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Author Topic: French Foreign Legion Uniforms for BOB ???  (Read 4253 times)

Offline rumacara

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French Foreign Legion Uniforms for BOB ???
« on: January 26, 2021, 10:07:11 PM »
Hello all

I was thinking on doing a small force of FFL for the Russian Civil War period but i have doubts wich is the right uniform.
Would it be the khaki one or still the blue one that we are familiar with?
If the khaki one who makes appropriate figures please?

Thank you for your help

Rui

Offline Mark Plant

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Re: French Foreign Legion Uniforms for BOB ???
« Reply #1 on: January 26, 2021, 11:57:09 PM »
Overseas troops, so including the Legion, wore khaki.

What scale and theatre are you looking at?

Offline cuprum

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Re: French Foreign Legion Uniforms for BOB ???
« Reply #2 on: January 27, 2021, 01:27:15 AM »
As far as I know, the Legion battalion was only in the North, near Arkhangelsk. One machine-gun and three rifle companies, mostly recruited from local Russians.

Offline rumacara

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Re: French Foreign Legion Uniforms for BOB ???
« Reply #3 on: January 27, 2021, 09:31:02 AM »
Mark and Cuprum thank you for the info. :)
Its for a "what if" use so a historical background wouldnt be necessary but good to know it was involved.


Mark i was planning to use 28mm.
I have some Copplestone chinese and russians and have 16 FFL from Artizan.
Would the uniform of the Artizan work painted in khaki?
Was it the same?

Offline ecwcaptain

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Re: French Foreign Legion Uniforms for BOB ???
« Reply #4 on: January 27, 2021, 06:47:28 PM »
I'm working on Archangel scenarios now, and the only French units I have come across thus far, is the 21st French Colonial Battalion. One eye-witness reference stated they were "clad in blue".

Offline SJWi

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Re: French Foreign Legion Uniforms for BOB ???
« Reply #5 on: January 27, 2021, 09:02:20 PM »
From looking at some reference books the FFL in 1918 seemed to wear khaki with the Adrian helmet, much like the classic "poilu" . I have a plate of French troops in Russia which shows this but unfortunately the text is in Russian .  You might look at the Gripping Beast "Woodbine Design" range for suitable figures.  They produce quite a nice range with separate heads so you can choose the headgear.

Offline Von Stroheim

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Re: French Foreign Legion Uniforms for BOB ???
« Reply #6 on: January 28, 2021, 12:50:07 AM »
There is an upcoming Osprey - Armies In Southern Russia(June 2021) the cover shows a French colonial soldier in khaki.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Armies-Southern-Russia-1918-19-Men-at-Arms/dp/1472844769/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1611794770&sr=8-1

Offline Mark Plant

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Re: French Foreign Legion Uniforms for BOB ???
« Reply #7 on: January 28, 2021, 03:58:53 AM »
There's a picture in Deryabin's Interventionist armies.



The Osprey on the WWI Armies in the Balkans shows a colonial uniform (zouave, in particular) with a much greyer and paler "khaki".
« Last Edit: January 28, 2021, 04:03:53 AM by Mark Plant »

Offline cuprum

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Re: French Foreign Legion Uniforms for BOB ???
« Reply #8 on: January 28, 2021, 04:36:32 AM »
The composition of the French troops in the north of Russia at different times included:
- 21st marching battalion of the colonial infantry (870 people, 4 companies, of which 1 - ski; 12 heavy and 64 light machine guns),
- a detachment of skiers (numbering about a company; it operated from December 1918 and was formed from Russian volunteers of the Foreign Legion, who were recruited in Arkhangelsk),
- 21st Colonial Artillery Marching Group,
- one battery of the 61st and 62nd artillery regiments,
- 581st and 582nd Aviation Squadrons,
- Russian-French legion (4 companies; 16 heavy and 32 light machine guns
A total of 2,417 French troops.

From the book I. Deryabin "Troops of the interventionists".

On the tablet from Deryabin's book, which Mark posted, there is too much yellow. This is a print production problem, or inept editing by the person who scanned the tablet.
« Last Edit: January 28, 2021, 05:02:08 AM by cuprum »

Offline cuprum

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Re: French Foreign Legion Uniforms for BOB ???
« Reply #9 on: January 28, 2021, 04:42:46 AM »
From the same book:

In the Russian units of the French Foreign Legion in northern Russia, servicemen wore French uniforms, beret, and a collar in the form of a Russian tricolor flag.
The 21st Marching Colonial Infantry Battalion had a French blue-gray cloth uniform with a 21 on its buttonholes and an anchor.
The tablet shows an Algerian shooter in southern Russia. Riflemen (tyraliers), African light infantry, and African horse rangers all wore khaki uniforms.

Soldiers of the 21st Colonial Battalion:





Soldiers of military units unknown to me:





Rewarding the soldiers of the Polish contingent. The Poles dressed in gray-blue uniforms, suggesting that the French officer is wearing a khaki uniform. What division he is from, I do not know. Probably Foreign Legion:

« Last Edit: January 28, 2021, 05:05:06 AM by cuprum »

Offline Ignatieff

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Re: French Foreign Legion Uniforms for BOB ???
« Reply #10 on: January 28, 2021, 04:22:45 PM »
Cracking topic chaps, many thanks.  Some great photo information.  I've done mine in a mix of Khaki and blue.
"...and as always, we are dealing with strange forces far beyond our comprehension...."

All limitations are self imposed.  Work hard and dream big.

Offline juergen c. olk

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Re: French Foreign Legion Uniforms for BOB ???
« Reply #11 on: January 28, 2021, 09:36:25 PM »
the fellows in the big Berets are Chasseurs ' Alpins,who were all ski trained. "Askari Minis makes some.
« Last Edit: January 28, 2021, 10:06:59 PM by juergen c. olk »

Offline cuprum

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Re: French Foreign Legion Uniforms for BOB ???
« Reply #12 on: January 29, 2021, 04:36:25 AM »
Hmm ... I have a question. Is a large beret not a mandatory piece of uniform? Only for those with specialized training? In the first photo I gave, a guy behind a machine gun and in a beret has the insignia of the 21st colonial battalion on his overcoat. Does this mean that the entire colonial battalion had ski training?

Offline pacofeanor

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Re: French Foreign Legion Uniforms for BOB ???
« Reply #13 on: January 29, 2021, 08:55:34 AM »
Hmm ... I have a question. Is a large beret not a mandatory piece of uniform? Only for those with specialized training? In the first photo I gave, a guy behind a machine gun and in a beret has the insignia of the 21st colonial battalion on his overcoat. Does this mean that the entire colonial battalion had ski training?

The entire colonial batalion had the great beret (nicknamed "tarte" ie "pie") It is the classical head gear for alpin troops (chasseurs, alpin infantry and alpin artillery) but the colonial troops use to wear it only for eastern or northern theatres (China , indochina sometimes, Russia...) every man received one, not only skiers.

regards
paco

Offline rumacara

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Re: French Foreign Legion Uniforms for BOB ???
« Reply #14 on: January 29, 2021, 09:03:41 AM »
Wow!!! :o
Lots of info to digest. :)
Thank you all for the info. Keep it coming. ;)

 

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