"Did British sergeant carry a halberd or spontoon in AWI?" Topic

I never played AWI games in my 60 some years of wargaming but now getting into it. So lots of questions. Have read books but they do not get into the fine details such as:

Did British sergeant carry a halberd or spontoon in AWI?

Thanks

I don't think so Bob.
It was not practical /useful enough for those small and hard working armies.

martin

It may depend on the unit i.e. line battalion companies vs light infantry or grenadier.

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Not an expert but if your basing regular British line infantry for formal battle (say Battle of Brandywine or Battle of Guilford Court House), I'd definitely consider giving the sergeants spontoons.

I thought the old broad-bladed halberd had largely disappeared from regular infantry service by this time, replaced by the lighter, spear-like spontoon.

Interesting. We can document US subalterns with halberds or half-pikes as late as January 1781. If you follow kiltboy's link, the Guards give them up in 1776 as the Americans are picking off officers that way. British officers formally abandon them in 1786, and the NCO's formally adopt them in 1792. So for the AWI, not sergeants, but subaltern officers, and not always. But regulations are not always field practice. Anyone have a narrative mentioning them handy?

I think the answer is probably "it depends." There is not much written about NCO use of he halberd during the war.

We know that Braddock ordered polearms left behind at the start of his 1755 campaign. The F&IW taught the British some valuable lessons, but we also know that there were halberd in garrison at the beginning of the AWI. The British were quick to have officers carry a fusil instead of a spontoon, and that the flank company officers did so before the line company officers. Did this practice universally carry down to NCOs? Gen. Washington on the other hand was a big believer in the spontoon and issued multiple orders telling his officers to aquire spontoons. Again, this was an order to officers; NCOs aren't mentioned.

The general consensus by people who are supposed to be in the know is that they weren't carried in the field. Most of the time. We think.

As far as figures go, most command packs come with them, so I would use them.

FYI – in the 1985 movie Revolution (AKA Tony Montana goes to war against the British) Donald Sutherland's mean British NCO character carries a spontoon – and uses it to stab a guy. I know – really bad movie – but the uniforms and battle scenes were interesting.

+1 79thPA

For British – more Garrison duty than anything from what I have read

Wargames Foundry includes them as part of their British centre company command. About half of my British has them.

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However Perry Miniatures does not include them.

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I asked Open AI.

Yes. Both were used by British infantry in the American Revolution, but by different ranks and not always in the field.

The spontoon, often spelled espontoon, was officially carried by battalion/center-company officers of British marching regiments of foot. The 1768 British clothing warrant, which was still the basic regulation during the Revolution, states plainly: "The battalion Officers to have espontoons." It also says grenadier officers instead had fusils, shoulder-belts, and pouches, so grenadier and light-type service often differed from the formal battalion-company pattern.

The halberd was officially carried by battalion-company sergeants. The same 1768 warrant says: "The Serjeants of grenadiers to have fuzils, pouches and caps. Those of the battalion to have halberts, and no pouches." So, for ordinary battalion-company sergeants, the halberd was the regulation badge/weapon; grenadier sergeants carried firearms instead.

The halberd was officially carried by battalion-company sergeants. The same 1768 warrant says: "The Serjeants of grenadiers to have fuzils, pouches and caps. Those of the battalion to have halberts, and no pouches." So, for ordinary battalion-company sergeants, the halberd was the regulation badge/weapon; grenadier sergeants carried firearms instead.

In actual American campaigning, these polearms were often more badges of rank and tools of command than practical battlefield weapons. One summary of the British army at the start of the Revolution notes that infantry officers carried spontoons and sergeants bore halberds, but that the wooded conditions in America led many officers to discard them and carry firelocks instead. There is also evidence that some units deliberately stopped carrying them in the field; for example, the First Guards were reportedly ordered in March 1776 to stop carrying halberds or spontoons partly so officers would not stand out as targets.

For wargaming figures: British line infantry officers with spontoons and battalion sergeants with halberds are correct for AWI, especially for formal or early-war appearances. For campaign or skirmish situations in America, it is also plausible to show some officers and sergeants carrying muskets/fusils instead.

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Again, amazing responses from the crew. Thanks for all the excellent details and links.

It would seem that there were no pole arms at Lexington and Concord as the troops were grenadiers and lights because these were carried by battalion sergeants.

Interesting to note that Perry Bros do include one command pack with spontoon,
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Percy's relief column which joined the Smith's retreating column at Lexington was largely composed of battalion companies of British regulars.

Those are the Perry figures I have been looking for. That command in slouch hats is the only one they include with a battalion company. I have several slouch hat battalions that carries it.

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