Flags Dutch Infantry Regiment Burmania; Saxen-Eisenach Captured Seneffe 1674 (Depicted In The Triomphes)

These are the flags of Dutch Infantry Regiment Burmania; later Saxen-Eisenach. The first company flag was captured at the battle of Seneffe in 1674 (and recorded in the Triomphes MS) and the second is my very speculative Colonel's flag based on that company flag.

I was planning another Dutch flag set and Simon Miller asked for this one. It has been a very frustrating flag set to create; every so often there is a flag that is a complete pain to create, for various reasons, and this was one such! So glad it is completed now... Phew.

 

From Hall etc.:

Burmania 1674-1691; Saxen-Eisenach 1691-1713 (followed by the son of Johann Wilhelm II van Saxen-Eisenach)

First raised 1631/2

One battalion strong

Service:

1664 Battle of Dijlerschans
1674 Battle of Bentheim
1674 Battle of Seneffe
1689-1697 Possibly marine service
1703 Siege of Bonn
1706 Siege of Menin; 6 killed in action and 24 wounded
1709 Siege of Mons

Colours Of The British 21st Foot Or Royal North British Fuzileers In The SYW

This was another regiment more distinguished in its early history. It fought in all the major (and many minor) battles of the War of the Spanish Succession. It had a rather drab SYW (from a wargamer's perspective!) as it spent 1752-1760 in garrison in Gibraltar with a short amount of action in the attack on Belle Isle in 1761 after which it returned to England. From 1763-1764 it was stationed in Scotland. No doubt this was essential duty but it did not allow it to gain any laurels. It did see service in the American War of Independence, at Ticonderoga in 1777, and these colours would be appropriate for that conflict. Milne in his Standards and Colours of the Army 1661-1881 points out that the 21st was another of the units that did not gain any battle honours in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars; it saw service only at the disastrous battles of Bergen Op Zoom in 1814 and New Orleans in 1815.

I take the view that, as wargamers, unless we slavishly follow the actual events of any period, we are essentially playing at ImagiNations even with authentic regiments and wars. I therefore do not feel that we must only use units that actually fought in e.g. the Seven Years War but can use any regiment of the period. Of course, I have a vested interest in saying that as I wish to see all my flags in use... :-)

This is another unit whose colour details I have taken from an article in JSAHR which uses the authoritative contemporary Napier material. 

Again, there is no point in totally re-inventing the wheel, so here is the Kronoskaf page with more detailed history and uniform details:

https://www.kronoskaf.com/syw/index.php?title=21st_Foot

And Yet Another Spanish Cavalry Standard Captured 1693 - From The Triomphes Louis XIV

Here is another Spanish cavalry standard depicted in the Triomphes Louis XIV, of an unknown unit and captured 1693 in Flanders. This one has more obvious Spanish symbolism with the Burgundian cross and the fleece from the Order of the Golden Fleece (but not the collar of the Order which is also usually depicted on flags).

 

Generic Spanish Colonels' Flags or Banderas Coronelas Pre-1706

I was asked to do some generic pre-1706 Colonels' infantry flags to go with the colourful and complex company flags I have already posted. The famous Anna Beek sheet of flags captured by the Dutch depicts similar flags and I have already posted one or two of those with the very stylised Burgundian cross (e.g. here: https://nba-sywtemplates.blogspot.com/2026/08/two-spanish-flags-captured-by-french.html ). These two have the more detailed and naturalistic cross.

 

Another Spanish Cavalry Standard Captured 1693 - From The Triomphes Louis XIV

The original of this standard in the Triomphes Louis XIV seems to be a very faded pinky-red. Hall's depiction in THE SPANISH ARMIES IN THE WAR OF THE LEAGUE OF AUGSBURG (NINE YEARS WAR 1688-1697) is a stronger reddish-pink and I have also shown the colour much deeper. Inevitably any recreation of these standards is to some extent a reimagining.

Again this is of a unknown regiment and it was captured by the French in 1693, possibly at Neerwinden.

A Spanish Cavalry Standard Captured 1693 - From The Triomphes Louis XIV

Like the previous infantry flags this standard, captured by the French 1693, is of an unknown unit. I have had to "reimagine" some details as the Triomphes image is rather basic in, for example, the detail of the gold decoration round the edge of the standard. This is a common problem with the depiction of cavalry standards in the Triomphes MS. Where actual examples still exist (e.g. in Vienna and Paris) the embroidery is often of immense detail and complexity compared with the relative absence of detail on depictions in the Triomphes.

