"British shako distinctions question" Topic

Hi,

I'm having a problem finding out the correct shako distinction for the light flank coy of line battalions.

I have pics with horns on (at least some) line battalions, plates on KGL and Guards battalions. I'm totally lost and confused.

Is there a rule of thumb for the use of horn or plate?

Please advise.

James

Horn would be a Light Infantry Regiment with all companies wearing the light company distinctions i.e. green plumes, shoulder wings etc.

The Light Company of a line or Guards regiment would have the same shako plate as the other companies but would be different from the center companies by wearing a green plume and shoulder wings.

David

I hope someone comes along who knows about these data, but I always do the light companies of line battalions in the Peninsular War with shako plates as for the whole battalion but with green hackle.

I do a couple Waterloo-era battalions, and recall that several of the battalions who fought there have been illustrated with bugle horns on the front of the light company shako, while the rest of the battalion had a "common" plate. Green hackle, of course. Some with white cords, but perhaps one with green.

GdeP

re: Stovepipe shako

I have a picture showing a horn on the shako of the light flank coy of the 30th and 36th infantry regiments, neither of which are light infantry regiments – both plates show an officer. I also have a picture of the shako only of the 33rd regiment of line infantry (light flank coy presumably) which also has a horn rather than a plate.

Meanwhile, the pictures I have of guards and KGL show a plate for light flank coys.

Some regiments used the bugle on their light company shakos while others used the plate albeit with a bugle symbol included. Doing some research for the 3rd Division in 1812 I came up with:

5th Foot – Plate
45th Foot – Bugle
74th Foot – Bugle
77th Foot – Bugle
83rd Foot – Plate
88th Foot – Plate
94th Foot – Bugle

All companies in the light infantry regiments wore wings, green plumes and bugle badges.

I am afraid that it comes down to investigating the individual regiments.

Artilleryman is correct.

Re Franklin p111; "In December of 1813 a General Order prescribed that rifle and light infantry regiments and the light companies of line regiments should wear the bugle horn and regimental number instead of the shako plate. Sufficient evidence exists to show that this order effectively authorized a practice that had been going on for some time, some regimental officers were now wearing the bugle horn and number in the metal colour of the regiment."

So, it depends on the regiment, however I am surmising that around 1812 and later (when the Belgic shakos were being issued) the bugle badge with regimental number was quite common in line light infantry companies.

Iron Duke, that's the way I see it.

That's pretty much what I thought too, that in general, before the 1812 change to the "belgic" shako that all companies of line battalions had the plate front on the "stovepipe" shako.

Tony.

And as I have said many times.

The 7th Royal Fusiliers and the (Light company) in the 23rd Royal Welch Fusiliers wore white plumes.

The 7th had Right and left flank companies (not designated Grenadiers/light).

The 23rd, though they had Light and Grenadier companies (designated in closed brackets), were dressed with elite company distinctions and white plume throughout the regiment, as was that of the 7th.

Paul :)

Really good topic thanks

Glad I read Dibble's comment. I had no idea that Fusiliers' uniforms were such a law unto themselves. CE Franklin's book confirms all this……..the 7th even had blue backing to their wings, which I imagined Guards or KGL trademark.

God help anyone trying to understand British uniform distinctions over the centuries!

deadhead:

God help anyone trying to understand British uniform distinctions over the centuries!

That's an understatement!

Paul :)