Information on the Dutch "Hollandse" en "Zwitserse" guard

 Hollandse Garde

Starting with the Hollandse Garde (Dutch Guard) which was in the pay of the province of Holland and its proprietor was the Stadtholder William V of Orange-Nassau. 
The regiment was raised in 1599 as a regiment of Nassau, since 1674 a guard regiment and since 1702 called the regiment Hollandse Garde.

Since the re-organisation of 1752, the regiment had 2 battalions each with 6 musketeer companies and one grenadier company although formally there were just 14 companies of which the first two were grenadiers and the other twelve musketeers. The grenadiercompanies (as in all Dutch infantry regiments) were also referred as Lijfcompagnieën (Life companies)

Regarding its flag; in 1786 the existing flags were under pressure of the then ruling Patriots changed as these didn't like the Orangist heraldic signs which were on the flags.
As with the help of an invading Prussian army the patriots were chased out of Holland in 1787,the Orangists became the ruling class again which resulted in 1788 in new flags (with orangist heraldic signs of course) for the Hollandse Garde.

The patriot-period colonels flag looked like this (from the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam):

This is the backside which shows (unclear I admit) an arm with sword coming out of a small cloud.
The front side shows the same arrangements only the middle oval is the weapon of Holland (red lion on gold background). I don't have a coloured image of that side but will try to get it.  

This 1786 design was changed in 1788 into the colonelsflag underneath of which there are two in the Rijksmuseum so probably both battalions had the same colonelsflag. This is unusual as mostly only the first battalion as fas as we know, had the colonelsflag. 

As the pré 1786 designs are known (in the Rijksmuseum also) both flags must be of the post 1788 period.

The post 1788 flags in the pictures show:

The left one is 98*106 cm of which the background colour is ecru or an offwhite. The backside is the same.
The right one is 117*97 cm with also as background colour ecru. Again, the backside is the same as the frontside.

The regimental colour isn't known but there is a picture of the 1st battalion of the guard of around 1770 (underneath) which shows this older design of the white colonels colour and an orange regimental one.

As the design of the post 1788 regimental flag isn't known, I would suggest for now, the same design for both flags, just different background colour. 

Note the white/silve tassels on the flagpoles. The flagpoles should according to the reglement, painted black.

Regarding the uniforms, Macalister Loup shows the uniform  as underneath

Other pictures of the Hollandse garde are:

         

An older picture of an officer show the older grenadier bearskin which was worn probably up to around 1770. After that, the bearskin without frontplate was used and this was the example for the rest of the Dutch army (this is mentioned in the reglement of 1772). 
Notice that the bag of the grenadierbeasrkin is red; the same as the colour of the facings.

The drummers wore the following:

I believe that the first two are musicians with the yellow/gold lacing and the drummers with the white/silver lacing are drummers of the musketier companies.



Zwitserse Garde

The Zwitserse garde (Swiss guard) was raised from various Swiss companies in the service of the Dutch State in 1749 although various Swiss regiments were already in the service of the Dutch Republic for a long time.

In the budget of 1792 the regiment is mentioned as consisting of one battalion of 8 strong companies but these would be used as two battalions, each of four companies.
All Swiss regiments had no separate grenadier companies but grenadiers were integral to each company but probably in the field were used as an separate company.
The first company of the regiment was called the lijfcompany or Prinzen Compagnie as the Prince of Orange (The Stadtholder) was its inhaber and owner of the first company.

Each company had its own flag (so in total eight flags were carried but the first company had the white colonelsflag and the 7 other companies had an regimental one.

The colonelsflag on the left one is from the Museum at Zürich; the colonels on the right is from the Dutch Military Museum and is acquired from relatives of the last colonel of the regiment. Probably the white is faded.

Both flags look very similar.

The regimental flag shows the very well known Swiss flames design.(picture also from the Zurich museum)

 

While the Hollandse garde had white/silver tassels on the flag, the swiss flag above shows an orange cravat. In fact all Swiss flags shows the orange cravat.

Some uniforms of the Swiss guard:

 

Notice that the bag of the Swiss grenadier bearskins were blue although the facing colour was red.  

Probably again musicians (with yellow lacing) of the Swiss guard.

Completed Armee du Nord infantry brigade

At last a completed (well, one battalion gun is still missing) infantry brigade of the Armee du Nord 1793-1795 consisting of two demi brigades each of one line and two volunteer battalions, a small combined grenadier battalion and an artillery battery (8 pdr).

Most of the figures are Eureka, with a sprinkling of some other firms. 

Each battalion will be of 6 bases of which one is a battalion gun (the regulars are missing one base of infantry and the battalion guns should imho be manned by white coated artillerymen from the battalion itself). Also one volunteer battalion misses its battalion gun. All missing parts are being in the painting que. 

