Armies Battles and Sieges Colours and Standards
 

 

 




 


 

 
 

 




 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 



 
 

 



 

 

Örjan Martinsson


National militia soldiers (conscripts) depicted in 1704-1706 on a relief in Rosenborg castle (a close up is available at the bottom of this page).

  Enlisted Infantry   Conscripted Infantry
1  Livgarden til Fot 12  Copenhagen Garrison Regiment 1  East Sjællandske
2  Grenadier Corps 13  First Danish 2  West Sjællandske
3  Dronningen 14  Second Danish 3  Fynske
4  Prince Christian 15  Third Danish 4  Ålborgske
5  Prince Georg 16  Fourth Danish 5  Århusiske
6  Prince Carl 17  Maltzahns battalion 6  Riberske
7  Sjællandske 18  Württemberg-Oels 7  Viborg-Lolland
8  Jyske 19  Hansen 8  Oldenborgske
9  Fynske 20  Baartig   Garrison Units
10  Oldenborgske 21  Callenberg's battalion 1  Bornholm Militia
11  Marine Regiment 22  Klepping's battalion 2  Free Companies
 

During the first decade of the 18th century, the Danish army mainly wore light grey coats with each regiment having their own distinctive colour on the cuffs and lining and facings. A new uniform regulation on 24 October 1711 stipulated that the Danish army would henceforth have red coats. The regiments serving as auxiliary troops for the Maritime powers were not covered by this, however, and it was only with the regulation from 1716 that the entire Danish army had its red uniforms established.

At the beginning of this period, the vest and leg clothes (breeches and stockings) were usually the same colour as the cuffs and lining. But according to Daniel Schorr and Lars-Eric Höglund, these garments in all regiments would be red from 1711 onwards. Karsten Skjold Petersen claims, however, that this only applied from 1716 onwards and that vests and leg clothes before that were in the regimental colour. However, it is reported that soldiers had gaiters made of red tent cloth that covered the stockings at the battle of Gadebusch 1712.

Some details are difficult to find information about. For example, there is little information about the colour of the hat lace. These may have been in the regimental colour (earlier part of the period?) or in the button colour (later part of the period?). Thus, if they had "yellow" brass buttons, it is likely that the hats were edged with yellow lace, and if they had "white" silver or pewter buttons, they may have had white lace. The hat also had a cockade which at the beginning of the period may have been in the regimental colour and later became black.

The colour of the collar is usually not reported separately (Karsten Skjold Petersen lumps them together with the cuffs) and therefore it is not easy to determine if the regiments had collars on their coats. I have assumed that the uniforms in the first decade of the 18th century generally lacked collars but that they came into use at the time of Denmark's re-entry into the war in 1709.


The funeral procession of Christian V's  half brother Christian Gyldenløve in 1703. Engraving by Andreas Reinhard c. 1707.
In the middle, grenadiers from the Grenadiers Corps can be seen (a close up is available at the bottom of this page)

Livgarden til Fot
(Foot Guards)


1686-1702


1707-1713

1714-1716

1716-1731

Paille yellow coat with red lining and cuffs and 72 white buttons. Red cassock/cloak with paille yellow lining and cuffs and yellow buttons. Red vest and red leg clothes.
 

Paille yellow coat with red lining and cuffs and 34 brass buttons. Red coat with paille yellow lining and cuffs and yellow buttons. Red vest and red leg clothes. Hat with gold lace and black cockade. Red cover with embroidery and lace on the cartridge box.

Red coat with paille yellow lining and paille yellow cuffs with a silver stripe and 34 silver-plated buttons and white buttonholes. Paille yellow vest and paille yellow leg clothes. Hat with silver lace and black cockade. Paille yellow cover with silver embroidery on the cartridge box. White neckcloth.

Same as before but with red leg clothes.

During the Scanian campaign of 1709-1710, a Swedish spy report stated that the Life Guard had "red coats and cloaks with yellow cuffs and collars". The uniform issued in 1707 clearly had the reverse colours, but the Life Guards seem to have brought an older uniform with them during the campaign in order to reduce wear and tear on the regular uniform. Whether it consisted of the red cassocks with yellow lining that were abolished in 1702 or whether the Life Guards had red coats in 1702-1707 is unclear. Non-commissioned officers and musicians did have red coats in 1702-1707, but the officers had ponceau red coats with paille yellow facings from 1708 which were the reverse colours compared to the privates.

Grenadier Corps
("Grenaderkorpset" in Danish)

(This section is under revision).

