Jim Gaskill of Bournemouth, UK, asked in FE29 about the uniforms, structure and role of combined grenadier battalions, if they comprised grenadier companies detached from line battalions and if their component sub-units were later returned to their parent units. Jim also wants to know if there is any English language reference material on the subject. I've given enough hints and so in the absence of other contributions here is a starter.

French combined grenadier battalions were usually composed of grenadier companies detached from line or light regiments. Their structure did varied and their uniforms were, except in one celebrated case, those of their parent units. They were usually formed for a specific campaign, or even a particular battle. Their role was often that of an operational reserve and they were always, eventually, returned to their parent units.

Finally, I don't know of any English language material that deals with the subject.

Combined Grenadier Battalions

The use of combined grenadier battalions was not a feature exclusive to the French and can be found in all major Continental armies during the period. According to the Règlement 1791 a division of grenadiers, that is to say two companies (peletons), were a component part of each French line infantry regiment. This division was often detached on service and combined with divisions from other regiments to form grenadier battalions.

The Règlement 1791 prescribed a regiment consisting of two battalions, each consisting of nine companies, eight of fusiliers and one of grenadiers. The Règlement 1791 describes how the two grenadier companies were attached to the first and second battalions of their parent regiment for drill but implies, by this remark and their usual absence from the descriptions and diagrams of the various evolutions of the battalion, that the grenadier division was expected to be detached on service. [1]

There is also evidence to suggest that the eight grenadier companies, from the four regiments which it was anticipated would form a Division (that is to say a Formation consisting of two Brigades), were expected to be formed into a combined grenadier battalion of four divisions (eight companies) for the purpose of providing a Divisional reserve. Indeed, this is the very instruction Ney gave to his VI Corps in 1805 [2] which at this date, and throughout 1806 at least, did have a Divisional structure of four regiments, organized in two Brigades of two regiments each.

However, when the decree of 21 February 1793 ordered the formation of demi-brigades, in place of infantry regiments, it specified that they should be of up to three battalions in strength. Furthermore, the decree of 24 September 1803, which re-introduced the regimental system, confirmed the number of battalions in a regiment at three or four and by 1806, in theory anyway, all had been standardized at four, three service battalions and one depot battalion. Thus, by 1793, the Règlement 1791 was already obsolete in the context of the structure of the regiment, rendered further still in the context of the battalion by the decree of 19 September 1805 which replaced the second fusilier company with one of voltigeurs, and the decree of 18 February 1808 which completely restructured the infantry regiment into five service battalions of six companies each, and one depot battalion. The combined grenadier battalion appears to have gone out of fashion in the French service after approximately 1809.

The combined grenadier battalion was a temporary expedient, perhaps even existing for only the duration of a particular battle. Nevertheless, they do occur quite often and a typical example can be found in the returns of VI Corps after Albuera in 1811. The Grenadiers Réunis (Combined Grenadiers) at Albuera comprised companies taken from the 45e, 63e and 95e de ligne in I Corps and the 4th Polish regiment in IV Corps [3] and was clearly the formation by Soult of a temporary operational reserve for VI Corps' battle. This example also demonstrates the temporary nature of such units because this particular Grenadiers Réunis does not seem to appear in any subsequent orders of battle for the French army in Spain.

That, briefly, is the background to the combined grenadier battalions in French service during the period of our interest, their role, organization and where they were drawn from. In summary, the detachment of grenadier companies to form combined grenadier battalions was a measure implied in the Règlement 1791. They were an operational option used at the discretion of the commander concerned and their use does not appear to have been universal. However, their absence from orders of battle may be an indication of their temporary nature, rather than evidence that there were none present on a particular occasion. In the absence of specific collateral, one can really only speculate.

Other Aide de Camp sections:
Introduction
Grenadiers de la Reserve
Uniforms and flags

Footnotes