HISTORY In 1770 Jakob Magnus Sprengtporten, a Colonel and one of the best officers in the Swedish army was ordered by the King to set up the Finnish Light Dragoon Corps (Finska Latta Dragone Corpsen). By the start of the Napoleonic wars, the regiment had been moved to Sweden, elevated to the King's household troops (Konungens Lif-och Hus-trupper) and renamed the King's Own Light Life Dragoon Regiment (Konungens Latta Lif-Dragone Regemente). On July 6th, 1806 the regiment name was changed to the King's Own Mounted Life Guards (Konungens Lif-Garde till hast). This was changed slightly to become the Royal Mounted Life Guards (Kungl. Lif-Garde till hast) a name the regiment would hold for more than a century. Today the Life Guards have been reduced to squadron strength, but are still mounted thanks to charitable donations. They can be seen by a visitor to Stockholm changing the guard at the palace. Their splendid kettle-drum horse was a gift from Queen Elizabeth in 1989. ORGANISATION The regiment was commanded by a colonel, and had a staff including 2 majors. Each squadron had a captain, a lieutenant and a cornet. Initially the squadron establishment was 50 men. In August 1806 this was increased to 75, although the squadrons were only recruited up to a strength of 70. The regiment initially consisted of three squadrons, but by the start of the Napoleonic wars this had increased to six. In 1810, with the advent of "peace", the regiment was reduced to four squadrons. For the Leipzig campaign in 1813, a fifth squadron was raised in Swedish Pommerania. From 1801 to 1806 two squadrons were organised as mounted jagers under the command of a major. They were to be trained at target shooting and light infantry tactics. UNIFORMS In 1797 the regiment was converted back to light dragoons from hussars and received a light dragoon uniform. This uniform is well illustrated in a contemporary print showing both an officer and a trooper. They wore a black and yellow headdress, not unlike the mirliton, with a black flame worn wrapped around and held in place by a front plate of white metal. The headdress had a white plume, a green-white-red cockade, red raquettes and cords which were red on the right and white on the left hand side. A white jacket without tails was worn. It had a white collar trimmed sky-blue, white shoulder straps, sky-blue cuffs and sky blue half-lapels with white lace and white metal buttons. In common with other dragoon regiments, a yellow-barrelled sash was worn around the waist, although somewhat unusually the waist belt (white leather with an S buckle) was worn outside of the sash. They wore buckskin breeches and gloves, and black Hessian boots. White leather cross belts were worn, a thin belt over the right shoulder to carry the plain black cartridge pouch and a thicker belt over the left shoulder from which the carbine was slung. A knee-length cloak of sky-blue cloth was issued. The sabretache was sky-blue with a white border and three yellow crowns. An officer is shown in a uniform almost identical to that of the troopers although of better quality, the plate on the headdress and the buttons on the jacket being of silver instead of white metal. Since the palace revolution of 1772, Swedish army officers wore a white silk brassard tied around their upper left arm. A general order to discontinue the wearing of the brassard was issued after the campaign of 1809. As officers were armed with pistols and did not carry carbines they wore only the thin belt carrying the plain black cartridge pouch, but it was worn over their left shoulder. The officers sabretache differed from that of the troopers: the arms of Sweden (three yellow crowns) upon a blue globe, underneath a royal crown, surrounded a lions head and claws and underneath which were two crossed sabres. This was of the same general design as the officers sabretaches of other regiments, but was conspicuous in that the royal crown, lion and sabres were all in silver instead of the normal gold. From 1801, officers were additionally authorised the wear of bicorn hats, with two silver tassels but without lace. These were rarely used, it being much more common to use the same style of headdress as the troopers. Regulations of 1792 and 1795 authorised the wear of epaulets the same colour as the buttons for officers throughout the Swedish army, although I can find no print showing them being worn by an officer of the Mounted Life Guards. In 1801, two of the regiment's squadrons were converted to mounted jagers and received new uniforms. This uniform is shown in the same series of prints as the 1797 uniform. The uniform was of the same style as their previous uniform, but the jacket now had short tails and was green piped white with black facings and white lace. A helmet replaced the hat; it had a black horse-hair crest and two white plumes, a large hanging plume and a smaller standing plume. The leather equipment was now black, and a black belt now replaced the sash around the waist, on the front of which was carried a second black leather cartridge pouch with the Swedish coat of arms. In addition to the breeches they were issued green trousers. An officer is shown in a uniform almost identical to that of the troopers although of better quality. Instead of the cartridge pouch, the officer has a large buckle with the Swedish coat of arms. In 1806 they were converted back to light dragoons and adopted the same uniform as the rest of the regiment. By February of 1806, the regiment had been issued with a shako, although the exact date of issue is unknown. As carbines were no longer issued, the carbine belt was no longer worn and the cartridge pouch belt was moved from the right to the left shoulder. In December 1807, these hats were passed over to the Nylands Jager Regiment and the Life Guards received new hats of a similar model as those worn by the Svea Life Guard (the foot guards) and the