Peninsular War: British Foot Painting Guide

This covers all the infantry that wore British uniform, including: 

• Foot
• Light Infantry
• Rifles
• Fusilier
• Highlander
• Foreign 

Foot 

This second covers all British foot (Foot Guards, Line, Light Infantry, Fusiliers, Highlander) plus the foreign regiments wearing British uniforms.  Main sources are Rafferty (1988a), Sapherson (1991), Haythornthwaite (1995)

* Originally the British Infantry wore the Stovepipe Shako (Haythornthwaite, 1995; Sapherson, 1991).   In 1812 the Belgic Shako began to replace the Stovepipe, but even then several units retained the older model to the end of the war.  It is probably that few Belgic Shakos were actually used in the Peninsular.  

The regimental list below is those that served in the Peninsular (Haythornthwaite, 1995; Sapherson, 1991).  I have only put references if they disagree.  Bastion lace had the ends sewn to a point.   The number of battalions comes from Sapherson (1991). 

Gosling-green was a yellowish-brown shade of green - see Fig 7c in Haythornthwaite (1995).  

Light Infantry

British Light infantry wore a standard uniform, however, their Stovepipe shako had a green plume and cords and a bugle-horn badge (they never adopted the Belgic shako), and all men had green wings on their shoulders (Haythornthwaite, 1995).   All companies in a battalion wore the same uniform.  

Officers of the 43rd Monmouthshire Light Infantry adopted a scarlet pelisse (Haythornthwaite, 1995).  At least one of these officers had a turban on their shako, and this may have been generally matched with the pelisse.  

Rifles

The 95th Rifles had a distinctive "rifle-green" jacket and trousers with black facings and piped white, no lace, the light infantry stovepipe shako with green plume and bugle-horn badge, and black leather equipment ( Haythornthwaite, 1995).  The cockade was white except for marksmen whose had a green cockade.  As in other light infantry units some officers would wear hussar style uniforms including dolman, pelisse, corded sash and 'sugar-loaf' cap.   Some men, perhaps only officers, adopted grey overalls. 

The 5/60th Royal Americans had a similar uniform including a rifle-green jacket and light infantry stovepipe shako, however the men wore either grey overalls or dark blue breaches (Haythornthwaite, 1995; Rafferty, 1988a, Sapherson, 1991).  Facings were red (although Rafferty says dark green facings). 

The Rifle company of De Roll's Regiment wore a green jacket faced black with white edged wings, grey trousers, and a shako with green cords and plume and white metal bugle-horn badge (Haythornthwaite, 1995; Sapherson, 1991, says light blue facings).  Unusually for light infantry some men adopted the Belgic shako.  

The two light battalions of the KGL wore rifle-green uniforms with black facings (Haythornthwaite, 1995).  Dark green coats and turnbacks, no lace, grey overalls, silver shako badge (Sapherson, 1991).  All officers wore white gloves and their trousers had a broad silver stripe.  Officer's of 2nd battalion wore a Mirliton cap.  

In 1812 the Spanish Majorca Cazadores were uniformed like the British 95th  (Haythornthwaite, 1995).  

Fusilier

7th Royal Fusiliers and 23rd Royal Welsh Fusiliers served in the Peninsular (Haythornthwaite, 1995; Sapherson, 1991).   The Fusiliers wore the standard uniform, generally with the shako, but in the early campaigns some men wore a fur cap with a peak. The cap had a small brass plate on front and a small red patch at the back.  Fusiliers also had red wings like the grenadier companies.  

Highlander 

According to Haythornthwaite (1995) the 42nd, 79th and 92nd Foot wore Highland uniform in the Peninsular.  This comprised a kilt, stockings, and a bonnet (Sapherson, 1991).  Sporrans were part of the dress uniform but were rarely taken on active service.  Stockings were red with white diagonal checks at the top.  The dress uniform had not gaiters, although short black gaiters were worn on campaign.  The black bonnet had a red and white checked band at the base, and was decorated with black ostrich plumes, with additional plumes on the left side in company colours.  The 79th and 92nd had plumes in the standard company colours, however, the plumes of the 42nd were red over white for grenadiers, red over green for light company, red over yellow for drummers, and red for centre company.  Officers and Sergeants wore their sash from the left shoulder to the right hip rather than around their waist.  Other equipment was standard.   