V. Eichstädt
A. Gaffron
K. F. Staffeldt

1701
1710
1717

1701-1716 Red coat and light blue (bleumerant) facings with silver edge and white buttons and buttonholes. Lining, vest and leg clothes also light blue.
1716-1750 Same as above but with red leg clothes.

Schorr states that the regulations from 1711 and 1716 decreed that the Grenadier Corps was supposed to have silver-plated ("white") buttons and cuffs of the A type, i.e. without silver edge and embroidered buttonholes.

The Grenadier Corps was issued bearskin cap with gilded metal plates when the corps was created in 1701. These were replaced in 1706 by bearskin caps with a front made of blue cloth. According to Worgewitz, the caps were completely made of cloth in 1728.

Dronningen's Livregiment
(Queen's Life Regiment)


1691-1702, dec. 1709


?-1711

1712-1716

1716-1735

Red coat with yellow lining and cuffs. Brass buttons 1705.

Yellow coat, yellow lining and cuffs

Red coat, yellow lining and cuffs, pewter buttons (yellow leg clothes?).

Same as before but with a red vest and red leg clothes.

In 1702, in addition to scarlet coats, the officers also had white stockings, white feathers in their hats and a white sash around their waists. The grenadier caps at the same time were of yellow plush, but with a black velvet front with silver embroidery and in the centre of this the regimental name was embroidered ("Königin" or "Droningen"). In addition to the coat, the regiment's soldiers also had a red cassock with cuffs and collar made of yellow plush.

Mitre-type grenadier caps are also mentioned in a contemporary description from 1705 of the battalion sent to Austria. The cap was described at a troop parade as being of red plush with a yellow shield and on the back "The Queen" embroidered in silver. The spelling should be Danish "Droningen" because the Holy Roman Empress asked the Danish ambassador what the word meant. It is on this occasion that the regiment is said to have had brass buttons.

The regiment was described at Gadebusch in 1712 as wearing both red, blue and gray uniforms. There were then coats that were made with 40 different coloured patches. The condition of the uniforms was so bad that the regiment had to take uniforms from one battalion and leave it in quarters, in order to equip the other so that it could take part in the battle.

Prince Christian's Regiment


1691-1710


1714-1716

1716-1721

Light grey coat with red cuffs ("grey" 1691, "light grey" 1695, "iron grey" 1702, "white" 1710 and "crimson" 1691, "dark red" 1695 and "red 1702 & 1710). Cloaks/cassocks in the same colour as the coat 1702 and 1709. Red stockings 1702

Red coat with brass buttons and black lining, collar and cuffs (black leg clothes?).

Red coat with pewter buttons and light blue buttonholes and lining, light blue cuffs and collar with black stripe, red vest and leg clothes.

The officers are mentioned in 1702 to have had the same colour as the privates on the coat except for the lining and sash. At the same time, the grenadiers had caps made entirely of fur. In Austria, however, they are mentioned as having had cloth grenadier caps with the regimental name embroidered on the back.

Prince Georg's Regiment
(disbanded 1721)

1695-

1704

1713-1716

1716-1721

Light grey coat with orange/dark yellow cuffs and lining.

Blue coat with orange/dark yellow cuffs and lining. In English service 1701-1713.

Red coat with aurora coloured lining and cuffs, and blue stripes on cuffs and sleeves.

Red coat with aurora coloured lining and cuffs, and blue stripes on cuffs and sleeves. Red vest and leg clothes. Pewter buttons since 1717.

According to Schorr, the m/1716 uniform should have cuffs with a different appearance (small image on the right) than what both Skjold Petersen, Höglund and the plate from 1716 state (the plate and Schorr's information are reported in more detail on a separate page).

Many uniform descriptions incorrectly state that Prince George had green coats. This is due to a misreading of the 19th century historian Vaupell's handwriting, which meant that his publisher wrote steel green instead of steel grey.

Prince Carl's Regiment

1691-1695

1704

1714-1716 ?

1716-1722

Light grey coat with orange/dark yellow cuffs and lining.

Blue coat with orange/dark yellow cuffs and lining. In English service 1701-1713.

Red coat with aurora coloured lining and cuffs, and blue stripes on cuffs and sleeves.

Red coat with aurora coloured lining and cuffs, and blue stripes on cuffs and sleeves. Red vest and leg clothes. Pewter buttons since 1717.

