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"French Light Infantry Legere Shakos" Topic


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Calliot03 Sep 2024 12:43 a.m. PST

When did French light infantry start wearing shakos? I've seen depictions of them wearing shako-esque headgear in the later Republican era, but on the other hand I've seen plenty of 1790s images of light infantry in bicornes or tarletons.

The reason I ask is because I have some 1805 light infantry in shako but I'd like to use them for the 1790s if appropriate.

Prince of Essling03 Sep 2024 5:28 a.m. PST

I did post something on this earlier in response to a question on light infantry headgear but I cannot find the post!

Page 147 of Terry Crowdy's "French Light Infantry 1784-1815" says"..The 1793 decree stated light infantry should wear the leather casque. However, by 1794 most soldiers wore the felt chapeau in the style of the National Guard…….
There was always an affinity, or perhaps an affection, by light infantry troops for wearing a uniform in the style of the light cavalry. Hussars wore the mirliton cap, which was a tall, conical hat wrapped with a decorative triangular piece of cloth called a flame. This hat was adopted by the chasseurs a cheval and the horse artillery, and then adopted by some light infantry carabiniers….In turn this flamboyant style of headgear gave way to the shako which began to be adopted by light infantry around 1798. This cylindrical leather hat had a detachable leather visor, a plume on the left side with a brass plaque (normally in the shape of a lozenge) at the front. Although the shako was widely adopted by the Consulate, the shako was only officially recognised as the headgear of light infantry by the law of 4 Brumaire X (26 October 1801). Line infantry regiments and therefore, their voltigeur companies, would not adopt the shako until February 1806."

Shagnasty Supporting Member of TMP03 Sep 2024 7:50 a.m. PST

I love the side plume light infantry.

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