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Author Topic: FIW artillery uniforms? The odd ones out?  (Read 921 times)

Online FifteensAway

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 4607
FIW artillery uniforms? The odd ones out?
« on: February 10, 2018, 04:46:37 PM »
Easy enough to find information on the regulars.  I'm looking to do some other types - Canadians if they had a variation from the French, Provincial forces on the British side. 

Was there a topic here on LAF a while back?  Tried a search and didn't work out well.  Less concerned with photos or illustrations - though those are always nice - but with information I can use to guide some figure painting.

Have 15 guns per side with 4 crew per gun to finish painting thus the desire for some variety (30 total guns and 120 crew - not counting a couple of naval guns and crews for batteaus).  And, yes, I know, that's a huge number of guns for the period but then I have a LOT of figures - if all goes well, the game I'm running in a couple of months at the convention will have over 1,000 figures on the table between British, French, Natives, and Civilians - with casualty figures counted in the over number.  (Won't need all the guns by then, hopefully!)

So, anyone able to give information on uniforms for artillery during the French and Indian War, your assistance is most warmly welcomed.  Thanks!

Offline ffrum

  • Librarian
  • Posts: 183
Re: FIW artillery uniforms? The odd ones out?
« Reply #1 on: February 10, 2018, 06:53:16 PM »
I have a similar number of painted artillery units (14 French and allies, 15 British and allies, and way too many other FIW figures).  Sadly, unpainted there are 6 French, 7 British and 5 French Mortar crews to go.  Nothing like excess, right?

Sources I have used - There are several uniforms pictured in Tim Reese's publications (http://www.reeseartofwars.com/) and the various Osprey books (Men At Arms, Order of Battle, Campaign) for the F&IW.  There are reenactor uniform sources also that may be of some use (Sketchbooks 56 by Ted Spring in Saint Louis, MO 1980s.  These were available at one time from Track of the Wolf, , Inc., P.O. Box 653, Osseo, MN 55369-0653 612-424-2500), and online uniform photos of reenactor units.

Most of my 39 artillery units (5 men each) are regulars.  Some are provincials or militia with scant references and conjectural uniforms (or non-uniform garb).

I have several other books that include F&IW uniforms that I must unearth from my library room to quote for you.  I will try to do that bye and bye.  I hope this information helps.

Offline zippyfusenet

  • Scientist
  • Posts: 420
Re: FIW artillery uniforms? The odd ones out?
« Reply #2 on: February 10, 2018, 08:40:21 PM »
Sounds like an interesting project. That's a lot of figures for an F&IW game. I suppose they're 15mm scale or smaller. What rules will you use? We'll want to see lots of pictures. You'll be challenged to get through a project that big without investing in some uniform reference. Osprey MAA has multi-part series on Louis XV's Army, King George's Army and American Colonial Troops that cover the SYW well.

In New France, the Independent Companies of the Navy had an artillery branch who wore uniforms almost identical to the Troupes de la Terre gunners - blue justacorps with red facings and smallclothes, gold lace on their hats. There were just a few detail differences like double breasted waistcoats that wouldn't even be visible on 15mm figures. There were also some Army gunners on Canada.

The situation was more complicated in the British colonies, since each colony was a government unto itself. Numbers of Royal Artillery gunners were sent to North America and participated in all the major campaigns - Braddock, Forbes, Abercrombie, Wolfe and others.

I know of three Provincial artillery companies, but none of them served in the field in the SYW. In general, artillery service required more training and expertise than could be found in the ordinary Provincial battalions, which were generally raised in the spring for one campaign and broken again in the fall. The Boston, Charleston and Philadelphia Associator artillery companies were all permanent militia organizations, raised among solid local citizens who bought their own uniforms and cannon and who often hired professional officers to train them. These weekend warriors were not the farmers' younger sons and unemployed sailors who usually volunteered for the Provincial bounty and a new coat. Their purpose was to man their home town's harbor defenses, to repel the dreaded enemy raiders. They had no intention of chasing French and Indians around the back country.

The Provincial gunners copied Royal Artillery uniforms anyway, so my advice is to just paint up some British gunners for your game and call it good.

« Last Edit: February 11, 2018, 03:43:54 AM by zippyfusenet »
You'll shoot your eye out, kid!

Online FifteensAway

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 4607
Re: FIW artillery uniforms? The odd ones out?
« Reply #3 on: February 16, 2018, 04:58:47 PM »
Thanks for the input and, yes, in 15 mm.  Also, I have quite a few references including the Ospreys.  Just not a lot of information on artillerymen uniforms.  So, I guess, mostly regulars with the occasional conjectural bit for varieties sake.

You know what would be nice?  If sculptors created more artillerymen in shirt sleeve order, especially in 15 mm.  That would accommodate variety easily.

 

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