Help me identify two painted units, please

[chicklewis]

I recently inherited a large block of painted 28mm figures from my Generous Buddy Fearless Harry.  I'm rebasing many of them to fit into my collection paradigm, but two of the uniforms are unfamiliar to me.  Please tell me everything you know about the  two units in the photograph:

link to the photo
https://boardgamegeek.com/image/8975428/chicklewis

he leftmost two figures are apparently black Africans with bright red vests and billian yellow trim.
The rightmost three are apparently Black Africans and a European officer all in dull gray. 
Thanks in advance for any pointers !!
Chick Lewid

[chicklewis]

Does the link take you to the photo, or does it only work if you are me?
Chick

[Diablo Jon]

The guys on the left are the west Indies regiment they switched from a normal british army uniform to the more exotic zouaves uniform around 1858. Many of the rank and file in the 19th century were freed slaves and they saw active service with the British along the west African  coast.

[robh]

They are all British West Indies regiment figures from the Castaway Arts "Ashanti Wars" range. The grey tunic is the more common campaign vest.
The Bugler is a conversion of the Officer/Standard Bearer figure.

The same range also features some excellent Hausa figures.

[Plynkes]

It's just a hunch, but the other figures could also be of the West India regiments. They served in the Ashanti wars, wars in which the British troops wore experimental greyish uniforms. It's unlikely those fancy zouave dress uniforms would have been worn on campaign in Africa, and it seems reasonable that they too would have had something more modern and practical.

Having said that, I don't have any actual uniform details of what they wore in West Africa.


Edit: robh beat me to it!

[chicklewis]

THANKS VERY MUCH,Frends, I would not have figured that out.

Chick

[Diablo Jon]

Interestingly ( or not) I checked out my Peter Abbot colonial armies of Africa 1850 - 1918 which is my go to book for this sort of thing. According to Abbot the campaign uniform of the WIR in the 3rd Anglo Ashanti war was a white shirt, white knee length trousers and a rather fetching straw hat that made them look a bit like sailors. Later in the war the were re equipped with the standard grey uniform of other British troops including the sun helmet. If that's correct then the guys on the right aren't quite dressed right but I wouldn't let that stop me from using them as WIR in campaign dress.

[Plynkes]

That is interesting, Jon. As I recall, during the Great War when they were sent to East Africa they caused a bit of confusion among the locals. Being regulars of the British Army rather than local colonial forces like the KAR, they were paid the same as other British troops, and were outfitted in the same equipment and uniforms (as it seems they eventually were in the Ashanti campaign from your post), which were khaki drill tropical uniforms with Wolseley sun helmets. The local Africans marvelled at the existence of these English-speaking 'Black European' soldiers.

[Diablo Jon]

That is interesting, Jon. As I recall, during the Great War when they were sent to East Africa they caused a bit of confusion among the locals. Being regulars of the British Army rather than local colonial forces like the KAR, they were paid the same as other British troops, and were outfitted in the same equipment and uniforms (as it seems they eventually were in the Ashanti campaign from your post), which were khaki drill tropical uniforms with Wolseley sun helmets. The local Africans marvelled at the existence of these English-speaking 'Black European' soldiers.

I can believe that I think the KAR and their predecessors were consider part of local colonial government and therefore answered to the colonial office, or if a protectorate, the foreign office. Were as the WIR was a part of the regular British army. I think the WIR reputation suffered somewhat in the second half of the 19th century. The supply of freed west African slaves that they recruited dried up and apparently the men who came from the Caribbean where no more immune to African diseases than white British soldiers. I have read that in the 3rd Anglo Ashanti war the WIR were considered 2nd class by Wolseley who used them mainly as porters to replace the Fante ones, the British had hired, but who deserted in droves.

[robh]

There is a very good article from the Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth history about the creation and development of the West Indies Regiments:

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03086534.2018.1463612#abstract

Sadly it does not follow the story as far as the 3rd Ashanti War.  But still provides a starting point for researching uniforms and scenarios rarely seen in "Napoleonic" era gaming where actions in the Colonies are largely forgotten.