French 1809 NCO?

[quasar42]

Hi,

I have a question regarding one of the figures in the command pack for French line fusiliers in the new 1809 range seen here: http://www.pendraken.co.uk/NPF3-p5653/
I assume the figure holding a rifle and waving represents a NCO. If the NCO is from a fusilier company rather than an elite company what colour should his epaulets and feather be? Many thanks.

[Leon]

Apologies on the delay on this one, had to check one of the reference books...

As far as I can tell, it would be gold epaulettes and detailing, with a white feather?

[quasar42]

Thank you very much for the info. Just what I needed.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

If you are talking about the Shako plume an NCO is same as company - only Officres have white plumes, I think.

IanS

[quasar42]

If you are talking about the Shako plume an NCO is same as company - only Officres have white plumes, I think.

What confuses me is that I have no image references for fusilier NCOs wearing plumes at all (only voltigeurs and grenadiers). I have seen however one text references to a staff adjutant NCO having a white plume, so Leon's post confirms me in my thinking that white is the way to go. But this Napoleonic uniform stuff is quite tricky. It would be interesting to hear what the sculptor had in mind for this figure.

[Leon]

What confuses me is that I have no image references for fusilier NCOs wearing plumes at all (only voltigeurs and grenadiers). I have seen however one text references to a staff adjutant NCO having a white plume, so Leon's post confirms me in my thinking that white is the way to go. But this Napoleonic uniform stuff is quite tricky. It would be interesting to hear what the sculptor had in mind for this figure.

We had a look in Rousselot's "Napoleon's Army", but it wasn't overly clear and we could be wrong.  Not much chance of the designer weighing in on it, he's not got a computer!

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Osprey Men at Arms give a reasonable source, also VonPifka (sp) "Armies of the Napolionic Era" for a general overview, although he has mistooks.

IanS

[NTM]

Plumes appeared in fusilier companies quite often despite regulations. If it bothers you it looks as if it can be clipped off to leave just a pompom anyway. What I don't recall is seeing reference to fusilier NCO's having epaulettes only stripes on the sleeves.

[Hertsblue]

Plumes appeared in fusilier companies quite often despite regulations. If it bothers you it looks as if it can be clipped off to leave just a pompom anyway. What I don't recall is seeing reference to fusilier NCO's having epaulettes only stripes on the sleeves.

Yes agreed, but note that the stripes were straight and diagonal just above the cuff. Emir Bukhari shows them in yellow with red edging. The inverted chevrons on the upper arm were actually long-service stripes.

[quasar42]

My source was also Rousselot. But it is still good to see that somebody else interprets it in the same way. This is what he says: "The adjutant NCO wore his epaulette on the left and counter-epaulette on the right" [...] "Being part of the staff they wore a white plume or pompon and carried a cane". Since no other NCOs had epaulettes it seems the best guess short of asking the sculptor is that the figure is supposed to represent an adjutant NCO and the plume should be white. I am not that worried though about the button counting. Just interested.