"AWI Light Infantry Belly Boxes?" Topic
6 Posts
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| Son of Liberty | 13 Jul 2014 1:16 p.m. PST |
Hello, all, I recently acquired a couple of boxes of the new Wargames Factory AWI figures (one each of the Continentals and British.) I've started assembling the Continentals and I've noticed that the figures in short-tailed coats which are to be used for the light infantry have belly boxes. I'm not an expert on AWI uniforms and equipment, but I think they weren't used very often if at all. Were these belly boxes used by any American light infantry companies? So far, I've only been able to find one illustration of a light infantryman wearing one, but he was a British highlander. There's no easy way to remove the belly boxes without major surgery and resculpting, so I'll be leaving them in place regardless of how common they were, but I'd like to know all the same. Thanks for any information/opinions on this. Son of Liberty |
| cavcrazy | 13 Jul 2014 2:59 p.m. PST |
If you look in the Mollo book "Uniforms of the American Revolution", you will see that the 5th Pennsylvania regiment wore belly boxes, and that the dismounted dragoons wore belly boxes too.
I'm thinking that if the British and Germans wore them that somewhere along the way they may have been worn by Americans as well. |
| spontoon | 13 Jul 2014 6:02 p.m. PST |
usually considered substitute standard, but seem to be very common. |
| Redcoat 55 | 13 Jul 2014 7:23 p.m. PST |
If I recall correctly in the summer of 1776 General Howe ordered all belly boxes converted to be shoulder mounted. By the way it wasn't just ligjt infantry that technically had them, they were part of the stands of arms. |
| Major Bloodnok | 14 Jul 2014 2:41 a.m. PST |
The belly box was standard issue to British Light Coys., Higlanders (except early war 71st), early war Loyalists, and I believe Light Dragoons. This was worn with a narrow leather belt with a sliding bayonet frog, where the bayonet hung vertically, the same way as a modern bayonet is worn. If one got a stand of arm from the Tower it would be a musket, sling, belly box, waistbelt and frog. The box itself is a block of wood, drilled for eighteen cartridges, with leather flap nailed over the top. The belt ran through two loops that were nailed to the front of the block. The flap had an embossed GR3 in imitaion gold leaf.
There are some existing ones that were comverted to shoulder carriage. |
| 95thRegt | 14 Jul 2014 7:42 a.m. PST |
American light companies wore whatever they had. Most wore regular cartridge pouches or boxes. Also, MOST coats in the Continental Army were cut short very early on. Not sure why WGF says this is just for light companies. Same goes for the British.
On a side note,I reenact AWI militia,and I wear a belly box occasionally. Bob |
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paints brigs for the British fleet.