The artillery battery consists of two guns, a dismounted artillery officer, a limber and ammunition caisson. It needs some room when deployed.  

New info on the Dutch army in the FR period

I was reading the Reglement issued 28th of February 1772 in which various specific information is given about weapons, colour and sabreknots etc.

So I thought that would be usefull for those who like to paint Dutch infantry in 28mm or 15mm.

Spontoons (officers) and halberds (sergeants)

The Spontoon of the officers should be black and max 7 Rijnlandse Voet or 219,8 cm

There are various models of spontoons, from the Dutch military museum underneath some pictures. The first one had the coat of arms of the Province of Utrecht, the second one the coat of arms of Williem IV or V and the last one of the Province of Zeeland.

 An officer of the Swiss guard (but no black spontoon pole) 

The halberds of the sergeants should also be black and max 7 Rijnlandse Voet or 219,8 cm

Sword-knots:

Of the officers: tassel and knot orange/silver  
of the sergeants: tassel and knot silver and orange
of the other ranks: tassel white but the knot in various company colours with those of the first battalion in one full colour, those of the second battalion in two colours

company	1st bat	2nd bat
1st company (grenadiers)	Orange	Orange and white
2nd company	Red	Red and white
3rd company	White	Yellow and white
4th company	Blue	Green and white
5th company	Black	Blue and white
6th company	Yellow	Black and white
7th company	Green	Red and blue

The measurements of the Flags:

In the reglement is stated, that new flags should be square with each side in „Rijnlandse“ measurements 3 Voet and 2 Duim (a voet = 31,4 cm, a duim 2,61 cm) so the flags should be 99,42 cm square (or approx 1 metre square).

The flagpole needs to be in total (incl metal point and shoe) 9 Rijnlandse Voet or 282,6 cm
The flagpole needs to be black.

When you look at the Dutch flags which are in the Rijksmuseum of Amsterdam (and which were pictured in an earlier post) you see that these flags are almost 1 meter square. Some a few cm shorter on one side and sometimes a litle bit wider.

Of the Swiss flags is said, that they are bigger then the Dutch flags so probably these are an older model (or they just didn't conform to the dutch standards).  

Standardbearer Hollandse garde and again no black flagpole

Clothing/hats officers

Except the guard, no other regimental officers may have gold or silver lacing on their coats. Even the buttons need to be of the metal of the regiment and no gold or silver ones.
Only on hats it is allowed to have gold or silver lace of max one "Rijnlandse duim" of 2,61 cm. 

The knots on the hat of the officer will always be in orange and silver.

Neckties will be always black.

Clothing/hats other ranks

Coats of corporals are always the same as other ranks but their hats will be in the style of sergeants. Hatlace of other ranks is white. (probably in 1777 this was chaged in that corporals should have an epaulette on the right shoulder in silver or gold).

Coats of sergeants will have their lace etc (if the regimetn has lace) in gold or silver while the lace with corporals and other ranks will be in white. 

Neckties will be always black.

Lace of drummers

These will have as their lacing on lapels, cuffs and swallownests in the colours of the regimental commander.

Remark: afaik sadly no colours are mentioned or known but maybe for the regiments connected to the house of orange these would be orange or orange/blue but the Hollandse Garde grenadier drummers underneath shows only gold (first) or white (second). The first one could be a drummer of the regimental band.

 
Notice that on the first picture the drumrim is blue striped with dioganal white stripes, on the second red/white triangels.

The end of Ca-Ira- but not of Dutch Revolutionary information

 Hi,

this will be the last blogpost on Ca-Ira, so thanks for all the nice remarks I have received on this blog in the past. In coming months I will put an add here if I changed information on the Alde Garde blog in regard of the French Revolution.

But, I will continue with giving info on the (Dutch) revolutionairy armies on our blog aldegarde.blogspot.com 

In coming weeks you will see ca-ira posts appear on the aldegarde blog and disappear here so I hope I will see you on the other blog

greetings

Jan

 

photos of Dutch Hussars and rebased Löwenstein-Wertheim jagers

Underneath a photo of a small unit (2 squadrons) of the Dutch hussar unit Huzaren Van der Hoop (1787-1794) which was renamed for the rest of the Revolutionary period as Huzaren van Timmermans.

These are Forgotten Glorius miniatures in 28mm. Sadly the firm is no longer with us.

The next pictures are from the 28mm Löwenstein-Wertheim jager unit which was hired by the Dutch States in 1794 until disbandment in 1795. As the Dutch were short of light troops they hired this unit.

Description shows them in helmet and in an early corsehut but I like the helmet as it shows their Bavarian origin and as their uniform resembles the early Würtemberg unifom very much I use Würtemberg miniatures.

I have these miniatures already shown, but they are now rebased.