Snorrason cites a source (Vrigny) that wrote that the newly formed dragoon regiment Württemberg-Oels had grey coats with yellow facings in 1702, but believes that it actually describes Prince Carl's regiment, which was in the same location, because the dragoon regiment's enlistment patent states blue coats with red facings. Skjold Peterson, on the other hand, has assumed that the source has given the correct regimental name. The consequence of this seems be that two uniforms and two regiments have been combined in different ways by Snorrason and Skjold Petersen.

Similar to the previous regiments, Schorr states that the m/1716 uniform should have cuffs with a different appearance (small image on the right) than what both Skjold Petersen, Höglund and the plate from 1716 state (the plate and Schorr's information are reported in more detail on a separate page).

Sjællandske Regiment
(Zealand Regiment)

1691-1695, (1708?)

1704

1714-1716

1716-1723

Light grey coat with blue cuffs and lining.

Blue coat with white cuffs and lining. In Dutch service 1701-1714.

Red coat with cuffs, lining (and leg clothes?) in feuille morte and brass buttons.

Same as before but with red vest and red leg clothes.

Snorrason mentions a decision from 1707 that Sjællandske should have brass buttons and blue wool for the buttonholes as well as blue breeches and stockings. These colours are also stated by Skjold Petersen for the year 1708, which indicates that the uniform regulation of 1691 was also followed in the 18th century, even though Skjold Petersen does not mention anything about grey coats.

Jyske Regiment
(Jutland Regiment)

1685-1710

1714-1716

1716-1735

Light grey coat with red lining cuffs. Colours of hat and neckcloth according to a description by Vrigny from 1702.

Red coat with white cuffs, buttonholes and lining and brass buttons.

Same as before but with red vest and red leg clothes.

Fynske Regiment
(Fynen Regiment)

1691-1710

1714-1716

1716-1735

Light grey coat with green cuffs and lining. In 1702, the vest and leg clothes were described to be green, the buttons white, the hat brim yellow and the cockade green-white. The collar was stated in 1702 to have been red, but the source might have misidentified a neckcloth as a collar.

Red coat with green cuffs, lining, and leg clothes, and brass buttons.

Same as before but with red vest and red leg clothes.

Oldenborgske Regiment

1691-1699

1701-1713

1713-1716

1716-1735

Light grey coat with cuffs and lining in “muscus” (= reddish brown or dark brown).

The uniform unknown during the War of the Spanish Succession when Oldenburg was in English service.

Red coat with brass buttons and light green cuffs with a white stripe.

Red coat with brass buttons, light green lining, light green cuffs with aurora stripe. Red vest and leg clothes.

Marine Regiment
("Marineregimentet" in Danish)

1695-

December 1709

1714-1716

1716-1721

Light grey coat with light grey cuffs and lining.

Red coat with lemon yellow cuffs and collar according to a Swedish spy report. However, should also have had a grey coat with orange cuffs in the same year.

Red coat with steel grey lining, steel grey cuffs with white lace and brass buttons.

Red coat with aurora lining and aurora cuffs with white lace. Brass buttons, red vest and leg clothes.

"Copenhagen Garrison Regiment"
(was named after its colonels: Schack, Schwärtzel, Prince of Hesse and Zepelin)

m/1691

December 1709

1713-1714

Light grey coat with lining in feuille morte. The cassock (overcoat) in the picture on the left was abolished in 1707 in the Danish army.

A Swedish spy report states that they had white coats and cloaks with brownish yellow cuffs and collars

Red coat with cuffs and lining in feuille morte and white lace on the cuffs. Brass buttons

This regiment was merged in 1714 with the Sjællandske Regiment which had returned home from Dutch service. Karsten Skjold Petersen does not mention this regiment in his book, but I suspect that his uniform information from 1712-1713 about the Sjællandske Regiment refers to this regiment. According to him, Sjællandske received new uniforms in 1713 and that should therefore have been the date for when the "Copenhagen Garrison Regiment" received its m/1711 uniform.

First Danish Regiment
(was named after its colonels Lepel, Birkholtz and Staffeldt among others)

1709-

-1716

1716-1721

1728-1735

Light grey coat with blue lining, collar and cuffs (according to Vaupell it was a light blue shade)

Red coat with yellow buttons, light blue lining and light blue cuffs with white stripes.

Same as before, but with red leg clothes and red vest

Same as before, but with a light blue vest which was introduced at the latest in 1728..

