The British infantryman of the American War of Independence belonged to a small professional army with long experience of campaigning overseas. When fighting began in 1775, only about 7,000 British troops were stationed in North America, but reinforcements soon arrived from Britain and other garrisons around the empire. British regiments fought in every major theatre of the war, from Boston, New York and Saratoga to the Carolinas, Virginia and Yorktown. They served alongside German auxiliaries, Loyalist provincial troops, artillery and cavalry as part of a much larger Crown war effort.
Box front:
A British infantry regiment normally contained eight battalion or centre companies, one grenadier company and one light infantry company. The centre companies formed the main body of the regiment. Grenadiers were selected elite soldiers traditionally associated with assault and close combat, while light infantrymen were chosen for agility, stamina and intelligence and trained to operate in open order, use cover, scout and skirmish. During campaigns, grenadier and light companies were often detached from their parent regiments and combined into provisional elite battalions.
This set contains 17 human poses, providing all three principal infantry types together with a drummer, ensign, officer on foot and mounted officer. Six poses represent ordinary battalion-company soldiers marching, advancing, firing and loading. Four grenadier poses include an advancing man, marching figures and a grenadier sergeant, while three light-infantry poses show men firing and advancing in the more active manner suited to their battlefield role. The command group allows the figures to be assembled as a complete regimental scene rather than simply as ranks of private soldiers.
Poses:
The uniforms follow the broad pattern established by the Royal Warrant of 1768. The battalion-company men wear the familiar red coat with lapels, turnbacks and round cuffs, together with the cocked hat whose increasingly high front point foreshadowed the later bicorne. Grenadiers are distinguished by shoulder wings and tall bearskin caps with front plates, while the light infantry wear short, practical jackets and brimmed hats turned up at one side. These differences make the three troop types immediately recognizable and allow each part of the regiment to retain its own character.
Scans of the test sprue:
Campaign conditions often produced a less formal appearance than regulations suggested. Knapsacks and unnecessary equipment might be left behind before action, uniforms wore out, and elite-company headgear was not always worn in the field. The figures therefore represent the recognizable regulation appearance of British infantry while remaining suitable for a broad range of battles and campaigns throughout the war.
Organization:
The figure types
Battalion-company infantry: The soldiers in cocked hats represent the eight ordinary companies that formed the bulk of a British regiment. They carry muskets and bayonets and are shown marching, advancing, loading and firing, making them suitable for both formed ranks and battlefield scenes.
Grenadiers: Grenadiers were the regiment's senior elite company. Their tall bearskins, shoulder wings, swords and additional distinctions made them among the most imposing soldiers in the army. In America, grenadier companies were frequently brought together into separate battalions for major operations, including the opening fighting at Lexington and Concord and later campaigns such as Saratoga and Charleston.
Light infantry: Light infantrymen were trained to spread out, exploit cover, screen the main force and engage enemy skirmishers. Their shorter jackets, practical legwear and less formal headgear distinguish them from the close-order battalion companies. British commanders frequently combined the light companies of several regiments into dedicated light infantry battalions.
Command: The drummer transmitted orders by drumbeat, while the ensign carried one of the regiment's colours. The officers wear sashes, gorgets and swords as badges of rank, and the mounted officer provides a commander for a marching column or larger battlefield formation.
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