Nylands Dragoons
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Contents
Origin and History
The unit was raised in southern Finland in 1632 as the Nylands and Tavastehus Cavalry Regiment. In 1690, it was incorporated into the indelta system.
During the Great Northern War, the regiment initially served in Livonia in 1700. From 1702, to the exception of two companies, it formed part of the Swedish Main Army. It served under the command of Rehnskiöld during the campaigns of 1705 and 1706. In July 1709, the regiment surrendered to the Russian Army at Perovolotjna a few days after the disastrous Battle of Poltava (July 8).
The regiment was soon re-established and took part in the campaign of Norway in 1718.
In 1721, the unit was transformed into a dragoon regiment. It counted 8 companies for a total of 1,000 men.
During the Seven Years' War, the regiment was under the command of:
- no information available yet
Service during the War
In 1761, 4 companies (500 men) of the regiment were sent to Pomerania to reinforce the Swedish expeditionary force operating against Prussia.
Uniform
Privates
| Headgear | black tricorne without lace and with a brass button on the left side | ||||||||||||||
| Neck stock | black | ||||||||||||||
| Coat | medium blue lined yellow with 12 brass buttons down the front and 2 brass buttons in the small of the back
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| Waistcoat | yellow | ||||||||||||||
| 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, a short dragoon musket and a bayonet.
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 yellow swallow nests laced white at the shoulders. The uniform had no additional laces.
The drums were made of brass with yellow 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 were swallow tailed, 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 golden crowned helmet with, on each side, a blue swallow tailed standard wearing a yellow cross, on a golden flagpole.
Kompanistandar (ordonnance standard): red field
- Obverse: borders heavily embroidered in gold and silver; centre device consisting of a golden royal cipher “AF” surmounted by a gold crown; 2 golden palm branches beneath tied with a blue ribbon.
- Reverse: centre device consisting of a golden crowned helmet with, on each side, a blue swallow tailed standard wearing a yellow cross, on a golden flagpole.
 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
Brolin, Gunnar: 18th C. Swedish Military Flags - Part I: Standards and Guidons, 18th Century Military Notes & Queries No. 5
Högman, Hans: Svenska regementen under indelningsverkets dagar (broken link)
Pengel, R. D. and G. R. Hurt: Swedish Army in Pomerania – 1757-1763, Birmingham, 1983
Purky, Jim: Swedish Army Organization, Seven Years War Association Journal Vol. X No. 1
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.
