Revolutionary War British-Part 1

 

Combined Grenadiers here.  All from Peter Pig. I have learned that such units could be bigger than the normal British unit strength. I might manage another two bases. Lovely figures I think. Grenadiers, as ever, were the boys for dangerous jobs.  Martin at Peter Pig originally produced charging British Grenadiers.  He thought it more appropriate given their role.  Quite so.  Yet in due course the marching Grenadiers were added.  These are they.

British Dragoons, you have seen these before.  Shortly they will be joined by Tarleton's British Legion Cavalry. My British cavalry will be comprised of two units only.  Essex figures above.  I have 2 more of them.  With the strategic deployment of a gabion or a stricken foe I could add another base. In Land of the Free terms that would raise them from a small unit to a medium one. I might do it.

Combined British Lights above. During the revolution these formations were used as attack troops.  Often engaging with bayonet alone.  Very much elite troops. They could fire very effectively too.  What they couldn't do, I was surprised to learn, was operate as Light Infantry.  The British skills in that regard learned in the French and Indian Wars had been lost.  My Lights are all Essex and Polly Oliver.

My first line regiment.  The 42nd, AKA "the Black Watch".  These ones are mainly in trews,/trousers so the challenge of painting tartan was limited.  A mixture of figures, Polly Oliver, Peter Pig, QRF and Minifigs.  Still to come The Royal Highland Emigrants, lots of tartan to do there. Below, QRF's Highland Light Infantry.

Why so many Highlanders? Simply, it is  what I accrued over the years, Likewise, so far, all of my British units have blue flags and facings. It wasn't planned it just turned out like that.

The Welsh Fusiliers, bear skin caps and all. Mostly from Polly Oliver.  A few years ago I found out that "Welsh" was what all Migration Period Germans called any and all inhabitants of the old Roman Empire. I had thought it an insular thing but the name "Vlach" indicates otherwise.  The Vlach were notably fierce. If I ever do a very Late Byzantine Army I will have some Vlaches.

I think I have another 5 British infantry units to do.  I'm also going to give them some Indians. 

I came across a quote from an AWI clergyman explaining why he was a tory. He said he preferred one tyrant who lived two thousand miles away to two thousand tyrants who lived one mile away.  

That's why Indians turned out for the British.

Part 2 of the Revolutionaries next.