WSS Grenadiers - First 3 templates

Here are the first 3 grenadier templates.

WSS Grenadiers' Preview

Just a quick preview shot of the next 6 variants of WSS infantry with 3 different versions of the early grenadier cap.  I'll post them on the blog in the next few days.

I thought it best to keep the caps simple so they're more adaptable - if I used specific designs, especially of the detail of the frontplates, they'd be far less widely useful without further editing.

WSS Infantry Template 2

A variant with laced buttonholes, gaiters and cockade on the hat.

WSS Infantry Template 1

I've been asked a number of times for templates for the War of the Spanish Succession and, although I have a simple cavalryman and a Bavarian cuirassier template on the blog, a big omission has been any infantry templates. So, prompted by another recent request for them, here is the first of several infantry templates I plan to do, with a number of variations of lace, hat and legwear. In reality the possible variations are actually quite numerous for what is usually perceived as a period of simple, rather homogeneous uniforms throughout Europe.

Note that the rapidity (or even appearance at all) of new WSS infantry templates will quite probably depend on the response I receive for this one, as my To Do list is now very long!

UPDATE: I didn't export the image with its 256 colour palette the first time I uploaded it to my blog so it will almost certainly not colour in properly – I've fixed that now and you can get the updated image from the blog. That comes of doing things when very, very tired! Sorry about that…

Colours of French Artois Infantry Regiment - French infantry in Canada series No.6

We are near to completing the French in Canada flag series with this, the Artois regiment.

First raised 1610, the 2 battalion infantry regiment Artois supplied its 2nd battalion (13 companies strong) for the war in Canada. It arrived in 1755, garrisoned Louisbourg and was captured at the capitulation of the fortress in July 1758. The captured battalion was sent to Great Britain and exchanged at Calais in December 1758. Only the ordonnance flag was carried in Canada but the colonel's colour is shown here for completeness.

Happy Christmas and New Year to everyone

Just a quick post to wish everyone a Happy Christmas and New Year. I had hoped that as usual I'd do a Christmas-themed template but events overtook me this time; a very elderly uncle had a bad fall and was in hospital and dealing with that has eaten up the time and energy the past week. I still have plans to do more templates, flags, etc., and hope that in the coming year I find the time and energy to do them!

All good wishes,

David.

Royal Navy Flag Officer, dress uniform waistcoat

The same caveat applies to this plate as to the previous one.

Royal Navy Flag Officer, dress uniform

I'm not entirely happy with this one, as in order to make the lace manageable at this scale I stylised it somewhat. I may well have another go at the entwined gold lace when I can find the time and energy. However, it still looks fairly good, I think, and ImagiNations people probably won't mind anyway.

Royal Navy Lieutenant, waistcoat

Royal Navy Junior Captain, waistcoat

Royal Navy Senior Captain, waistcoat

As the full coated version obscures the details of the waistcoat there are also templates showing the waistcoat only.

Royal Navy Senior Captain, full dress uniform

Royal Navy Flag Officer, undress uniform

From 1748 to 1767 all officers except midshipmen had two orders of dress, full dress and undress, the former being much more elaborately laced. With successive regulations after 1767 the full dress uniforms were dropped leaving the undress as the only order of dress.

This is one of seven Royal Navy officer templates of the first 1748-1767 pattern, which were commissioned by Paul who runs the St George's Squadron of the Pirates of the Burning Sea online game: see here: http://www.st-george-squadron.com/sgs/wiki/index.php?title=1748_Pattern and here: http://www.burningsea.com/page/home He has kindly agreed to my posting them on the blog.

7 new Royal Navy uniform templates very soon...

I've just completed a commission to produce seven new Royal Navy officers' uniform templates and the chap who commissioned them is happy to see them go on my blog. They are: Lieutenant, Junior Captain, Senior Captain, and Flag Officer in waistcoat; Senior Captain and Flag Officer in dress uniform; and Flag Officer in undress uniform. Some of these are very elaborate and impressive. As usual, there'll be colour and blank templates for each uniform. Watch this space!

Colours of French Languedoc Infantry Regiment - French infantry in Canada series No.5

 

First raised 1672, the 2 battalion infantry regiment Languedoc supplied its 2nd battalion for the war in Canada. It arrived in 1755, although 4 companies were captured at sea by the British. It was at the defeat at Fort George 1755; the capture of Fort William Henry 1757; the French victory of Ticonderoga 1758; the siege of Quebec and battles of Montmorency and the Plains of Abraham; the French victory of Sainte Foy and the siege of Quebec 1760; and finally the retreat to and surrender at Montreal 8th September 1760. Only the ordonnance flag was carried in Canada and was burned before the surrender at Montreal but the colonel's colour is shown here for completeness.

We're getting close to the complete set of infantry colours of French regular battalions in Canada - only a few to go now...

Colours of French La Sarre Infantry Regiment - French infantry in Canada series No.4

 

 

First raised 1651, the 2 battalion infantry regiment La Sarre supplied its 2nd battalion for the war in Canada. It arrived in 1756 as part of the convoy carrying the new commander Montcalm. It was at the capture of Oswego 1756; the capture of Fort William Henry 1757; the French victory of Ticonderoga 1758; the siege of Quebec and battles of Montmorency and the Plains of Abraham; elements surrendered at Fort Niagara 1759; was at the French victory of Sainte Foy and the siege of Quebec 1760; and finally the retreat to and surrender at Montreal 8th September 1760. Only the ordonnance flag was carried in Canada and was burned before the surrender at Montreal but the colonel's colour is shown here for completeness.