 

Final Spanish Flag Captured Catalonia 1694 - Battle of Ter

This is my last Spanish flag, at least for now. The Pike and Shot book on Spanish flags 1688-1697 has more from other sources and I may do my own versions of some of them too eventually. But I have certainly had enough of Spanish flags for the moment! This was another depicted in the Triomphes Louis XIV, of an unknown tercio and captured at the battle of Ter in Catalonia in 1694.

And Another Spanish Flag Captured Catalonia 1694 - Battle of Ter

Close to the end of this batch of Spanish flags now. Again, this is of an unknown unit and it was captured by the French at the battle of Ter in Catalonia in 1694, according to the Triomphes. 

 

And Yes, Yet Another Spanish Flag Captured Catalonia 1694 - Battle of Ter

Just two more from the Triomphes Louis XIV to post after this flag. Again, this is of an unknown unit and it was captured by the French at the battle of Ter in Catalonia, according to the Triomphes

 

 

And Yes, Yet Another Spanish Flag Captured Catalonia 1694 - Battle of Ter

We are near the end of the Spanish flags from the Triomphes Louis XIV - and this is one of my favourites. I intentionally did leave some of the best to post last! Again, this is of an unknown unit and it was captured by the French at the battle of Ter in Catalonia, according to the Triomphes. There are three more flags of this series yet to come...

And Yet Another Spanish Flag Captured Catalonia 1694 - Battle of Ter

There are not many Spanish infantry flags left in the Triomphes Louis XIV for me to recreate - which is frankly a bit of a relief as I shall be glad to work on something else for a change! I may return to the few Spanish cavalry standards depicted there but they lack detail and so are a bit problematic. Initially, after finishing the Spanish infantry flags, I may go back to Dutch flags for a while and will continue with the British SYW flags too.

This is another Spanish flag captured at Ter in Catalonia in 1694.

Colours of the British 18th Foot or Royal Irish SYW

This was a regiment more distinguished in its early history. The motto was received for service at the siege of Namur in 1695. It fought in all the major (and many minor) battles of the War of the Spanish Succession. It had a rather drab SYW (from a wargamer's perspective!) as it spent much of the war in garrison in Ireland. No doubt this was essential duty but it did not allow it to gain any laurels. Milne in his Standards and Colours of the Army 1661-1881 points out that the 18th was one of the units that did not gain any battle honours in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars as it served in the West Indies for most of that period, apart from service at the battle of Alexandria in 1801.

I take the view that, as wargamers, unless we slavishly follow the actual events of any period, we are essentially playing at ImagiNations even with authentic regiments and wars. I therefore do not feel that we must only use that units that actually fought in e.g. the Seven Years War but can use any regiment of the period, especially when they have splendid colours like these! Of course, I have a vested interest in saying that as I wish to see all my flags in use...

The regiment did see service in the American War of Independence  at Lexington and Bunker Hill and these colours would certainly be appropriate for that war too.

This is another unit whose colour details I have taken from an article in JSAHR which uses the authoritative Napier material. 

Again no point in re-inventing the wheel so here is the Kronoskaf page with history and uniform details:

https://www.kronoskaf.com/syw/index.php?title=18th_Foot

And Another Spanish Flag Captured Catalonia 1694 - Battle of Ter

And here is another Spanish flag captured at the battle of Ter in Catalonia in 1694 and also depicted in the Triomphes Louis XIV. As usual it is of an unknown unit.

 

A few more still to recreate!

And Yet Another Spanish Flag Captured In Catalonia In 1694 - Battle of Ter

Here is another Spanish flag captured at the battle of Ter in Catalonia in 1694 and depicted in the Triomphes Louis XIV. As usual it is of an unknown unit. The outer pattern is more redolent of Austrian flag design but the Burgundian cross proclaims its Spanish identity.

 

Two Further Spanish Flags Captured In Catalonia in 1694 - Battle of Ter

Here are two more Spanish flags captured at the battle of Ter in Catalonia in 1694 and depicted in the Triomphes Louis XIV. They are variants on the blue and white pattern of which I have already posted several examples. Are they from the same units? We do not know.

Colours Of The British 7th Foot Or Royal Fuzileers SYW

This was ultimately a famous British regiment but had a rather drab SYW (from a wargamer's perspective!) as it spent much of the war in garrison in Gibraltar. No doubt this was essential duty and the fame of the regiment seems more to have stemmed from its later history.