Second Danish Regiment
(Disbanded 1721, was named after its colonels such as H. J. Arnold)

1709-

-1716

1716-1721
The cuffs in the pictures on the right follow the plate from 1716. However, Daniel Schorr and Lars-Eric Höglund have the colours in reverse order, while Karsten Skjold Pedersen is more vague and does not indicate the order of the colours. However, given that the lining was yellow, it seems that yellow was the main colour.

The plate and Schorr's information are reported in more detail on a
separate page.

In 1709, had a light grey coat with blue lining and blue cuffs. Unlike First Danish, the collar is not mentioned.

Red coat with yellow buttons, yellow lining and blue and yellow cuffs (vest made from the 1709 coat?).

Same as before but with red vest and leg clothes.

Third Danish Regiment
(was named after its colonel M. Kragh after its return from Austrian service in 1709)

1709-

1713-1716

1716-1735

Light grey coat with yellow cuffs and lining. Unlike First Danish, the collar is not mentioned.

Red coat with brass buttons, green lining and green and white cuffs (vest made from the 1709 coat?).

Same as before but with red vest and red leg clothes.

Fourth Danish Regiment
(disbanded 1721, was named after its colonels such as Friis and Callenberg)

1703?

1709-

-1716

1716-1721

According to the enlistment patent of 1701, the regiment was to have blue coats with white facings.

Light grey coat with red cuffs and lining. Unlike First Danish, the collar is not mentioned.

Red coat with brass buttons and yellow lining and black and yellow cuffs (vest made from the 1709 coat?).

Same as before but with red vest and red leg clothes.

The cuffs in the pictures on the right follow the plate from 1716. However, Daniel Schorr and Lars-Eric Höglund have the colours in reverse order, while Karsten Skjold Petersen is more vague and does not indicate the order of the colours. However, given that the lining was yellow, it seems that yellow was the main colour.

Other Enlisted Units


Maltzahn's Battalion
1701-1703


Württemberg-Oels
1701-1714


Callenberg's
Battalion
1711-1713


Klepping's
Battalion
1712-1713

Light grey coat with blue lining and cuffs, cloak the same, as well as leather breeches and blue stockings. In 1702 they received blue vests which, like the coat, had brass buttons. The buttons on the coat were covered with "material"

According to the enlistment patent of 1701 it would have a light grey coat and cassock with blue lining and cuffs. Höglund is the only one to mention a red coat with a blue collar, cuffs and lining for 1712.

Unknown uniform.

Light grey coat with red lining and cuffs. Red breeches and stockings.


Hansen's Regiment
1710-1712


Hansen's Regiment
1712-1713


Baartig's Regiment
1710-1712


Baartig's Regiment
1712-1713, 1717

Light grey coat with red lining and red cuffs with blue stripe. Light grey vest, red breeches and stockings.

Red coat. According to Skjold Petersen, green lining, white cuffs and red leg clothes. According to Höglund, white collar and steel gray lining.

Light grey coat with red lining and red cuffs with blue stripe. Light grey vest, red breeches and red stockings.

Red coat with orange lining and cuffs.

East Sjællandske National Regiment

1701-1713

1714-1716

m/1716

Light grey coat with brass buttons. Dark red/burgundy cuffs and lining.

Red coat with brass buttons and light blue lining. Striped cuffs (red-white-light blue).

Same as before but with red vest and red leg clothes.

West Sjællandske National Regiment
("South Sjællandske" from 1717)

1701-1713

1714-1722

Lolland batttalion
1722-1730

Zealand battalion
1722-1730

Light grey coat with brass buttons. Aurora coloured cuffs and lining. The piecoat had blue cuffs in 1701.

Red coat with brass buttons and aurora coloured lining. The cuffs were striped in aurora-white-red.

Red coat with brass buttons and aurora coloured lining. The scuffs were striped in green-paille-red, as well as red vest and leg clothes.

Red coat with brass buttons and paille lining. The cuffs were striped in green-paille-red. Red vest and leg clothes.

The regiment was issued new uniforms in 1722 and was supposed to have paille-coloured lining. But there was a large quantity of aurora coloured baize available and in order not to waste it, the two battalions were given different lining colours. The Zealand battalion got paille as the lining colour and the Lolland battalion got aurora as the lining colour. But in addition to the deviant lining colour, the Lolland battalion also received yellow hat lace and black neckcloths. The regimental commander complained about the lack of uniformity and the king authorised the expense of replacing the yellow hat lace with white lace, but the lining and neckcloths were left as they were.

Also note that the Lolland soldiers were added to the regiment during a reorganisation in 1717 and that these may have kept their uniforms from the former Viborg-Lolland regiment.

