"Portuguese British Blue-Grey Uniforms?" Topic

Im not one for Napoleonics usually, but I was looking up the Portuguese army in this period, and I noticed there is a plate from an older Osprey that seems to
show Portuguese troops in bluish-grey shell jackets snd trousers. The only information provided on the page is that it is British supplied "slop" clothing, so, I'm guessing some kind of fatigue uniform, correct? I thought the Portuguese line troops wore dark blue, along with seemingly 95% of other armies of the day.

Mind you, I think the blue grey looks really great; I just can't find any references to this uniform in the little research I've done. Dark blue seems to be the general consensus, with brown for light troops.

I haven't seen illustrations of the blue grey jackets, but the British blue grey trousers were, apparently, commonly issued to the Portuguese. I think you may be correct in assuming they were part of a fatigue uniform. My own Portuguese line infantry are all smartly clothed in dark blue jackets, with most in blue trousers.

I've got that Osprey. Fatigue uniform, usually issued to recruits in training. Notice how it's sort of stripped down next to their regular uniform? You could probably get away with a few in a formation, but the cut's different, and you'd probably raise some eyebrows when they started showing up by full battalions.

Mind you, I've see worse on tables, including my own.

The blue- grey ‘slop' clothing was provided by the British to fill the gap in resources as the Portuguese Army was expanded under British ‘tutelage'. Eventually the regular army was kitted out in the well-known blue uniform of British cut. The slop was transferred to the militia and the phased out. Some may have lingered until 1810 so you might see some as late as Fuentes d'Onoro.

Thank you for the replies; this was very interesting!

The material was probably kersey.