Wednesday 8 August 2012

Zouaves on campaign in Italy, 1859

Zouaves in relaxed off-duty wear: Callot, shirt, veste and trousers worn outside the gaiters.

Buglers and Drummers of Zouaves; the Bugler on the right is wearing the British Crimean Medal with two (possibly three?) clasps. Interestingly despite Zouaves of the Line having, in theory, a belt which fastened with a buckle, two of these Zouaves are wearing belts with plates bearing flaming grenades - a feature of the Imperial Guard.

Zouaves with piled arms; at least four of them are wearing the British Crimean Medal. Also note the Cantiniere wearing a very loud checked shirt.

A File of Zouaves cooking their evening meal. Colonel, later General, Cler of the 2eme Zouaves wrote that :
"…Habitually each individual has usually his allotted functions, being those for which he has a special aptitude; one looks after the wood and the fire, another the water and the cooking, making the coffee, a third pitches the tents and so on."
 J. J. G. Cler, Souvenirs d’un Officer du 2eme de Zouaves (Paris: Michel Lévy et Frères, 1859), p. 7

4 comments:

  1. The first one is very interresting! the use of the third and fourth shelters to close the "tunnel" remain the same use during US civil war!

    best regards
    paco

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    1. Yes. Its something the soldiers write about in their letters home. The British tried to copy the Tentes d'Abris by using muskets and blankets (they didnt quite work).

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  2. Note the parallel trenches where the men have stacked arms. Maybe dug to mark a fixed place to form up or to aid stacking.

    I have read of another case where a cantiniere wore regular women's clothing when not on parade. This was seen in the allied fleet going to the Crimea.

    Great photos. Thank you

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    1. Glad you like them Scott! I have a photograph of the Cantiniere of the 7e Lanciers wearing civilian clothes

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