Overview

This figure represents a Requeté — a Carlist militiaman fighting for the Nationalist side — carrying the unit's cross-topped standard rather than a rifle. His checked shirt dates him to the first winter of the war (1936–37); his red beret is the single most recognisable mark of his movement.

Historical Context

The Requetés were the armed militia of Carlism, a 19th-century traditionalist and monarchist movement ("Por Dios, la Patria y el Rey" — "For God, Fatherland and King") with its deepest roots in Navarre, but with real strength in Aragón, Catalonia, Andalusia and beyond. Already organised and drilling before July 1936, Requeté units mobilised fast in support of the military uprising and quickly became one of the Nationalists' most committed shock forces, prized for their combativeness and ideological conviction.

Sourced from Grupo Recreación Primera Línea's Requeté uniform guide.

The Cristóforo

The man carrying the cross in this figure held a real, named role in Requeté units: the cristóforo, who carried a large cross mounted on a staff into battle, much like a unit standard. It was considered a great honour and carried heavy symbolic weight for his comrades — letting the unit advance "following its God," a visible expression of the deeply Catholic, crusading self-image these units held of their own cause. Sources differ on exactly who was entrusted with it: one uniform guide for re-enactors describes the cristóforo as typically a corporal or sergeant, while a Carlist military manual cited by a re-enactor states the honour was reserved for an officer. We haven't been able to independently verify which applied more generally, so we've named this figure descriptively — Cristóforo — rather than assign it a specific rank.

Clothing & Equipment

Camisa a cuadros (checked shirt): in the first winter of the war (1936–37), Requetés frequently wore jackets and shirts cut from checked wool blankets rather than standard military cloth — the detail we've used for this figure. It fell out of use as the war went on and standard uniform became more available, so it dates this figure specifically to that early period rather than later battles like the Ebro.

Boina roja (red beret): the defining mark of Carlist identity, worn with pride even though it made its wearer an easy target for enemy riflemen — at times commanders had to order berets removed in the trenches.

Detente bala: the small cloth or metal badge on the left breast pocket, bearing an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the words "Detente bala" ("Stop, bullet"). Often a gift from a loved one, worn as protection as much as devotion.

Correaje (harness) and pouches: brown leather harness and ammunition pouches, standard Spanish Army pattern of the period.

Trousers and boots: khaki trousers and brown leather boots, following the 1926-pattern Spanish Army uniform that Requeté units increasingly adopted as the war went on.

Sourced from Grupo Recreación Primera Línea's Requeté uniform guide, cross-checked against our own approved box art.

Colours Overview

Colour names are generic mixing targets, not brand-specific codes. Swap in your preferred paint range (Vallejo, AK Interactive, Scale75, etc.).

Glossary

Requeté: the Carlist militia, and by extension its members — Carlist volunteers who fought on the Nationalist side.

Carlism: a 19th-century traditionalist, monarchist political movement, based on support for a rival royal line, with its strongest base in Navarre.

Cristóforo: the Requeté who carried the unit's cross-topped standard into battle. See "The Cristóforo" above.

This glossary is shared across the Linden Models Spanish Civil War series. Terms already defined on other guide pages are not repeated here.

Historical References

This figure is a composite type representing the cristóforo role rather than a portrait of a named individual, so there is no single archival photograph it's anchored to. Uniform details are drawn from a re-enactor uniform guide and our own approved box art.

Sourced from Grupo Recreación Primera Línea's Requeté uniform guide.

Recommended Reading

• The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936–1939 — Antony Beevor
• The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and Revenge — Paul Preston

Links carry the lindenmodels-20 Amazon Associates tag. We haven't yet verified a title specifically on Carlism/the Requeté to add here — Beevor and Preston both cover the movement within the wider war.

Downloads

A print-ready PDF of this guide — handy to keep next to your paints while you work.

Other Figures in This Series