The 71st did not wear highland dress in the Peninsular (Haythornthwaite, 1995).  In the Corunna campaign of 1809 they wore a mix of tartan trews and grey overalls . Their pipers, however, retained highland dress even when the the regiment converted to light infantry.   

The different units wore different tartans: 

Unit	Tartan Name	Image from Tartans of Scotland
42nd Royal Highlanders 74th Highlanders (to 1809)	Government Tartan Universal Tartan Military Set Black Watch
71st Highland Light Infantry 74th Highlanders (from 1809)	Mackenzie
79th Cameron Highlanders	Cameron of Erracht
92nd Gordon Highlanders	Gordon

The grenadiers of the 42nd used the government set with a red over-stripe (Haythornthwaite, 1995)

When the 79th Cameron Highlanders were raised it was decided to use a new design instead of the red-based Cameron tartan (Wikipedia: Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders). The Cameron of Erracht tartan was based on the Macdonald sett with the addition of a yellow line from the Cameron tartan, and the omission of three red lines found in that of Macdonald.

The wear of campaign led the highland units to gradually abandon their kilts and adopt a variation on the standard uniform ( Haythornthwaite, 1995; Sapherson, 1991).  This was not an even process.  The 42nd still had kilts in 1814, although by then some men were wearing trews.  Men of the 92nd were wearing trousers at Talavera (27-28 Jul 1809), although at least one officer was wearing a kilt at Vittoria (21 Jun 1813).  Once a unit had abandoned highland dress their distinctive features were:   

• The shako had a red and white band at the base.  
• Some officers and men wore tartan trews rather than grey overalls 
• The officers and sergeants wore their sashes over the left shoulder to the right hip, rather than around their waist.  
• Pipers retained highland dress. 

Foreign 

Kings German Legion 

The line battalions of the KGL wore British infantry uniform with dark blue facings, gold officers' lace and white lace for other ranks (Haythornthwaite, 1995; Sapherson, 1991).

The two light battalions of the KGL wore rifle-green uniforms with black facings (Haythornthwaite, 1995).  Dark green coats and turnbacks, no lace, grey overalls, silver shako badge (Sapherson, 1991).  All officers wore white gloves and their trousers had a broad silver stripe.  Officer's of 2nd battalion wore a Mirliton cap.  

De Roll's Regiment 

Uniform was the generally standard British Line Infantry uniform (Haythornthwaite, 1995).  The centre companies wore red coat with light blue facings, white trousers, and red-over-white plumes (the reverse of the British standard).  The silver officers lace had tasselled ends; other ranks had white lace with tufted ends and a blue stripe (in pairs).  The light (rifle) company wore green faced black (from Haythornthwaite, although Sapherson says light blue facings), 'Belgic' shako with green cords and plume, and grey trousers.  See Haythornthwaite (1995), fig 16a for painting details

Dillon's Regiment 

They wore standard British Line uniform with gold/yellow facings (Haythornthwaite, 1995).  See Haythornthwaite, fig 16a for painting details.    

Roll Dillon's Provisional Battalion  

Roll Dillon's Provisional Battalion comprised three companies of de Roll's regiment and five of Dillon's (Haythornthwaite, 1995).

Chasseurs Britanniques

Chasseurs Britanniques wore the British line infantry uniform with light blue facings, silver lace for officers and light blue and red stripes for others (Haythornthwaite, 1995; Sapherson, 1991).  See Haythornthwaite, fig 16b for painting details. 

Sources 

Haythornthwaite, P. (1995).  Uniforms of the Peninsular Wars 1807 - 1814.  London: Arms and Armour Press.  

Kannik, P. (1968).  Military Uniforms in Colour.  London: Blandford.  

Rafferty, J. (1988a).  Painting Guide to Napoleonics (Part One): British Infantry.  Active Service Press. 

Rafferty, J. (1988b).  Painting Guide to Napoleonics (Part Two): British Cavalry.  Active Service Press. 

Rafferty, J. (1989a).  Painting Guide to Napoleonics (Part Nine): French & British Artillery.  Active Service Press. 

Sapherson, C. A. (1991).  Peninsular Armies 1808 - 1814.  Leeds, UK: Raider Books. 

Scottish Tartans Authority: Regimental Tartans

Tartans of Scotland

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