Colour-Sergeant, Grenadier Company 1821


The coloured image is from a water-colour by Denis Dighton. The monochrome drawings were made by Dighton from life as a basis for the painting. The colour-sergeant is in dress uniform with a blue-faced red coat with brass or gilt buttons and gold lace across his chest, arranged in pairs. The collar has a gold lace edge and a gold loop. The wings are fringed with gold and his chevrons have a Colour badge superimposed on them. The crimson sash round his waist is a mark of his rank. He wears white gloves and carries a spontoon or pike to denote his rank. Because he does not carry a musket he has no need of an ammunition pouch, so only one white belt is needed, for his sword. He has white breeches and white knee gaiters which have black buttons.

The drawings show black calf gaiters worn with the white breeches. The sword belt has a beltplate which is brass. The sword hangs behind him rather than at his side. The lace on his coat seems to be evenly spaced between the buttons but is meant to be in pairs. The profile view shows the peak of his bearskin and the way the gold festoon falls at the back. Unfortunately we don't get any idea of where the ends of his crimson sash fall. The chevrons are on the right arm only and seem at first to be five rather than three but each chevron is made up of a double row of gold lace.


Uniforms | Regimental Details


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by Stephen Luscombe