1870 – French infantry colours

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  • February 10, 2021 at 11:20 am #184207
    Dr Dave
    Participant

    Pondering the F-P war. I’ve read that French Eagles were issued to infantry at one per regt, carried by the 1st or 2nd battalion and look remarkably like the 1812 issue during the 1st Empire. I’ve also read that whilst the tricolour was attached to the eagle, the other battalions carried “fanions”. Does anyone have any idea what these looked like?

    February 10, 2021 at 2:50 pm #184233
    Nat
    Participant

    I’m going to guess that the Fanions are the same as the 1st Empire if the eagles are…but that is a guess

    February 10, 2021 at 4:31 pm #184239
    Dr Dave
    Participant

    Yes – that’s what I wondered – but is it the 1812 style or 1815? Or would the latter type bring back bad memories and bring on their night terrors? You know what these fellows are like.

    February 14, 2021 at 8:20 am #184291
    invisible officer
    Participant

    The French aigle flags of 70/71 are mostly like in Crimean war.

    The drapeau /  flag for the other battalions was similar but with a spike instead of the eagle-   Main difference to 1e empire was the addition of bees. African regiments had a half moon spike or a star shaped.

    But it was a war of many….. . For example the 14.000 Marins Bretonique that fought on land had a white one with Black POTIUS MORI      QUAM FOEDARI  and heraldic hermelin.   Or the Voluntaires d’Alsace had a blue one with a white rose of Hagenau town.

    The fanion was the company marker, small and the pole stuffed into an NCO rifle muzzle. There had been many different. For example 1st Bat Yellow for chasseurs, red for Ligne. 2, Bat Carabiniers a small tricolor, same with ligne but Chasseurs different. And for African troops even more complicated.

    Orders from Minister in Paris help little, they got often ignored. For example in 1870 Paris expected the men to fight in M60 shako, few units did early in war.

     

     

    The resentation of captured ones show many variants-

    Attachments:

    1. Aigle-fanion-18703.jpg

    2. produit_image3_30549_1540828825.jpg

    February 14, 2021 at 11:07 am #184299
    Dr Dave
    Participant

    Thanks IO – that’s a huge help.

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