Wednesday, 22 October 2025

Flags Carried By French Infantry Regiment Aunis 1684-1749

I created these over three years ago but have only just done the write up; there is a link with some recent French flags as this was one of the infantry regiments captured at Blenheim in 1704. There are now 127 French infantry flag sets (actually more as some include variants!) on the blog.

First raised 1684 and given to Armand-Scipion-Sidoine-Apollinaire-Gaspard, Vicomte de Polignac. One battalion strong.




Service (from Susane):

1692 Army of Flanders; siege of Namur; battle of Steenkirken
1693 Served on the coasts
1694 Army of Italy
1695 Army of Catalonia
1696 Army of Italy; siege of Valenza
1697 Army of the Meuse
1702 Army of the Rhine; battle of Friedlingen where the colonel was wounded
1703 Siege of Breisach; siege of Landau; battle of Speyerbach

1704 Given to Charles Hugues, Comte de Lyonne

1704 Army of Bavaria; battle of Hochstedt [Blenheim]; one of seven regiments taken prisoner in the village of Blenheim [Iain Stanford's Marlborough Goes To War tells us the regiment was 2 battalions strong at Blenheim]
1706 Exchanged
1706-1710 Served on the Rhine

1710 Given to Henri-Antoine-Thomas, Chevalier de Brancas-Courbon

1711 Army of Flanders; combat of Arleux
1712 Battle of Denain; capture of Douai, Du Quesnoy and Bouchain

Given 1734 to the Comte de Chatellux

1739-1740 Campaigning in Corsica

1742 Army of Flanders

1743 Given to César-François de Beauvoir, Marquis de Chatellux

1745 Army of the Lower Rhine

1745 Given to François-Emery de Durfort, Comte de Civrac

1746 Army of Flanders; siege of Mons; siege of Charleroi; siege of Namur; battle of Rocoux; to Provence for the relief of Antibes
1747 Battle of the Assiette; the colonel was badly wounded there

1747 Given to Michel-Armand, Marquis de Broc

1747-1748 Served in the Alps to the peace

1749; grenadiers to the Grenadiers de France and the rest incorporated in the Regiment of Languedoc

And this was the uniform in the 1740s:




 

Sunday, 19 October 2025

Colours of the Huguenot Red And White Regiments 1690s, after the McNally Aughrim Book

As I quoted in my earlier post on the blue colours of Colonel Cambon's Huguenot Infantry Regiment (here: https://nba-sywtemplates.blogspot.com/2025/10/colours-of-colonel-du-cambons-huguenot.html ), "Interestingly, McNally refers to the three Huguenot infantry regiments as the Red, White and Blue regiments of foot (frustratingly with no mention of source for that statement). On the basis that, in the English Civil War, units so called had flags of the corresponding colours, and that it rarely referred to uniform colours, does that mean that it is possible that the three Huguenot infantry regiments had red, white and blue flags? If Cambon's flags were blue, which of La Melonière's and Belcastel's had white or red?"

So here are my versions of the colours of the Red and White Huguenot Regiments, which you can allocate to the regiments of Melonière and Belcastel as you see fit, in the absence of any definitive evidence about which carried which! (If anyone does know, please tell me!)

In the White Regiment colours we do have the heraldic solecism of a metal on a metal, with the gold fleurs de lys on white, but this is common on French flags of the 17th and 18th centuries so I see no special problem with that. Flagmakers often took liberties with the old rules of heraldry.


I interpret the flags on the Jan Wyck painting rather differently from McNally and will post my versions soon.

Tuesday, 14 October 2025

Colours of the English 2nd or Coldstream Guards 1684

To keep things ticking over here is a relatively simple set of flags, the colours of the 2nd or Coldstream Guards in 1684 (but which may also have been carried through the 1670s):

 


Kronoskaf's WSS site has a detailed account of the regiment here: https://kronoskaf.com/wss/index.php?title=2nd_Foot_Guards saving me the effort! The colours changed often over the next twenty years so these are suitable only for a short period...

