French Invasion- British Militia and Volunteer Figures

[Ewan]

Hi, I'm looking to start a new project and was wondering if anyone made 28mm British Militia and Volunteers which I could use to defend Britain from a French invasion. Thanks

[traveller]

Maybe the Irish militia from Trent miniatures will do the work?

http://www.northstarfigures.com/list.php?man=60&cat=171&sub=420&page=1

[Romark]

If you're looking at 28mm scale and in the Napoleonic period then there may be figures in the Perry British in Egypt range that you may find suitable 

[has.been]

+1 for the Trent figures.
Not only nice Militia, but also French, AND..... Duncan is a nice man

[Ewan]

Thank you for your comments the Trent figures look like what I'm after the Irish Insurgents will make excellent volunteer figures.

[joroas]

Take a look at Yankeepedlar's blog site!

http://talesfromghq.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/French%20Revolutionary%20Wars

[Jemima Fawr]

Hi Ewan, have a look at my Fishguard 1797 articles on my blog for ideas: www.jemimafawr.co.uk

Annoyingly, when we did that project in 2011ish, there was almost nothing available, so we cobbled a lot of stuff together from Redoubt's Wellington In India range, Perry's AWI range and Knuckleduster's War of 1812 range.  There's quite a bit more available now, from Trent's Irish Rebellions range to Perry's Egypt range and a few others I've seen advertised, but can't now remember (sorry).

For the Militia, just use British line infantry for whichever period you're planning on gaming.  They could sometimes be a little old-fashioned in uniform styles, but in the main and aside from one or two oddities, they adhered to the dress regulations for line infantry.  Remember that in wartime the Militia were 'Embodied' full-time troops, serving for five years after conscription by ballot.  The Militia were only part-time 'weekend-warriors' in peacetime, when they were 'Disembodied'.

Being essentially full-time garrison/parade-ground troops, the Militia were normally better-dressed than their regular counterparts in the field.  The Buckinghamshire and Staffordshire Militia in particular, made a name for themselves with sparkling standards of dress and drill, complete with regimental bands (all paid for by the Colonels) - they were regularly given 'gigs' guarding royal palaces and were granted 'Royal' status, along with the title 'King's Own'.

In the 1790s, some Militia regiments were dressed and equipped as Light Infantry - VERY much like that of the AWI in chain caps or leather caps with black or red horsehair manes.  The chief difference to the AWI was a standing collar (I've simply filed off the folded-down collars and then painted the neck-stock as a collar).  These in the main reverted to line infantry styles, but some then converted again to Light Infantry in 1808-1810 (exactly as regular Light Infantry regiments of the period, with it being noted that drums were exchanged for hunting horns) and in 1812, five Militia regiments were converted to Rifles, wearing the uniform of either the 60th or 95th (to which they were affiliated).

For the Volunteers, they wore a bewildering array of dress, with Tarletons, light infantry caps, round-hats, cocked hats, slouch-hats, crested round-hats, bearskins, busbies, shakos and god-knows what else being worn, as well as a bazillion coat-styles.  Quite a few of the Perry's AWI light infantry offerings would be useful, from Tarleton's Legion to the Queen's Rangers and Lee's Legion.  From 1808 the Volunteers were formalised as 'Local Militia', so would generally be wearing whatever the county Militia were wearing.  Again, the Volunteers were normally uniformed, so all men in a unit would be dressed in much the same manner.

For the 'spontaneous volunteers', such as the thousands of armed civilians who turned out to meet the French at Fishguard (and the hastily-raised formalised Volunteer units which were raised by county Lord-Lieutenants during that emergency), Irish rebel figures might be the way to go, along with a smattering of uniformed figures (a lot of men turned up at Fishguard wearing their old uniforms), the Knuckleduster Canadian 'Sedentary Militia' figures and some AWI militia.

For the Yeomanry, Provisional and Fencible Cavalry Regiments, the Perry plastic British Light Dragoon figures (in the earlier dress options) are perfect for those regiments wearing the fully-braided jackets.  For those in the unbraided red jackets or the older styles of Light Dragoon jacket, perhaps go for Perry Tarleton's Legion or Lee's Legion?

I hope that's of some help?

[Ewan]

Hi Jemima, that's excellent information and inspiration. Many thanks
Also like the VBCW parts of your blog.

[Jemima Fawr]

No worries, and that's very kind of you.

