As part of my ongoing study of military millinery I have just finished the Castrapol regiment for the Spanish Napoleonic collection that sports bonnet de police. This form of headgear that was by no means unique in Napoleonic armies, but it was unusual that it should be the headgear of choice for the whole regiment. While the officers wore bicornes, the rank and file all wore the bonnet, moulded on these figures in various states of array and a few even have a peak.
In early 1808 this single battalion regiment wore a British made white coat, without lapels. What I didn’t read when I was planning this regiment was that later in the year the regiment expanded to two battalions - damn does that mean I have to do a second battalion? In 1812 another British made uniform, this time in sky blue, was issued...no, no, no I must resist doing yet another Spanish army to cover this later period!
LOL - yes, I think you are right Mark - you DO need to resist another Spanish Army! Are you doing the earlier ones too - where they all have bicornes and grenadiers have the multi coloured head dress that look a bit like an old fashioned bed cap??
ReplyDeleteAnd I have six grenadiers on the painting table at the moment.
DeleteExcellent work, Mark! The red and white fatigue caps stand out as do the fellows in stripes. White uniform is smart looking.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jonathan. I felt that I had to do something to vary the uniform a bit more than just the moulded cap variations, so I added some different coloured pants and some stripes.
DeleteAnother gem Mark, from the bonnet de police to the pants...THumbs up!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Phil.
DeleteMe thinks you do protest too much. It is inevitable, anyway.
ReplyDeleteI think I can resist the later period. It is the earlier period that really interests me.
DeleteVery nice. I’d almost say the best yet. I stuck to early Spanish for my 28mm and completed an early 15mm army as well, but then went and bought a later 15mm army in British supplied uniforms. They’re still in boxes though, as I had had my fill of Spanish for a while.
ReplyDeleteAnother lovely unit,I do like the bonnet de police, it's not like there has been any mission creep on this project ! One more army,itd be done in no time!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
Yes but what a scope creep...what was intended as a simple force of 9 battalions, 2 guns and 1 regiment of dragoons, has exploded to what will become 25 battalions, 4 regiments of cavalry and 4 gun sets. I haven’t had such a blowout since the Crimean War project!
DeleteYes I like this unit...I may have to do a second one. I have a number of armie# now that haven’t seen action. The French 1812-13, the Dark Ages, the US War of 1812 and fo course the Spanish have only had a brief moment of freedom before disappearing into their storage boxes. One day they will make it to the table!
ReplyDeleteVery nice Mark...
ReplyDeleteI suspect these guys wouldn’t look out of place in some South American armies.
All the best. Aly
Yes you are right! Maybe they could be used at Buenos Aries in 1807.
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