Danish Uniforms in Ireland

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danschorr
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Danish Uniforms in Ireland

Post by danschorr » Tue Sep 18, 2012 1:08 pm

A number of people have asked for a list of the uniforms of the Danes during the campaign in Ireland 1690-91. The following is the information that I have on these units:

Infantry

Garden til Fods: straw yellow faced red
Dronningens: red faced yellow
Prins Frederik: blue faced red
Prins Christians: grey faced yellow
Prins Georg: grey faced orange (3)
Sjællandske: Light blue faced white
Jyske: grey faced light red
Fynske: green faced white
Oldenburgske: red faced blue (4)

Notes:

1) In May 1690 Württemberg requested approval to form another grenadier company from drafts from the line companies of the all of the battalions with the exception of the Garden.

2) Generally, the colour grey is a steel grey, light, almost white. However, nuances in shade could vary between white and a blue-gray.

3) In a number of sources the coat of Prins Georg is given as green. Snorrason indicates that this is the result of a misreading by Vaupel’s publisher of the Vaupel’s handwriting. Green was mistaken for grey. Errors are also found in other of Vaupel’s uniform color descriptions, where steel grey has been changed to steel green. There is also another possible interpretation where the grey has a greenish tinge. In either case, the solid green that I have seen a number of figure painters use is incorrect.

4) The five companies of the Oldenburgske Battalion were amalgamated in the Dronningens Regiment to replace the four companies of that regiment that were captured by the French during transport from Denmark in 1689. These companies probably continued to wear their red faced blue coats until new uniforms were obtained in 1691.

5) A Royal Resolution of 24 January 1691 instituted new uniform colours for a number of regiments:

Prins Frederik: grey faced dark red or crimson
Sjællandske: grey faced blue
Jyske: grey faced light red
Fynske: grey faced green

It is not known if these new uniform colours applied to the companies in Ireland. However, we do know that Württemberg in a letter to Christian 5 on 2 May 1691 indicated that new uniforms were ready in Bristol, but that transport had been delayed and they would not arrive in time for the coming campaign. Whether these were in the old or new colours, we do not know. In any case, they would have been available for the subsequent campaigns in the Spanish Netherlands.



Cavalry

Juels Regiment: grey faced grey (1)
Sehesteds Regiment: grey faced blue (2)
Donops Regiment: grey faced red (?) (3)

Notes

1) Schomberg in a letter to William II in March 1690 not that “the horse I see are white lined white and buff waistcoats.” The white colour was probably the light grey refered to as steel grey. The first unit to arrive was Juels Regiment in March 1690. The other two were delayed. Therefore, it is safe to say that Juels Regiment wore grey faced grey.

2) A camp roster for the Allied Camp at Ath in July 1696 shows the coat and facing colour of units. The Danish cavalry regiment von See (earlier Sehesteds) shows the unit with white faced blue. Again, the white colour is most probably a steel grey.

3) The most questionable coat and facing colour is that related to Donops Regiment, but based on the colour of the standards issued (see below), it is probably grey faced red.

4) Standards for these three cavalry regiments were taken from older standards stored in the Tøjhus (Arsenal) in Copenhagen. The following is a translation of the document related to these:

“Of standards for the three regiments of horse which should go to England are found in the arsenal:
1. a white and 5 green, which are painted with gold and colour, which can fit for all.
2. a white and 3 red painted with gold and colour, whereby two Swedish are red, wherein nothing stands, where the king’s cypher could be set with silk.
3. a white and a blue, wherein nothing stands, as well as two Swedish blue ones, wherein nothing stands. Otherwise there are not so many in place that the 3. Rgt. could take the old standards … for the whole regiment. “

The standards that are painted in gold and colours were quite possibly standards from the Scanian War with the green ones from the Fynske Rytterregiment and the red ones from the Sjællandske Rytterregiment. The blank standards might have had the monogram C5 with crown and wreath applied in gold or silver, but we cannot say with any degree of certainty. An obvious attempt was made to match the colour of the standards to the facing colour of the regiment:
Green standards – Juels Regiment
Blue standards – Sehesteds Regiment
Red standards – Donops Regiment

I hope all of this is helpful. If anyone has any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Regards,

Dan
Dfogleman2
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Re: Danish Uniforms in Ireland

Post by Dfogleman2 » Tue Sep 18, 2012 1:31 pm

Thanks, Dan. Great info.
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obriendavid
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Re: Danish Uniforms in Ireland

Post by obriendavid » Tue Sep 18, 2012 4:38 pm

Even though I don't have any Danes (Toggy has cornered the market in those) this is still great info Dan and up to your very high standards as always.
Cheers
Dave
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Re: Danish Uniforms in Ireland

Post by turrabear » Wed Sep 19, 2012 2:22 am

thank you very much mr shorr for taking the time to answer my questions.
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yar68
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Re: Danish Uniforms in Ireland

Post by yar68 » Wed Sep 19, 2012 8:46 am

More great info, well done Dan!!
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