Saturday, 11 October 2025

Wednesday, 8 October 2025

Colours of Colonel Du Cambon's Huguenot Regiment of Foot 1690 as reconstructed by Michael McNally

I recently acquired Michael McNally's Helion volume St Ruth's Fatal Gamble on the 1691 Aughrim campaign and the end of the war in Ireland. It has a depiction of the colours of Cambon's Huguenot infantry regiment as carried at the Boyne in 1690. The book says (p.282) "the reconstruction has been based on the relevant section of Jan Wyck's painting of the Battle of the Boyne, in which the crossing of the third battalion of the Huguenot Brigade can be clearly made out, together with the unit's white colonel's colour and a blue company colour which has golden decoration in the canton on the upper hoist side". I have examined a reasonably high resolution digital version of the Battle of the Boyne painting and cannot find the regiment as described! But apparently there are many versions of that painting and perhaps I have not found the one that shows the Huguenot regiment as McNally describes it...

Here is my version of the flag set as reconstructed in the McNally book:

  

Interestingly, McNally refers to the three Huguenot infantry regiments as the Red, White and Blue regiments of foot (frustratingly with no mention of source for that statement). On the basis that, in the English Civil War, units so called had flags of the corresponding colours, and that it rarely referred to uniform colours, does that mean that it is possible that the three Huguenot infantry regiments had red, white and blue flags? If Cambon's flags were blue, which of La Melonière's and Belcastel's had white or red?

Update: I have found an image of the Boyne painting that may show what McNally interprets as the Cambon regiment with the flags shown; here is a zoomed in snapshot. I can just about see the blue canton with golden decoration on the upper hoist side, I think!

 


 

Tuesday, 30 September 2025

Colonel's flag of Dutch Infantry Regiment Aylva (Probably 1690s) According to Robert Hall

Although he does not show an illustration of it and quotes no source, Robert Hall describes this Colonel's flag for Dutch Infantry Regiment Aylva. My other post on the regiment can be found here, for service details etc.: https://nba-sywtemplates.blogspot.com/2024/10/flags-and-uniform-dutch-infantry.html




 

Wednesday, 24 September 2025

Flags of Spanish Swiss Infantry Regiment Jung Reding or Nuevo de Reding 1743-1768

These are the flags of Spanish Swiss Regiment Jung Reding or Nuevo Reding or Joseph Reding or José Reding, all variant names for the same regiment according to source.

First raised 1743. For much of its life 2 battalions, each of 4 companies, each of 150 men.

These flags were probably carried from 1743 at least until the new regulations of 1768.




These were a recent commission for Lewis Simpson-Jones who was happy to see them offered on the blog.

Uniform dark blue with red facings (lapels and cuffs) and turnbacks, dark blue breeches and white gaiters.

Friday, 19 September 2025

Speculative Standards and a Guidon for Huguenot Cavalry and Dragoon Regiments in Ireland 1689-1698

To complete the set of speculative flags for Huguenot regiments raised by William III, I have now created two very speculative versions of a cavalry standard for the Duke of Schomberg's Regiment of Horse of 9 troops, raised July 1689 and disbanded 1697-8, and a guidon for the Marquis de Miremont's Regiment of Dragoons of 6 troops, raised 1st October 1695 (although there is some uncertainty about the actual date, which may have been earlier) and disbanded 1697-8. (I can find no evidence of the dragoon regiment seeing action or service in Ireland.)




I have done two versions of the standard of Schomberg's cavalry regiment; one is more elaborate with a Huguenot motto (which means After Darkness [Comes The] Light) and the escarbuncles in the corner from Schomberg's coat of arms.

