Mounting your Officer

[Jeremy]

No.. not like that. Well, maybe...

So I’m starting work on my French Naps and thought I’d ask those far more knowledgeable than me (as my Googlefu did not return any responses). Did French Battallion Commanders ride mounted into battle, or did they dismount? I love the look of the mounted commander in the Centre with the Colours, but if it’s not historical, then I won’t do it. I suspect they dismounted.

TIA

[Paul]

The British Colonels seem to have been mounted in battle but stood behind the rear most rank. So not leading bravely from the front with the Colours close at hand....Bernard Cornwelll has a lot to answer for

[EDIT: Yup same for French, see this site: http://napoleonistyka.atspace.com/French_infantry.html]

[Essex Boy]

Do whatever floats your boat.

E

[Paul]

Do whatever floats your boat.

E

This...especially given the site I found says that there is no fixed postion for the Chef. when the Battalion is in Column. why couldn't he be charging forward heroically!

[RMD]

In front of the men they'd just hold hands.

[Jeremy]

The British Colonels seem to have been mounted in battle but stood behind the rear most rank. So not leading bravely from the front with the Colours close at hand....Bernard Cornwelll has a lot to answer for

[EDIT: Yup same for French, see this site: http://napoleonistyka.atspace.com/French_infantry.html]

Cheers Paul! That’s an excellent find!

[Jeremy]

Do whatever floats your boat.

E

Terribly dangerous advice on a forum like this

[FreddBloggs]

Officers, colours and drums were all behind the formation, you could not command it otherwise. This changed when they stepped up and into it, to lead it in the charge or rally it if wavering. This is not true of storming parties and forlorn hopes though.

[goat major]

The Airfix French infantry had a mounted officer so it must be true

[BaronVonWreckedoften]

In the French army, regimental commanders were often also "ad hoc" brigade commanders (in the same way that British brigades were sometimes led by the senior lieutenant colonel, but without the "brigadier/general de brigade" rank) and would normally be mounted. In the British service, a battalion was usually split into two wings, each led by a major (which is why there were two of them by the Napoleonic period) who were also usually mounted, as was the battalion commander. I'm not sure what the position was in the French infantry as to whether chef de bataillon was a compulsory mounted rank or not, but it would have set the French army apart from that of most/all other major nations if it was not the norm for them to be on horseback.

Incidentally, further to Fredd's comment, the colours would normally be in advance of the line whilst advancing, so that all the men could see them and keep their ranks dressed when moving forward; British practice was to have them in the centre of the eight battalion companies, the French had their eagle with the 2nd Fusilier company. It was only when they were about to contact the enemy (either in shooting or melee) that they withdrew behind the line to protect the colour party, which would normally include the pioneers. Company commanders would usually be in front, level with the front rank of their company (to the right of the company if their company was to the right of the colours, to the left if....you get the picture); other officers would be in the supernumary rank behind the rear rank, and drummers would be to the rear, often in two groups at either end of the line in a large battalion. And they were not boys.