A Foray into Napoleonic Wargaming
39th (Dorsetshire) Regiment of Foot
It’s been quite a while since I’ve added anything to my 15mm Napoleonic collection. I had a few spare British flank company figures, so grabbed a few more packs to get a red coat battalion up to strength.
I painted this lot as the 39th Regiment of Foot. The 39th were originally an Irish regiment raised in 1689, becoming the 39th Regiment in 1751 in the line infantry order of precedence during the reorganisation if the British army at that time. A county affiliation with Middlesex was established in 1782, which was switched to Dorsetshire in 1807.
The Regiment served across the globe, from Ireland to the Caribbean, Gibraltar to India; indeed they were the first British Regiment deployed to India, giving them the motto ‘Primus in Indis’.
In terms of the Napoleonic Wars, the 39th had a first battalion that served in the Caribbean, Malta and Sicily. A second battalion was raised in 1803, which was deployed to the Peninsula in 1809, fighting at Talavera, Bussaco, Badajoz and Albuera.
The first battalion joined Wellington’s army in the Peninsula in 1811, absorbing the battered survivors of the second battalion, whose officers returned home to recruit. The first fought at Vittoria, and crossed the Pyrenees into France. In 1814 they were sent to Canada to join the War of 1812 against America.
All the figures are from Xan Miniatures, with flags from GMB Designs.
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