I have been looking at a number of near contemporary pictures dealing with the Armies of the Loire and Garibaldi's Army of the East. A number of pictures of the eastern troops depict an infantry unit(s) in an all-white uniform. Anyone know anything about this?

Hello

They MAY be  "francs-tireurs". ( Compagnie des francs-tireurs volontaires du Doubs ?)


There were some companies with fancy uniforms. ( 618 companies for 70,000 men as written in this french website : http://www.souvenir-francais-doubs.fr/guerre%20de%201870.htm )

I found an other source( https://www.cairn.info/revue-strategique-2009-1-page-279.htm )  stating :
The cpt Huot was a former hussard officer who knew well the forest in this area. He led many raid, for example to free some french prisoners, or to seize convoy. Each week he made glorious entry in Besançon, bringing back prisoners, food and ammunitions. (1)

( 1st source was the book  from Comte de Vitrolles "Notes et souvenirs sur la Garde mobile des Hautes Alpes, Marseille", Seren, 1872, p. 43. )
(1) my own translation and summary, I hope you can understand.

Many thanks for the information Ronan. They do only seem to appear with Garibaldi's army, so I would also go with them being Francs Tireurs bands - so another added level of variety which I hadn't realised existed.

Also they might be using the fatigue smocks of the French Army?

Cool find

its a colouring book - you just haven't finished yet

Quote from: Zippee on 18 June 2017, 01:06:24 PM
its a colouring book - you just haven't finished yet

Quote from: Zippee on 18 June 2017, 01:06:24 PM
its a colouring book - you just haven't finished yet

 

White undercoat ?

Cheers - Phil.

Quote from: Techno on 18 June 2017, 04:03:37 PM
White undercoat ?

Cheers - Phil.

Looks more like a white overcoat to me.  I'll get my..................

Mollinary

I think you should, M. 

Cheers - Phil.

 

I have resisted for two days.

Do they have white uniforms so that they can tear them up to make flags? 

Oh dear, don't think you know a great deal about the attitude of French soldiers in the FPW.

Interestingly the Congressional troops in the Chilean Civil War of the 1890s were also dressed in white.

Looks a tad dangerous with breech loading rifles about, unless these were winter uniforms. And I dina tink there were dat much snow I the FPW

Quote from: ianrs54 on 20 June 2017, 01:09:06 PM
Looks a tad dangerous with breech loading rifles about, unless these were winter uniforms. And I dina tink there were dat much snow I the FPW

Actually lots of it in the Republican phase of the war!

Mollinary

It did cross my mind that these were fatigue uniforms being used as rudimentary camouflage. It does seem limited to Garibaldi's army, so it could also be a case of "sorry lads, these are the only uniforms we've got left." Whatever the case, I am certinly going to paint up some francs tireurs bands like this.

Quote from: Orcs on 19 June 2017, 09:26:45 PM
I have resisted for two days.

Do they have white uniforms so that they can tear them up to make flags? 

Oh dear not that old fallacy again - you do realise why flags of surrender are white don't you?

Isn't white a "traditional" French army colour anyway? Thought blue came in with the Republic, and even Napoleon went back to white for a short period in 1808-09 because he couldn't get the blue dye or something.

Could it be a tropical uniform? Troops dragged back from North Africa? (May be showing my lack of knowledge on the FPW here.)

Why is the officer in blue? Just to give Prussian snipers an easier choice?