The English coat of arms on Schomberg's standards is taken from the infantry flags of a British Protestant (and probably Huguenot) regiment serving with the army of Savoy and which were captured by the French and illustrated in the Triomphes Louis XIV. I have created the two Savoy flags and posted them on the blog here: https://nba-sywtemplates.blogspot.com/2024/03/flags-of-savoy-1693-1704-battalion-flag.html and here: https://nba-sywtemplates.blogspot.com/2024/03/flags-of-savoy-1693-1704-colonels-flag.html

Schjomberg's was 395 strong in June 1690, according to Sapherson. At the Boyne 1st July 1690 they were only 240 strong. After the death of Schomberg at the Boyne the regiment's colonel was Henri de Massue, Marquis de Ruvigny, and then later it was the Earl of Galway. At Aughrim the regiment apparently had 60 killed and 13 wounded, an odd proportion and the opposite of what might be expected.

Sapherson says that Schomberg's wore a light grey uniform with red lace or trim, buff breeches and white hat lace, from what source I know not.

Thursday, 11 September 2025

Three Speculative Flag Sets For Huguenot Infantry Regiments In British Service - WSS Variants

Now here's the tale (and a tall tale it is too! ;-)). When the three Huguenot infantry regiments were disbanded in 1697-8, their flags, which had miraculously survived intact, were laid up in store. When new Huguenot regiments were raised in 1706 a bureaucrat (name now unknown) remembered those flags and thought it would be very economical to issue them to some of the newly raised regiments. In the event, only three Huguenot regiments were actually sent abroad and Paul de Blosset's Foot was absorbed into the first, Frederick de Sibourg's Foot, in 1708. 

In reality, we do not know what flags were carried by these regiments. I was asked to adapt my speculative 1690s William III Huguenot flags by substituting the cipher of Queen Anne for that of William III so they can be used for the WSS regiments.

So, you have the choice of my three sets of speculative flags to use, for Sibourg's Regiment or Paul de Blosset's Foot or Count Nassau's Foot. Kronoskaf WSS discusses all the regiments here: https://kronoskaf.com/wss/index.php?title=British_Army#Regiments_of_Foot including the three which were never properly raised in 1706.


 



Sunday, 7 September 2025

Three Speculative Flag Sets For Huguenot Infantry Regiments In British Service 1689-1698 - Updated!

Five regiments of Huguenots were raised from 1689:

One of cavalry, the Duke of Schomberg's Regiment of Horse of 9 troops raised July 1689 and disbanded 1697-8

One of dragoons, the Marquis de Miremont's Regiment of Dragoons 6 troops raised 1st October 1695 and disbanded 1697-8

Three regiments of infantry:

Colonel de la Melonière's Regiment of French Foot raised 4th April 1689 and disbanded 1697-8
Colonel du Cambon's  Regiment of French Foot raised 4th April 1689 and disbanded 1697-8
The Marquis de Caillemotte's  Regiment of French Foot raised 4th April 1689 and disbanded 1697-8

The infantry probably wore grey coats, according to Sapherson. They carried no pikes and apparently suffered badly at The Boyne as a result.






I've now added a third set of flags as with three actual Huguenot infantry regiments we can't have only two speculative flag sets! The third one has a pattern of five emblems in each quarter as is depicted on the flags from the 1680s of the Queen's Majesty's and Clifton's Regiments of Foot.
 
And now I feel I shall have to produce a dragoon guidon and cavalry standard for the Huguenots too! 

The upper flag in each set is the company colour and the lower flag a Colonel's colour. 
 
As I explained in my previous blog post "in Robert Hall's book on Dutch flags and uniforms 1685-1715 he cites a statement from August Kühn (based on an unknown source) that "Huguenot regiments had black flags with white crosses and the emblems of the country which supported the regiment"" and so these are my ideas based on that somewhat vague description. The elaborate Maltese cross has long been a Huguenot emblem, although it was not, it seems, until the 19th century that it was widely used and accepted by Huguenots. However, even if somewhat anachronistic for the late 17th century, I feel it is too distinctive, attractive and decorative not to be used - so I have!


