Regiment St Nicholas

Happy Xmas and New Year, Everyone!

A very ancient commissariat regiment, exact origins unknown, especially renowned for reliable supply in the middle of winter using sledges, with counterparts in most Northern European countries and in North America and elsewhere.

Uniform: Red forage cap with white fur trim and white tassel; red coat with white fur trim, white buttons, wide black or brown leather belt. Red waistcoat, white buttons. Red breeches. Black boots.

Trooper, Mestre de Camp Général Cavalry Regiment

Unit and uniform details to follow...

Dragoon, French Schomberg Dragoons

The Schomberg Dragoons were the former dragoons of de Saxe's Volunteers; when he died before the SYW the uhlans were disbanded but the dragoons kept on. They later became the 17th Dragoons and their uniform with the unique helmet strongly influenced the design of French heavy cavalry uniforms for over a century.

Uniform: Brass helmet with brass fittings, black horsehair crest, black fur trim. Black stock. Dark green coat, red collar, lapels, epaulette, cuffs and turnbacks. Brass buttons. Buff-coloured waistcoat (with red/yellow lace) and breeches. White inner stocking. Black bottines. White sheepskin shabraque. (Variations in colouring in illustrations of this uniform include brown fur trim to the helmet and light buff coloured bottines.)

Dragoon, French Colonel Général Dragoons in fatigue cap

Raised 1668, the Colonel Général Dragoons were in Germany 1757-9, including the battles of Hastenbeck and Crefeld. In 1759 they returned to France for coastal defence duties.

Uniform: Red cap, blue bag, laced white. Black stock. Red coat, blue cuffs, turnbacks and waistcoat. White lace (including to the edge of the waistcoat from 1757). White epaulette. Buff leather breeches. Pewter buttons. Black leather bottines (gaiters) laced at the sides, white inner stocking. Shabraque blue with white lace.

Dragoon, French Beauffremont Dragoons

France had 16 dragoon regiments at the beginning of the Seven Years War, nominally of 3 squadrons increased to 4 in wartime. Few had more than 2 squadrons on service, though. The Beauffremont Dragoons were raised in 1673. During the SYW they were on coastal defence duties unil 1759, served in Germany until 1761 and returned to coastal defence duties in 1762.

Uniform: Black tricorne, black cockade with black strap, silver lace, pewter button. Black stock. Red coat, cuffs and turnbacks, red waistcoat. (Buff/ochre coat cuffs and waistcoat lapels from 1757.) White lace. Mixed red/ochre (or buff) epaulette. Buff leather breeches. Pewter buttons. Black leather bottines (gaiters) laced at the sides. Shabraque red with ochre/buff lace.

Coming soon...

French dragoons, several variants. This is a snapshot of the latest state of the figures; 5 variants, some with the tricorne, some with the fatigue cap... And as they are dragoons, some are shown on foot.

Poll results

Now the poll is over I can start on the favoured templates. French cavalry and generals' uniforms were well ahead, although the Prussian Frei-Corps (of which I've now already done 4 examples) were also fairly popular. Sadly hussars and Bosniaks were joint last! Poor old hussars; at least they weren't alone being last this time...

The generals' uniforms will be started from scratch so will take longer to do; I imagine that French cavalry will be popping up rather sooner because they can be adapted to some degree from existing cavalry templates. The generals I had in mind initially were: several Austrian, from the 1751 regulations; French general and marshal; Prussian, various (which are really just regimental officer uniforms with the odd decoration slapped on! ;-)). After that, others are possible but few nations had specific uniforms for generals until after the SYW.

Green Croat Infantryman, Prussian Von Kleist Frei-Corps

And the last Prussian Frei-Corps uniform for now, as the poll has closed and next will be generals' uniforms and French cavalry...

The "Green Croats" were added to Von Kleist's Frei-Corps in May 1761, initially as one battalion of 5 companies; by September there were 2 battalions. At Freiberg.

Uniform: Black mirliton with red cords and white tassels. Black stock. Dark green coat with white lace and button tassels. Dark green waistcoat with white lace. Red girdle. Dark green hungarian-style breeches with white lace. White metal buttons. Black short boots (not shown here).

