Napoleonic exploring officer

[Sir_Theo]

Sharp Practice 2 has spurred on my efforts to finish my long delayed Penninsula war Napoleonic forces. I'm almost there but want to add some support options.

Ive got some ideas of models to use but if anyone could recommend suitable miniatures for British Exploring officers and Engineers they would be gratefully received. 

[Rob_bresnen]

Exploring officers wore normal officer uniforms. They had to were uniforms or they would be executed as spies if caught by the French. There was one account of an exploring officer who was capture and then ended up having dinner with the French officers- all very civilised. Alas for his servant, a Spaniard, who was executed as a spy.
If I recall correctly initially Engineers was a normal officers uniform but reversed- so it was dark blue with red facing. Unfortunately this meant that a number of them where shot by their own side who mistook them for French officers, and so in the latter parts of the campaign they changed to were normal officers uniforms (ie Red Coat with blue facings).

You could always use the same figure as an exploring officer or an engineer

Edit- I gave you duff information there- the original Royal Engineers uniform was Blue with Blue facing- not red.

here is a picture...



And here is Major General Ross from the Sharp TV series



Note that Major General Ross has epilets on both sides as he is a staff officer- the other picture only has one epilet - this is what you want. I am going to use a victrix plastic officer I had left over form my line infantry- painted in this colour scheme.

[janner]

Many of the exploring officers were cavalrymen, especially officers of the light dragoons/hussars.

[Sir_Theo]

Really useful thanks to you both!

[Rob_bresnen]

I have just noticed that in the Sharps Practice rules the Exploring officer and scout are not deployed on the table top- they did their scouting before the battle. This means you don't need a figure for him. However if you still want to do one there is a good excuse. The Exploring officer can deploy a secondary fixed deployment point- so you could always paint one up on a mini diorama type base as your secondary deployment point marker.
I think this is what I might do, as it will look very cool.

[janner]

Really useful thanks to you both!

For inspiration, might I suggest Intelligence Officer in the Peninsula, Letters & Diaries of Major The Hon. Edward Charles Cocks, 1786-1812, ed. Julia Page

[Lardy Rich]

There will be scenario a where the exploring officer turns up in the game, so paint away!

Rich

[Rob_bresnen]

Fair enough. I don't need any other excuse.