This is the painting guide for the Carlists of the First of the Carlist Wars. It covers:
Infantry Uniforms (Carlist Army of the North)
See figures from WI89. Uniforms were vaguely consistent within a unit, although at times the men would be forced to wear what they could find, e.g. looted Cristino, British or French gear, or brown civilian jackets and pants.
| Item | Unit | Colour |
|---|---|---|
| Beret | Default | Bright Blue |
|
Vizcaya 5th Guipúzcoa |
White | |
|
Navarra Guías de Alava Madrid Volunteers |
Red | |
| Portuguese | Green | |
| Beret tassel | Officers: | White, gold or silver |
|
Guías Carabineros (??) Line Granaderos |
Red | |
|
Granaderos del Ejército Guías Cazadores (??) Line Fusileros |
White | |
|
Guías Tiradores (??) Line Cazadores |
Yellow | |
| Beret roundel | (true for all examples given, but these were only for the Line Fusileros and the Granaderos del Ejército) | Yellow |
| Jacket: usually a frock coat (“capote” cut down from Cristino greatcoat), but could be a shell jacket | Default | Grey |
| Guías de Navarra | Blue with red binding | |
| Granaderos del Ejército | Dark blue with white sardinetas | |
| Madrid Volunteers | Blue | |
| Looted Cristino frock coat, coatee or shell jackets appearing in any unit | Turquí or possibly British Red | |
| Officers might have worn the Zamarra (hussar jacket) | usually black | |
| Jacket collar patches in provincial colours | Vizcaya: | Blue |
| Navarra (based on Guías de Navarra) | Yellow | |
|
Alava (based on Alava Squadron) Guipúzcoa |
Red | |
| Others (based on Granaderos del Ejército) | White | |
| Great coat | (often rolled and wrapped around the body as the Americans did with blankets in the Civil War) | Grey |
| Trousers | Default in summer | White |
| Default in winter | Red | |
|
Guías de Navarra Madrid Volunteers |
Grey | |
| Lack of supplies might not have allowed consistency, and civilian brown or stolen ones were also used. The summer/winter distinction was probably not adhered to. | ||
| Buttons | Default | Brass |
| Granaderos del Ejército | White | |
| Canvas pack | White | |
| Equipment | Black | |
| Gun Barrel | Shiny steel | |
| Drums | (actually Army of Centre, but hey) | Black with coloured rims and white skull and cross bones emblem |
| Priestly garb | Black | |
In an attempt to highlight the exceptions, I’ve repeated them below.
Granaderos del Ejército
Granaderos del Ejército – as default except
No flank companies.
Beret: blue with yellow roundel and white tassel.
Frock coat: Dark blue with white collar patches, and white sardinetas.
Buttons: white
Navarra
All line from Navarra – as default except …
Beret: Red with yellow roundel and tassels showing company distinctions.
Frock coat: Grey with yellow collar patches.
Guias de Navarra
Guías de Navarra – as default except …
Beret: Red with yellow roundel and tassels showing company distinctions.
Frock coat: Blue with red binding and yellow collar patches.
Trousers: Grey
Guipuzcoa
All line from Alava and Guipúzcoa except the 5th Guipúzcoa – as default except …
Beret: bright blue with yellow roundel and tassels showing company distinctions.
Frock coat: Grey with Red collar patches.
5th Guipuzcoa
5th Guipúzcoa – as default except …
Beret: white with yellow roundel and tassels showing company distinctions.
Frock coat: Grey with red collar patches.
Guías de Alava – as default except …
Beret: red with yellow roundel and tassels showing company distinctions.
Frock coat: Grey with Red collar patches.
All line from Vizcaya – as default except …
Beret: White with yellow roundel and tassels showing company distinctions.
Frock coat: Grey with blue collar patches.
Ex-Argelinos
Presumably wearing the remains of their French foreign Legion uniform, but all of them would be wearing the Carlist Beret (red with yellow roundel and tassels showing company distinctions).
Madrid Volunteers – as default except …
Beret: red with yellow roundel and tassels showing company distinctions.
Frock coat: blue with white (??) collar patches.