There is an old article from 1911 printed in the Proceedings of the Huguenot Society of London which can be found on Archive.org here; https://archive.org/details/proceedingsofhug913hugu/page/n9/mode/2up I ploughed through it all and there is not one mention of the detail of uniform or flags. However, it does give some information on the service of the units, and names officers and lists casualties etc.. The article begins at page 476.

Saturday, 6 September 2025

Possible designs for speculative flags for British Huguenot Infantry Regiments Raised By William III 1689-1699

In Robert Hall's book on Dutch flags and uniforms 1685-1715 he cites a statement from August Kühn (based on an unknown source) that "Huguenot regiments had black flags with white crosses and the emblems of the country which supported the regiment" and following that statement I have put together a couple of possible designs for British Huguenot regimental flags. They are probably ludicrously elaborate compared with the operational reality of the army in the 1690s but, if we are going to give our troops flags, then they should at least be impressive!


 

Thursday, 4 September 2025

Flag of Dutch French Huguenot Infantry Regiment Lislemarais 1702-?1722

I have other flags whose texts I still need to write but I am intrigued by the Huguenot exile regiments so...

First raised 1702; the Colonel was Henry de Bois Billaud de Montaciel, Chevalier de Lislemarais

One battalion strong

The flag is based on Robert Hall's version of August Kühn's reconstruction (source unknown) which stated that Huguenot flags were black with white crosses and the emblems of the country that raised the regiment.


And by request from several people I have produced an entirely speculative all-white Colonel's flag:

 


 

I may do my own versions of the (unknown) flags of the three Huguenot regiments raised by William III for service against the Jacobites in Ireland.

Service:

1702 Defence of Hulst
1703 Siege of Limberg
1706 Siege of Ostend; 1 killed and 3 wounded
1706 To Spain
1707 Battle of Almansa and made prisoner
1710 Returned to Flanders
1711 Siege of Bouchain

And the uniform in 1703 was like this:




Friday, 29 August 2025

Coming soon - flags of French Swiss Infantry Regiment Stuppa/Brendlé and Celle Infantry Regiment De La Motte

Preview shot of French Swiss Infantry Regiment Stuppa/Brendlé flags (here with Simon Miller's splendid troops (picture by Simon Miller)):


 and low resolution preview of the flags of Celle Infantry Regiment De La Motte:

 


Monday, 11 August 2025

The colours of Jacobite Infantry Regiment Sir Maurice Eustace 1689-1691

I did these some time ago and had almost forgotten them!

D'Alton's King James Irish Army List 1855 has a list of officers (see attached table below) and mentions that on the 10th May 1689, in a letter to Lieutenant General Hamilton, King James mentions (inter alia) that "Ten companies of Eustace's will be soon with you, all well armed and clothed" (quoted from King James's Letters, Trinity College MSS E 2 19).


The motto "Dum Spiro Spero" means "While I Breathe I Hope".


From Sapherson William III At War In Scotland and Ireland: Eustace's is given as 51 officers and 783 men (British Museum list) and 454 men from a list by the Comte d'Avoux. 13 companies and one battalion strong according to John Stevens.

After the Boyne listed as 13 companies strong with a total (nominal?) of 650 men (Sapherson).



D'Alton quotes from Story's Impartial History (which seems to be far from impartial!) that, after the Capitulation of Limerick, "On the 16th of October there marched out of Limerick Sir Maurice Eustace's Regiment, Major General Talbot's, Lord Bellew's, Prince of Wales (so Story styles Fitz-James's), Lord Clanricarde's, and Colonel Bermingham's; yet they made in all only 618 men". So by that late date Eustace's was clearly very weak.

Mark Allen in his article THE WAR OF THE GRAND ALLIANCE French Foreign Regiments Part Two: The Irish shows Eustace's in red with yellow facings, which I suspect is supposition rather than fact but most wargamers do seem to depict Eustace's dressed like that.