Fynske National Regiment

1701-1713

1714-1722

m/1716

Light grey coat with cinnabar red (vermilion) cuffs and lining, and brass buttons. In 1702, the hats had red lace and cockades, while the stockings had red stripes on the sides and on the back

Red coat with brass buttons, green lining and striped cuffs (green-red-white). Green leg clothes since at least 1715.

Same as before but with red vest and red leg clothes.

Ålborgske National Regiment

1701-1713

1714-1716

m/1716

1718-?

Light grey coat with brass buttons. Cuffs and lining were brown in 1701, feuille morte in 1708 (also leg clothes) and fire yellow up to and including 1711.

Red coat with brass buttons. Yellow lining and striped cuffs in red-blue-yellow. Leg clothes in feuille morte.

Same as before but with red vest and red leg clothes.

A newly formed battalion that replaced the one captured by the Swedes in 1716 was given grey vadmal coats, leather breeches and red stockings.

Århusiske National Regiment

1701-1713

1714-1716

m/1716

1728

Light grey coat with brass buttons, and dark blue cuffs and lining.

Red coat with brass buttons, blue lining and striped cuffs (blue-black-red). Blue leg clothes since at least 1715.

Same as before but with red vest and red leg clothes.

Worgewits depicted the regiment with light blue cuffs and collar with two and one white stripe respectively. White buttons, buttonholes, hat lace and cockade.

Riberske National Regiment

1701-1713

1714-1716

m/1716

1718-?

Light grey coat with brass buttons, light green cuffs and lining..

Red coat with brass buttons, yellow lining and striped cuffs (black-yellow-red). Yellow leg clothes since at least 1715.

Red coat with brass buttons, red lining and red cuffs with two blue stripes and a collar with a blue stripe. Red vest and leg clothes.

Two newly formed companies that replaced those captured by the Swedes in 1716 were given grey vadmal coats, leather breeches and red stockings.

According to Schorr, the m/1716 cuffs would look like the small picture on the right. A plate from 1716, however, has a different order of the colours (and shows a light blue shade). I have interpreted Skjold Petersen and Höglund as describing the order of the plate and not Schorr's. The plate and Schorr's information are reported in more detail on a separate page.

Viborg and Lolland's National Regiment
(disbanded 1717)

1704-1713

1714-1716

Light grey coat with brass buttons, yellow cuffs and lining.

Red coat with brass buttons and paille lining. Cuffs striped in green-paille-red. Uniform m/1716 would have had red vest and leg clothes. Unclear if those were issued before the regiment was disbanded in 1717.

Oldenborgske National Regiment

1704-1713

1714-

-1735

m/1716

Light grey coat with brass buttons and feuille morte cuffs and lining.

Red coat with yellow buttons and red buttonholes. Lining in feuille morte. Cuffs and collar in feuille morte with 2x3 stripes in white-light blue-white on the cuffs and 1x3 on the collar.

Same as before, but was to have red vest and leg clothes from 1716 onwards.

This uniform does not appear to have been issued, but Oldenburg was, according to the 1716 regulation, supposed to have four-colour cuffs in red-blue-white-feuille morte.

Garrison Units


Bornholm Militia


Free companies 1691-1711


Free companies 1724 ?

Unknown uniform. Light grey coat with red cuffs?

Light grey coat with red cuffs. The red colour was at least 1691-1695 dark red.

Were supposed to have grey coats even after m/1711 and is stated to have had feuille morte cuffs in 1724.

Contemporary images of Danish uniforms


National militia soldiers (conscripts) depicted in 1704-1706 on a relief in Rosenborg castle


The Grenadier corps at the funeral of Christian Gyldenløve in 1703. Engraving by Andreas Reinhard ca. 1707.

Read also about Danish cavalry uniforms.

References

Höglund, Lars-Eric – Sallnäs, Åke. Stora nordiska kriget 1700-1721, II. Karlstad (2003)
Schorr, Daniel. Danish-Norwegian uniforms 1709-1720. *
Skjold Petersen, Karsten. Den danske hærs uniformer i 1700-tallet. Copenhagen (2005)
Skjold Petersen, Karsten. Kongens klæder. Copenhagen (2014)
Snorrason, Torstein. Danish Uniforms 1699-1712. *
Vaupell, Otto. Den danske hærs historie til nutiden og den norske hærs historie indtil 1814. Copenhagen (1872-1876)

* = articles published in 2008 on the now defunct website www.northernwars.com