The Uniforms of the French Army under Napoleon I (1800 - 1815) - (Old) Imperial Guard - Pioneers
With drawings by the author after models by E. Grammont and J. Cassin-Scott.
The Imperial Guard also included a company of sappers or pioneers. This was created on the occasion of a fire disaster at the Austrian embassy in Paris. From the experience of inadequate fire protection it was decided that in future a special unit should operate the pumps in the imperial palaces. The Sapeurs du Génie were formed by an imperial order of 16 July 1810.
The original establishment consisted of one captain, two lieutenants and 121 other ranks. In 1813 the unit numbered 250 men and in the following year already comprised a whole battalion of 600 men.
The unit's equipment included four-horse-drawn wagons and eight fire pumps.
The barracks were in Clichy. The commander was General Kirgener du Planta.
The uniform of the Guard Pioneers was basically the same as the uniform of the line pioneers.
It was dark blue with black trimmings. In this color were the collar, the lapels, the sleeve cuffs and the curved sleeve flaps.
The corresponding edging was red.
The skirts had scalloped pockets with red edging; the skirt flaps were red.
The sources sometimes show the skirt flaps without special ornament or only with buttons; Knötel, however, shows blue flaming grenades (Uniformkunde, vol. XIV, No. 18).
Red (officers: gold) epaulettes were worn with the coat.
Even the undergarments: waistcoat and trousers were dark blue.
Black or white gaiters were worn.
On parade white gloves were worn.
Particularly characteristic for the Guard Pioneers was their helmet with a high bowl of polished steel with a browpiece and crest.
It had brass fittings, a large black horsehair roll and for parade a short red plume on the left side.
The scale chains were also of brass. These were held by radiating cockades with an applied star.
As helmet ornament served the crowned imperial eagle with a bundle of thunderbolts.
Below the eagle there was a decorative bandeau.
The musicians had a red horsehair roll.
This helmet later became the model, above all, for French fire brigades.
While the Guard Pioneers essentially carried out the duties of a fire brigade in peacetime, in war they served as engineer troops.
During entrenching or digging work within the range of enemy guns a two-piece cuirass was worn as well as a special helmet. This protective equipment was made of iron.
The line pioneers also wore this equipment for trench work.
The line pioneers also wore this equipment for trench work.
