French Guard infantry released!

[WeeWars]

It's worth noting to be clear that I'm not looking at the metal and the image is not 100% clear at that size. For example, the only obvious cuff here is a pointed one in a regiment that didn't have pointed cuffs.



I'm not aware of any lozenge-beating anecdote. These regiments never had lozenge shako plates. If you mean 1815 by 'when Napoleon returned' then these regiments of the Middle Guard never even existed for the wargamer. I don't know what story your 'Naps guys' are telling you but the Young and Middle Guards in shako should have eagle plates.

[John Cook]

Just seen this.  A shame about the shako plates.  I hadn't noticed that.  I'm afraid the Napoleonic period can be a veritable minefield. 

I agree all Guard units had eagles plates of one kind or another from the outset.  The lozenge plate was prescribed for the line under both the 1806 and 1810 regulations but there were plenty of non-regulation plates too.  The line didn't get eagle plates until the 1812 regulations and I'm fairly confident that is what they'd have had in 1815. 

Be that as it may, a quick couple of strokes with a file during the preparation of the figures will remove the lozenge plate and an eagle type can be easily painted, so it is not quite a major disaster.  I'm also not too concerned about cord and plumes as these were often removed on campaign.  Similarly, gaiters are not that much of an issue.  Overall trousers were frequently worn on campaign.  As for the Fusilier-Chasseurs and the position of the plume in 1809, primary images are few, no more than three that I'm aware of, one of which has it in the conventional position in late 1809.   I'm not sure I would rely entirely on those Osprey's as tablets of stone.

You are right about the Middle Guard at Waterloo.  Although it was retained by the monarchy as part of the Corps Royale in 1814, it wasn't re-raised by Napoleon in 1815 and was absorbed into the Old Guard to become 3rd and 4th Grenadiers and Chasseurs a Pied respectively.  I know that some modern authors refer to these regiments as Middle Guard sometimes, but that is not really accurate and quite what they wore has been a matter of speculation.

The main thing, I suppose, is that the French army in 1815, as a whole, was quite different in appearance from that of previous years.   

[Leon]

I'm not aware of any lozenge-beating anecdote. These regiments never had lozenge shako plates. If you mean 1815 by 'when Napoleon returned' then these regiments of the Middle Guard never even existed for the wargamer. I don't know what story your 'Naps guys' are telling you but the Young and Middle Guards in shako should have eagle plates.

Just seen this.  A shame about the shako plates.  I hadn't noticed that.  I'm afraid the Napoleonic period can be a veritable minefield. 

I agree all Guard units had eagles plates of one kind or another from the outset.  The lozenge plate was prescribed for the line under both the 1806 and 1810 regulations but there were plenty of non-regulation plates too.  The line didn't get eagle plates until the 1812 regulations and I'm fairly confident that is what they'd have had in 1815. 

We'll have to get them adjusted then but it'll need to wait until the summer I think, once we've got past the Peninsular project and into some clearer water.