Sunday, 10 August 2025

The last and sadly least of the "Give Them A Second Chance" Units - French Infantry Regiments Destroyed At Blenheim 1704 Number 5 - Infantry Regiment Franquières

For the sake of completeness - "I've Started So I'll Finish... ;-) - here are the flags of the last of the five French infantry regiments destroyed at Blenheim. Yes, they are sadly "vanilla" and nowhere near as interesting as the flags of the previous four regiments. And we do not even know the details of the uniform nor can I discover where in the Franco-Bavarian battle line they were positioned. But it is sobering to think that these flags were perhaps the last thing some of those poor devils saw in the centre of the regiment as it was wiped out by the Allied attack...

But now see below; this unit was not at Blenheim and not in fact destroyed! 

First raised 18th January 1702 by the Comte de Franquières


1704 Not In Fact Destroyed at Blenheim!

Uniform unknown

UPDATE (from comment by an Anonymous Correspondent with seriously useful connections :-)):

"AND THE ANSWER IS! This regiment first formed part of the garrison at Belfort in 1703 and then became part of the garrison at Old Breisach when the French took it that same year (M de Regnac Commanding, Foix Infantry (2 bns), Franquieres (1) and D'Anlezy Horse (2), remaining there until it was disbanded end of year 1704. The Allies actually tried to retake the town in November that year, but were driven off, Franquieres taking heavy casualties and losing a color. Upon disbandment its soldiers were used as a replacements for the Foix Regiment. AND FOR THE RECORD, when the British had their victory parade in London, January 1705, all trophies were officially credited as having been taken at 2d Hochstadt [Blenheim] whether they were at the battle or not. Thus, Franquieres was given battle credit for 2d Hochstadt [Blenheim] (as in the campaign), but was not physically on the battlefield. It was at Breisach."

And expert Iain Stanford writes further:

"Hi All,

I thought I would add to this discussion since my initial assumption that this regiment was disbanded in 1704 was incorrect. I looked further, via Pelet and Vault Vol V and the records of the Hotel des Invalids. Franquieres is still recorded as part of the garrison of Breisach in May 1705 (Pelet Vol 5 Page 775 - AH Vol 1844 no 106)
The Hotel d'Invalids https://www.hoteldesinvalides.org/format_liste.php records 11 admissions of soldiers who served in the Regiment of Franquieres. Have a look at the link and type in the name. There are 2 direct admittances from the regiment:

December 19, 1704
Jean Vallier, known as Dragon, aged 62, born in St Vallier [26333] in the diocese of Vienne in Dauphiné, soldier of Lord Du Sauset, Regiment of Franquieres, where he served for 3 years, previously 9 years in the King's Dragoons, 15 years in Vermandois, and 5 years at sea. All this is shown by his certificate. His weakness of sight, together with his other inconveniences, put him out of service, and is a Catholic - soldier.

June 19, 1705
Denis Auger known as La Fumée, aged 60, Born in Erricy near Fontainebleau, Soldier of the Sieur de Scot Regiment of Franquieres, where he served 3 years, previously 14 in the Regiment of the King, and 16 years in Artois and La Motte, All of which is supported by his Certificate, his decent together with his injuries and other inconveniences put him out of Service, and is Catholic - Soldier - April 5, 1717. He died.

6 men later served in the regiment of Franclieu (Susane 1305) - a regiment raised at the same time (1702). La Londe/Franclieu/Bouzy served on the Rhine from 1702-5 and moved to Flanders in 1706.

Marlborough Goes to War was published over 20 years ago, and needs to be updated as I have additional data on the battle. [That volume can be bought from the Pike And Shot Society website for only £8 plus postage: https://pikeandshotsociety.org.uk/store-2/?model_number=-Marlborough-Goes-to-War ] I am currently researching Malplaquet, the orders of battle and casualties.

