"Colección de soldaditos de Invasiones Inglesas" Topic

Good job here…

link

Amicalement
Armand

You are sooooo right, Tango! I will spend an hour browsing through this. Amazing collection of figures, uniform data, action scenes. A wealth of unit information and uniforms, formerly unknown to me.

GdeP

Yes, some impressive painting here as well as all the information, though I must say that the tartan of the 92nd (Gordon Highlanders) does seem as if it's incomplete – no "over stripe" visible, unlike the Camerons shown earlier in the listings.

I see the 71st in kilts. Early in the Peninsular War, the wore trews, with the feather bonnet. Allegedly the sold or gave away their feathers to Spanish ladies!

Still later the were the Highland Light Infantry, with dark blue diced cap shrunk over the cylindrical shako. Went on to Waterloo fame.

Did they really wear kilts in the South American fighting?

GdeP

Happy you like them guys!. (smile)

They did…

Amicalement
Armand

Garde de Paris: two additional points. First, I've seen an example of the blue woollen bonnet, with red and white dicing, shrunk over the shako as you state, in the HLI Museum in Glasgow. It seemed a little shorter than might be expected.
Secondly, it's more correct to write/say "wearing the kilt", and avoid the form "kilts". Told this by a veteran Pipe-Sergeant years ago; even Scottish people don't normally know the idiom, by the way. Good Luck.

""*[//]) {>::::

Thanks, Robert! "Wearing the kilt" it will be.

GdeP

I believ the 71st returned fromm Buenos Aires in such a ragged state that they wore tartan trews made out of the kilt (other regiments resorted to this measure in the Peninsula).

The bonnet of the HLI being shrunk over the shako may be something of of a misconception. The 71st's felted wool bonnet was simply re-blocked to resemble a light infantry shako, hence its being not as high. Sadly, for romantic legend, the ostrich feathers were simply dispensed with as no longer required.

The 71st were ordered in 1809 to shed their identity as a kilted Highland corps to become light infantry but were permitted to adopt the title of 'Highland Light Infantry', the diced bonnet cocked as a cap with peak attached with a cord, and pipers who retained full highland dress.

"HORSE GUARDS, 12th April 1810.

"SIR,- Having submitted to the Commander-in-Chief your letter of the 4th instant, I am directed to state, that there is no objection to the 71st being denominated Highland Light Infantry Regiment, or to the retaining of their pipes, and the Highland garb for the pipers; and that they will, of course, be permitted to wear caps according to the pattern which was lately approved and sealed by authority.*

* Note by David Stewartof Garth:
The bonnet cocked is the pattern to which allusion is made in the above letter. This was in accordance with Lieutenant-Colonel Pack's application; and with respect to retaining the pipes, and dressing the pipers in the Highland garb, he added, "It cannot be forgotten how these pipes were obtained, and how constantly the regiment has upheld its title to them. These are the honourable characteristics which must preserve to future times the precious remains of the old corps, and of which I feel confident His Majesty will never have reason to deprive the 71st regiment."

Thanks!.

Amicalement
Armand

Thankyou Flanker! Information "rigth from the Horse's mouth" as in Horse Guards.

By the way, I have seen the HLI cap with a hackle on the front top as for all British units in shakos, but also with a pompom or ball of fur, on the top center of the cap. Which is correct, or were the of different years?

GdeP