Dillon Infanterie
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Origin and History
In May 1690, during the Nine Years' War (1688–97), a large number of Irish soldiers arrived in France with their dethroned King James II. On 18 June of the same year Louis XIV formed three regiments with them. In 1691, the new regiment was employed in Roussillon and was at the siege of Urgel. In 1693, it took part in the siege of Roses; in 1694, in the Battle of Torroella and in the capture of Palamos, Girona, Ostalrich and Castelfollit; in 1696, in the recapture of Ostalrich; and in 1697, in the siege of Barcelona.
In 1702, during the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-13), the regiment took part in the defence of Cremona and in the Battle of Luzzara; in 1703, in the expedition in South Tirol and in the capture of Asti; in 1704, in the sieges of Vercelli, Ivrea and Verrua; in 1705, in the capture of Verrua; and in 1706, in the siege of Mirandola and in the Battle of Castiglione. In 1707, the regiment was transferred to Spain where it fought in the Battle of Almansa. In 1708, it took part in the siege of Lérida and Tortosa. In 1709, it was sent to Dauphiné and remained in the camp of Briançon until 1712. In 1713, the regiment was allocated to the Army of the Rhine and took part in the siege and recapture of Landau and in the siege and capture of Freiburg. In 1714, it was allocated to the Army of Catalonia and took part in the siege and capture of Barcelona.
In 1733, at the outbreak of the War of the Polish Succession (1733-35), the regiment was allocated to the Army of the Rhine and participated in the siege of Kehl. In 1734, it took part in the Combat of Ettlingen and in the siege of Philisbourg. In 1735, it fought in the Combat of Klausen.
In 1742, during the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-48), the regiment served in Flanders. In 1743, it was transferred to the Army of the Lower Rhine and fought in the Battle of Dettingen. In 1744, the regiment returned to Flanders and participated in the capture of Menin, Ypres and Furnes before being transferred to Alsace where it fought in the Combat of Augenheim. In 1745, the regiment rejoined the Army of Flanders and took part in the siege of Tournai and in the Battle of Fontenoy where his colonel was killed. In 1746, the regiment took part in the Battle of Rocoux; in 1747, in the Battle of Lauffeld , where its colonel was killed); and in 1748, in the siege of Maastricht.
The regiment counted only 1 battalion.
When the French infantry was reorganised in 1762, the regiment incorporated the disbanded Lally Infanterie on December 21.
During the Seven Years' War, the regiment ranked 94th and was under the command of:
- from April 1744: Dillon (killed in action at Fontenoy in 1745)
- from 1745: Dillon (killed in action at Lauffeld in 1747)
- from 1747: Dillon
On April 26, 1775, the regiment was incorporated into Bulkeley Infanterie.
Service during the War
By August 1 1757, the regiment was garrisoning Saint-Valérie in Picardie.
By May 23, 1760, the regiment was part of the first line of the infantry centre of Broglie's Army. By December 30, the regiment had taken up its winter-quarters in Marburg.
N.B.: as per Pajol, the regiment was sent to India in 1757 and, on January 15 1761, became prisoners of war and was brought back to France. Pajol might have confused this regiment with Lally Infanterie who did serve in India and was later incorporated into Dillon Infanterie.
On July 16, 1761, the regiment fought in the Battle of Vellinghausen.
Uniform
Privates
| Headgear |
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| Neckstock | black | ||||||||||||
| Coat | red lined white with 12 copper buttons down to the pockets and 1 copper button on each side at the small of the back
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| Waistcoat | red with black lapels lined white with 12 copper buttons down to the waist | ||||||||||||
| Breeches | white | ||||||||||||
| Gaiters | white | ||||||||||||
| Leather Equipment |
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Armaments consisted of a musket and a bayonet. Fusiliers carried a sword (brass hilt) while the grenadiers had a sabre.
Officers
no information available yet
Musicians
Drummers wore uniforms similar to those of the privates but with laces on the cuffs and arms of the coat.
Colours
- Colonel colour: white field with a white cross; centre device consisting of a golden Irish harp surmounted by a golden crown with the motto In Hoc Signo Vinces; 1 gold crown in each corner.
- Ordonnance colours: red and black opposed cantons with a red cross bordered white; centre device consisting of a golden Irish harp surmounted by a golden crown with the motto In Hoc Signo Vinces; 1 gold crown in each canton.
 Colonel Colour - Source: PMPdeL |
 Ordonnance Colour - Source: PMPdeL |
References
Funcken, Liliane and Fred: Les uniformes de la guerre en dentelle
Menguy, Patrice: Les Sujets du Bien Aimé (a website which has unfortunately disappeared from the web)
Mouillard, Lucien: Les Régiments sous Louis XV, Paris 1882
Pajol, Charles P. V.: Les Guerres sous Louis XV, vol. VII, Paris, 1891, pp. 209
Rogge, Christian: The French & Allied Armies in Germany during the Seven Years War, Frankfurt, 2006
Service historique de l'armée de terre: Sommaire des forces armées Françaises à l'intérieur et à l'extérieur de la France - 1er Août 1757
Susane, Louis: Histoire de l'ancienne infanterie française, J. Corréard, Paris, 1849-1856, Tome 8, pp. 260-261
Taccoli, Alfonso: Teatro Militare dell' Europa, Part 1, vol. 2; Madrid, March 1760
N.B.: the section Service during the War is mostly derived from our articles depicting the various campaigns, battles and sieges.
