Colonial Campaigns Club (CCC)
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British Guard
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Author:  Al Amos [ Mon Jan 05, 2004 6:47 am ]
Post subject:  British Guard

I saw this at the LaceWars group on Yahoo and thought you all may find it interesting. Ray Cassel is the author.

"Gents,
The foot guards, in 1776, consisted of seven battalions.
1st Guards, 3 battalions, of 24 hat and 4 grenadier companies
3rd Guards, 2 battalions, of 16 hat and 2 grenadier companies
Coldstream Guards, 2 battalions, of 16 hat and 2 grenadier companies.
To form the detachment to serve in America, 15 privates were drawn from each company and formed into a battalion of 10 companies. Cadre was drawn from all regiments at a rate of 3 officers, 4 serjeants, 4 corporals, and 2 drummers per company of the detachment, plus several staff.
All the grenadiers were kept together, so the grenadier company started out at 120 privates.
It was decided that the battalion would have a light company, so one was made from scratch, with 96 privates.
The 8 hat companies started at 93 privates.
This organization didn't survive for long.
They got to America, Howe took one look at this 1100 man battalion and told them to divide into two battalions. Grenadiers in 1st bn, lights in 2nd.
There were subsequently more than a dozen reorganizations of the Brigade of Guards. Many were trivial for wargaming, such as renumbering the companies to reflect the relative seniority of their captains.
One reorg, about late 1778, however, saw the 1st batttalion redesignate a company as light infantry and the 2nd battalion redesignate a company as grenadiers. These were dropped in 1780. The Guards' flank companies NEVER brigaded with other flank companies.
The acute shortage of officers in the Brigade also tended to cause changes. Going into Guilford Court House, they were organized as six companies (still in two battalions).
Two days later, it was a single battalion of 4 companies. I have no information of how they may have re-expanded after receiving new drafts from England in Jul/Aug '81

Ray"
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If his info is correct then 1st bn would be 5 companies total of privates of 504, and the 2nd battalion 477 privates in 5 companies. Reducing the Guards in our games to only ten companies would be nice.

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