The grenadiers of the Dutch army in the French Revolution all did wear the bearskin.
In the mid 18th century both the Prussian style metal-fronted mitre and the bearskin was worn by the grenadiers but the mitres were faded out and only the bearskin as headdress remained.
Up to 1770 a lot of regiments had a plate fronted bearskin as the Hollandse Garde did wear in the picture on the underneath (picture Rijksmuseum from circa 1770).
Some other pictures of this front-plated bearskin underneath.
Regiments who did wear the plate fronted bearskin had to adept their bearskin (eg remove the plate). This would have taken some years but in the French Revolutionary period this proces would be finished and all regiment woud wear the same bearskin.
This would be like the pictures underneath:
Zwitserse Garde (fcings red-blue bag)Zwitserse Garde (facings red-blue bag)-timmerman
Hollandse Garde drummer (facingsfacings red- red-red bag)
Hollandse Garde officers (facings red-red bag)
Regiment Erfprins (facings orange-orange bag)
regiment Orange Nassau I or II on the left (facing and bag-red) and Garde Groningen on the right (facings and bag red)
regiment Erfprins (facinga and bag orange) on the left and regiment Nassau Usingen (or regiment Walen) on the right (facings white but blue bag)
regiment Westerloo reg nr 21 (mariniers) with yellow bag and yellow facings
regiment 24 Dundas (1784) with red bag although facings are a light blue.
In 1789 this became regiment nr 24 Bentinck with same facing colours.
On the right the 5th battalion of Waldeck.
The two soldiers on the right are Reg Zwitsers nr 5 May with red facings and red bag
Conclusion: Colouring of the bag
Regarding the colouring of the bag, it seems, that in the majority of the regiments, the bag colour was the same as the facings (ie red facings-red bag) but there are some exceptions although I don't have all the pictures so I am not totally sure.
What I found:
Zwitserse Garde: facing red - bag blue
reg 12 Bijlandt (Bedaulx); facing red - bag blue
reg 24 Dundas (Bentinck): facing blue - bag red
reg Nassau-Usingen (or reg Walen): facing white - bag blue
Bearskins of cavalry
Various plates of the first company (lijf compagnie) of the first squadron of the Garde Dragonders (Guard Dragoons) show them wearing bearskins.
It is hinted, that maybe the first company of the other dragoon regiments (Bijlandt and Hessen-Kassel) also had the bearskin but there is no pictural evidence.
So underneath only the Garde Dragonders:
It is strange that the officer in the first and the troopers in the 3rd and 4th picture have a red bag and the trooper on the 2nd pictue (right) a blue bag. Probably a mistake
4 opmerkingen:
A really interesting post and some excellent plates that you have found. It's interesting how their uniforms are almost a mix of Prussian and Austrian of the mid-18th century. Quite like the Sardinian army really.
Regards, James
James, thanks for your kind words.
And indeed, the uniforms were more Prussan style up to the middle of the 18th century but after that they became more Austrian/French style. One way or the other the uniforms resembled Italian ones.
Great stuff!
cheers
Mat
Mat,
thanks
greetings
Jan
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