Irish Wild Geese

[cmooney78]

I have started casting and painting some Irish Wild Geese in 40mm, but am having trouble tracking down exactly where and when they appeared in actual battle.  Anyone with any ideas? The actual soldiers are Prince August, semi-flat, and don't really seem to fit in with much of what I have seen here...

[timg]

Hi,

I'd like to see your work if you got any pics handy. There were some Irish/Wild geese troops at Culloden, mix of regiments like Dilllons etc.

[Adam]

They famously appeared in battle at Fontenoy, but they were present at a lot more. Try having a look on Kronoskaf, you should be able to see where they fought during the Seven Years War (the regiment Lally in India for example):

http://www.kronoskaf.com/syw/index.php?title=French_Army#Irish_Line_Infantry_Regiments

http://www.kronoskaf.com/syw/index.php?title=Battles (for OOBs)

I know there were definitely some in the Western theatre of the SYW at one point as they appear in Corporal William Todd's journal. He, along with a party gathering wood, were captured and whilst in captivity some Irishmen tried to get them to join the Irish Brigade. Todd was offered a promotion to Sergeant, but one of the recruiting party, a deserter from the 23rd Foot who had regretted changing sides, warned him that they promised the Earth to all British prisoners but didn't deliver when they enlisted in the wild Geese. Todd told him that he wouldn't be tempted. The Irish brigade sometimes struggled to get recruits in wartime and both Englishmen and Scots were to be found in their ranks, often deserters but sometimes out of loyalty to the Stuart cause (one of the leaders of the Manchester Regiment of Jacobites during the '45 had been an officer in the Irish Brigade). In this case it ended badly: after one of the Irish soldiers said that the English were all scoundrels and that he was done with Britain and would never go back there, Corporal Todd replied that that was all the better for Britain then. The Irishman in question lost his temper and slashed at Todd's face with his sword, cutting him by the eye. Todd then shouted at the Irishman for attacking an unarmed man.

I'd look at OOBs for the battles of the War of the Austrian Succession as well.

Edit: According to this blog the Irish were present at Vellinghausen

[cmooney78]

Timg, I will work on getting pics, once I get a bit better with coloring.  I had been blissfully unaware of the depth and detail that goes into painting these soldiers.

Adam, thanks for pointing me to Kronoskaf.  My knowledge of the SYW is shamefully inadequate.

Colin

[timg]

Hi Colin,

Just enjoy painting them mate, sound interesting figures you have there.

Tim

[1ngram]

Get a hold of the Osprey book on the Wild Geese - campaign history from WSS  onwards is there.