HISTORICAL MINIATURES BY GEORGE GRASSE

HISTOREX NCO

The Historex 862 Series - French Infantry of the Line 1750-60 - is based on the uniform regulation of 1736 and modifications in 1747 with minor changes up to 1760.  In general, the uniform did not have lapels which appeared around 1760.  These models represent French infantry as they appeared during the Seven Years War and its cousin, the French and Indian War, roughly 1754-1760.  By 1750, the number of French line infantry regiments stood at 84 regiments composed of 172 battalions and by 1762, there were 88 regiments composed of 187 battalions.  Most regiments during the 1750-60 period had two battalions, a few had three.  All infantry regiments of the line , that is infanterie francaises (composed of native Frenchmen) wore the grey-white uniform except Du Perche, Grenadiers de France, and the Regiment de Fusiliers d'Artillerie, all of whom wore dark blue.

Added to the French line infantry were the foreign regiments, regiments de infanterie etrangers,  formed of German, Italian, Irish, Saxon, Scot, and Swiss nationalities most of whom were mercenaries.  They wore red or dark blue jackets with variations in blue-grey or white to denote them on the battlefield.  Good sources for the foreign regiments are Funcken The Lace Wars Part 1, pages 60-63, and Chartrand Louis XV's Army (3): Foreign Infantry.  Of note in the Funcken reference are colored representations of the flags of all of the infantry on pages 48-51 and 63-65. 

These models can be used to make the Royal Guard Infantry of the period but would require the addition of extensive button hole loops to the jacket.  The Guard regiments were: Gardes de la Porte (Guards of the Gate - strictly palace guards), Gardes-Francaises (French Guards), Gardes Suisses (Swiss Guards), and two special companies to serve as bodyguards to the grandsons of King Louis XV: Gardes de la Porte de Monsieur and Gardes de la Porte de Monsieur le Comte de Provence).

CONVERSION KITS - each includes extra arms and legs 

ITEM