28mm french Foreign legion /Gringo40s

[gringo]

Gents

received the first batch of greens back for the french Foreign legion

looking good................will be sent to Griffin today!.....

regards

Ged

www.gringo40s.com
www.gringo40s.blogspot.com
and 28mm

[Kingscarbine]

Just bought La Guerre du Mexique by Alain Gouttman for the holidays so I'll probably be starving for figures by September. 

[gringo]

good man...you will like these im sure a lot!!!

regards

Ged
www.gringo40s.com
www.gringo40s.nlogspot.com
and 28mm

[Arthur]

french legion, french legion

and what about the belgium legion

may be in memory of those how died in tacambaro

We had a lengthy thread on the subject of the Mexican campaign last year (must still be somewhere on the forum but I don't know where exactly after the recent reorganisation), and the Belgian Legion was among the topics we breached. About seven months ago, I sent Ged some uniform info regarding the French and their allies, and inside the enveloppe was a copy of a fairly detailed article by Liliane and Fred Funcken on the Légion Belge in Mexico - including plates describing both their full dress and campaign uniforms. So Ian (Ged's sculptor for that range) already has something to go by if he feels like doing some Belgians.  

[gringo]

Arthur

greetings old chap....trust all is well with you.Belgians are probably next up as they are apart from being a fascinating contingent...there dress is
pretty cool and quite theatrical and merits doing in both full and
campaign dress or a combination of both! again cost is a factor......and
will need carefull planning!! all suggestions welcome

best regards
Ged
www.gringo40s.com
www.gringo40s.blogspot.com
and 28mm

[Arthur]

Hi Ged

I'd say go with the campaign dress: the full dress uniform and the Corsican hat didn't last very long in the field. Covered kepis and white linen trousers tucked into linen gaiters worn without leather leggings would have been the norm from mid-1866. 

[gringo]

Arthur

good to hear from  you..........of course your right with  the campaign dress option and no doubt i will do some.....i may have to do some
of the threatrical gear though its crying out to be done and adds splash
of colour and asthetic appeal.................poetry in lead!!

will be looking later this week at them in detail..i have your notes which
are excellent..........qawd bless the Funkens.....

regards Ged

www.gringo40s.com

[Rob Herrick]

I'd like to vote for Mexican or Imperial cavalry with dismounts somewhere in the queue. They would be a good supplement to the period.

[gringo]

Rob

good idea...like it...........bit like French Dismounted dragoons in the
peninsular in Spain from 1808 onwards.........Dupin and adverseries
would be good! make for a great skirmish. reading a "Black Corp d;elite"
now for more inspiration

regards
Ged
www.gringo40s.com

[Arthur]

Arthur

good to hear from  you..........of course your right with  the campaign dress option and no doubt i will do some.....i may have to do some
of the threatrical gear though its crying out to be done and adds splash
of colour and asthetic appeal.................poetry in lead!!

will be looking later this week at them in detail..i have your notes which
are excellent..........qawd bless the Funkens.....

regards Ged

These grizzled Belgian veterans may not be wearing funny hats, but methinks they look dashing enough (pic taken in Monterey in 1866) :



They're wearing grey rather white trousers, but that's probably because the photograph was taken on a formal occasion. Otherwise, it gives a pretty good idea of what the men looked like in the field after a few months in Mexico. Can't remember whether I had already posted this pic here : I don't think so, but it was definitely among the ones I sent you, Ged.  

[Rob Herrick]

Rob

good idea...like it...........bit like French Dismounted dragoons in the
peninsular in Spain from 1808 onwards.........Dupin and adverseries
would be good! make for a great skirmish. reading a "Black Corp d;elite"
now for more inspiration

regards
Ged
www.gringo40s.com

Any skirmish game with cavalry requires dismounts. Whether the cavalrymen dismount willingly or not is a different question, but they were all equipped for dismounted service.

[gringo]

Athur

thanks for posting the photo.as you say they do look pretty cool..am i right in saying they have the braided jackets per the funken plate worn
open exposing the cartouche box. the thing is i want them to look differentfrom the French hence my earlier comment.about doing the two types. the funky pork pie hat is very distinctive... the notes you kindly sent me are very comprehensive though.

Rob agreed..........part of the excitment of a skirmish game is the dismounted cavalry action side.........all noted!

regards

Ged

www.gringo40s.com
www.gringo40s.blogspot.com

[Arthur]

Yes Ged, they are all wearing their regulation braided jackets, though the tall guy on the right of the first row appears to be wearing a greatcoat - hard to say given the low resolution as this is the much blown-up scan of a very small pic. Since this was obviously a review of some sort, the men are wearing their jackets buttoned up. In the field however, they probably did unbutton them in the heat of the day - but definitely not at night when it got much colder.

Re-checking my sources, they confirm that the Corsican was abandoned after a few weeks for operations in the field, the men only wearing covered kepis after mid-1866. The hats were put in storage but may still have been worn for the occasional parade.     

[gringo]

Arthur

great stuff...that puts everthing in context and gives me a clear picture..

will be able to come up with few figures to cover these chaps..as there

were only two battalions and the mounted contingent......

those pork pie hats are fascinating...but i guess usless for Mexico.


regards

Ged

www.gringo40s.com

[gringo]

Gents

just received the masters back from Griffin..........really pleased off to

the production line........

regards

Ged

www.gringo40s.com
www.gringo40s.blogspot.com