"drivers of french amulances military or civilians" Topic

if so what niforms

They were military and wore the brown uniform of the Service de Sante.

Have a look here:

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Sorry, to be clear, they were manned by the Service de Sante but the drivers were from the Train des Equipage.

link

While correct, we know our friend joe is doing early works.
And those uniforms are mid to later Empire, so I'd bet 1805 could easily see regulation blue for any 'non-combattants'.

And yes, Train for the drivers (already regulated steel-grey/blue uniforms being introduced).
cheers d

The trains des equipages was not formed until March 1807. Before that the Compagnie Breidt was used and their personnel wore a uniform of sorts, of a brown coat faced sky blue with a top hat in 1804 with brown coveralls over shoes with black leather inserts on the coveralls.

By 1806 they were wearing a more military looking 'uniform' of a brown habit with sky blue lapels, cuffs, and collar, a cocked hat with a red plume and heavy cavalry boots and brown breeches.

When the train des equipages was formed and organized in companies and battalions the uniform became gris de fer (iron grey) with brown facings and first a chapeau, then a shako. Breeches were either brown or buff colored 'skin' breeches. They were uniformed and equipped similarly to the train d'artillerie.

The train des equipage was assigned to the service de sante to provide transport for their ambulances, and one battalion of them was formed for the invasion of Russia.

Rousselot's Plate 90 covers the organization and uniforms quite well as does Chapter XXVII on Logistics of John Elting's Swords Around a Throne.

Voiture de Percy. Les postillons ne sont pas militaires mais salariés des compagnies de transport comme la compagnie Breidt. (dessin E Lajoux. Attelages militaires)

Full article at link

so no grades , n.c.o's and higher?

oeps

oh

drummers?

As a mounted unit, the train des Equipages would have trumpeters, not drummers.

There are five Knotel watercolors of supply train troops from the train de equipages in John Elting's Napoleonic Uniforms, Volume II, pages 64-66.

The 18th Battalion of the train des equipages was assigned to the medical service in 1812.

The uniforms for the train des equipages varied considerably because of trouble in getting the correct colored cloth, especially in Spain. Trumpeters wore the usual reversed colors, but were also uniformed in scarlet coats with sky blue shako and trousers as well as orange coats faced sky blue and gray pantalons.

For the drivers some wore brown coats faced pink, rose faced yellow, gray with a blue collar and red epaulets.

The three prints of the train d'artillerie is similar to the uniforms of the train des equipages, but they are not the same units.

The train d'artillerie was established by Napoleon in January 1800. The train des equipages was authorized and formed in March 1807 while the Grande Armee was in Poland fighting the Russians. Compagnie Breidt was worn out from the campaigns in Prussia and Poland which was the catalyst for Napoleon forming the militarized train des equipages. Napoleon ordered that while the new supply battalions were being formed, the Compagnie Breidt was to be left alone as it was still needed.

cheers guys thanks for this solved

TRAIN DES EQUIPAGES raised in 1807 illustrated below

(nothing to do with TRAIN D'ARTILLERIE 1800-1880)

Clearly I don't know my 'amulances' from my a_________

>> Napoleon ordered that while the new supply battalions were being formed, the Compagnie Breidt was to be left alone as it was still needed.
Never read that before. Clearly still parts of the mystery to be solved.

I'm sure that you already know this, but the term 'ambulance' in French, especially for the French army of the period, was used somewhat differently than in English.

Divisions d'ambulance were medical units composed of assigned medical officers, employees, vehicles and equipment found at the corps level.

The term also referred to a medical aid station at the regimental level.

The caisson d'ambulance found at the regimental level was a four-wheeled vehicle.

In short, the term 'ambulance' was used to denote personnel, equipment, and how they were used.