Horse Grenadier, Prussian Von Kleist Frei-Corps

Another Frei-Corps uniform!

Created in 1759 with a single squadron of Hungarian hussars, by the end of the war Von Kleist's Frei-Corps included infantry, uhlans, jägers and artillery, as well as this unit of dragoons or horse grenadiers. Von Kleists's served mostly in the kleine krieg in Saxony. The dragoons were added in 1760, initially of 4 squadrons but increased to 8 and later 10 squadrons. 4 squadrons were at Torgau and the whole unit at Freiberg. Despite being undoubtedly the best of the Frei-Corps (Duffy says "it attained standards that would have been the envy of regular units" - AFG, 2nd edition), it suffered the fate of all the other Frei-Corps at the end of the war.

Uniform: Dark green fusilier-style cap with white metal plate bearing black eagle, white metal work and finial, black fur edging and frontal. Black stock. Dark green coat, white tasselled lace, white metal buttons. Dark green waistcoat, green or buff breeches. Dark green shabraque with white edging and crowned FR cipher.

Grenadier, Prussian Von Schony Frei-Corps

While the poll is still a few hours off ending, I've sneaked in another Prussian Frei-Corps uniform. :-)

Created in 1761 from Hungarian prisoners of war, Von Schony's originally consited of 4 companies of Frei-Grenadiere and 2 squadrons of Frei-Husaren; in 1762 the hussars were nominally increased to 4 squadrons. The grenadiers were at the battle of Burkersdorf as part of the Hüllessem grenadier battalion. At the end of the war, like all the Prussian frei-corps, they were disbanded at gunpoint, the men forcibly enlisted in Prussian line or garrison regiments and the officers dismissed.

Uniform: Brown fur cap, yellow metal plate with black eagle device, red bag with yellow lace. Black stock. Dark blue coat, light-blue collar (with yellow lace) and cuffs, red turnbacks. Yellow buttonhole lace with tassels. Light-blue waistcoat with yellow lace. Yellow metal buttons. Red girdle. Light-blue Hungarian-style breeches with yellow lace. Short black boots (not shown here).

Poll results so far...

I know the poll still has 3 days to go but I'm surprised to see the French cavalry so popular. I'm sure the last time I offered them as an option they were way down the list. A few generals' uniforms I'm quite keen to do so I'm happy that option's 2nd. And the hussars are not last this time! Amazing! ;-) It's a pity the Prussian Freikorps are so unpopular - there are some wonderfully exotic uniforms like Schony's Freikorps grenadiers and the Von Kleist uhlans, horse grenadiers and various infantry. Still, I'll probably get round to them eventually, as I like them myself.

Please get your vote in if you haven't yet done so!

Jäger, Prussian Le Noble Frei-Corps

One battalion plus jäger detachment raised 1756, by Lieutenant-Colonel Franciscus Le Noble (from the Palatinate); captured Landeshut 1760 but re-raised and a 2nd battalion added; forcibly disbanded at gunpoint 1763 and the men taken into regular regiments and the officers "retired involuntarily" without compensation.

Uniform: Black leather cap (very like the Austrian casquet) with Frederick's cipher in white on the front. Black stock. Very dark green coat with collar, lapels, cuffs and turnbacks in lime green, as were the waistcoat and breeches; white lace and white metal buttons. Black long boots, white inner stocking.

Austrian Kompanie Lacy

Unit details to follow...

Uniform: Black leather casquet; brass front with black crown and double-headed eagle; on left side red plume with black or green tip. Red stock. White coat with chrome yellow lapels, shoulder strap and cuffs, white lace button loops, yellow metal buttons. (Albertina manuscript 1762 shows no side pockets.) White waistcoat and breeches. Black gaiters.

Austrian Feld Jäger Corps

The Jäger Corps was raised as a small unit in 1758, made a large independent unit in 1761, but disbanded in 1763. It was distinguished at Torgau.

Uniform: Black leather casquet with black plume and white border to the front. Black stock. Hechtgrau or pike grey coat, waistcoat and breeches with green cuffs, turnbacks and collar. Yellow metal buttons. Black long boots, white inner stocking.

