Trumpeter of the Dromedary Regiment. France, 1801
It was one of the most unusual regiments of the Napoleonic wars: the camel troops of Napoleon. All French commanders liked it very much and each of them made changes on the Dromedary Regiment uniform. Napoleon ordered his Chief Quartermaster Francois Bernoyer to make an "unusual and attractive" uniform for this regiment. General Kléber added some more aesthetics and weakened Arab motives. After the death of General Kléber, new commander General de Menou added something on his own behalf. This uniform is based on the sample brought from Egypt in 1802 and now is in the House of Invalids. Probably this is Kléber’s uniform with some little changes, so this uniform has a high historical authority.
It’s interesting, from the beginning Napoleon wanted two dromedaries ride on the came, and they would be armed with lances. But French had not enough skill in this weapon and in the end dromedaries turned into usual infantry on camels that fought dismounted. Dromedaries participated in the battle of Heliopolis. After surrender of Alexandria dromedaries were sent to Toulon and Marseilles by sea. Part of dromedaries turned to gendarmes and others became chasseurs of the Consular Guard.
|
|
Click any picture to enlarge
