Did the Poilish lancers (and the Dutch Lancers) follow the custom of reversed color for trumpeters? If not was there any color variation to set these men apart? I would appreciate any inofmation .

Thank you

In his book Uniforms of Waterloo, Philip Haythornthwaite states that at Waterloo the Polish and Dutch lancers formed one composite unit, both in their old uniforms, mainly blue for the Polish and mainly red for the Dutch. he states that in all probability the trumpeters wore sky blue uniforms with crimson facings. Perhaps this only applies to the Polish lancers, as in his book, 'The Waterloo Companion', Mark Adkin states the Red, or Dutch, trumpeters wore white tunics, presumably with blue facings.

Ken,
Chartrand (Napoleonic Wars - Napoleon's Army) mentions for campaign and service dress for the trumpeters of the Polish (guard) lancers: sky blue uniform faced crimson laced silver, crimson and silver aiguillette , white crown on czapsa.
For the Dutch lancers, he mentions white kurtka faced scarlet with gold lace edging; scarlet trousers with gold stripes; szapska with white crown, gold band, scarlet and gold cords, scarlet tipped white plume. However, Jouineau (The French Imperial Guard, #3) also presents a picture of a trumpeter wearing a sky blue kurtka.

I thank you guys for the information. The old Esci box shows the trumpeter all in blue and the troopers as well. My books don't show the trumpeters and show the troopers either all in blue or in blue faced with red. Very confusing for a novice like me.

If you research enough dont be surprised to find that there was...Originally 3 Guard Lancer Regiments

7th Polish Lancers
8th Dutch (Red) Lancers
9th French: survivors integrated to the 7th after sustaining extremely heavy casualties but saving the day for France.(Read that as a Certain generals sacrafice)
et voila

Also don't forget the German Light horse that had the same uniform but did not use the lance. I seem to remember that these guys wore white uniforms with pink facings.

Best regards,


Malcolm

You're not talking about the Kleve-Berg lancers, are you?

Ken-I may not be understanding your comment, so I apologize in advance if I misunderstood you.

There were several units of Polish Lancers in the French army. In the line the first started as the lancers in the Polish legion in the revolutionary armies. After service in various armies they were supposedly recalled to the French army as the Lancer regiment of the Vistula Legion around 1806-7. The regiment was later integrated into the French army as the 7th Lancer regiment. A second polish lancer regiment was raised from cadres supplied by the 7th Lancers, and became the 8th Lancer regiment. A ninth regiment was raised from German troops, and of course the first six regiments of line lancers were French troops.

In the Guard the Polish light horse was raised in 1806-7 and was later armed with lances. When the hussars of the Dutch guard were incorporated into Napoleon's guard, the Polish regiment was renumbered the 1st Lancer regiment and the Dutch regiment was numbered the second. A third regiment of guard lancers was raised in Poland in 1812 and was mostly wiped out in the Russian campaign, the survivors joining the first lancer regiment.

I believe I read somewhere where at lease one guard lancer trumpeteer at Waterloo wore the full dress white coat.

Bill, in regard to the full white dress, Haythornthwaite says that British eye witnesses stated that the trumpeters and some officers of the Polish squadron wore the white full dress uniforms with crimson facings, but he states this must be considered extrememly unlikely. I don't know which eye witnesses he is quoting.