"7th (Royal Fusiliers) Foot" Topic

Hi all,
The work to complete Sir Arthur Wellesley's force at Oporto progresses with the addition of the 7th Fusiliers to the collection.

If you would like to read more about this particular unit then, as always, follow the link to JJ's

jjwargames.blogspot.co.uk

Jonathan

Great minds and all that. I have just this night started preparing my 28mm 7th Foot for undercoating.

Hi Brian,
I look forward to seeing them on parade.

Very nice. Might sound like a bit of a dumb question but what differences do the fusilier uniforms of the Napoleonic wars have when compared to regular British line uniforms?

None in Spain; officially, Fusiliers were supposed to wear Bearskins. However, in Spain they wore regular Shkos instead. I believe they wore regulation Bearskins during the 100 days campeign.

Very nice. Might sound like a bit of a dumb question but what differences do the fusilier uniforms of the Napoleonic wars have when compared to regular British line uniforms?

All fusilier companies wore wings. Fusilier company officers wore wings. Field officers were supposed to wear epaulettes over wings. I've never quite figured out how that was supposed to work, or whether the diagrammatic in the regs meant that the field officer could choose to wear EITHER wings or epaulettes.

If anyone has ideas or has scoped out genuine antique jackets of any of the fusilier regts, I would be pleased to learn.

The 7th had 1st and 2nd battalions brigaded with the 23rd Royal Welch Fusiliers at Albuera in Spain. I understand that all companies wore shoulder wings and the cylindrical shako, all with a rectangular front plate, even the light companies. The light companies of both the 7th and 23rd wore green "hackles" (short plumes on front of shako).

I do not know how the 7th would have distinguished their grenadier companies, for the centre companies all had white hackles common to grenadiers.

The 23rd is different in that the grenadier company had white hackler, the centre companies had white over red as for the line regiments.

I also understand that when these regiments paraded in England at home, full dress, the light companies wore the shako with green hackle, and all other companies wore bearskins. Many years ago, before I cared, I did 30mm Staddens converted to white breeches, knee length black gaiters, and bearskins – just as we all did the 7th this way, highlanders, guards and rifles!

I would love to know more about these uniforms in the Peninsula.

GdeP