Uniform help needed

[PaulMc]

Hi folks,

Can anyone help me out with some info on the uniforms of the French Marine artillery at Waterloo please? I've checked several sources and found nothing so far. In fact I'm beginning to wonder if they may just have a standard uniform as per horse/foot artillery and 'm looking for something that doesn't exist!

Thanks for any help guys.

[14th Brooklyn]

I recently read a book by Digby Smith and he stated that they were dressed in Dark Blue Greatcoats which led to some Allied units confusing them for Imp. Guard. And that they were actually used completely like infantry.

Cheers,

Burkhard

[obriendavid]

Paul, here are the uniforms for the marines of the guard, these are listed alongside the Engineers in the artillery section so I'm not sure if they were also used as gunners as well.

http://www.mont-saint-jean.com/cent_jou ... 6&drapeau=

Cheers
Dave

[Churchill]

Hi Paul,

I agree with Dave, in Mark Adkin's Waterloo Companion within the Imperial Guard headquarters there is two companies of Marines with strengths of 112 and 107 men, these are listed as Engineers.
The Marine artillery both batteries being 6 x 6 pdrs plus 2 x 5.5" howitzers are attached to the 3rd & 4th brigades of both the Grenadiers a Pied and Chasseurs a Pied Divisions listed as Middle Guard.
I am going to visit my friends Mark and Ray of Reiver Castings tomorrow who both have a large selection of uniform books at their workshop so I will ask them for any help.

Kind Regards......Ray.

[PaulMc]

Thank you very much gentlemen! Much appreciated. I'm going to enjoy my Plancenoit project.

[Churchill]

Hi Paul,

After my friends Mark & Ray of Reiver Castings did a search through their library, we still couldn't come up with a discription of the uniform of the French Marine Gunners at Waterloo.
The only thing I did find dates to 1812 and the uniform of the regiment of Marines attached to the Imperial Guard.
Shako with brass eagle and anchor plate; Orange top and bottom cords; Red pompon and plume.Dark Blue dolman; Dark Blue collar edged Orange; Orange cuffs; chest lacing and edging; Brass scale epaulettes without the fringes; Brass buttons.Dark Blue trousers with Orange side stripe and hungarian thigh knots.Black bandoliers with square Brass buckle plate bearing anchor.
Curved sabre (possibly cutlass?) in Black and Brass sheath; Orange fist strap.Dark Blue greatcoat.

Hope this helps.......Ray.

[Rob Herrick]

Were they naval gunners taken from the fleet to reinforce the artillery, as was done in 1813/1814?

[Churchill]

Hi Rob,

I think they date back to 1805 after the defeat of the French Fleet at Trafalgar the gunner's were drafted into the artillery of the army.
Napoleon wasn't interested in his navy although a invasion of Britain was planned, but in 1812 invaded Russia instead.
With these gunner's being the most experienced they manned two batteries of the Imperial Guard at Waterloo.

Cheers......Ray.

[Forlorn Hope]

There always appears to be some confusion in regard to Marines, Marine Artillery and Marines of the Guard.

The French did not have Marines per se (in the way the British and Americans would now understand) and troops serving with the fleet were drawn from regular army units (a habit adopted by the British during the French Revolutionary War - certainly the Royal Sussex and 17th Light Dragoons did).

The Guard Marines were the "Marins de la Garde" (Sailors of the Guard) were quite separate from the Marine Artillery. The latter were L'artillerie de marine of which there was one regiment (amalgamated in 1814 from the four regiments raised between 1793 and 1803). They were controlled by the Ministère de la Marine (Admiralty) and were recruited, along with their sister arm, L'infanterie de marine - grouped as Troupes de Marine - mainly for service overseas rather than with the fleet. When not overseas they tended to be stationed in the French main maritime ports. They were not incorporated into the Army until 1900.

The uniform detailed by Ray, via Mark and Ray, is for the Marins de la Garde, a battalion of which was famously captured at Bailén in 1808. They also, I believe, served as boatmen to the Grande Armée during the 1812 Russian Campaign (and elsewhere).

Given that L'artillerie de marine supplied units to the Grande Armée over a number of campaigns (most notably 1813 and 1814) it might be logical to assume that they were supplied with army uniforms. It would appear that they fought as both artillery and infantry (one French commander stated during the 1813/14 campaigns that they were the only troops in his command capable of maneouvring in line!).

There appears to be an article on the marine artillery's uniform in the publication "Empire, Lions and Eagles" (or similar) Issue 88 by Philip Haythornthwaite. You might also try the "Anatomy of Glory".

Sorry to wax lyrical and I hope this helps.

Regards

[PaulMc]

This is all excellent information! Thank you so much gents, plenty for me to go on now. Hope I can reciprocate some day.

[Yermolov]

Given that L'artillerie de marine supplied units to the Grande Armée over a number of campaigns (most notably 1813 and 1814) it might be logical to assume that they were supplied with army uniforms. It would appear that they fought as both artillery and infantry (one French commander stated during the 1813/14 campaigns that they were the only troops in his command capable of maneouvring in line!).

Very true. The Marine regiments formed a major part of Marmont's VI Corps in the 1813 campaign, by all accounts giving good service. The first & third regiments were part of the the Compans' infantry division while the second & fourth were in LaGrange's.