Arising from reader S. Switzer's plea for information on flags (Newsletter No.169) two well-known and knowledgeable wargamer/writers have come to his assistance.
Philip Haythornthwaite writes:
"The subject of Russian flags is too complex to be covered in a wargaming magazine, but (very briefly and only with the necessary details for 15mm scale figures) three patterns were carried by the Russian infantry in 1812. The 1797 pattern had an orange central disc bearing a black Imperial eagle, surrounded by a green-and-gold wreath, on a coloured background with four diagonal "rays" extending from the centre of the flag to the corners, narrowing towards the centre. The 1800 pattern was similar, but with a large gold or silver crown above the eagle, and narrower rays. The 1803 pattern was substantially that of 1800 but with wider rays. Both 1800 and 1803 patterns bore gold and silver Imperial cyphers with wreath surround in each corner.
Each battalion carried one "white" flag - white background for 1797 pattern with coloured rays, all-white after 1800 - and one "coloured" flag with field and rays of contrasting colours.
As examples, the following designs were carried by some of the Grenadier regiments present at Borodino:
| Regiment | Model | Field | Rays of "Coloured" Flag | Rays of "White" Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pavlov | 1797 | Orange | White | Orange |
| Moscow | 1803 | Black | Red | White |
| Astrachan | 1797 | Apricot | White | Apricot |
| Fanagoria | 1803 | Rose | Green | White |
Black-and-white illustrations of the 1797 pattern can be found in The Russian Army of the Napoleonic Wars (A. Seaton, Osprey 1973), but those unable to trace a copy of W. Zweguintzow's Drapeaux et Etandards de l'Armee Russe will find the best English article by Lt.Cmdr. R.O.Morris, in Tradition No.36, of which copies may still be available. A forthcoming title by Blandford Press - Uniforms of the Retreat from Moscow - gives considerable coverage to this subject, if Mr. Switzer can wait for its appearance (probably) later this year.
British Infantry Colours (D.Lemonofides, Almark 1971) is useful for details of British flags.
Mr. Switzer's final point - the design of flags carried by French infantry in 1812 - is also covered in the coming Blandford book. Both types, in fact, seem to have been used, many of the 1812 pattern not having been issued in time for the campaign."
Terence Wise says:
"S. Switzer's plea for help over flags (Problem of the Month, April's Newsletter) once again illustrates how basic is the information so many wargamers need. Unlike the majority of wargamers, I cane to the Napoleonic period late (only three years ago) and at once ran into Mr. Switzer's problem: uniform books galore but flags --- nix. As I earn a living by my pen, I have spent the past 18 months researching to write a book to fill this gap, and as a result my own armies now brandish a beautiful variety of accurate colours and standards! I hope some of this information will be passed on next Spring by a Blandford colour book (Military Flags 1600-1900) and probably later in 1977 by a book from another publisher, dealing specifically with the 1792-1815 period.
There is really no direct answer to Mr. Switzer's plea. To date there is no general work dealing with French, British and Russian flags, and the subject is too vast to be dismissed in a few lines, or even a few articles. Books have been written on the subject, but all are in their native tongue, dealing only with one nation's flags. At present I can only suggest Mr. Switzer refers to the work of Dino Lemonofides (Almark books for British flags, Battle Magazine for other countries). Some of the Men-at-Arms books also carry flag data.
On the French question, the new tricolour design of colour and standard was issued during the early summer of 1812 following the decree of 25/12/1811. Cavalry were forbidden to take their standards s into the field, but some regiments did so. These tricolour flags were delivered without ceremony to the Grand Armee during its march into Russia.
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© Copyright 1976 by Donald Featherstone.
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