The Loyal Lusitanian Legion was first formed in England in 1808, initially raised from Portuguese who had fled the country as a result for the French occupation in late 1807 and early 1808.
The Legion was to consist of 3 battalions of 1,000 men, a battery of 6 guns, and some cavalry; it does not appear that the later were ever raised. There was initial talk of red uniforms, but that choice was unpopular with the Portuguese, so dark green uniforms reminiscent of the British rifles were ordered.
When the core of the Legion arrived in Oporto in August 1808, it recruited additional men in Portugal. Most but not all of the officers were British. The Legion was paid by the United Kingdom, and fought at Alcantara, Talavera, and Busaco. It was commanded by Colonel Robert Wilson, who was given the rank of Brigadier General in the Portuguese army as well. Much of its service was spent in independent actions behind the French lines or supporting the Portuguese and Spanish militias.
The LLL was disbanded in May 18111, and used to form the new 7th, 8th, and part of the 9th Cacadores.
The flag was taken from the internet; I cannot vouch for its accuracy, but it looks good at least!
The figures themselves are Old Glory 2nd edition British line, painted as the Legion. There is an excellent account of the Legion's history and actions on The Napoleon Series, here.
Your Legion looks good and so does it’s flag!
ReplyDeleteI had no idea this legion existed Peter, these look great!
ReplyDeleteLovely work on them, don't see them too often. Those OG figures are rather nice as well.
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