I did recently discuss Militia, Volunteers, etc, at length on the TWW forum and will expand this into a blog article at some point in the near future:

http://www.thewargameswebsite.com/forums/topic/the-battle-that-never-was-fishguard-1797-on-jemima-fawrs-blog/

There is also this list of Militia facing colours, which is certainly good for the 1790s, though quite a few regiments became 'Royal' and adopted the Royal dark blue facing colour during the early 1800s and as mentioned, five regiments became Rifles (I've note two of them, but don't know who the other three were):

Anglesea – 1779 blue, light infantry caps.
Bedfordshire – 1778 green
Berkshire – 1778 light blue
Brecknockshire – 1779 green, 1793 yellow with silver lace
Buckinghamshire – 1760 black, 1793 yellow with lace edging & silver officers' lace. 1796(?) became Royal with blue facings and buttonhole lace in pairs & silver officers' lace.
Cambridgeshire – 1760 green
Cardiganshire – 1779 green. 1778 garter blue with silver officers' lace. 1804 became 'Royal' with dark blue and gold officers' lace. 1810 became Light Infantry. 1812 became Rifles with green jackets, red facings and silver officers' lace.
Carmarthenshire – 1779 blue, with white lace worn in pairs & gold officers' lace. 1804 became 'Royal Carmarthen Fuzileers' and wore fusilier caps (red-over-blue mitres with brown fur front and PoW feathers in metal).
Carnarvoshire – 1779 blue
Cheshire – 1778 blue with silver officers' lace.
Cornwall – 1760 black. 1778 deep blue.
'Cornwall & Devon Miners' – 1778 blue with gold officers' lace.
Cumberland – 1760 red. 1778 blue with gold officers' lace.
Denbighshire – 1778 blue with gold officers' lace.
Derbyshire – 1778 green with silver officers' lace.
1st (East) Devonshire – 1770 yellow. 1780 wearing light infantry caps.
2nd (North) Devonshire – 1760 green. 1780 yellow with light infantry uniforms. 1788 green (possible return to conventional line infantry style?)
3rd (South) Devonshire – 1778 green. 1781 yellow.
Dorsetshire – 1763 Green with gold officers' lace.
Durham – 1760 Green. 1778 purple with silver officers' lace. 1782 Light Company described as 'still in blue' (?)
East Essex – 1759 green
West Essex – 1778 green with silver officers' lace.
Glamorganshire – 1779 black with silver officers' lace. 1781 blue with gold officers' lace and plain hats.
1st (South) Gloucestershire – 1778 blue
2nd (North) Gloucestershire – 1778 blue
1st (North) Hampshire – black with silver officers' lace
2nd (South) Hampshire – black with silver officers' lace. 1780 yellow
Herefordshire – Apple green
Hertfordshire – Buff
Huntingdonshire – Black facings. 1779 & 1780 – listed as light infantry, wearing short jackets with leather helmets bearing red horsehair manes.
East Kent – 1780 Kentish grey
West Kent – 1778 Grey with silver officers' lace
1st Royal Lancashire – blue with gold officers' lace
2nd Royal Lancashire – blue with gold officers' lace
3rd Royal Lancashire – blue with gold officers' lace
Leicestershire – not recorded
Royal North Lincolnshire – 1759 red. 1778 blue (probably changed to blue on becoming 'Royal' in 1760).
Royal South Lincolnshire – 1778 blue
Merionethshire – 1779 blue facings. 1781 recorded as being 'in the service of the artillery' and having short jackets with tarleton helmets. The Captain (this was only a company) had also purchased blue jackets with red facings – presumably to keep red coats clean when working guns?
East Middlesex – 1760 white. 1778 blue with gold officers' lace.
West Middlesex – 1778 blue
Monmouthshire Fuzileers – 1779 blue. 1782 converted to light infantry
Montgomeryshire – 1778 blue with silver officers' lace.
1st (West) Norfolk – 1778 black with silver officers' lace
2nd (East) Norfolk – 1778 black with silver officers' lace.  However, the reenactors' group have gold lace.  Also yellow lace for rank-and-file - drummer in white coat with black facings and yellow lace.
Northamptonshire – 1781 black with gold officers' lace. All wearing helmets.
Northumberland – 1778 light buff
Nottinghamshire – 1775 black with gold officers' lace. 1780 white.
Oxfordshire – 1778 green with gold officers' lace. 1779 black with gold officers' lace. 1780 all wearing tarletons.
Pembrokeshire – bright blue with gold officers' lace. 1804 became 'Royal' and changed to dark blue. 1812 became Rifles and changed to green jackets, faced black with silver officers' lace.
Radnorshire – Blue
Rutland – 1759 pale buff. 1778 yellow. 1782 short jackets and caps.
Shropshire – Green with silver officers' lace.
1st Somersetshire – Black. 1787 yellow.
2nd Somersetshire – Black. 1787 yellow.
Staffordshire – Yellow with silver officers' metal. Unlaced coats.
1st (West) Suffolk – Yellow
2nd (East) Suffolk – 'Plain' (might this mean unlaced coats?) red with silver officers' metal.
1st Surrey – White
2nd (West) Surrey – White
Sussex – Red
Warwickshire – Green with silver officers' lace.
Westminster – Blue
Westmorland – 1759 red. 1781 blue with gold officers' lace and Light Company in blue jackets, faced red, with caps.
Isle of Wight – Independent company dressed as light infantry.
Wiltshire – Yellow with silver officers' lace.
Worcestershire – Green
East Riding of Yorkshire – Buff with silver officers' lace
North Riding of Yorkshire – 1759 blue. 1778 black with silver officers' lace.
1st West Riding of Yorkshire – green
2nd West Riding of Yorkshire – green. 1795 – two companies of marksmen added; armed with 'fuzees', dressed in green with black buttons.
3rd West Riding of Yorkshire – green