79th (Cameron) & 92nd (Gordon) Highland Regiment Flank Companies, 1808–1815
ESCI 1:72 Scale Figure Review
Soldiers of the Grenadier und Battalion Companies of the 92nd (Gordon) Highland Regiment. Grenadiers were deployed on the right of the line, they wore white plumes on their feather bonnets and wings on the shoulders. The Gordon Highlanders served in the 9th (Highland) Brigade at Waterloo, alongside the 1st (Royal Scots) Regiment, the 42nd (Royal Highland) Regiment und the 44th (East Essex) Regiment. A standardbearer of the 44th Regiments can be seen in the picture, he stands in the center of a wargaming brigade formation of the 44th and 92nd Regiments.
Contents
Army Pack of 50 Figures in 14 Poses – 23 mm equal 166 cm Height
- Highland Bagpiper, advancing (3)
- Highlander, kneeling firing (5)
- Highlander, loading, ramming the charge (3)
- Highlander, advancing (5)
- Highlander, charging (3)
- Highlander supporting a wounded comrade (2 × 2)
- Line Infantry Flank Company (27)
Highland Brigade
The ESCI Highlanders are not complete. Officers, standardbearers and drummers are missing, which is why these soldiers cannot be deployed in their own separate units. Fortunately, a number of brigade level wargaming rules are available which require that miniatures from several regiments be mounted on the same brigade sized stands, providing an excellent opportunity to cover up any lack of figure poses.
The wargaming unit pictured above represents an infantry brigade of 2500 men. The stand measures 76 × 76 mm and 14 figures are mounted on it: Standardbearer, drummer, four Battalion Company men and one light infantryman from the 44th Regiment as well as a bagpiper, three Battalion Company Highlanders, two Highland Grenadiers and one Highland light infantryman from the 92nd Regiment. All figures are from ESCI’s British Infantry set, six Highlanders are on the right of the line and six regular line infantry are on the left flank. In front of the brigade are two light infantrymen, one each from the 44th and 92nd Regiment. This group of figures looks very convincing as a wargaming brigade, and it’s hardly noticeable that the Highlanders do not have a standardbearer and drummer of their own.
Evaluation
Highly detailed figures. Kilts, plumes on the bonnet, stockings and gaiters, lace, wings, metal fittings and weapons are well sculpted. The Tartan pattern is deeply engraved and very easy to paint.
We liked that some of the figures are shown in light gear, after they dropped their knapsacks. Unfortunately, not everyone in the unit has obeyed this order and the resulting mix of figures looks a little out of place. We would have preferred a marching figure, with knapsack and shouldered musket, which can be deployed in road column formations somewhere near, but not necessarily on the battlefield.
85 % of the Highlanders are in useful wargaming poses. The advancing, firing and loading soldiers are very nice and they may be deployed in very realistic looking wargame units.
Good casting quality, very little flash.
If fewer poses had been used for the Grenadier and Light Company figures, it might have been possible to include soldiers from the Battalion Companies as well, offering the entire 79th or 92nd Regiment in one set of figures. British infantry battalions consisted of 10 companies, eight Battalion and two Flank Companies. Accordingly, the historic gamer and collector would have needed a box containing 40 Highlanders, 5 Highland Grenadiers and 5 Highlanders of the Light Company. The problem can be corrected by chopping the shoulder wings off the grenadier figures, converting them to Battalion Company men.
The mixture of Highland infantry and regular line infantry is not very useful, separate sets would have been much better.
Historical Employment
- Flank Companies of the 79th (Cameron) Highland Regiment 1808–1815
- Flank Companies of the 92nd (Gordon) Highland Regiment 1808–1815
Possible Conversion
- Battalion Companies of the 79th and 92nd Regiment. A simple conversion, removing the shoulder wings and leaving only a small round tuft attached to the shoulder strap.
- 79th New York Volunteers 1861. These American Highlanders fought at Bull Run, distinguished themselves at 2nd Bull Run and participated in 59 other engagements. They wore dark blue uniforms with red cuff flaps and collars, edged light blue, or light blue collars with a red collar patch. Kilts and Trews of the Cameron of Erracht Tartan pattern and Glengarry caps were worn on parade. Field service dress included the typical union kepi and sky-blue trousers. The figures without knapsacks are suitable for this particular conversion, but the wings have to be removed.
- 42nd (Royal Highland) Regiment, using bonnets from Italeri Highlanders.
Bibliography
- Haythornthwaite, Philip: Uniforms of Waterloo, plate 17
- Funcken, L. & F.: L’Uniforme et les Armes des Soldats du Premier Empire, pp. 104-105
The army pack contains useful poses of Highland and British line infantry Flank Company soldiers. Two or three of these boxes provide more than enough Highlanders and line infantry flankers to satisfy most wargamers and collectors. Revell’s British infantry set has the line infantry Battalion Company men to match these figures.