Knowing who's in charge in a military formation is crucial, and in the #Frencharmy of the 18th century this was no different. For NCOs, unlike the British, rank was fairly obvious. Our Caporal here is shown with his mark of rank: 2 blue bands of lace around the forearm. Sergents wore one silver band, and … Continue reading Who’s in charge?
Uniform – Gaiters!
We promised a post about gaiters, and so we deliver! 3 pairs might seem excessive, and it certainly produced a lot of work with 20-24 buttons and button holes per leg, but having the options was to both spread the wear and prepare a soldat for the whole year. This winter pair would have seen … Continue reading Uniform – Gaiters!
Re-enactment is a topsy-turvy world
Re-enactment is a topsy-turvy world, where people portray peasants and princes as much as their imagination (and wallets) desire. This also makes for a world in which those who are French…aren’t. This is therefore a challenge – how does one portray someone in a different language? All the sources relating to our regiment, such as … Continue reading Re-enactment is a topsy-turvy world
What’s in a name? Quite a lot actually!
Unlike the British Army, where upon joining a regiment a soldier might be allocated a service number (it wasn't until 1920 that these were standardised across the whole army), the French Royal Army assigned each new recrue a "nom de guerre" - literally a "name of war". This would be based upon a soldat's surname, … Continue reading What’s in a name? Quite a lot actually!
Le Régiment Gatinois 