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Post by bruce on Aug 19, 2017 15:13:54 GMT
We all seem to paint black gaiters on most of our figures, with occasional exceptions, but I have been googling this topic and found some indications that they were not liked on campaign, trousers were likely more comfortable, gaiters took up pack space that could be used for loot, and were a nuisance.
Some armies used only white gaiters in the summer, but I do not see many figures painted like this. And some armies seemed to have had substantial shortages of gaiters. It also looks like trousers were even worn over gaiters.
And.....some armies, like the French in Italy 1796 or the Prussians 1813-15 were apparently rather disheveled and short of various components. I think in general troops on campaign would likely lose their uniform luster rather quickly. How did the Austrians launder all those white uniforms on the march? How strict were commanders about this stuff heading into battle?
how do you feel about leaving the gaiters off you figs? Am I wrong to consider this? Bruce
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Post by tim on Aug 20, 2017 14:08:20 GMT
Not a problem for French in the Peninsula Bruce, they were lucky if they had trousers at all let alone issue gaiters in two colours
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Gaiters!
Aug 20, 2017 19:48:22 GMT
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Post by profjohn on Aug 20, 2017 19:48:22 GMT
Im sure you're right about gaiters. I can't find the reference but I'm sure I've come across an anecdote where a group of the Old Guard were reprimanded. (By an over- enthusiastic staff officer one assumes) for wearing black gaiters rather than white gaiters on the march (or the other way round). Apparently they had regulations about which to wear when. But of course this refers to an elite and well equipped unit. images of the guard in Russia and at Waterloo often show them with trousers. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't go far wrong painting trousers rather than gaiters.
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Post by bruce on Aug 21, 2017 16:01:10 GMT
I think gaiters were supposed to keep stones out of shoes, but like a some army gear, not so useful in the field as was intended.
Every time I paint a pack and bedroll on a fig, I sort of wish these kind of details were not included. Unless you are only marching your armies around the table, or paint for the sheer beauty of well turned out units, I think figs for gaming could be pretty simple.
Tim, I know you are right about Spain. I doubt the French there were any better off. The rebel armies in the ACW often marched and fought without shoes, never mind a proper uniform. The practical realities.... Bruce
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Gaiters!
Aug 21, 2017 18:46:15 GMT
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Post by profjohn on Aug 21, 2017 18:46:15 GMT
I feel the same about packs etc I think that they were sometimes worn in combat - certainly Union soldiers in the ACW often did this as they'd learned by experience that retrieving kit from the rear wasn't easy and it often went 'missing'. But generally I think they weren't worn in combat and there is an anecdote about the aftermath of a battle where the French having inflicted huge casualties on the Russian infantry came across rows and rows of their packs and, of course, in a later conflict a serious objections raised to Raglan's suggestion that the allied armies should pursue the Russians into Sebastopol after the Alma and most likely end the war was that the French infantry would be
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Gaiters!
Aug 21, 2017 18:52:15 GMT
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Post by profjohn on Aug 21, 2017 18:52:15 GMT
Last post went too soon! The sentence should end 'too far from their packs.' On another matter: the question about how the Austrians kept their uniforms clean is well asked. I have no idea but I can say that the Adler tip of inkwashing white uniforms with diluted blue works a treat. And on the subject of campaign uniforms there's also the question of fading - some sources suggest British red coats were very susceptible to this and I imagine that the difference between the colours of the officers' jackets and the men's - rarely represented when we paint - must have been very stark after a couple of months in the field.
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Gaiters!
Sept 2, 2017 5:39:58 GMT
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Post by profjohn on Sept 2, 2017 5:39:58 GMT
My interest was piqued by the question of how Austrians kept their white uniforms clean. I've done a superficial bit of research and though I haven't turned up anything for Austrians I have found stuff on how the French did it and I'm assuming the Austrians (and Spanish and various Confedaration of the Rhine states?) would have down much the same. Basically , the main thing wasn't laundering in the sense of washing but powdering with chalk or other whitening chemicals and beating. I've found bits and pieces on this in Elting, Crowdy and Napolun.com. and I'm sure more could be dug up. I hope that helps.
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Post by bruce on Sept 5, 2017 3:32:28 GMT
Good points once again. Have thought more about this. I think you are right about the powder. Laundry and bathing have never been priorities for troops on campaign, and opportunities might be limited anyway. There were inconsistencies in manufacturing and dyes, clothes and shoes fell apart during long campaigns, bad weather. Most countries went through periods were resources were tight and supplies were limited.
Again, I think we sometimes paint the parade ground version of units. I suspect that in the field, in addition to things like covers for bearskins, cavalry breeches etc, there was a fair amount of unofficial variation based on practical necessities and after a couple of battles and some marches, some troops might look a bit shabby. This was certainly the case in the ACW, particularly for the Confederates who were always short of uniforms and supplies.
As Sweet William replied upon meeting Richard Sharpe and being chewed out for his men's appearance, "Men are dirty, rifles are clean"! Bruce
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Gaiters!
Sept 24, 2017 21:47:55 GMT
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Post by profjohn on Sept 24, 2017 21:47:55 GMT
On an earlier post - I've now found out that the French did wear packs in battle. Your point about the actual look of troops on active service is correct. I was reading some posts yesterday where a bad tempered row was going on about a uniform detail on another forum and had to restrain myself from pointing out that the reality almost certainly was that nobody ever got issued that uniform and if they did it wouldn't have looked like that for very long. But life's too short. I enjoy researching uniforms and I'm not that worried that my Old Guard take the field at Waterloo as if on parade and not wearing an assortment of old greatcoats and covered bearskins. I think it just shows how our hobby attracts people for different reasons and we can all respect each others preferences.
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Post by bruce on Sept 25, 2017 4:21:32 GMT
Totally agree, and well painted parade dressed troops are a pleasure to see in any context! Bruce
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