Airfix 54mm Coldstream Guard
Posted: February 5th, 2018, 6:27 pm
This was bought on e-bay. It is packaged in a blister card, with two sprues of white mouldings. The six assembly stages are illustrated on the header and a small sheet of Plastikard is provided. The figure is nicely sculpted with crisp detail, but some flash evident. This kit was first released from 1971 to 1978 and again from 1991 to 1994.
History:
At the start of the nineteenth century and the short-tailed, single-breasted jacket was worn. Officers, however, retained the long-tailed coat. Traditionally, hair had been worn in a pigtail, but these were abolished, to the relief of the rank and file, in 1808. The Belgic shako with tall front plate was adopted in 1812 and a short-tailed, single-breasted jacket replaced the old-fashioned long-tailed coat. Officers, however, retained the long-tailed coat. Grey overalls replaced white breeches and gaiters.
All regiments of the line wore red tunics with white turnbacks. Facings were worn on collars, cuffs and shoulder straps; collars and shoulder straps were edged in white lace. The centre companies wore a white, worsted tuft at the outer end on the shoulder strap, and a white-over-red tuft on the shako. The two flank companies wore wings in the facing colour, edged and barred in white tape and often having worsted tufts all along their outer edges. The light company wore a green tuft and a small hunting horn badge. There is evidence that these elite company badges were worn on the shoulder wings and the tunic turnbacks as well.
This kit is moulded to represent an infantryman of the 2nd Foot Guards (Coldstream) one of the battalions of Guards at the Battle of Waterloo. The Coldstream was the 2nd regiment of Guards Infantry and had buttons and laces in pairs. Their shoulders were decorated with dark blue wings (their facing colour) edged and decorated with white tape.
Reference:
Airfix Magazine February 1974 page 355
AN ILLUSTRATED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF UNIFORMS OF THE NAPOLEONIC WARS ISBN 0-7548-1571-4 page 100
WELLINGTON’S ARMY ISBN 1-85367-501-6 plate 26, 31
Brassey’s History of Uniforms Napoleonic Wars Wellington’s Army ISBN 1-85753-221-X page 18
BRITISH INFANTRY UNIFORMS Since 1660 ISBN 0 7137 1127 2 plate 35 Sgt Coldstream Guards, 1815
History:
At the start of the nineteenth century and the short-tailed, single-breasted jacket was worn. Officers, however, retained the long-tailed coat. Traditionally, hair had been worn in a pigtail, but these were abolished, to the relief of the rank and file, in 1808. The Belgic shako with tall front plate was adopted in 1812 and a short-tailed, single-breasted jacket replaced the old-fashioned long-tailed coat. Officers, however, retained the long-tailed coat. Grey overalls replaced white breeches and gaiters.
All regiments of the line wore red tunics with white turnbacks. Facings were worn on collars, cuffs and shoulder straps; collars and shoulder straps were edged in white lace. The centre companies wore a white, worsted tuft at the outer end on the shoulder strap, and a white-over-red tuft on the shako. The two flank companies wore wings in the facing colour, edged and barred in white tape and often having worsted tufts all along their outer edges. The light company wore a green tuft and a small hunting horn badge. There is evidence that these elite company badges were worn on the shoulder wings and the tunic turnbacks as well.
This kit is moulded to represent an infantryman of the 2nd Foot Guards (Coldstream) one of the battalions of Guards at the Battle of Waterloo. The Coldstream was the 2nd regiment of Guards Infantry and had buttons and laces in pairs. Their shoulders were decorated with dark blue wings (their facing colour) edged and decorated with white tape.
Reference:
Airfix Magazine February 1974 page 355
AN ILLUSTRATED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF UNIFORMS OF THE NAPOLEONIC WARS ISBN 0-7548-1571-4 page 100
WELLINGTON’S ARMY ISBN 1-85367-501-6 plate 26, 31
Brassey’s History of Uniforms Napoleonic Wars Wellington’s Army ISBN 1-85753-221-X page 18
BRITISH INFANTRY UNIFORMS Since 1660 ISBN 0 7137 1127 2 plate 35 Sgt Coldstream Guards, 1815
