Tuesday 15 May 2018

Regiment de Roll

A couple of large parcels of the Perry Egyptian Campaign figures (mainly British but some French) arrived last Tuesday and I at once set working on the next unit.

This one is the second of the émigré units in the British Army. Like de Watteville's it is a Swiss unit in British service. In 1794 Baron Louis de Roll, a former officer in Louis XVI's Swiss Guards, recruired a regiment two battalions in his name from Switzerland, Alsace and Germany for British service and the regiment was posted to the Mediterranean with De Roll as its colonel, serving in Corsica and Elba before transferring to Portugal where it was reduced to a single battalion. Further postings around the Mediterranean continued with the regiment sent to Minorca and Gibraltar before ordered to Egypt.

In Egypt command of the regiment passed to its lieutenant colonel, Jost Dürler, another former Swiss Guards officer who had commanded the rearguard of the Guards in the defence of the Tuileries on 10  August 1792,  where he was captured, but managed to survive the subsequent September Massacres. The regiment fought with distinction at the Battle of Alexandria, where Dürler was killed, and lost so heavily in the campaign that it was forced to recruit from French POWs. 



After Egypt the regiment continued service in the Mediterranean before merging with Dillon's Regiment to fight in the Peninsular. At the conclusion of that campaign the regiment returned to the Mediterranean and was disbanded at Corfu in 1815.



This unit sports the thirteenth different type of headwear in this army of millinery oddities and there are still more hat variations to come.

12 comments:

  1. Another great looking unit Mark - the attraction of this theatre of operations and the Perry's collection of miniatures is obvious - so much variety..which is, after all, the spice of life!

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    1. And tomorrow there will be another unit finished - the Corsican Rangers, a rifle armed émigré unit. I also have two 12lb gun sets finished but not yet based.

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  2. They look wonderful, great job!

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  3. Great job, Mark! I look forward to seeing what the Corsican Ranger uniform holds.

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    1. Thank you Jonathan. the untiform of the Corsicans is very close to the 95th rifles. They should be ready to post by the weekend.

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  4. Another lovely looking unit and great looking hat's!
    Best Iain

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    1. Thanks Iain. I agree fhere is much to admire in the milinary style of this campaign.

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  5. A great unit Mark...
    I love sky blue facings...

    All the best. Aly

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    1. Thanks Aly. I have a number of items to get through by the 26th for first Egyptian game on the 27th.

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  6. A Swiss de Roll regiment - very tastily done! At least you can't say you have got bored painting the same headwear.

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    1. Hmmm Swiss Roll...haven't had one of those for years! I'm hungry now. There are at least three types of hats still to cross the painting table.

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