With reference to Mr. Monk's query in "Problem of the Month" in the November Newsletter, regarding the uniform of the Portuguese Legion. As Mr. Monk refers to the three regiments of infantry and one of cavalry, I presume he requires the uniform worn when this establishment was in use (after May 1811), the Legion Portugaises having previously comprised six regiments of infantry, two of cavalry and a battery of artillery. The infantry at this time wore shakos of the "Barretina" pattern (very similar to the "Belgic" style worn by the British army in 1812-15), with brass plates and chinscales. Jackets were brown with red collar, lapels and cuffs, all piped white, with white cuff-flaps and turnbacks and white metal buttons, being in style exactly like those of the French infantry. Fusilier companies wore red shoulder-straps, or brown piped red. Grenadier companies wore red epaulettes and had red shako-plumes and cords; Voltigeurs had yellow over red plumes, green cords and green epaulettes with red "crescents". Leg wear consisted of brown breeches with black knee-length gaiters, or alternatively white or brown overalls. Equipment was of the French pattern. The cavalry were uniformed in the Chasseur a Cheval pattern, in brown jackets with red collar, turnbacks and pointed cuffs and red epaulettes. Brown breeches with a red stripe on the outer seam were worn with "Hessian" boots; the grey service overalls had a double red stripe. Sheepskin shabraques were cream with red "wolfts teeth" edging; the French-style shakos had white cords and brass plates. Some officers and perhaps the elite company wore black fur busbies. Weapons and equipment were French. Officers of both infantry and cavalry wore silver lace and rank-markings; officers' shabraques were red with a broad edging of silver lace. I realise these details are brief in the extreme, but should be adequate for painting 25mm figures. The basic source-material for the above is from contemporary illustrations and documents, from which two plates in the "Hourtoulle" series were taken. The earlier uniform (1808-1811) is shown in "Uniforms of the Napoleonic Wars" (Blandford Press). Back to Table of Contents -- Wargamer's Newsletter # 155 To Wargamer's Newsletter List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1975 by Donald Featherstone. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com