Sgt. Patrick Masterson

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Lee Sang Eon

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 26, 2008
Messages
151
Location
Seoul
I'm painting 120mm Sgt. Masterson of 87th Regt who captured the first French Eagle taken during the Peninsular War.

I can't find the emblem of 87th Regt on his knapsack..

Anyone know about this???
 

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Quoting from `The British Napoleonic Uniforms' book,
"In 1808, packs were directly painted black with the regimental number in white, but it is clear that many regiments failed to comply with this order and in 1812 the order was reiterated that they should be marked with the number and no other ornament."

Typically the haversacks were removed whenever possible before an action and some images on the web show this, cue exhibit A.

masterson .jpg

Although Masterson isn't wearing one the private is, which is interesting.

Badges could be affixed to cartridge pouches though although I haven't found anything on the 87th yet.

Regards

Melanie
 
I'm glad I'm not the only one with my nose in a book, checking this out, Melanie. :D
The short answer to this, Lee, is that according to Hamilton Smith' print, made a little over a year after the event (There are many of his plates in Wellington's Army with commentary by P.J. Haythornthwaite. Masterson is Pl. 35), the haversack bore an oval brass badge with the Prince of Wales's three feathers rising out of the badge and overflowing the top of the emblem. Presumably, the number ""87" was in the middle of the badge, but it can't be read in the print. It was centrally place and a little under 1/3 of the height of the haversack. The pouch was unadorned.
The problem is, though, as Haythorthwaite points out at length, Hamilton Smith painted him in the new uniform of 1812. I don't know, though, of any changes in the regimental emblems in 1812, so this is probably a safe bet. This sounds like a good figure. Who made it, and is it still available?
 
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