"British Grenadier uniforms - ? reversed colours " Topic

Hi all

Just getting into the AWI in a big way and have got round to my 1st British Grenadier unit, I am planning on painting them as Grenadiers from the 18th Royal Irish regiment of foot and was wondering

1) Did the Drummers and Fifers wear reversed colours????

2) If they did wear reversed colours did all Grenadier units do so or not

I have searched the web and found pictures of figures with and without reversed colours……

Confused now
Please help as I want to finish this unit so I can start my American forces

MH
:-)

MH,

A few simple rules:

The Grenadier companies were the only companies allotted fifers. As to coat colors, grenadier musicians followed the same regulations as the other musicians in the regiment.

Generally speaking British musicians wore reverse facing colors. For example the British 55th Foot had dark green facings so its musicians wore dark green coats and red facings.

The huge exception is royal (blue faced regiments), their musicians wore red coats faced blue like the other men. Their musicians would still be set apart from the musket men by the extra lace.

I believe there are extra rules for white, red, and buff faced regiments. For example I believe musicians in red faced regiments wore white coats with red facings (as the 33rd).

I am away from resources, but I think regiments with white, buff, or red facings also wore red small clothes (waist coat, and breeches).

If I don' t make a mistake, all with reversed colours, except Royal, blue facings, and units with white facings…

Red facings = white coat

the Perry plastic British AWI infantry has a nice little reference sheet.

Beyond that there is Giles's website which is my first stop
gilesallison.blogspot.com

then there are several books that are great such as Mollo

This is a very useful site for drums, musicians etc:-

fifedrum.org/crfd/BD_1R.htm

Units with white, red or black facings were meant to wear white uniforms. The drummers of the 5th also apparently wore white coats, because their facing colour of 'gosling green' (a crappy khaki-green) was considered so awful by the colonel.

Drummers in white coats were also issued with red breeches and waistcoats for contrast.

(I) have got round to my 1st British Grenadier unit, I am planning on painting them as Grenadiers from the 18th Royal Irish regiment of foot …

I see slight problems here. If you are making a unit for the British Grenadier rules set, the size for the contingent from the 18th Foot should be at most 3 or 4 figures.
A British grenadier unit was composed of the grenadier companies from up to 5 regiments.

Also, the 18th Regiment did not see much service in the Colonies during the AWI.
link
Basically, they served in Boston in 1775 and then left.

Thanks for the plug, Weland!

MH, if it helps, here's a link to some blog posts about grenadier combined battalions (scroll past the Hessians and you'll get to them). It shows you which regiments provided companies to each of the combined grenadier battalions. As John says, even if you're working on a 1:15 or 1:20 figure/man ratio each regiment would only contribute 4 or 5 figures to a unit of 24-30 figures.
link

Giles

If I understand your question, musicians DID wear reversed colours.

Grenadiers (except musicians) did NOT wear reversed colours.

If I misunderstood, sorry.

So to re-cap:

1. 18th was not very involved in the war

2. 18th was a Royal regiment, so red coats, blue facings and lots of lace for the musicians

Thanks everyone

Less confused now

Back to the paint brushes
:-)

Units with white, red or black facings were meant to wear white uniforms. The drummers of the 5th also apparently wore white coats, because their facing colour of 'gosling green' (a crappy khaki-green) was considered so awful by the colonel.

Mark, this is certainly true for the Napoleonic Wars, but for the AWI (and earlier) there is recorded evidence for black-facings regiments using black for both musicians' coats and the "field" (with a red cross) of the regimental colour. Also the white coats for the 5th date only from 1811; I have this on good authority, with a reference, from no less than Rene Chartrand (apologies if I'm the source for this particular misconception – I'd have liked them in white for the AWI as well).

Drummers in white coats were also issued with red breeches and waistcoats for contrast.

That is definitely correct for this period; I believe this was done for buff-faced regiments, too.