I hope you find this of use."

Very useful! Many thanks to Iain for that.

 

Friday, 8 August 2025

"Give Them A Second Chance" Units - French Infantry Regiments Destroyed At Blenheim 1704 Number 4 - Infantry Regiment Bandeville

Raised 4th January 1702 by the Marquis de Bandeville



Service:

Army of the Rhine
1703 Siege of Breisach; then in garrison there
1704 Army of Bavaria; battle of Blenheim. Susane says "Completely destroyed and the colonel killed" (Hall adds that there were 120 made prisoners).

And another unit where the uniform was completely grey!


Wednesday, 6 August 2025

"Give Them A Second Chance" Units - French Infantry Regiments Destroyed At Blenheim 1704 Number 3 - Infantry Regiment Zurlauben

A couple of glitches now corrected and the new version of the flags uploaded!

Originally a Walloon regiment. First raised June 1684 by N. Lallement. Given 14th April 1685 to Béat-Jacques de La Tour-Châtillon, Comte de Zurlauben (mortally wounded at Blenheim 1704).



Service (from Hall and Susane):

1689 Army of Catalonia
1690 Expedition to Ireland; almost destroyed at the Battle of the Boyne
1691 Army of Flanders; siege of Mons
1692 Siege of Namur; battle of Steenkirken
1693 Battle of Neerwinden; siege of Charleroi
1694-1695 Army of Flanders
1696-1697 Army of the Meuse
1701 Army of Italy; combat of Chiari
1702 In garrison at Mantua
1703 Army of the Rhine; capture of Breisach and Lansau; battle of Speyerbach
1704 Army of Bavaria; battle of Blenheim where the regiment was annihilated and the colonel mortally wounded (Hall adds that the colonel was wounded seven times and died later at Ulm) The regiment was two battalions strong and brigaded with regiment St Segond, stationed behind Blenheim village at the beginning of the battle

Disbanded 21st September 1704

And this was the uniform to 1702 and 1703-1704:

 


 

Friday, 1 August 2025

Flags carried by Dutch Swiss Infantry Regiment Tscharner, Montmollin, Stürler 1694-1714

First raised 3rd May 1694. It was a Berne regiment of two battalions. The first colonel was Nicolas Tscharner from Berne to 1697, then it was Charles de Montmollin who died 22/12/1701 and then Vincent Stürler (1662-1734) from Berne who was made brigadier in 1709.

Lieutenant Colonel Francois de Montmollin was killed at Blenheim in 1704. There were horrendous casualties at Malplaquet in 1709 (see below).




The flags were captured at Le Quesnoy, according to the Triomphes Louis XIV; the flags may therefore only relate to the later regiment under Vincent Stürler.

Service (extracted from Hall ):

1703 Capture of Trabach; defence of the Stolhofen-Buhl lines; battle of Stekene; battle of Eckeren; defence of Augsburg (all only one battalion)
1704 Battle of the Schellenburg - 523 all ranks present with 54 casualties; battle of Blenheim - 469 all ranks present with 41 killed in action and 57 wounded
1706 Battle of Ramillies - one battalion with 37 killed in action and 60 wounded; one battalion at the siege of Ostend - 2 killed and 8 wounded
1708 Battle of Oudenarde - two battalions with 2 killed and 4 wounded
1709 Siege of Tournai; battle of Malplaquet - two battalions with 258 killed and 435 wounded
1710 Siege of Saint Vernant - one battalion with 8 killed and 44 wounded
1712 Siege of Quesnoy one battalion (where both flags were  captured and then featured in the Triomphes Louis XIV)
1712 Defence of Douai - two battalions

And this was the uniform after 1704:



Wednesday, 30 July 2025

"Give Them A Second Chance" Units - French Infantry Regiments Destroyed At Blenheim 1704 Number 2 - Infantry Regiment Albaret

Raised 6th January 1702 by the Chevalier d'Albaret.

