| Garde de Paris | 04 Jul 2014 11:54 a.m. PST |
I have started painting 32 Victrix plastic Peninsular War 28mm figures as the 23rd, using 4 for the grenadier company; 4 for the light company; and 3 each for the centre companies. All will be advancing, front rank with leveled muskets, rear at the carry. I am using French flank company arms to have the sergeants advancing with pikes leveled or high port. I will add epoxy to the cuffs, shape the epaulettes into wings. I understand that all companies had wings usually reserved for the flank companies of other units. These were all red? Grenadier and fuzileer companies also had white hackles. I assume the light company had green. Did the sergeants of grenadier and fuzileer companies all carry the kurzgewehr/halberd/pike/spontoon/whatever, or did some/all carry muskets? Does anyone know of any other features unique to this regiment? GdeP |
| welly1815 | 04 Jul 2014 1:05 p.m. PST |
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| Garde de Paris | 04 Jul 2014 2:06 p.m. PST |
Thanks, Welly! I seem to recall that others found this depiction wrong, showing centre-company men with white over red hackle, and noted that back before anyone had light infantry, the British records show the entire regiment went to the white hackle. They surely would not have given up the grenadier distinction of the white hackle for all. This shows a sergeant with pike, and that is probably correct. I just wondered if they might all have gone to musket by this time. GdeP |
| welly1815 | 04 Jul 2014 2:35 p.m. PST |
facebook.com/23rdrwf Hi GdeP if you are on Facebook perhaps these chaps can answer your questions. All the best Welly |
| Garde de Paris | 04 Jul 2014 3:44 p.m. PST |
Thanks, Welly. I'll give it a try. |
| Lord Elpus | 04 Jul 2014 5:49 p.m. PST |
Garde de Paris, Not sure about the 23rd, but according to Sgt Cooper, a fellow sergeant of the 7th (Royal Fusiliers) accidentally ran himself through with the butt end of his pike whilst running in camp. This was whilst the regiment was serving in Spain. |
| dibble | 04 Jul 2014 7:22 p.m. PST |
All ranks were Fusiliers, whether they were in the 'Grenadier, 'light' or Battalion company. There were no 'Privates'. Their distinction was all white hackle, flanker style epaulets for all ranks and a black 5 strand ribbon sewn directly below the collar at the rear of the officers tunic. That Mont-Saint-Jean site should be used with great caution. Paul :) |
| Garde de Paris | 05 Jul 2014 7:00 a.m. PST |
Does anyone know when the officers went to the short jacket common to all regiments at Waterloo? I understand that Fuzileer officers adopted that earlier. The black tape below the collar at the rear sounds like a great addition to these Victrix figures, Dibble! And pikes seem to be in order for the sergeants, Lord Elpus. GdeP |
| dibble | 05 Jul 2014 3:54 p.m. PST |
Officers undress short tailed unlaced coat was from 1805. Be aware that some officers (especially in the Grenadier Company) wore the long tailed coat up to the end of the war in the Peninsula. Paul :) |
| Garde de Paris | 05 Jul 2014 4:58 p.m. PST |
Thanks, Dibble! I have two spare Victrix 28mm sergeants with short-tailed coats. It appears I could use these as colour officers of the 23rd. I assume they would wear the bicorn, but might some officers have worn the cylinder shako – for instance, at Albuera? I recall seeing an officer with shako in dark blue "patrol coat," sword in hand on the ground, with another colour officer in bicorn and long-tailed officer coat, holding a royal blue colour – 4th Foot? – in one of my old books – long since packed away. GdeP |
| dibble | 05 Jul 2014 7:52 p.m. PST |
Here's a link to a study of an officer on campaign that may interest you. Scroll up to post #541 in the link below. link The officers of the 4th that you allude to can be found in plate 6 of Blandford Press' Uniforms of the Peninsular War 'In Colour' 1807-1814, by Philip J. Haythornthwait. PS: I notice that in your original post, you asked if the epaulette was all red. The strap part was blue and the crescent was red both with regimental lace and white 'tufting' outer edge of the crescent. Paul :) |
| dibble | 05 Jul 2014 8:56 p.m. PST |
Just to add: The officers epaulette would be of a similar shape, all scarlet but with lace and fringe in gold and adorned with tiny grenade/bugle and fleur-de-lys, in silver. Paul :) |
| Garde de Paris | 06 Jul 2014 6:27 a.m. PST |
Not in 28mm they won't, Paul! I can only dream! Thanks for this further info. That is a great picture of the officer and fusilier of the 23rd! GdeP |
| Musketier | 09 Jul 2014 11:05 a.m. PST |
Check "What is the Flash?" on this site:
rwfmuseum.org.uk/en_faq.html It looks rather more substantial than I would have thought, and thus, quite feasible in 28mm. According to this Regimental Museum website, it was worn by officers AND sergeants until 1900. You could also include the Regimental Goat on your command stand… |
paints his first three ships from the starter set.