Trousers: grey
Portuguese – as default except …
Beret: Green with yellow roundel and tassels showing company distinctions.
Frock coat: grey with white (??) collar patches.
All other line – as default except …
Beret: bright blue with yellow roundel and tassels showing company distinctions.
Frock coat: grey with white (??) collar patches.
Cavalry Uniforms (Carlist Army of the North)
Generals and staff officers
Wore what they liked but usually a blue coat, a red or white beret with a silver or gold tassel, and a red sash. More subdued than Cristinos. The popular Zamarra (hussar jacket) was usually black. For example, Zumalácarregui wore a red beret with silver tassel, black Zamarra with white fur and with red velvet edging and gilt clasps, and grey trousers (and he always rode a white horse). Another example, at the crossing of the Ebro (Jun 1937) Cabrera wore a white Beret with golden tassel, short green jacket, scarlet trousers with silver braid, and was mounted on a white horse. At Battle of Berga (4 Apr 1840) Cabrera wore a white Beret, blue frock-coat, white waistcoat, and was mounted on a white horse.
General
General
Default Cavalry including Navarra, Castilla, Vizcaya (see figure 39 a in Haythornwaite)
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Beret | Red, yellow roundel, white tassel. Officers the same, or tassel of silver or gold |
| Jacket | Mid green, red collar patches, red pointed cuffs, facings in regimental colours (?) |
| Overalls | Units would be red, grey, or bluish grey. Sometimes with a red stripe. |
| Boots | Black |
| Equipment | Black |
| Cloaks | Light bluish grey with red collars. Trumpeters had red cloaks. |
| Saddle & bridle | Black |
| Saddle sheepskin | Unit either Black or white |
| Valise | Coat colour with round ends in facing colour. (I’m guessing this is the saddle blanket) |
| Lance | Natural or red (Carlist officers carried Lances like the troopers) |
| Pennon | Red over yellow |
Navarra
Guipúzcoa (see figure 39 c in Haythornwaite and figure in WI 90) – as default except …
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Jacket | Red hussar style pelisse with black fur and frogging |
| Overalls | Grey with red stripe |
Guipuzcoa
Alava (see figure in WI 90) – as default except …
| Item | Dscription |
|---|---|
| Jacket | Sky blue with red collar patches, turn backs on tails & piping on cuffs. |
| Overalls | Grey, or red with pale blue stripe |
Aragón – as default except …
| Item | Dscription |
|---|---|
| Jacket | Brown |
| Overalls | Red |
Húsares de Arlabán (Alavese) (see figure 39 b in Haythornwaite) as default except …
A full Hussar uniform …
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Dolman | White with blue & red braid and sky blue facings |
| Pelisse | White with blue & red braid and black fur |
| Overalls | Red with sky blue stripe |
| Shabracque | Red with white crown royal monogram “CV” |
| Valise | Red |
| Saddle sheep skin | Black edged in sky blue |
Artillery Uniforms (Carlist Army of the North)
| Item | 1833-1836 Figure in WI 90 |
1837-1840 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Company | Other companies | ||
| Beret | Red with yellow roundel and black tassel | Blue with yellow roundel and black tassel | |
| Jacket | Turquí Coatee | Blue Coatee | Grey Frock coat |
| Jacket collar | Red | Black | Black with yellow grenades |
| Jacket cuffs | Red | Grey like coat | |
| Jacket facing & pipings | Red | None | |
| Jacket epaulettes | Red | None (or red ??) | None |
| Jacket Buttons | Brass | ||
| Great coat | Grey | ||
| Overalls / Trousers | Turqui | White | |
| Equipment | White with brass fittings | ||
| Scabbard | Black | ||
| Sword hilt | Brass | ||
| Boots | Black | ||
Mountain Gun
Foot Gun
Mules
Limber
Carlist Army of the Centre
The relatively poorly equipped Army of the Centre would have worn what they could. After the capture of Morella in January 1838, they were better off and Cabrera instigated a uniform (Chant, 1983):
- Blue jackets
- White trousers
- Infantry with blue berets; Grenadiers with red tassels, fusiliers with white tassels.
- Artillery with blue berets and tassels.
- Cavalry red berets.