Chasseurs Britanniques wing colour?

[olicana]

Hi, I'm thinking about adding a unit of Chasseurs Britanniques to my painting list for the British in the Peninsular. I only have one written description of the uniform on my book shelf, and it's pretty vague. I have looked on the web and I'm looking at a fairly standard British line uniform with sky blue facings - drummer reversed colours.

However, when it comes to the light and grenadier coys there seems to be a contradiction. Some show blue epaulettes with RED WINGS LACED WHITE, some show blue epaulettes with BLUE WINGS LACED WHITE. Does anyone one know which is more likely. I'm hoping the latter (how exciting for something British and different to crop up) but, expecting the (same as, same as) former.

Also, as a secondary question: I know this battalion served with the 7th Division (the '2nd Light Division') brigaded alongside two British light battalions so, was it trained as a light battalion or did it generally fight as a line unit? This matters because I duplicate figures to fight when skirmishing (line battalion requires 28 figs, light battalion requires 36).

Thanks,

James

[Jemima Fawr]

It's been a very long time since I painted mine, but I must admit that I'd always been under the impression that as they were an LI regiment they'd all be dressed the same, as LI.  Facing-coloured backing to the wings was unusual, but was done by the KGL and Foot Guards, so there was precedent.  To be honest, there is precious little information on the CBs.

[armchairgeneral]

As I recall there is a picture of them in Haythornthwaite’s Uniforms Peninsular 1807-1814. I don’t have the book anymore.

[olicana]

I have the Haythornthwaite; the plate shows a light infantry officer (see description below); it's the book I have with not much of a description. It merely says that:

"They wore infantry uniform with light blue facings, lace silver for officers and white with light blue and red stripes for others. One portrait shows an officer with red collar; that illustrated wears light company distinctions........battalion company officers wore the usual epaulettes and bicorn. Discrepancies of uniform probably existed within the unit, for Wellington enquired.... [about it in 1811]."

The reason I think the CB were uniformed as per line regiments is the fact that most of the reenactors don't seem to wear wings, just light blue shoulder straps. This works well for me because I've probably bought one or two too many line units and not enough light infantry units - so this unit can be used (at a pinch, for double bubble) for either, it seems (Huzzah!).

There also seems to be some discrepancy with plume position but, this is easy, I'll just go with the castings.

Infantry with blue backed wings:



With red backed wings:



Reenactor with no wings:



And another one:

[olicana]

I wonder if they changed uniforms in 1811.

[Baron von Wreckedoften]

I would go with red-backed wings and light blue shoulder-straps; yes, the Foot Guards and KGL had blue-backed wings, but these were not "normal" infantry regiments.