A bit more on this first unit. They are dressed in the "classical" uniform of British infantry at the outbreak of the war, that laid down by the warrant of 1768. The regiments that advanced up Breed's Hill in 1777 were likely dressed in this uniform. They are depicted in canvas backpacks, which I have chosen to do with either "GR" or the "Broad arrow" stitched into them. The broad arrow was a mark of government property, and could be seen on everything from cannonballs to horses. Its unlikely they were stitched on so large, but you have to make some allowances for scale.
A peculiarity of the command in this unit; the sergeant carries a halberd, and the officer a spontoon. These weapons were probably dropped early in the conflict and most officers and NCOs carried firearms, but I wanted to at least give the option to those who wanted to depict their units in strict regulation style in the early months of the war. In most other British packs the officers are carrying fusils.
If those are the 1768 warrant figures then I think both the halberd and the spontoon were signs of office. So the officer could be seen among the chaos of close quarters fighting.
ReplyDeleteThe Sergeant often standing behind his platoon with the halberd held horizontally so that the senior NCO could push the rear rank into a straight line and the men new who was pushing, and also preventing men from dropping out of the line.