Impressive in 1745, but rather less so in the more publicized battles of the 7 Years War, the French Royal Army was, until the Revolution, always one of the major factors in European military affairs. Unfortunately, at least so far as the research on the French uniforms of the period goes, this age before the flowering of the industrial revolution lent itself to very distinctive dress.

The first "uniforms" had appeared among the foreign units - which remained the most colorful of the army. French units, which were so numerous that the crown equipped them chiefly in dirty white uniforms (it has never come to my attention whether the dingy greyish color of the uniform was a design feature or a result of environmental hazard) with minor differences in the color of facing, trim, etc. Generally speaking, the Swiss and Irish regiments wore red, Germans various shades of blue. The Gardes Francaise, however, wore blue.

Among the few characteristics in common were the buff (natural leather) belting, black shoes, black sword scabbards, and white metal fittings on the line infantry muskets. In the mid-century wars the rank and file wore their hair "natural," i.e. without powdered wigs. Gaiters were usually white.

Among the French units, the "Royal", or "kings" regiments usually had blue facings on white coats, the dauphin's, or prince's units had red. By 1759 epaulettes had become standard as badges of rank for officers. Colonels wore 2 epaulettes with gilt fringes, Lt. Colonels wore the full epaulette of that style on the left shoulder, majors wore full epaulettes with silk intertwined with gilt on both shoulders, captains one with fringe and one without, while lieutenants wore rhomboid silk shoulder pads with mixed silk and gilt fringes, fringes on left shoulder only for sub-lieutenants.

Flags

Flags of the French infantry in the period of 1745 to 1763 are less well known to the author. Each regiment had the somewhat disconcerting habit of carrying two possible flags, the so-called "Colonel's Flag" (Drapeaux de Colonel) and the "Ordonnance Flag" (Drapeaux d'Ordonnance.) both followed the pattern of four quarters separated by a central cross (usually white.) The colonel, S flag was apparently the one carried when the regiment took the field en masse, and was carried by the central battalion when in line. As many as eight or nine ordonnance flags might be issued to a battalion, I assume to provide a standard for battalions and lesser detachments. Within this basic format, the very large number of French infantry regiments succeeded in having no two flags alike.

DAUPHIN (left)

This regiment has to be about the most colorful in the flag department! In each quarter the colors run: blue, red, orange, green, blue, orange, red, green. Around the edge what appears to be a green dolphin in an orange field alternates with blue field with gold fleurs de lys. The same motif occupies the quarters of the center shied. The lettering on the arms of the white cross is in gold.

DES VAISSEAUX (right)

The center of this flag is occupied by a brown ship with white sails, white flag on stern with gold fleurs de lys. Water is represented by wavy blue lines. The quarters are: orange, red, green, and black.

NAVARRE

This regiment, one of the "Cinq Vieux", has brown quarters with a crowned red shield indented by gold bars, large in the center and slightly smaller on each arm of the white cross. The fleurs de lys are, as usual, gold.

Unit Flags

No. 1 Picardy had an all white Colonel's Flag with the cross outlined in black thread, the ordonnance flags ( 8 each) were red with white cross.

No. 2 Champagne, had an all green flag with white cross, same for both types.

No. 3 Navarre had a white colonel's flag with white cross with the five arms of Navarre in the quarters and gold fleurs de lys on the cross.

No. 4 Piemont, white colonel's flag with white cross, quarters black on the ordonnance flags.

No. 5 Normandy, yellow colonel's flag with white cross.

No. 6 La Marne, blue upper right and lower left, green lower right and upper left for colonel's flag.

No. 18 Tourraine had a colonel's flag with orange in the upper left, green in the lower left (staff on left) cerulean blue in the upper right, bright red on the lower right, white cross.

Soisonnais had split quarters, in the upper left quarter black on the top triangle., red bottom (along staff) with each side matching opposites across the bars of the central cross.

Gatinois had purple and black.

Saintonge had diagonal lines across the quarters with red, yellow, light blue, and dark green triangles in each quarter.

Agenois had purple in the upper right and lower left, dark green and yellow upper left, yellow over dark green in lower right.

Gardes Francaises had royal blue quarters covered with gold fleurs de lys, gold crowns top outward on each arm of the white cross, with a red tassel tipped gold.

More French Army in the Mid-18th Century

Part 1: Infantry and Flags (1)
Part 2: French Infantry Regiments of the 7 Years War Uniform Chart
Part 3: Artillery
Part 4: Cavalry (1)
Part 5: Cavalry (2)
Part 6: Infantry