9th Foot

The 9th Foot is my last (of five) "Saratoga" regiments. The 9th was raised in 1685 as Colonel Henry Cornewall's Regiment of Foote. In 1751 it was designated the 9th Regiment of Foot and became The Norfolk Regiment in 1881. It was posted to Canada in 1776 and joined Burgoyne's campaign of the following year. One of the very few references to colours being carried in the Saratoga campaign is the story of how the 9th's commanding officer, Lt. Colonel John Hill, apparently removed the flags from their staves and hid them in his luggage after Burgoyne had surrendered at Saratoga. These colours were presented to King George upon Hill's return to England and allegedly remained in Hill's family's possesson thereafter.

A unit of 16 figures is required for the British first line in the "British Grenadier!" Freeman's Farm scenario. I chose standing pose figures simply because my other Saratoga regiments are in firing, charging and advancing poses. These figures wear backpacks and the flap on the backpack is a tempting canvas for a distinctive regimental motif. Brendan Morrissey's Perry website article on the Saratoga troops (indespensible if you are modelling this campaign, as is his Osprey Campaign book) refers to a "Britannia badge". A bit of research suggested that whilst Queen Anne may have awarded the figure of Britannia to the Regiment for gallantry displayed at the Battle of Almanza in 1707, it was not until 1799 that the regiment was given official permission to use Britannia as a badge. This information notwithstanding, I tried to paint a representation of the Britannia badge on the flap of the figures' backpacks (for the illustration of Britannia that I used, see here). However, in 25mm the "canvas" is just too small for a meaningful and deciferable representation. I knew what I'd painted, but my test was the Kiwi who, whilst usually fairly perceptive (although admittedly not knowledgeable about British Army insignia), just couldn't work out what the painting was supposed to be. So I added a Roman numeral motif instead, and the Britannia badge lives on only in the photo below. The Britannia motif was fun to do once, but I did feel relief at abandoning the prospect of painting 16 of them; and anyway, sometimes less is more...

After my Napoleonic sojourn I am not back on AWI big time. On the works are 2 Continental/militia regiments and some Saratoga artillery. Posts of the last French Naps should be up fairly soon (and I will need readers' advice on the Young Guard Voltiguers...).

16 figures. Painted December 2008. Flags by GMB.