Again no point in re-inventing the wheel so here is the Kronoskaf page with history and uniform details:

https://www.kronoskaf.com/syw/index.php?title=7th_Foot 

Two Further Spanish Flags Captured In Catalonia in 1694 - Battle of Ter

As with the last few flags I posted, there is an oddity with these flags as Triomphes Louis XIV says they were captured at the battle of Ter in Catalonia in July 1695 - but that battle happened in May 1694, so I am assuming an error by the compiler of the Triomphes. These two flags are shown together in the Triomphes but are obviously not related. As usual they are both of unknown units.

 

 

Two More Spanish Flags Captured in Catalonia 1694 - Battle of Ter

As with the last flags I posted, there is an oddity with these flags as Triomphes Louis XIV says they were captured at the battle of Ter in Catalonia in July 1695 - but that battle happened in May 1694, so I am assuming an error by the compiler of the Triomphes. These two flags seem to be related so I have shown them together. As usual they are of an unknown unit.

Two Spanish Flags Captured Catalonia 1694 - Battle of Ter

There is an oddity with these flags as Triomphes Louis XIV says they were captured at the battle of Ter in Catalonia in July 1695 - but that battle happened in May 1694, so I am assuming an error by the compiler of the Triomphes. These two flags are clearly related so I have shown them together. As usual they are of an unknown unit.

 

There are still more flags to come which were also captured in Catalonia in 1694. Some are rather elaborate, some much simpler, but all rather attractive in their own way, and all uniquely Spanish.

And Yet Another Spanish Flag Of An Unknown Unit Captured By The French 1693

As I suspect with some of the previous Spanish flags, this one may well have been captured in Catalonia and not at Neerwinden; but, wherever it was taken, it can be used however the wargamer wishes as yet again it is from an unknown unit. These flags are useful for both the late 17th and early 18th century.

 

And Yet Another Spanish Flag Of An Unknown Unit Captured By The French 1693

The Triomphes Louis XIV depicts many obvious Spanish flags, although it seems more likely that many of those captured in 1693 were taken in Catalonia rather than Neerwinden as the Triomphes seems to suggest. Here is yet another.

 

Two More Spanish Flags Captured By The French 1693 - As Depicted In The Triomphes Louis XIV

These two flags of an unknown unit are clearly related but which is a company flag and which a Colonel's flag (if that is indeed what they are) is debatable. I therefore leave it to the wargamer who uses them to decide! The Triomphes Louis XIV says they were captured at the battle of Neerwinden in 1693.

Yet Another Spanish Flag Captured By The French 1693, In Catalonia, From An Unknown Unit - Simple Design But Effective...

This is another design taken from the last few pages of the MS of flags taken at Fleurus 1690 but which has some pages near the end which are of flags noted as taken in 1693. The design is simple but striking, and as usual the regiment/tercio is not known.

 

Spanish Flag Captured By The French 1693 But Of An Unknown Regiment - Useful For Early 18th Century Too

There are many Spanish flags of the late 17th century known from French MS sources but almost all are of unknown regiments. Most are useful for the early 18th century too. Here is one captured 1693 which I have recently created; by request I have added the white Colonel's flag which is speculative but likely.

Colours British 23rd Foot Or Royal Welch Fuzileers SYW

Yes, this is sadly yet another blue regimental flag - but this time we have a famous regiment that also had a pretty busy and active Seven Years War. We have two versions of the colours; one without and one with the curious blank scroll depicted on the Napier illustration. There has been much debate about whether or not these blank scrolls actually existed on the real colours so I offer the choice!

Service in the Seven Years War: 

1756 Defence of Minorca
1758 Expedition to the French coast
1759 Battle of Minden where it took part in the famous attack by British infantry against masses of French cavalry with a loss of 4 sergeants and 31 rank and file killed, and 10 officers, 6 sergeants, 3 drummers and 153 rank and file wounded plus 10 rank and file missing
1760 The grenadier company was at Warburg losing 1 sergeant and 11 rank and file killed and 2 officers and 19 rank and file wounded; then the regiment was at the siege of Wesel. Finally it was at the battle of Klostercamp, losing 2 sergeants and 19 rank and file killed and 8 officers, 4 sergeants and 97 rank and file wounded. 3 officers and 44 rank and file were taken prisoner
1761 Battle of Vellinghausen with only 1 sergeant and a very few rank and file wounded
1762 Battle of Wilhelmstahl

Full details and uniform information at Kronoskaf here: https://www.kronoskaf.com/syw/index.php?title=23rd_Foot