Hamiltonska Infantry
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Origin and History
This permanent "Varvade" regiment was formed in 1741 at Helsingfors (actual Helsinki). It consisted of 1,088 men in 2 battalions of 4 companies. Each company had 125 privates and 11 officers, NCOs and musicians.
During the Seven Years' War, the regiment was commanded by:
- since 1741: Gustav David Hamilton
- 1759: Lilliesvärd
- 1761: Lieven
Service during the War
At the beginning of the Seven Years' War, the regiment garrisoned Helsingfors (actual Helsinki) in Finland.
In 1757, 600 men were transferred to Stockholm.
Uniform
Privates
| Headgear |
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| Neckstock | black | ||||||||||||
| Coat | dark blue with 10 tin buttons down the front with white trimmed buttonholes and 2 tin buttons at the small of the back
| ||||||||||||
| Waistcoat | white | ||||||||||||
| Breeches | dark blue | ||||||||||||
| 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
Schirmer as well as Pengel and Hurt mention the possibility that the coat might have white lapels.
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 white border.
Musicians
The uniform of the drummers were probably white with the addition 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): blue field with 3 diagonal white stripes (from upper fly to lower hoist corner); centre device was a lilac-coloured globe (within the central white flame) containing 3 gold Swedish crowns; the globe was surmounted by a large gold crown.
 Liffana - Source: Hannoverdidi |
 Kompanifana - Source: rf-figuren |
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.
