Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Colonial Adventures => Topic started by: Siaba on 18 September 2012, 03:30:28 PM
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Hello,
I'm looking for informations about the uniform worn in campaign by the 5th Bombay light infantry in China in 1860-1862. I know they wore a red tunic with black facing but I have no idea of the turban and trouser colours.
By the way, does someone know which figures could be used to represent this unit?
Thank you for your help :)
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Trousers were dark blue knickerbockers (a.k.a 'plus four' types) with a red welt on the outer seam, worn with white gaiters. Bombay units had turbans in distinctive regimental patterns, but I can't find the type worn by the 5th Bombay in the books I have, though someone else here may have the answer (Plynkes?). Failing that, you may try your luck on the Victorian Wars forum :
http://www.victorianwars.com/index.php (http://www.victorianwars.com/index.php)
Re the figures, the Perry Sudan range Indian infantry is probably the closest there is, though their headgear will require a bit of conversion work. Have a look at the Maiwand page link below for some ideas :
http://maiwandday.blogspot.fr/2011/06/full-unit-conversion-2-1st-bombay.html (http://maiwandday.blogspot.fr/2011/06/full-unit-conversion-2-1st-bombay.html)
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A little bit of additional digging will sometimes yield results, mind you... lol
This is a later print by Simkin depicting the 5th Bombay in 1895. Long after the second China war, admittedly, but the full dress uniform shown here had not changed that much since the 1860's. The turban is shown as solid green with a red kullah, and some sources mention a black fringe as well. Other depictions show the turban as predominently green, but with yellow stripes : hard to tell from the photo, which also dates back to the 1890's.
(http://www.britishempire.co.uk/images/5thbombaybugler.jpg)
(http://www.britishempire.co.uk/images/5thbombay1895.jpg)
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According to Mollo:
'Native ranks adopted the tunic as early as 1856 and by 1861 all the native ranks were dressed in a turban which closely followed the undress tunic of the Bristish infantry.' p 135, The Indian Army; Boris Mollo, Blandford Press 1981
I suspect that the knickerbocker style trousers came in with the introduction of the shorter tunic around 1880. The leggings would date from the same time. Judging by depictions of of Bengali and Madrassi troops as well as what went before and came after trousers were probably blue. The again they could well have been white hot weather issue or even locally made items.
Minis? I don't know of any dedicated range for Indian Army for this specific period. Probably your best bet would be either the Foundry British from the China range with heads swapped for turbans or maybe Brits from Mutineer Miniatures with similar changes to headwear.
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Thank you very much for your invaluable help, guys :) :)
If we admit that the knickerbocker were a 1880 thing, I can use FOUNDRY indian mutiny sikh infantry figures with the appropriate paint scheme.
Thank you again ;)