Friedrich August I. wrote:Hello Sergio,
my first attempt was right. The 2nd Lancers of the Guard, also known as the Dutch Lancers, wore red trousers. Only in the time from 1813 to 1814 they had troopers who wore blue trousers because those were Squadrons of Young Guard who were attached to this Senior formation to increase their strenght.
Most of the other Guard Cavalry Regiments had their own supplement of Squadrons of the Young Guard attached to them like the Chasseurs a Cheval, the Grenadiers a Cheval and the Empress Dragoons and also the Polish or 1st Lancers.
If I understand you correct you are looking for their appearence in 1815?
In 1815 the Lancers of the Guard were a combined unit of 1 Squadron Polish and 4 Squadrons of Red Lancers. To let them look like one Regiment the Red Lancers replaced their red Trousers with dark blue trousers. Only the Officers of the Red Lancers retained their original red trousers.
Hope that helps
Günter
Hello Günter ,
Thank you very much, you're really kind.
Yes, in fact the idea was just to represent the Red Lancers as they were dressed at Waterloo.
Your clarification is therefore very useful.
But, according to the response of an Italian friend in the "Dadi & Piombo" forum, where I posted the same question, the Red Lancers at Waterloo had their pants "by campaign" (tenue de route), ie those in blue, while the red ones were those of the hight dress uniform (grand tenue). According to him, however, the miniatures should have the czapka without plume and with the protection of waxed canvas.
Instead, my Front Rank miniatures have czapka without coverage and with the plume, then they seems to be "in full uniform."
It follows that the trousers should be red.
It will mean that I will take a ... poetic license, as did the Baron Louis De Beaufort who painted them so in the painting of the Charge against the British square.
But the important thing for me was to understand what it was the historical reality, and you helped me to clarify it.
Many thanks again,
Cheers,
Sergio