Initially with the Army of the Rhine
1704 Army of Bavaria; part of the Brigade Trecesson with infantry regiment Robecque (which was captured), it was one battalion strong at the battle of Blenheim where it was destroyed and the colonel killed


 

And this was probably the rather dull uniform in 1704; not a trace of colour!: 

 


 

Sunday, 27 July 2025

"Give Them A Second Chance" Units - French Infantry Regiments Destroyed At Blenheim 1704 Number 1 - Infantry Regiment Chabrillant

I find myself fascinated, for some strange reason, by the French infantry units destroyed or captured at Blenheim in 1704. Perhaps it's the underdog thing. So here we have the flags of the first of these units, reborn here and so providing wargamers with the chance to give them a more glorious and long-lived service. Vive la France! Vive Chabrillant! :-)

Raised 5th January 1702 by N. de Moreton, Marquis de Chabrillant.

1702 Army of the Rhine
1704 Army of Bavaria; battle of Blenheim, where it was destroyed and the colonel killed



Of the flag design, Hall says: "The Maltese cross design was probably based on the colonel being a Knight of Malta according to Père Daniel, “Histoire de la Milice Française”, Livre XI p.429 (Y. Roumegoux)".

At Blenheim Chabrillant was one battalion strong and brigaded with Auxerrois (which I have already depicted here: https://nba-sywtemplates.blogspot.com/2024/07/flags-of-french-regiments-disbanded.html). It was one of the nine regiments of French foot crushed by the Allied attack on the Franco-Bavarian centre late in the battle. At the end of the battle Chabrillant had only 91 men, 17 NCOs and 4 officers left.

The uniform in 1704 was probably like this:



Sunday, 20 July 2025

Flags carried by French Swiss Infantry Regiment Pfyffer 1702-1715

Raised 15th September 1702 by Louis Pfyffer de Wyher.


Service [from Susane]:

1703 Army of Flanders; combat of Eckeren [although Kronoskaf WSS says the regiment does not seem to appear in OOBs of Eckeren]
1706 Battle of Ramillies
1707 Defence of Provence
1708 Army of Flanders; battle of Oudenarde; defence of Lille
1709 Defence of Tournai
1711 Combat of Arleux
1712 Battle of Denain; sieges of Douai, duQuesnoy and Bouchain
1713 Siege of Landau

1715 Disbanded 11th February

Uniform was probably red with blue cuffs, waistcoat and breeches and white metal buttons

Friday, 11 July 2025

Flags carried by French Infantry Regiment Brancas 1702-1715

First raised 22nd March 1702, probably by Louis Anthoine de Brancas, Comte de Maubec




Although this was not an especially distinguished regiment in its fighting record, this is an interesting and unique flag design, using the coat of arms of Brancas. As Hall says of this flag, "While colonels often used colours or elements of their arms on their flags at this period, it is surprising to find such a blatant use of the exact coat of arms on a flag."

1702 Initially Army of Flanders
1706 To the Moselle

1709 13th July given to Marie-Joseph de Brancas, Marquis d'Oyse.

1711 7th September given to N. de Labadie, who led it to Roussillon

1714 Siege of Barcelona

1715 Disbanded

Uniform: Probably grey coat, waistcoat and breeches with red cuffs.

Sunday, 6 July 2025

Flags carried by French Infantry Regiment Santerre 1692-1749

Created 4th October 1692 and given to Louis-François-Henri Colbert, Chevalier de Croissy. 

