08 February 2009

The Cavalry

Each regiment consists of four field squadrons and one depot squadron. Each squadron contains three troops of 50 officers and men.

The uniforms are based loosely on Prussian and Austrian uniforms. Following the same theme as the infantry, the uniform colours are generally based on the colours found on Australian birds, it being considered that basing the uniforms on colonel's family arms was elitist and showed monarchist tendencies. Also the regiments are numbered consecutively, not numbered by type.

The troopers wear straw-coloured cloth breeches and white lace on their hats (regardless of button colour). The officers wear facing-coloured heavy cloth breeches, a gold and blue sash around the waist, but inside the coat, and metallic lace, matching the button colour, on their hats. NCO's have button-coloured metallic lace on their hats and around their cuffs.

All regiments' shabraques are made in the national colours of blue and golden yellow. Officers' shabraques have gold lace and a silver, seven-pointed star in the corners and on the pistol housings. Hussar officers have the star on their shabraques and sabretache, troopers' sabretaches being undecorated. All harnessing is black.

Musicians are in reversed colours, except where noted. Belts are whitened leather, edged in the facing colour for the 1st Regiment of Horse and in vermillion for the 2nd Regiment of Horse. The cavalry swords are based on the Austrian models for both the heavy cavalry and the hussars. Each trooper also carries a brace of pistols and musketoon (Regiments of Dragoons) or carbine (Regiment of Hussars).

All Regiments carry a Parliamentary flag, carried immediately behind the Colonel at the centre front of the regiment. Regiments 1 to 5 also carry four squadron flags, at the centre of each squadron. The hussars have no squadron flags.

The regiments of horse carry standards, the dragoons carry German-style guidons. The hussars carry a French-style guidon.

The Parliamentary flags are deep blue with a gold, seven-pointed star in the centre. The fringing is in the button colour and the regiment's number is embroidered in the upper left canton in gold or silver thread, as appropriate. They are shown as the top flag on each cavalry plate.

The squadron flags have the field matching the regimental facings and the fringe and star matches the button colours. The exception is 1st Horse, whose squadron standards are white. The squadron flags are shown as the bottom flag of each cavalry plate.

The flag lances are in the regiment's facing colours.

3 comments:

  1. Hello there Dal,

    Great looking cavalry uniforms and guidons you've designed recently! I'm especially partial to that hussar fellow from a few days ago. Looking forward to more from you.

    Best Regards,

    Stokes Schwartz
    The Grand Duchy of Stollen

    ReplyDelete
  2. A very well detailed history followed by great uniforms and flags. Reich Duke Wilhelm has requested the College of Honors invest Kevin Rapp, President of the Parliament of Neues Sudland, into the Ancient and Honorable Order of the Tankard.

    ReplyDelete
  3. G'day, Gents.

    Sorry for the delay in replying, but I had to go down to Melbourne. Nothing to do with the fires, just a business trip.

    Stokes, I've had a lot of inspiration and enjoyment from reading your site, so I'm glad if I gave a little bit back.

    Your Grace Reich Herzog Wilhelm, it is with great pleasure that The Honourable Kelvin Rapp, Pesident of the Parliament of Neues Sudland, does humbly accept this great honour. In recognition of friendship between the Reich Duchy and the Republic, President Rapp has ordered that tariffs on goods from and levies on goods to the Reich Duchy of Beerstein shall be reduced by one quarter. In addition should the Reich Duchy require military aid from the Republic then the Reich Duchy shall only pay for nine out of every eleven soldiers sent. Moreover, the Reich Duchy shall only need to pay half the levies normally required for food, medicines and invigorating ales consumed during the voyage from the Republic to the Reich Duchy.

    Your Servant

    Stravo Konstopolous

    Minister for External Affairs, Trade and Mining

    ReplyDelete