Colours of French Guyenne Infantry Regiment - French infantry in Canada series No.3

 

 

First raised 1674, the 2 battalion infantry regiment Guyenne supplied its 2nd battalion for the war in Canada. It had a busy war; it was at the capture of Oswego 1756; the capture of Fort William Henry 1757; the French victory of Ticonderoga 1758; the siege of Quebec and battles of Montmorency and the Plains of Abraham; elements surrendered at Fort Niagara 1759; the French victory of Sainte Foy and the siege of Quebec 1760; the battle and retreat from Isle aux Noix; and finally the retreat to and surrender at Montreal 8th September 1760. Only the ordonnance flag was carried in Canada and was burned before the surrender at Montreal but the colonel's colour is shown here for completeness.

I'm currently redoing the French infantry uniform template as the current one is old, crude and rather worn out. :-)

Flags of French Royal Roussillon Infantry Regiment - French infantry in Canada series No.2

The 1st Battalion of Royal Roussilllon served in Canada from 1756-1760. The golden lilies signify a Royal regiment. Of the 2 drapeaux d'ordonnance (the upper colour) carried by this regiment in Canada, one is supposed to have been captured by the British 35th Foot at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham on 13th September 1759 and the other was burned before the surrender of Montreal on the 8th September 1760. More information on Kronoskaf here: http://www.kronoskaf.com/syw/index.php?title=Royal_Roussillon_Infanterie

Colours of French La Reine Infantry Regiment - French infantry in Canada series No.1

 

 

The second battalion of La Reine in Canada carried the battalion colours (the upper colour) from 1755 until the 8th September 1760 "when General Levis ordered the colours to be burnt following the British refusal to grant the Honours of War as part of the terms of capitulation" (René Chartrand, "The French Soldier in Colonial America"). Dashed unsporting and ungentlemanly! (Of the British, that is... ;-))

Apparently only the single battalion regiment Angoumois carried its white colonel's colour in North America during the Seven Years War; the rest of the regular infantry carried only the regimental or battalion colours (drapeaux d'ordonnance).

Unfortunately the blog does not allow me to post these flags as a vector file, which would be both a smaller file size and much more crisp and detailed.

42nd Highlanders' Grenadier with tartan pattern

I shall eventually get round to a coloured version when I'm less sober but for now here's the long-awaited version of this template with outline tartan. It's larger than the normal template as otherwise the complex pattern of the tartan will not show.

The tartan pattern was a commission for Moshe a while ago.

Stylish Blogger Award

Three people, all with splendid blogs, Fabrizio Davi (http://torgauproject.blogspot.com/), Dave of Golconda (http://golcondarising.blogspot.com/) and Lluis of Catalonia (http://what-if-catalonia.blogspot.com/) have kindly nominated my blog for the Stylish Blogger Award. I do appreciate it as recognition is always enjoyable, although I also share some of the misgivings about the Award expressed by e.g. Fitzbadger and Cardinal Hawkwood. So I shall cheat, I'm afraid, and not list seven things about myself, nor nominate 10-15 other blogs worthy of the award as those I would nominate have all, I think, been nominated already! My apologies if anyone feels I have not really entered into the spirit of the thing...

WSS Cuirassier in tricorne

I was planning this eventually anyway but Jean-Louis has asked for it on the TMP 18th Century forum so here it is, rather sooner than planned!

Early 18th Century European Cuirassier

This is the classic uniform of the European cuirassier, which survived almost unchanged for a century or more from the early 17th century in the armies of a number of European nations, and was used by the Austrian cavalry specifically for fighting the Turks until the late 18th century. The zischagge-style of lobster pot helmet was Eastern European, with its extensive fluting on the bowl and the single bar adjustable nose guard. The coat was usually thick buff leather throughout the 17th century but was gradually replaced with a cloth coat in the 18th century. The heavy back and breastplate, painted black to prevent rust, was usually at least pistol proof. Breeches were often leather in the earlier period but like the buff coat were often later replaced with cloth.

The coloured version represents the Bavarian Horse Regiment Salburg Widel at the time of the War of the Spanish Succession.

This template is an adaptation of a simpler one I did as a commission for Moshe some time ago.

Recently finished design for Golconda

Here's a snapshot of a commission I've recently finished for Golconda; see: http://golcondarising.blogspot.com/ It's an excellent and fascinating blog on wargaming all things Indian in the 18th century.

I think the exotic talwar came out pretty well... :-)

Typical British Sailor c.1750

This is the typical Sunday-best dress of a British sailor of around 1750. In the days before any official uniform for ordinary sailors a sort of uniform was produced by each ship having clothing issued by the ship's purser - so-called "purser's slops". The blue jacket without tails has the classic three-button opening cuff. The mustard coloured waistcoat would often have the addition of gold or silver lace if the sailor had won some prize money and if that were so his black leather buckled shoes would also possibly acquire silver or gilt buckles. Breeches and stockings were often worn as an alternative to the loose trousers. The small flat tricorne was typical working class wear and it was sometimes aped by young men of the upper classes. When out walking in the town a sailor would often carry a cudgel or cudgel-like walking stick.