Napoleonic & ECW wargaming, with a load of old Hooptedoodle on this & that


Saturday 30 May 2015

1809 Spaniards - Odd Flags

My new book on the Regimientos Provinciales sets out standard patterns for their flags which are the same as those of the line regiments - the book also gives a page of line drawings of the provincial escudos which would have been placed in the corners for each unit. I am still poring over that lot.

I was reminded that I also have some Bueno plates on file showing various chaps carrying regimental flags which don't look much like the regulations. I can't remember where I got them - I think they may be from a book on the history of units from Asturias - but anyway I thought it might be useful to post them here, if only to add to the confusion!


Milicias Provinciales de Oviedo - 1808
Regto de Candas y Luanco - new unit raised May 1808
Regto de Cangas de Onis - new May 1808
Regto de Luarca - new June 1808
Apart from the militia unit at the top, these all purported to be regiments of line infantry - they each had a single battalion, so the last example may be related to the practice of combining a central coat of arms with the Bourbon cross which was introduced as a new-look coronela for single battalion units. All of this, of course, has to be seen in the light of the general confusion which reigned over the classification of units (such as which ones were irregulars, for a start) and the level of informality in design of colours which might be accepted to show allegiance to a locality, or to reflect the personal whim of the guy who was paying for the regiment's kit.

Some of these would certainly produce a touch of colourful variety on the battlefield.

3 comments:

  1. Just catching up with your blog now, Tony. Those flags are quite lovely, especially the first two. Very attractive.

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    Replies
    1. The blue flag with the vertical cross and the alpha-omega device is the old arms of the province of Asturias - interesting to consider whether provincial or volunteer units might carry the flag of their province (or kingdom, or region, or whatever they were called).

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  2. Love the Regto de Cangas de Onis, flag, looks almost Medieval!

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