Question 4-1: My research has indicated that British Light Dragoon regiments carried a single standard. However, did the individual squadrons carry any sort of a guidon or unofficial marker to be used as a rallying station? If there was any sort of guidon, have you any idea what it looked like? Answer to Question 4-1: kindly provided by Philip Haythornthwaite The number of standards or guidons carried by British cavalry varied with the size of the regiment: normally there was a flag per squadron, i.e. one per two troops, the number increasing if regimental establishment was enlarged, so each squadron had a standard or guidon. However, these were never taken on campaign as far as I know, certainly not after c. 1805. and equally there do not appear to have been any marker-flags used as trooprallying- points, etc. (Incidentally, although light regiments used swallow-tailed guidons, heavier regiments might have both guidons and rectangular standards, the latter equating to the King's Colour of the infantry: one rectangular and the rest guidons [i.e. as for dragoon guards and Life Guards]; though issues varied from regiment to regiment: the Royal Horse Guards, for example, used rectangular ones.) Question 4-2 In Uniformes Espanoles de la Guerra de Independencia, Jose M. Bueno has some pictures of Mallorcan troops based on the Diary of Lieutenant Wollcombe of the Royal artillery. Who was Wollcombe? Where can his diary found? Are the three regiments shown (Granaderos de Mallorca, Cazadores de Mallorca and 2nd Regimento de Mallorca) connected with those in Whittingham's Mallorcan Division? Answer to Question 4-2: kindly provided by Philip Haythornthwaite (1) Diary of Lieutenant Wollcombe: Lieutenant Robert Woollcombe (note correct spelling) served with Holcombe's Company of the Royal Artillery in the force sent to the east coast of Spain. He was commissioned as 2nd lieutenant 1 July 1806; 1st lieutenant 18 June 1807; captain 18 June 1824; retired on half-pay 29 August 1825. Born on 2 May 1788, he died on 15 May 1849. His diary was published as The Diary of Lieutenant Robert Woollcombe, R.A. 1812-1813, ed. S.G.P. Ward, in the Journal of the Society for Historical Research, Vol. LII (London 1974) pp. 161-180. (2) On Spanish Uniforms: The information on Spanish uniforms given in Woollcombe's diary is very basic, apparently issued by General Maitland to the British forces in order that Spanish contingent could be recognised for what it was, to prevent confusion with the French, whose uniforms are also described very briefly. The information concerning the Spanish units is as follows, with unit-titles as in the original: Majorca Grenadiers: blue jackets, buff cape and cap (sic:cape obviously collar, cap presumably in error for "cuff"); sky-blue facings (sic: from the mention of French infantry having white facings, this presumably indicates lapels); red feather, blue cloth pantaloons, buff leather accoutrements. Murcia Grenadiers: bluejacket, yellow cuff, collar and "facings" (lapels), sky-blue pantaloons, black leather accoutrements. 2nd Regiment of Majorca: blue jacket, red collar and cuff, blue pantaloons, blue (sic) leather accoutrements. Cazadores of Majorca: dressed as the British 95th Rifles. Battalion of Light Companies: same as the respective regiments above from which they were drawn, plus two companies of Cordova, blue jackets, buff collars and cuff, crimson facings (lapels). Grenadier Companies of Guadalajara" blue jackets, buff collar and cuff, buff accoutrements. Artillery: blue jackets, red collar, cuff and facings (lapels), same cap as infantry, red feather. Artificiers: blue Jacket, red collar and cuff, red feather, leather apron. (3) The speculation is correct: it is Whittingham's Division which is referred to here.  Back to Empire, Eagles, & Lions Table of Contents Vol. 2 No. 4 Back to EEL List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1994 by Emperor's Headquarters This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com