Frankish infantry shields 12/13th C

[Ade G]

Hi all, I am about to start painting infantry for the Later Crusaders and have a couple of questions about shield colours/emblems:

1/ Would Military Order infantry have shields showing the Order emblem/colours?
2/ What would other crusading infantry shields display?

Having read Ian Heath's Crusades book I must admit I am none the wiser which may be my lack of insight or a lack of information ;-)

Would anyone recommend a site with plausible information?

Thank you in expectation

Ade G

[Swampster]

I think the info is rather sparse. If the Teutonic Knights are any guide, then there are one or two (later) period pics which show probable infantry (rather than dismounted knights) carrying the black cross on white (and not the 'tau' cross which is often shown on modern figures).
The only other useful snip I've come across in a crusading context is from St Louis's Crusade. Each oarsman of the Count of Jaffa's galley carried a shield bearing his arms. Joinville's noting of this may be an indication that this was unusual though. It might be the _numbers_ bearing hsi arms rather than the actual bearing of them which is noteworthy, so difficult to draw a conclusion either way.
The agreed colours of crosses for the different nations could well have been fabric crosses on clothing rather than shields, but it is an alternative to coats of arms.

[Ade G]

I think the info is rather sparse. If the Teutonic Knights are any guide, then there are one or two (later) period pics which show probable infantry (rather than dismounted knights) carrying the black cross on white (and not the 'tau' cross which is often shown on modern figures).
The only other useful snip I've come across in a crusading context is from St Louis's Crusade. Each oarsman of the Count of Jaffa's galley carried a shield bearing his arms. Joinville's noting of this may be an indication that this was unusual though. It might be the _numbers_ bearing hsi arms rather than the actual bearing of them which is noteworthy, so difficult to draw a conclusion either way.
The agreed colours of crosses for the different nations could well have been fabric crosses on clothing rather than shields, but it is an alternative to coats of arms.

Thanks for confirming that we don't really know! That is actually very useful.

[Duncan Head]

There are a few 13th-century infantry shields in a MS of William of Tyre, made in Acre, shown on Druzhina's site - http://warfare.gq/13/Histoire_dOutremer-Fr9084.htm . One - the red shield with white saltire - matches a cavalry shield in the same scene, so is perhaps meant to be a retainer displaying his lord's arms.

[Ade G]

There are a few 13th-century infantry shields in a MS of William of Tyre, made in Acre, shown on Druzhina's site - http://warfare.gq/13/Histoire_dOutremer-Fr9084.htm . One - the red shield with white saltire - matches a cavalry shield in the same scene, so is perhaps meant to be a retainer displaying his lord's arms.

Thank you Duncan. I have noticed that Crusaders seem to be depicted from their unshielded side almost universally! It's a plot...

[aligern]

In the 12 th century those knights associated eith William? Mandeville, Earl of Essex tend to have red and yellow shields. One of his subordinates becomes Earl of Oxford. I think there is a logic for their troops sporting some sort of  badge of red and yellow on their shields, though I doubt it was in a form that had heraldic meaning, so not quartered, or with a pile or halved, with a bend etc. as these combinations are going to be somebody's arms.  Heraldry may be only half formed early on, but if the purpose is to show who you are then its difficult to imagine that a bunch of lowly infantry are going to be sporting the full arms of their lord on a shield.
Roy