2 battalions strong in the WSS; one battalion strong by the 1740s




Service: 

1693 Army of Flanders; taking of Huy; battle of Neerwinden; siege of Charleroi
1695 Army of the Meuse
1696-7 Campaigns in Flanders
1701 Army of Flanders
1702 Defence of Kaiserswerth
1703 Sieges of Brisach and Landau; battle of Speyerbach
1704 Army of Bavaria; battle of Blenheim [2nd Höchstädt] where much of the regiment was captured. Originally in reserve behind the village it was sucked into the village along with the rest of the French army reserve and uselessly "imprisoned" there by the rather clueless Clerambault -  who himself eventually fled and drowned in the Danube

1704 Given to N. de Cetséans

1705 Army of the Rhine
1706 Taking of Drusenheim and the Isle of Marquisat

1708 Given to Michel-Jean-Baptiste Charron, Marquis de Conflans-Ménars

1709-1712 Campaigns in Flanders
1709 Battle of Malplaquet
1711 Combat of Arleux
1712 Sieges of Douai, Quesnoy and Bouchain

1719 Given to N., Marquis de Ménars
1723 Given to Jean-Baptiste-Louis de Clermont d'Amboise, Marquis de Resnel

1733 Army of Germany; siege of Kehl
1734 Combat of Ettlingen; siege of Philipsbourg

1738 Given to François-Marie, Marquis de Pérusse d'Escars

1741 Army of Westphalia
1742 Relief of Braunau and Egra
1743 Army of Bavaria
1744 Army of the Alps; conquest of Savoy and the County of Nice
1745 Occupation of Piedmont; combat of Rivarone [part of the battle of Bassignano]
1746 In garrison at Casal and made prisoner there
1747 Exchanged; then at the battle of Assietta

1749 Given to N. de Roussel d'Espourdon

1749 10th February incorporated in Béarn and the grenadiers in the Grenadiers de France

The uniform was grey-white with blue facings, buttons yellow metal and the braid yellow.

Friday, 27 June 2025

Flags carried by French Swiss Infantry Regiment Greder Suisse 1673-1714

First raised 1673 under Wolfgang Greder; then Ludwig Greder 1691; Baltazar Greder 1703; 1714 became Regiment Affry; 1734 Wittmer; 1757 Waldner; 1781 Vigier; 1792 disbanded

Originally 12 companies of 200 men each.


Service:

1676 Siege of Bouchain
1677 Siege of Valenciennes; battle of Cassel where Major Zegher mortally wounded and 5 other officers wounded
1678 Sieges of Gand and Ypres; investment of Mons; battle of St Denis

1684 Siege of Luxembourg
1689 Combat of Walcourt

1690 Fleurus; 21 officers killed and wounded including the colonel who died later
1691 Siege of Mons; combat of Leuze
1692 Taking of Namur; battle of Steenkirk where Captain Socin was killed and 7 other officers wounded
1693 Battle of Neerwinden; colonel wounded twice and one of his brothers mortally wounded; siege of Charleroi
1695 Bombardment of Brussels
1697 Siege of Ath

1701 Flanders; combat of Nijmegen
1703 Combat of Eckeren where the colonel wounded
1706 Battle of Ramillies
1708 Battle of Oudenarde
1709 Battle of Malplaquet; defence of Aire
1711 Arleux
1712 Sieges of Bouchain; Douai; Le Quesnoy

1714 Took the name of Affry

Uniform red probably with blue facings and collar in the WSS

Thursday, 19 June 2025

Flags carried by French Infantry Regiment Bièz later Flamarens 1702-1714 (but possibly also 1695-1699; see text)

First raised 25th July 1702 by Antoine Oudart, Marquis du Bièz de Savignies.

Hall (Flags and Uniforms of the French Infantry Under Louis XIV 1688-1714) connects the regiment with a former regiment of the same name raised 1695 which served in Flanders and was disbanded in 1699, and relates the same flags to them so this sheet could probably be used for the older regiment.



Service:

1702 Army of Flanders
1706 Battle of Ramillies
1708 Battle of Oudenarde

1710 Given to N. de Grossoles de Flamarens

1711 To the Alps

Disbanded 1714

The uniform in 1708 was grey/white with red cuffs and stockings and white breeches; lace on cuffs and hatlace was silver and buttons white metal.