Veteran Cannoneers of the Imperial Guard

 

Modelled on veteran infantry units, the company of Veteran Cannoneers of the Imperial Guard existed between 1812 and 1814.

Unlike their colleagues from the "regular" foot artillery of the Guard who wore shakos or later for the Old Guard bearskins, the veterans wore bicornes.

A typical role for the veterans, deemed unfit to serve in front-line duty, would be to help in the rear by manning arsenals and artillery parks, guarding, maintaining or repairing artillery weapons and materiel (you can see here veterans handling a slink cart, for example).

Although I've included here an artilleryman with a wooden peg and a crutch (and another one with an eye patch), veterans were different from invalids; the latter not able to serve anymore and being cared for by the state. But even among active-duty military personnel you would find soldiers missing a limb and still refusing to abandon front-line service, although they were mainly officers.