"Spanish Uniform Coat for 1805" Topic

Was the blue coat specified in 1805 for line infantry regiments the same dark blue of the guard, Swiss, and light infantry? Or was it a medium blue, but darker than the foreign regiments sky blue?

Also, were all the coats faced black (lapel, cuffs, and collar) with variation only in piping? Red turnbacks?

I realise few units likely received these coats and fewer survived use after reverting back to white in 1808. However, variety in color is always welcome for me when I tire of painting white!

Lastly, did Militia units also convert to blue in 1805, or did the retain white coats faced red?

1802 uniform (same for all infantry regiments): Sky blue coat, black lapels,collar and cuffs, red piping, red turnbacks.

1802 provincial militia uniform (same for all regiments): Sky blue coat, red lapels,cuffs,collar,and turnbacks.

Some of these uniforms where still in use in 1808.

Enjoy

I suspect Cronin and Summerfield could answer this….or else their books might!

TMP link

TMP link

The M1802 coat was deep sky blue. This was medium blue in colour and not dark blue as the guard or Swiss. In the Early Spanish Infantry, the units that still had this coat are shown. It is a very complex area.

The M1805 coat was white again as it was unpopular to be in blue.
Stephen

So….like I said, if you want to know………

ask the experts or buy the books!

So much mix and match with Spanish regular and militia, that you can get pretty creative. I have some of mine in blue coats/ black bicorns, others in white coats and still others in brown. No two sources I have researched is definitive on uniform colors , too much provincial / local stocks were used.

Yes that is a good summary. The new recruits were likely to be in ersatz uniform (normally brown). The older soldiers would hold onto their older uniforms.

Also as in Denmark, the units were made up from drafts from other regiments and would retain the uniforms. Hence you would see drawn in the Spanish Infantry of the Early Peninsular War, a blue coated militiaman with red facings drawn by Suhr in a White coated M1805 regiment.
link

Uniformality even in the more prosperous countries did not happen. Look at pictures of the British Army in Afganistan. Remember the Berkshire Militia were still wearing their militia uniform in the defence of Hougoumont despite being "Coldstream Guards".
Stephen