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Kingdom of France: Breton provincial regiments

Introduction
Regiment of Rennes
Regiment of Nantes
Regiment of Vannes

See also:

Introduction

The late P. Berry reports in Ar Banniel [arb], #5 (Spring 1998), pp. 14-15, the results of his personal research in the Library of the Army Museum (Paris) about the flags used by the Breton provincial regiments under the Ancient Regime.

The original source is a 29 x 43 cm volume of 47 plates entitled Livre des Drapeaux des Régiments Provinciaux expédiés en 1772 (without any other precision). Each plate shows a 19-cm square flag, pen-and-ink drawn and painted in watercolours. The hoists are coral-red, the finials yellow, the cravates white, and the cords golden or in the main colours of the flag. The reverse of the flags seems to have been the same as the averse.

Ivan Sache, 28 February 2001

Regiment of Rennes

Flag of the Regiment of Rennes - Image by Ivan Sache, 28 February 2001

The flag of the regiment of Rennes is quartered by a white cross charged with 23 ermine spots. The outer triangles are white. The upper inner triangle at hoist and the lower inner triangle at fly are golden pink (aurore, litt. "dawn"). The upper inner triangle at hoist and the lower inner triangle at fly are black.
The cord is black and golden pink.

Ivan Sache, 28 February 2001

Regiment of Nantes

Flag of the Regiment of Nantes - Image by Ivan Sache, 28 February 2001

The flag of the regiment of Vannes is similar to the flag of the regiment of Rennes, but with only 21 ermine spots (on the original plates, the two missing spots have been pencil-marked but not pen-and-ink confirmed), and a diagonal band over each quarter, black over the first and fourth quarters, golden pink over the second and third quarters.
The cord is white, golden pink and black.

Ivan Sache, 28 February 2001

Regiment of Vannes

Flag of the Regiment of Vannes - Image by Ivan Sache, 28 February 2001

The flag of the regiment of Vannes is similar to the two flags shown above, also with 21 ermine spots (same remark as for regiment of Nantes), the central one being significantly shifted upwards. The quarters are made of a square charged with another square (1/9th of the main square area), golden pink on black for the first and fourth quarters, and black on golden pink for the second and third quarters.
The cord is white and golden pink.

Ivan Sache, 28 February 2001