Posseska Infantry
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Origin and History
This permanent "Varvade" regiment was raised in 1743 at Stralsund where it assumed garrison duties. It consisted of 1,200 privates (mostly Germans) in 2 battalions of 4 companies. Each company had 150 privates and 11 officers, NCOs and musicians.
In 1754, a few companies were stationed at Malmö.
During the Seven Years' War, the regiment was commanded by:
- since 1743: Mauritz Posse
- from 1760: Hamilton
The regiment was disbanded in 1766 and its troops amalgamated to the Blixenska regiment.
Service during the War
Until 1757, 4 companies of the regiment garrisoned Stralsund in Swedish Pomerania while 600 men were stationed at Malmö and Helsingborg.
By the end of August 1757, the entire regiment (about 1,200 men) had been transported across the Baltic towards Swedish Pomerania.
Uniform
Privates
| Headgear |
| ||||||||||||
| Neckstock | black | ||||||||||||
| Coat | dark blue with 10 brass buttons down the front with white trimmed buttonholes and 2 brass buttons at small of the back
| ||||||||||||
| Waistcoat | yellow | ||||||||||||
| Breeches | yellow | ||||||||||||
| Gaiters | white stockings with brown leather strap at knee | ||||||||||||
| Leather Equipment |
|
Troopers were armed with a sword and a musket. The bayonet was permanently fixed to the musket.
Other interpretations
Pengel and Hurt mention white waistcoat.
NCOs
NCOs wore uniforms similar to those of the privates with the following distinctions:
- a silver or gold lace on the tricorne
- brass buttons (smaller than those of officers)
NCOs carried halberds but no cane.
Officers
Officers wore a blue uniform (coat) with blue distinctives (collar, cuffs, turnbacks). They were further distinguished from privates by:
- a gold lace on the tricorne
- no turnbacks on the coat
- a silver gorget
- brass buttons
- blue or black breeches (breeches of the same colour as those of the privates were also worn)
N.B.: contrarily to the custom in other armies, Swedish officers did not wear any sash
Horses were equipped with blue housing with a white border.
Musicians
The uniform of the drummers were usually yellow with the addition of plain white swallows nest on each shoulder. There were no other lace on the sleeves, etc.
The drums were brass. The rims were blue with yellow edging.
Colours
The pikes used as staffs to carry the colours were always yellow. The Liffana had gold finials while the Kompanifana had steel finials. The colours measured 2.12 x 1.70 m. (1.81 x 1.33 m. as per Clifford).
Liffana (Colonel flag), probably the common Varvade Liffana: white field; centre device was the crowned King's monogram surrounded by palm branches tied with a gold or yellow ribbon.
Kompanifana (Ordonnance flag) as per Schorr: blue field; centre device was the crowned King's monogram surrounded by palm branches tied with a gold or yellow ribbon.
 Liffana - Source: Hannoverdidi |
 Kompanifana - Source: Hannoverdidi |
The colonel's battalion carried the Liffana and a Kompanifana. The lieutenant-colonel's battalion carried 2 Kompanifanor.
References
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
Högman, Hans: Svenska regementen under indelningsverkets dagar (broken link)
Pengel, R. D. and G. R. Hurt: Swedish Army in Pomerania – 1757-1763, Birmingham, 1983
Schirmer, Friedrich: Die Heere der kriegführenden Staaten 1756-1763, vol. III, published by KLIO-Landesgruppe Baden-Württemberg, Neuauflage 1989, pp. 25-38
Schorr, Dan: Swedish Flags 1757-1762 - Part II Infantry Flags, The Courrier, March-April 1980
Schorr, Dan: Uniforms of the Swedish Army, 1757-1762, The Courrier, June-July 1979
N.B.: the section Service during the War is mostly derived from our articles depicting the various campaigns, battles and sieges.
