We are pleased to announce the release of our new French colonial sets from circa 1900. This time we have added French Foreign Legion officers and French Marine Infantry to join our every popular Colonial Collection.

The Marine infantry had three battalions fighting in China during the Boxer Rebellion from the 9th and 11th regiments. These figures are wearing summer uniform which consisted of a tropical helmet which was white and had a blue denim cover together with a single breasted tunic fastened with five copper buttons and again blue trousers. The technical term for the colour shade used to dye the denim was "mechanic's blue".

Gaiters were of white canvass and on the helmet there was a copper anchor badge. These men wear Lebel rifle equipment and belts all in black leather. When not wearing a full pack a dark grey blanket roll was worn together with other necessities as shown on these figures. These men are from the 1st Battalion, 9th regiment of Marine Infantry as depicted on the "kepi" worn on the back bearing the number 9 in dark red.

This battalion arrived in Peking from Hanoi along with 13th Battery of the Indo-China Artillery Regiment which had 6 80mm mountain guns.

The officers are French Foreign legion from the same period and again dressed in tropical costume. The two figures we have produced are a Lt. Colonel brandishing binoculars and also a Captain firing his revolver. As equipment on a regular basis rotted in the hot and humid climate of South East Asia; officers (and indeed the army as a whole) regularly bought "private purchases" to replace their worn out and moldy uniforms. This had to done as the source of supply was too far away, so local tailors were recruited to make clothes of a similar style to the regulation uniform for immediate use. There are a couple of "private purchase" items on these officers to make them a little different; one is that the Lt. Colonel has had his trousers made from silk!