 I also took some new pictures of my grenadiers

Let me know which you find the better pics

 

2 Grenadier battalions of 1793 in 28mm

 Although not the quickest and certainly not the best painter underneath my first two Dutch (grenadier) battalions in 28mm. 

Made by Emperor Toads and I like them very much

Starting with the grenadier battalion of Van Buseck with from left to right (and second picture of course from right to left) the companies of the regiments Van Brakel (nr 10), Van Dopf (nr 3), Quadt (nr 13) and the Nassau-Usingen (wallon regiment)

The second grenadier battalion is the battalion of De Larrey with from left to right (and second picture of course from right to left) the companies of the regiments Erfprins (regiment Oranje-Nassau 3), Oranje-Nassau nr 1, Oranje-Nassau nr 2 en Markgraaf van Baden (afaik the only regiment with grey trousers - according to the Jassenboekje).

Dutch Grenadier battalions 1793 -1795

OOB's

I have published various 1793 and 1794 Order of Battles regarding the Dutch army on the specific page "Order of Battles". 

If you have any questions about them, please let me know.

I will try to find some others in the mean time.

Grenadier bearskins of the Dutch army 1790-1795

The grenadiers of the Dutch army in the French Revolution all did wear the bearskin.
In the mid 18th century both the Prussian style metal-fronted mitre and the bearskin was worn by the grenadiers but the mitres were faded out and only the bearskin as headdress remained.

Up to 1770 a lot of regiments had a plate fronted bearskin as the Hollandse Garde did wear in the picture on the underneath (picture Rijksmuseum from circa 1770).

Some other pictures of this front-plated bearskin underneath.

regiment nr 14 Nassau Usingen (1756-1775), facing purple and bag blue

But in the reglement of 1772 is stated, that line regiments need to wear the bearskin without frontplate and this bearskin should be modelled according to the bearskin of the Hollandse Garde.
Regiments who did wear the plate fronted bearskin had to adept their bearskin (eg remove the plate). This would have taken some years but in the French Revolutionary period this proces would be  finished and all regiment woud wear the same bearskin.

This would be like the pictures underneath:

Zwitserse Garde (fcings red-blue bag)

 Zwitserse Garde (facings red-blue bag)-timmerman 

Hollandse Garde (facings red-red bag) 

Hollandse Garde drummer (facingsfacings red- red-red bag)

Hollandse Garde officers (facings red-red bag)

Regiment Erfprins (facings orange-orange bag)

 

regiment Orange Nassau I or II on the left (facing and bag-red) and Garde Groningen on the right (facings and bag red) 

regiment Erfprins (facinga and bag orange) on the left and regiment Nassau Usingen (or regiment Walen) on the right (facings white but blue bag)

regiment Westerloo reg nr 21 (mariniers) with yellow bag and yellow facings

regiment 24 Dundas (1784) with red bag although facings are a light blue.
In 1789 this became regiment nr 24 Bentinck with same facing colours.

period: 1789. 

The two soldiers on the left are Hollandse garde (see above), the third is Regiment nr 12 van Bylandt (in 1789 nr 12 Bedaulx with same facings) with red facings and blue bag.
On the right the 5th battalion of Waldeck.

The two soldiers on the left are Zwitserse garde (see above) with red facings and blue bag.
The two soldiers on the right are Reg Zwitsers nr 5 May with red facings and red bag

 

Conclusion: Colouring of the bag

Regarding the colouring of the bag, it seems, that in the majority of the regiments, the bag colour was the same as the facings (ie red facings-red bag) but there are some exceptions although I don't have all the pictures so I am not totally sure.

What I found:

Zwitserse Garde: facing red - bag blue
reg 12 Bijlandt (Bedaulx); facing red - bag blue
reg 24 Dundas (Bentinck): facing blue - bag red
reg Nassau-Usingen (or reg Walen): facing white - bag blue

Bearskins of cavalry

Various plates of the first company (lijf compagnie) of the first squadron of the Garde Dragonders (Guard Dragoons) show them wearing bearskins. 

It is hinted, that maybe the first company of the other dragoon regiments (Bijlandt and Hessen-Kassel) also had the bearskin but there is no pictural evidence.

So underneath only the Garde Dragonders:

 It is strange that the officer in the first and the troopers in the 3rd and 4th picture have a red bag and the trooper on the 2nd pictue (right) a blue bag. Probably a mistake

   

Powdered hair

I don't know if you noticed but all drawings/prints of the Dutch army from this period show powdered hair. 

And it didn't end in 1795 but even in the Batavian Republic period  the Dutch/Batavian army personel powdered their hair. 

Also, it is known that King Louis reminded soldiers to powder their hair but in drawing of the years after 1807 hair is shown in it natural colour and not powdered anymore.