I have found it interesting that only the French are often portrayed in the ubiquitous overcoat than all the other nations of the Napoleonic era in the usual course. Certainly the Perrys in all their plastic boxes, and indeed all the other metal manufacturers, only the French are wearing their overcoats. Almost half the Perry plastic figures and so I have a bunch of them. Rather than mix, I have whole units wearing them.
I finally finished the last of my French for the 100 Days Campaign/1814 France Campaign fought in the early months of that year.
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| I went with a subtle mix of overcoat shades. These are contrasted with the bright battalion company pompom colors. Still have to have SOME colour for Napoleonics! |
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| Plastics offer the advantage that you can add or subtract from the model. Note the absence of the backpack on one of the figures and the pack on the adjacent figure which is glued askew to give an nice variation to the look of the unit. |
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| Continuing with the theme, some 'green stuff' bags were added to some of the figures (third from left) |
The following element is specifically for the 1814 French campaign as Napoleon, desperate for more manpower sought to use the National Guard, and this element I created to portray these soldiers.
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| This "French National Guard" unit was made up of an Essex metal officer with a new Perry head, 2 Warlord Landwehr with British AWI caps(!), 2 Prussian jagers converted with green stuff to wear peasant blouses or overshirts (left front and middle rear) with French headdress. And finally, Perry overcoat figures with various headress including Victrix earlier bicornes. All in all quite the mix and seemingly appropriate to the poorly supplied troops of the campaign. |
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| A 'rear view' of the unit showing some of the conversion work as described above. |
