"Drapeaux of the French Army • 1804-15 • Imperial" Topic

….Guard Infantry

"The reorganization of the French Army in 1803-04 included the transformation of the Guard of the Consuls into the Imperial Guard. Initially the infantry component of the Guard consisted of one regiment of Foot Grenadiers and one of Foot Chasseurs, each with two march battalions and one training battalion. The Foot Grenadiers and Foot Chasseurs constituted what came to be called the Old Guard. They received drapeaux (colors) similar to those of the line and light infantry regiments, but with grenades or hunting horns in the corners and the imperial eagle and crown on the reverse. The basis of issue was one per battalion. As was the case with the line and light infantry regiments, the cloth flag was secondary in importance to the gilded bronze Eagle that topped the color staff. All colors were about 2 1/2 feet square and made of oiled silk…"

Main page

tmg110.tripod.com/frarmy2.htm

Armand

'one training battalion'? They each had one battalion of velites, which was the term used by the Guard. 'To Napoleon it meant a physically fit, passably educated young man who wanted to be an officer, was willing to serve with the Guard to learn how, and would help pay for that privilege.'-John Elting, Swords Around A Throne, 191.

Material on the velites can also be found in The Anatomy of Glory by Henry Lachouque, 35-37. Bugeaud and Blaze were both velites.

Glup!… hope the Flags are well… (smile)

Armand

This is a very useful site. It even covers Free French and Royalist Restoration flags and we might allow the odd error in the text, when we see the quality of the visual content.

"was willing to serve with the guard to learn how" : so a training battalion!

Thanks my good friend…

Armand