Osprey Men-at-Arms 335 : Emigre and Foreign Troops in British Service (2) 1803-1815

From 1803 to 1815 foreign corps represented a sizeable proportion of the British forces. There were striking differences in the type of corps and the nationalities of these foreign soldiers. The French émigré units (described in Men-at-Arms 328) all but disappeared; only the Chasseurs Britanniques remained, although now mostly recruited from deserters from the French army. Many French émigré officers were now found scattered in various foreign regiments. Another feature was the near absence of cavalry units, so numerous in the pre-1802 period. Most noticeably, between 1803 and 1814 new sorts of 'émigré' refugees came to the British forces from the Mediterranean. The Calabrian, Sicilian, Italian, Maltese and Greek levies were foreign units with distinct national characters. Their officers and men were often patriots hoping to oust Napoleon's troops from their native lands with British help. The interior management of units was usually carried on in the corps' dominant language, but key commands and drill orders were given in English in order to avoid confusion as much as possible when foreign units were brigaded with British regiments on campaign. René Chartrand investigates the history and uniforms of these colourful troops accompanied by illustrations by Patrice Courcelle.

Contents

• Britain's Foreign Army
• Regiments and Corps 1803-1815
• Select Bibliography
• The Plates