"Napoleons Irish Regiment Uniform" Topic

Is there any definitive authority about the actual shade of green this 3rd Foreign regiment used during the Napoleonic Wars? I have seen it represented from a bright grass green to a sort of medium bathtub green.

Exactitude is not going to be easy. Probabably not even possible. Bottle green is how mine are painted.

they faded fast so it depends if you want them to look campaign dressed or just out of the uniform store

Hi Mick,

I am going to paint mine like a bright crocus green. I am one of those painters that believes the art is more important than accuracy. Also, I consider the Irish unique and while I picture a lot of the other foreign regiments all wearing a sort of dark-ish green such as the Croats and Regiment de Prusse, I consider the Irish more Devil-may-care.

However, I wondered if anyone ever nailed the exact color?

I saw this recently link

And toward the bottom, there seems to indeed be an Irish Regiment uniform in a dark green. Does anyone know where the jacket comes from or where it is housed?

@Jim Selzer, I think I am going to make them more parade ground but even in campaign dress, i would give them bright coats on the strength of in a wargame, brighter is more visible.

There never was such thing as an exact colour. No source, even on the day the uniforms were made. Dye lots varied. The ranks would have had a range of shades even on date of issue.

Contemporary sources are subject to aging and fading. Too much is a verbal description which is highly subjective.

So I concur, Your artistic desires will be your best guide.

I always tend to paint the "blue", "red", or "green" coat with the bottle that is closest and easiest to reach.
Yo know, they still look good.

Here are the originals from Military Modelling Magazine; Napoleons Irish Legion 1803-1815. by Guy C. Dempsey. The illustrations were by Allan Croft, the article was in two parts, December 1980 & January 1981

Paul :)

Very nice, thank you. I prefer the bright for painting but historically, I wanted to know if the jackets were a bright or dark tone. Certainly, even during Napoleonic times, someone could tell the difference between dark and light?

The Grenadier's 'above' would be more favourable.

Paul :)

Just as "dragoon green" turned out to be a myth, and they wore the same colour as the chasseurs a cheval, I suspect that the Irish wore the same green as the other foreign regiments. Which was probably also the same green as that of the chasseurs a cheval.

So it's like a green isosceles triangle!?

From Dragoon to Chasseur to Foreign Regiment?

Pythagoras would approve. :)

One might almost be best off trying to recreate the colour oneself.

Green was made by dyeing with yellow from the weld plant and then blue, using indigo if it could be got or woad if not. You can buy packets of weld seeds by mail order
link

Likewise woad seeds
link

I'm quite tempted to give this a go…