Friday, 29 November 2024

Flag and uniform of Dutch Infantry Regiment Ingen-Nielant/Gent/Essen/Plettenberg late 17th to early 18th century

First raised 1622 for the Count van Nassau-Dietz. One battalion strong. Province of Geldern


This is my version of the flag of Regiment Ingen-Nielant/Gent/Essen/Plettenberg. Boxel's manual of 1672 merely notes that the flag had blue and white flames, which is all we know, and Bruno Mugnai in his Helion book on the Dutch army 1660-1687 recreates it with a central motif of a bunch of arrows, a common Dutch emblem. For the overall design I used the pattern of flames as shown on the Aylva flag captured at Seneffe 1674 by the French, and on which I am also working. I have chosen an alternative emblem of the armoured arm with a sword for my version. I have been asked for a plausible Colonel's flag so came up with the flag below. Hall shows an example of a Dutch flag claimed to be of this regiment and captured by the French in 1746 at Namur (it is depicted in the Triomphes Louis XV), and suggests it may represent a suitable Colonel's flag. But to my mind Dutch flags changed quite significantly from the WSS to mid-18th century so I am not at all convinced this would be suitable for the WSS or earlier.

This is the page from Boxel's 1672 manual listing flag colours:


Colonels: 1622-1642 Willem Count van Nassau-Dietz; 1642-1661 Eustachius Puchler; 1661-1668 Daniel de Gennis Felin; 1668-1676 Johan Ingen Nielant; 1676-1682 Joachim van Gent, Baron van Meynderswijk; 1682-1699 Philips van Essen van Vanenburg; 1699-1717 Maurits Hendrik van Plettenberg, Herr van Leenhuysen (1702 Brigadier and 1709 General-major)

Service history:

1702: Posted to Sluis
1702-1703: Winter quarters in Flanders
1703: Battle of Stekene
1703-1704: Winter quarters in Flanders
1705: March-April Garrison of Hulst
1710: Siege of Douai

And this was probably the uniform in the late 17th century and also much of the WSS:



10 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thank you, Willz. :-) More flags on the way...

      All the best,

      David.

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  2. David, your work goes from strength to strength! This too is a wonderful example of your craft.

    Kind Regards,

    Stokes

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Stokes. :-) Very kind of you to say so.

      All the best,

      David.

      Delete
  3. Superb flag, really well done and their uniform is a cracker too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Donnie. I confess I do feel it worked out rather well... :-)

      All the best,

      David.

      Delete
  4. Oh wow! That's fantastic. I'll have to paint the unit up now after seeing that flag!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Ray. :-) That's a splendid reaction and I look forward to seeing your troops with the flag!

      All the best,

      David.

      Delete
  5. Excellent work as always and a really unusual flag design too:).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Steve. :-) It is unusual to have such a Swiss-like flag with no Swiss connection, as far as I can see.

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