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Author Topic: French zouaves ca 1885 for the Tonkin expedition?  (Read 11534 times)

Offline gringo

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Re: French zouaves ca 1885 for the Tonkin expedition?
« Reply #30 on: August 16, 2018, 12:48:50 PM »
Traveller
thanks for the support! :D

cheers
Ged
www.gringo40s.com

Offline Arthur

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Re: French zouaves ca 1885 for the Tonkin expedition?
« Reply #31 on: August 16, 2018, 03:50:36 PM »
Yeah I just didn't know about them.
Mark

The jacket was called a kéo and was used for a period of about two years, being introduced in 1883 and officially abolished in August 1885. Its replacement was the bourgeron, a loose smock used for fatigue duties by the zouaves and turcos and also doubling as hot weather campaign dress in North Africa. The kéo and its matching trousers were made of light linen (black silk for officers) and were a dirty shade of dark brown rather than black. They were worn during the hot season, the men switching back to woolen garments from mid-october to mid-april when the climate was cooler. The kéo and its trousers were quite comfortable but extremely ungainly, giving the men a sloppy and unkempt appearance that was deemed unsoldierly, hence their short-lived existence.     

Here's a famous pic of what the kéo looked like in the field :


Offline gringo

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Re: French zouaves ca 1885 for the Tonkin expedition?
« Reply #32 on: August 17, 2018, 11:35:25 AM »
As Arthur correctly says and in a far better reply then mine
the Keo  was received by both the Turcos and the Zouaves..
and after a few weeks in Tonkin the uniforms became basically
the same,might be worth a mention sky blue keos were also
issued to maintain the tradition. The main difference was the
Turcos were indigenes (mainky Algerian) and the Zouaves Frenchmenl
in the main. Also equipment rifle wise was different Zouaves used
kropatschek rifles and Turcos Gras rifles.
these two troops types were thrown in to many of the
battles first...…..due in part to their superb fighting ability!

I have already commissioned the Turcos some time ago and
requested they are wearing the bourgeron (white drill) and the
baggy trousers..accompanied by the colonial helmet as photographed
by the good Doctor and mentioned in many accounts. its mentioned
in some accounts the Zouaves held onto their dark blue and red piped
jackets,,with the red/white/yellow false pockets) for quite a while till
the unbearable humidity and heat forced a change to the bourgeron.
some of the officers changed their shirts three times a day! :o
I may well commission this uniform so the two regiments look a bit
different on the wargames table. on the other hand a head change
and you have two units correctly attired for the middle and late part
of the campaign, The Turcos had the 1st and 3rd regiments in Tonkin the Zouaves battalions from the 3 regiments if memory serves me right.
 Arthur whats your opinion on the Zouaves ?..would you do them in the aformentioned Blue fonce or the Bourgeron or both!! personally i may do both :D

 great thread

regards
Ged
www.gringo40s.com



« Last Edit: August 17, 2018, 11:39:22 AM by gringo »

Offline marco55

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Re: French zouaves ca 1885 for the Tonkin expedition?
« Reply #33 on: August 17, 2018, 06:15:47 PM »
It all sounds good Ged.
Mark

Offline gringo

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Re: French zouaves ca 1885 for the Tonkin expedition?
« Reply #34 on: August 17, 2018, 10:33:50 PM »
thanks Mark..... ;)

cheers
Ged
www.gringo40s.com

Offline Shipka

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    • RussoTurkishWar1877
Re: French zouaves ca 1885 for the Tonkin expedition?
« Reply #35 on: September 21, 2018, 12:22:07 PM »
Everyone's wish to game this period, can be explored through Gringos40

 

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