with belly-box or leggings and sandals in the Elting book.

Cliff

These are great, Cliff! The grenadier in the second plate has a most unusual looking shako – almost look like the British Belgic.

Must work on how to convert a Victrix French plastic officer to one of these, preferably without a bullet pouch! The belly pouch would have been pretty easy!

GdeP

Cliff, do you have the Elting book with allied troops, as Joseph's Spanish. I found an illustration on the internet under Elting, and these look like they might be Spanish in French service, with belly boxes!

link

See the second row, 4th picture from the left. When you let your cursor rest on the picture, it enlarges to 4 illustrations of soldiers in brown coats, two or 3 with belly boxes. The "Corsican" hats are puzzling.

I spent my 2-hour painting ration this morning on two Victrix French officers from their 1808-12 set. Used a French bearskin left over from an 1804-7 set for one, cut away to look more Spanish; a fatigue (stocking) cap for the other. Cut the cuffs off the boots, will do one as black boots in the illustration above, but will paing white stockings on he other with Spanish sandals (solapas?) for the other. Will paing dark brown straps, and cover the legs with "honey brown" leather-like leg protection, seen on many Spanish troop illustrations. I put scrap plastic at the waist as belly boxes.

A couple years ago, I "converted" 36 Stadden 30mm French to the 88th, adding epoxy baloon trousers, and cutting away the coat trails. I epoxied over the shakos as well, did some in German WWII field grey! and has fun with other earth colours. I did the drummer in green long-tailed coat. I did not know about the "Comapnie de bon tireurs" at that time, and will stray from that illustration a bit, and put these into Voltigeur companies of other Victrix plastics. These sets do not have anough elite figures. I need 18 fusiliers and 14 elites plus 2 officers, eagle bearer, 1 or the other eagle escort, and drummer to do my units, so these conversions will add to the voltigeurs.

I seem to recall doing the 88th voltigeurs with green epaulettes, with yellow crescents, so I have some spot painting to do if I ever sell this house!

GdP

GdP

The Elting pages you found are from Vol.1 and depict the Corsican bns. in French service.
First figure is 'Tirailleur Corses, Tirailleur 1810'
Second – Chasseur Corses, 1st bn. Carabinier, 1815
Third – Chass. corses, 2nd bn., Voltigeur 1815
Fourth – Chass. Corses, 4th bn., Chasseur 1815

Cliff

I like the combination of brown with sky blue. Eventually hope to do the battalion of Legin du Midi to go with my 26th French line, 3rd Swiss, and Garde de Paris. (I like to pretend the last do were not involved at Bailen!)

So some units on the French side did have a cartridge box at the waist.

I wonder if this odd uniform and the British muskets may have been a way to deceive Spanish guerillas into thinking this was one of their units!!!

GdeP