Most of this information is drawn from a commentary by the French expert, M. Jean Boudriot, on two paintings by the French marine painter, Joseph Vernet. These paintings were of the naval base of Toulon in 1755 – part of a series of French ports painted by Vernet around this time. Boudriot's commentary and black and white reproductions of the paintings appeared in Neptunia No. 101 and 103, the journal of the Musée de la Marine in Paris. They and other paintings by Vernet are a mine of information on the everyday details of preparing a fleet for sea. Toulon, at the time Vernet was there, was the base for the expeditionary force that captured Minorca. M. Boudriot describes the scenes in great detail, explaining everything that appears in the paintings. I have extracted the descriptions of the uniforms of the various naval personnel that are displayed.

There is a reproduction of one picture, "L'Arsenal de Toulon vue de l'angle du Parc d'Artillere," in The Art of Warfare in the Age of Marlborough by D. G. Chandler, and it appears, in part, on the cover and inside of The Machinery of War by Peter Young. The originals we see in the Musée de la Marine in Paris, which I believe sells reproductions of the paintings.

Officers of the Navy

They wore a royal blue coat with red cuffs, lined with red silk. The vest, breeches, and stockings are red. The tricorne hat has a gold lace border. The front of the coat is edged in gold lace. Two lines of gold lace on the cuff indicate a "captaine de vaisseau," one line, a lieutenant. Officers "des vaisseaux" had been members of the "gardes de la marine," i.e. young men of recognized nobility being trained for a career at sea. There was a company of 100 men at each of the main naval bases, Toulon, Brest, and Rochefort. The best of these formed the "gardes du Pavillon," 40 at Brest and 40 at Toulon.

Officers of Marine Artillery

These were officers "des vaisseaux" who had chosen to specialize in artillery. There were only a few of them; three "commissaire-generaux," three captains, sixteen lieutenants, and twenty-four sublieutenants. They wore a uniform similar to the land artillery. A blue coat with red cuffs, vest, and breeches of blue, and white stockings distinguished them. One of their responsibilities was to command the companies of apprentice cannoneers.

The Apprentice Cannoneers

These were men drawn from the sailors "des classes," i.e. registered seamen. They were trained for several months to become "maître-cannoneers" or gun captains. There was one company at each of the three ports: Brest, Rochefort, and Toulon. They trained under the supervision of the officers of the Marine Artillery. At this date, they had no uniform, but later, I don't know when, they were given a uniform of a blue waistcoat, a jacket and trousers of canvas, and a leather cap with a copper plaque with the royal arms.

The Bombardiers

These had been raised by Royal Ordinance in April 1681 to man the new mortar or bomb-ships. These were two companies originally, but by 1788 there were three; one at Toulon. Each company consisted of two officers, thirty-nine soldiers, one drummer, one fifer, six corporals, and three sergeants. They were enlisted for ten years. Their uniforms were established by Ordnance of 1750. The coat was scarlet with collar and cuffs and lining of blue. Vest, breeches, and stockings were blue. Their buttons were of white metal and their hat lace was silver. Serving the guns, they wore tricornes, but under arms they wore a bearskin with a copper plaque with a grenade on it. This indicates their status as similar to grenadiers. They wore white garters. The figure 145 in Mollo's Uniforms of the Seven Years War is drawn from those in Vernet's painting. He wears natural leather belts, a red/brown cartridge box with a copper grenade, on a waist belt. A shoulder strap supports a powder flask. A brass-hilted sword and bayonet are worn. Mollo says their uniform changed the following year, citing another painting by Vernet of Bordeaux, this time, from red coats to blue, and from blue distinctions, to red. However, in a reproduction of this painting I have seen, they seem to me to be wearing red coats still. It was a very poor reproduction though.

Officers of bombardiers were drawn from officers "des galiotes," officers of lower status. They were dressed similarly to the men but with white stockings. They wore no lace. Figure 143 in Mollo's book is based on a bombardier officer in Vernet's painting. The figure has had breeches and waistcoat made red to represent an Engineer officer.

Sergeants had a double line of gold lace on the cuffs and a gold border to the pockets. Corporals had a single line of silver lace.

The bombardiers served as specialist artillerymen, as gun captains, and as elite infantry. Although, as there were only about 100 of them, they could not have made much impact in that role.

Les Compagnies Franche de la Marine

These were shipboard marines and distinct from the colonial marines, in spite of the similarity of the title. Their origin dates from the founding of the French navy. In 1755, there were one hundred companies, forty-four at Toulon. Each company had fifty men consisting of forty-one marines, one drummer, one fifer, four corporals, two sergeants, and one captain-at-arms. The company was commanded by a lieutenant and an ensign "des vaisseaux," i.e. actual naval officers given that particular assignment. The companies were disbanded in 1761.

The marines had many duties, unlike contemporary British marines. They worked in the ports fitting out the ships, especially the rigging (N.B. sailors were hired for the commission only and taken on just before the ships sailed). They also handled cannon and helped to wash the ship. Like the British Marines, they also provided musketry fire and used grenades during sea battles. They also formed landing parties.

Their uniform was the same since 1689, a gray/white coat with blue cuffs, vest, breeches, and stockings. The tricorne was gold-bordered. Officers wore uniforms similar to the men but with white stockings.

Convicts

I include these for completeness and out of interest. I don't suppose these will form part of anyone's wargame army. I certainly don't know of any figures representing them, although they can, no doubt, be converted with suitable scale chain!

There were about 2,000 convicts at Toulon working in the Arsenal. The more capable were exercised at the oars to man four to six galleys if necessary. Most of the French Mediterranean galley fleet had been moved from Marseilles to Toulon in 1748 and had been disarmed, covered over, and used as quarters for the convicts who slept on the rowing benches! Two galleys were kept in service as galleys.

The convicts wore red coats (casagues) and caps. They wore heavy chains of about twenty pound's weight. They were guarded by "pertuisaniers" who wore blue coats and red breeches and vests. This was considered a demeaning job.

Conclusion

I hope the above will be useful. I appreciate that there are missing details, but the information cleared up many difficulties for me. Perhaps someone can fill in the gaps. I would also recommend, for enthusiasts of the French navy, M. Boudriot's series of articles in Neptunia (No's. 89-100) on French smoothbore naval armament. This tells you all you ever need to know about that subject and more.

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