Austrian Pioneer

The pioneer battalion was raised in 1758 to give commanding officers a force able to move with the advance guard "to widen and repair roads and set up light timber bridges" (Duffy, Army of Maria Theresa). They were so useful the unit was more than doubled in size in 1759 but the unit was most unfortunately disbanded as part of the drastic economies of 1761-2.

Uniform: Plain black leather casquet. Black stock, hechtgrau coat and waistcoat with grass green collar, cuffs and turnbacks, white breeches. Yellow metal buttons, black gaiters.

Austrian Sapper

The Sapeur-Corps was raised in 1760 to provide a body of skilled labour for siege warfare and rapidly distinguished itself, notably at the siege of Schweidnitz in July 1760. It was again distinguished in the defence of Schweidnitz in 1762, where out of 24 sappers 10 were killed and 11 wounded. 3 officers were awarded the Military Order of Maria Theresa, which Christopher Duffy says "must have been a record for a unit of this size" (Army of Maria Theresa, p.120).

Uniform: Black casquet with yellow lace and decorations, green and white cockade, red inner, white outer feather. Black stock. Hechtgrau (pike grey) coat, waistcoat and breeches, with carmine red cuffs and collar (and possibly red turnbacks pre-1762). Yellow metal buttons. Black gaiters with white inner stocking.

Uniform details from Duffy (various) and Albertina manuscript 1762.

Coming very soon...

Austrian sapper, pioneer and jäger templates.

Russian Artilleryman

A gunner of the Russian artillery, in red with black stock, collar, cuffs and turnbacks, red waistcoat, red breeches, black gaiters with white inner stocking, buff belt, copper buttons.

Pandour of Russian Pandour Regiment

This is the uniform of a pandour with a smaller badge on the cap. Uniform colours were otherwise exactly the same as those of the grenadiers.

Russian Grenadier of Pandour Regiment

The Russian pandour regiments wore uniforms similar to those of the Austrian pandours or Croats. The ordinary pandours wore a smaller plate of different design from that of the grenadiers. This article has useful information on their history, organisation and uniform: http://vial.jean.free.fr/new_npi/revues_npi/17_2000/npi_1700/17_russ_pan1.htm

Black felt cap with copper plate; black stock; black coat and dark green waistcoat with red lace, red cuffs on coat and copper buttons; red sash; red trousers. Black short boots were also worn (not visible here).

All hussar templates improved and modified 20.11.07

All the hussar templates (Prussian Regiments 2, 5 and 7) have now been slightly modified and improved. This does not apply to the colour versions which have not yet been updated.

SYW Prussian Hussar 3 - Regiment No. 5 the Black or Death Hussars

In contrast to the previous two colourful uniforms this is the all black uniformed 5th Hussars, with their notorious skull and crossbones badge on the front of the mirliton, a similar design to which survived as late as World War 1 on the furcap of German hussars. The mirliton is shown with its wing "unfurled".

Squadrons of this regiment fought on almost all fronts of the European theatre in the Seven Years War.

Again, the actual template is here: http://www.woodward.toucansurf.com/SYW/SYWPrussian5thHussarRegtBlackorDeath-DM1.png because of the problem with the blog increasing the size and colour depth of images over a certain size.

Monday 19th November: Image slightly modified and improved.

SYW Prussian Hussar 2 - Regiment No. 7 the Yellow Hussars in colour

SYW Prussian Hussar 2 - Regiment No. 7 the Yellow Hussars

This is a commoner variant of the Prussian hussar uniform with the mirliton cap rather than the fur cap.

Differences from the uniform of the 2nd include: black mirliton with white braid and lace, a yellow dolman, black fur on the pelisse, blue sabretache and yellow edge to the shabraque. Lacing is simpler and there is less of it - 12 rows on the dolman and pelisse rather than 18 and there is no frame around the lace on the dolman or pelisse.

Again, the template can be found here: http://www.woodward.toucansurf.com/SYW/SYWPrussian7thYellowHussar-DM1.png

SYW Prussian Hussar - Regiment No. 2 Von Zieten in colour