"Dutch Guards for WSS" Topic

In the spirit of election year (here in the USA),
I just wanted to take a sort of unofficial poll.
When painting Dutch Guards for the WSS would you:

1.) Paint blue coats with yellow orange cuffs and stockings.

2.) Paint blue coats with poppy red cuffs and stockings.

3.) Have the grenadiers sporting the standard Dutch grenadier cap.

4.) Have the grenadiers sporting fur caps.

I will soon be painting up two 15mm battalions of Dutch Guards so that is my motivation for asking.

Cheers!

Gallo

Charles Grants uniform book says:

No.4 Dutch Guard

Coat: Indigo Blue
Lining: Red
Cuffs: Red
Waistcoat: Blue
Breeches: White
Stockings: White
Tricorn: braided yellow with yellow buttons.

No other guard units are mentioned.

Jim

Despite Grant's authoritative info I painted mine in the orange with the cloth cap for the Grenadiers 'cause it looks cool and differentiates them from the French Gardes.

Hmmm . . . Well Shag, I was thinking of doing the same thing for basically the same reasons. I still haven't made up my mind, thus the poll. By the way, what color did you make the cloth of the grenadier caps, orange or blue?

Hello Jim, if I do decide to go with the red cuffs then the information you provided will be very useful.

Cheers!

Gallo

link

Hi, I used as a painting guide the info in the warsoflouisxiv blog. For 1691 a documentary source shows dark blue coats and orange-yellow cuffs and stockings. Officers with orange sash. There is an illustration of a grenadier.
However, the blog author states that from 1702 red cuffs were adopted with white stockings. I assume the officers retained the orange sash.

I went with blue clothe caps with orange trim and facing. Without any evidence I've always felt the republican politicos changed the uniform as a slap at the dead William of Grange. Despite their puerile efforts orange became and remained the national color of the Netherlands as witness the great scenes in "A Bridge Too Far" and "Band of Brothers."

Thanks for that, Brunanburh. In many cases, I had hoped to use WSS miniatures for LOA. In the case of the Dutch, it may be necessary to model LOA one way and WSS another. I also noticed that the flag in that illustration is completely different than the ornate flag that I presume was used later. I may still go with orange cuffs and stockings for the same reason Shagnasty gave. I think it would look cool. Also the old Osprey "Marlborough's Army 1702-11" book shows orange cuffs on the Dutch Guard illustration (1706). I'm still not sure about the grenadier cap. I'm using 15mm Minifigs so I may simply go with the standard Dutch brass front figures.

Cheers!

Gallo

Gallo, as for the flags bear in mind the 1691 illustrated flags were when the regiment had been incorporated into the English army – hence perhaps the FOSG. By the WSS the flags had probably been changed. My WSS armies are 6mm and I used the Baccus flags which are a completely different design. I also seem to remember that the 28mm flags from flagsofwar.com were different again.

Shag, I really like the idea of orange facings and stockings too. I believe there were three battalions of Dutch Guards at the start of the War of the Spanish Succession. I have read that the officers had orange sashes. I'm still not sure about the style of the grenadier cap I may go with something similar to the British fusilier cap.

Brun, for the flag I will use the the ornate one with the rampant lion on a shield in the center. I think that the WSS happened so long ago that a lot of details just aren't known, and in that uncertainty, I see opportunity!

Cheers!

Gallo