Norra Skånska Horse
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Origin and History
The regiment dates from Lybecker's Scanian Riders established in Kristianstad and Hälsingland in 1658. From 1659, the unit was under the command of Georg Henrik Lybeck. In 1660, four companies were sent to Jämtland in order to be incorporated in the cavalry squadron of Bohuslän-Jämtland. Indelta in 1680 and was officially named "Norra Skånska Horse Regiment" only in 1682. It counted 8 companies for a total of 1,000 men.
In the Great Northern War shipped to Pomerania 1700, then departed with Gyllenstierna to Poland 1702 and belonged to the King's Army thereafter. Captured after Poltava. Reraised but could only be used as garrison troop due to the lack of horses and equipment. Norwegian campaign 1718.
During the Seven Years' War, the regiment was under the command of:
- in ????: Colonel Rutger Barnekow
Service during the War
In 1757, the entire regiment was part of the expeditionary force sent to Pomerania under Field-marshal Mathias Alexander von Ungern Sternberg. It served in the successive Pomeranian campaigns until 1761.
On November 18 1758, a detachment of the regiment was part of General von Lingen's force at the combat of Güstow.
Uniform
Privates
| Headgear | black tricorne without lace and with a brass button on the left side | ||||||||||||||
| Neck stock | black | ||||||||||||||
| Coat | medium blue lined straw blue with 12 brass buttons down the front and 2 brass buttons in the small of the back
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| Waistcoat | straw | ||||||||||||||
| Breeches | buckskin or reindeer skin | ||||||||||||||
| Leather Equipment |
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| Horse Furniture |
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Troopers were armed with a sword, a pair of pistols and a carbine. They could also wear a polished steel breastplate bordered in yellow under their coat but this breastplate was rarely worn.
Officers
The officers wore the same uniform as the troopers with the following exceptions:
- a gold laced tricorne
- black breeches (sometimes)
- housings and holster caps laced gold
NCOs
The NCOS wore the same uniform as the troopers with the unique distinction of a narrow golden lace on the tricorne.
Musicians
The musicians wore medium blue uniforms with straw swallow nests laced (probably) white at the shoulders. The uniform had no additional laces.
The drums were made of brass with straw rims. The trumpets were made of brass with a medium blue banner.
Colours
The pikes used as staffs to carry the colours were always striped in blue and yellow. The standards had gold finials, and gold and silver cords, tassels and fringe.
Lifstandar (colonel standard): white field; borders heavily embroidered in gold and silver; centre device carried the crowned royal arms of Sweden flanked by 2 crowned golden lions; the upper inner corner carried a red eagle head wearing a gold crown.
Kompanistandar (ordonnance standard):
- Obverse: yellow field; borders heavily embroidered in gold and silver; centre device consisting of the golden royal cipher “AF” surmounted by a gold crown; 2 golden palm branches beneath tied with a red ribbon.
- Reverse: yellow field; centre device consisting of a red eagle head wearing a gold crown (beak turned leftward).
 Lifstandar - Source: rf-figuren using elements of a template by Hannoverdidi |
 Kompanistandar - Source: rf-figuren |
The colonel's squadron carried the Lifstandar, each other squadron had a Kompanistandar.
References
This article contains texts translated from the following books which are now in the public domain:
- Großer Generalstab: Die Kriege Friedrichs des Großen - Dritter Teil: Der Siebenjährige Krieg 1756–1763. Vol. 6 Leuthen, Kriegsgeschichtliche Abteilung II (Publisher), Berlin 1904, pp.92-107, Annex pp. 11-16
Other sources
Högman, Hans: Svenska regementen under indelningsverkets dagar (broken link)
Höglund, Lars-Eric and Sallnäs, Ake: The Great Northern War 1700-1721, Colours and Uniforms, Acedia Press, Karlstadt, 2000
Pengel, R. D. and G. R. Hurt: Swedish Army in Pomerania – 1757-1763, Birmingham, 1983
Schirmer, Friedrich: Die Heere der kriegführenden Staaten 1756-1763, published by KLIO-Landesgruppe Baden-Württemberg, Neuauflage 1989
N.B.: the section Service during the War is mostly derived from our articles depicting the various campaigns, battles and sieges.
