French cavalry uniforms of the WSS

[meliadus]

Anybody tell me what a good reference is for french cavalry regts uniforms of the WSS, can find pleanty of reference's for the inf, but having trouble finding for the cavalry.

Thanks

[jezamonos]

Try this http://www.thewaroffice.co.uk/blenheim/

take the uniforms with a pinch of salt but its a start. Just click on the brigade and it takes you to a uniform plate.

[meliadus]

Many thanks

Bob

[Arthur]

I do not have the Hall plates, so can't comment on their accuracy. René Chartrand's Osprey book on Louis XIV's army offers limited but reliable info on the cavalry.

Depending on how you look at it, the issue of WSS French cavalry uniforms is either extremely simple or extremely complicated. It's simple because the overwhelming majority of line cavalry units wore grey faced red while the royal regiments had blue faced red. There were a few exceptions, particularly before 1700, but the rule generally holds true.

The problem is finding out the saddlecloth and housing colour schemes which normally reflected the colonel's coat of arms along with the livery worn by trumpeters and kettle drummers. Given that some regiments had as many as three or four successive owners during the period, housing and livery colours could change several times in a single decade. Anachronicisms are rife in pictorial representations of late C17th/early C18th French cavalry, some illustrators often using mid-18th century housing colour schemes (or even cuff colours) to depict WSS French cavalry.

Although it deals with a later period, René Chartrand's Osprey booklet on Louis XV's cavalry does a good job of compiling most known livery colours for the ancien régime. You won't find everything in there, and most of the more minor colonel's coats of arms were never properly recorded, but if you apply caution and double-check your sources to avoid anachronicisms, you will have a list of most of the major households' liveries and housing colours.

[j1mwallace]

i've got the hall plates/ book on CD from Baccus. They certainly do for me. Give the usual details. inc shabraque.

[maciek]

It depends how deep you want to go into it.
If you need an unit or two of grey clad horsemen, never mind the name of it, and you are not fussy about details, you can use links above.
But if you want to paint specific regiment with its flag, acurate schabraque and musician livery, the Robert Hall's CD is the obvious choice.

[blindjack]

Sorry to go off on a slight tangent, but I too have been wrestling with the issue of French cavalry uniforms. HOWEVER, by far the bigger issue is finding information about the standards. So far I've made sure that I've only painted those regiments that I can easily find and collaborate information. Any ideas about where I can go? (be polite now )

[Churchill]

Ray.

[Arthur]

Sorry to go off on a slight tangent, but I too have been wrestling with the issue of French cavalry uniforms. HOWEVER, by far the bigger issue is finding information about the standards. So far I've made sure that I've only painted those regiments that I can easily find and collaborate information. Any ideas about where I can go? (be polite now )

Pierre Charrié's Drapeaux et Etendards du Roi is the best source, although it may not be of much use to you as a/it's been out of print for a good while as far as I know b/ it boasts very few illustrations but includes a French language description of all known standards of horse for the period c/ it was prohibitively expensive even at the time of its release in the early 90's. This being said, Charrié remains the foundation on which most authors rests - I think Hall used him extensively for his plates.

[Redmist1122]

Another plug for the Hall plates. I have all the French stuff...drives me crazy due to wanting to paint up all the cav units...excellent plates as mentioned w/flags, etc.

[blindjack]

That's lovely, thanks.

[j1mwallace]

why not paint your cavalry and then buy some excellent flags from Flags of war or GMB. Saves any hassle, helps restart the economy and makes your figures look good!
The afore mentioned flag chappies do most units needed.

[flags_of_war]

why not paint your cavalry and then buy some excellent flags from Flags of war or GMB. Saves any hassle, helps restart the economy and makes your figures look good!
The afore mentioned flag chappies do most units needed.

Awww thanks dude I just did the flags for Courcillon, Toulouse and Tarente from WSS for a guy. Not on the website as it's the only ones that i have done from that range.

[Rohan Wilmott]

Gidday, Guys!

I used to paint my own flags (Duke of Burgundy's standard was a pain), but with work & family time constraints I now buy them too. I'm with Ray & Jim - Robert Hall CD & sooo many lovely flags!!!

I can also heartily endorse the flags by Iain at Flags of War (just ask him to print them at the size you want - eg I use 40x40mm flags for the infantry to get the "big flag" effect espoused by Barry).

I can also recommend the flags by Stuart at Maverick Models who also does an extensive NYW, WSS, GNW range (among others).

Both chaps are extremely approachable & helpful when it come to special requests (that will be viable), their service is prompt & reliable, and the flags superb. I use them both and can recommend them unreservedly.

& NO, I don't get any "perks" from this endorsement - I'm just a very satisfied customer.

Cheers, Rohan.