Tavastehus Infantry
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Contents
Origin and History
The regiment was created in 1626 when the Finnish grand regiment was divided into smaller units. It became an Indelta regiment in 1696.
In 1634, a government regulation ranked the Tavastehus Regiment ninth among the infantry regiments.
During the Great Northern War, the regiment first garrisoned Riga from spring 1700. It was then transferred to Finland in 1703. With Lybecker to Ingermaland in 1708, then in Viborg 1710 were it was captured. Reraised and belonged to the Army of Finland. In the campaign against Trondhjem, 1718.
This Finnish regiment counted 1,025 men and consisted of two battalions of 4 companies. Each company had 140 men.
During the Seven Years' War, the regiment was commanded by:
- 1757: ???
Service during the War
Initially, the regiment was not involved in this war and remained in Scandinavia.
In 1761, 4 companies (500 men) of the regiment were transported to Pomerania to reinforce the Swedish army fighting Prussia.
Uniform
Privates
Headgear |
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Neckstock | black | ||||||||||||
Coat | dark blue with 10 tin buttons down the front with yellow trimmed buttonholes and 2 tin buttons at small of the back
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Waistcoat | yellow | ||||||||||||
Breeches | yellow | ||||||||||||
Gaiters | white stockings with brown leather strap at knee | ||||||||||||
Leather Equipment |
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Troopers were armed with a sword and a musket. The bayonet was permanently fixed to the musket.
Other interpretations
Schirmer as well as Pengel and Hurt mention white trimmed buttonholes.
NCOs
NCOs wore uniforms similar to those of the privates with the following distinctions:
- a silver 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 yellow 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 with provincial coats of arms embossed on the front. 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): white field; centre device carried the crowned royal arms of Sweden flanked by 2 crowned golden lions; the outer corner of the first canton carried a yellowish brown lynx surrounded by 3 white stars above and 4 white roses below it.
N.B.: for the liffana, Clifford adds a pedestal supporting the arms, the letters “AFRS” above the arms and 1 royal crown in the corner of each of the 3 remaining cantons.
Kompanifana (ordonnance flag): crimson field; centre device consisting of a yellowish brown lynx surrounded by 3 white stars above and 3 white roses below it; the whole surrounded by a green laurel wreath tied with a gold ribbon.
![]() Liffana - Source: rf-figuren from a template by Hannoverdidi |
![]() Kompanifana - Source: rf-figuren from a template by 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)
Höglund, Lars-Eric and Ake Sallnäs: 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
Purky, Jim: Swedish Army Organization, Seven Years War Association Journal Vol. X No. 1
Säwe, Teofron: Sveriges deltagande i Sjuåriga Kriget Åren 1757-1762, Beijers Bokförlagsaktiebolag, Stockholm, 1915
Schirmer, Friedrich: Die Heere der kriegführenden Staaten 1756-1763, published by KLIO-Landesgruppe Baden-Württemberg, Neuauflage 1989
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
Wilson, Peter: The Swedish Army in 1756, Seven Years War Association Journal Vol. X No. 1
N.B.: the section Service during the War is mostly derived from our articles depicting the various campaigns, battles and sieges.