grenadiers (see First Empire No.5). This was a the characteristically Swedish 'kusket', a black round hat with elongated left brim upturned and a horse-hair crest (chenille) running fore-and-aft. A white plume was worn with a sky-blue and yellow cockade at its base. The rest of their uniform remained basically unchanged, although all illustrations after this date show the jacket without buttons, held together at the front by small hooks and eyes. It was thus uniformed the six squadrons of life guards took part in the Russo-Swedish war of 1808-09. The Life Guards also received at this time, an undress uniform consisting of a sky-blue jacket with short tails and trousers. The jacket had a single row of white metal buttons, white piping, white cuffs and a white collar. A first the trousers probably had white metal buttons down the outside of the leg, but these were later replaced by a white stripe. It appears to have been common practice while on campaign to wear the white jacket with the sky-blue trousers. In 1810 the hat, which was considered to be too clumsy, was again replaced by a shako, with plume, cords and badge. A white plume, probably of goose feathers, was worn with the full dress (white) uniform while a black plume, probably of horse hair, was worn with the undress (blue) uniform. The rest of their uniform remained basically unchanged, and it was thus uniformed the five squadrons of life guards took part in the campaigns of 1813-14. While passing through Elberfeld, wearing the white jacket with blue trousers, they were recorded for posterity (but incorrectly identified as Swedish Hussars) in the Elberfeld Manuscript. The officers uniforms remained basically the same as the troopers, and even they were issued the blue undress uniform. The officer's blue jacket may have had three rows of buttons on the front instead of the trooper's one, and their blue trousers were ornamented with white Hungarian knots. One Swedish print shows an officer with the same style of jacket as the troopers with much more elaborate Hungarian knots on his blue trousers. A German print shows an officer in an unusually modified 1807-08 (kusket and brassard) uniform. He wears the white full-dress jacket but with long tails and unbuttoned at the waist to reveal a sky-blue waistcoat with hussar-like braiding. He wears blue breeches and Hessian boots instead of trousers. In December 1813 a new hussar uniform with kiwer shako was designed for the Mounted Life Guards by the Crown Prince Bernadotte. It was made in Berlin and issued in 1814 when the Horse Guards went back to Sweden. TRUMPETERS A print from 1806 shows a trumpeter wearing a uniform that was the same as the troopers. Nothing is known about the trumpeters uniforms after 1812. It is probable that the trumpeters wore swallows nest epaulets and four lace chevrons on each arm - the top two facing up and the bottom two down. They would have been white trimmed light blue on the white coat and the reverse on the light blue coat. It is known that the epaulets and chevrons were used by the infantry and artillery after 1812 and by the Mounted Life Guards just after the end of the Napoleonic Wars - so this is the "best guess" for wargamers wishing to paint the regiment. HORSE FURNITURE The Mounted Life Guards had a light blue schabraque of hussar model (round front, pointed back) edged with white teeth. STANDARDS As was the practice in the Swedish army, no light cavalry regiment, including the Mounted Life Guards carried standards. It was thus not until 1863 that the Mounted Life Guards received a standard; as a present from Queen Louise who had embroidered it herself. WEAPONS At the start of the Napoleonic wars the troopers carried a m/1759 - 1791 hussar sabre. In 1806 they were ordered to carry the m/1793 hussar sabre, although illustrations from 1810 show the earlier model still in use. These sabres were used throughout the wars until 1815 when the new m/1814 was issued. NCOs carried the same model sabre as the other-ranks, but of better quality and decorated with three crowns. Until 1815, when the m/1814 cavalry officers sabre was issued, officers carried a hussar sabre of no fixed model. Troopers were equipped with one m/1767 carbine and one m/1738 pistol at the start of the Napoleonic wars. Troopers of the two jager squadrons were issued a m/1804 rifle and a pair of pistols. The m/1804 rifle was designed for use by light infantry, the only modification made for mounted troops was the addition of a swivel ram-rod. By 1805 the m/1738 pistols were in need of a through overhaul, and were renovated. These "new" pistols being known as m/1738-1806. In 1805 a general order was issued stating that hussars and light dragoons would no longer carry carbines on campaign, although a few such weapons would be issued in peacetime. In 1808 the mounted life guards were issued with a pair of m/1807 pistols. The pair consisted of one rifled pistol, one smooth-bore pistol and one removable stock. These remained in service until replace by the m/1820 pair of pistols. CAMPAIGNS Only a small troop took part in the 1805 campaign in Germany where they served as headquarters guards. This troop consisted of 8 officers, 7 NCOs, 3 trumpeters, 48 light dragoons and 24 jagers. The whole regiment took part in the campaigns of 1808-1809. It took part in actions in both Sweden and Finland, although usually in no more than a strength of two squadrons. In July 1808, an expedition embarked from Stockholm under the command of Maj-Gen Baron Vegesack, and Landed in Finland at Lemo near �bo on July 19th. This force, although just over 3,000 men strong contained only two units of regulars; one squadron of Mounted Life Guards and a combined Foot Guard battalion. The other Swedish troops were militia. After some initial successes, Russian reinforcements brought up by General Baggovout forced the Swedes to reembark under the cover of their fleet's guns. In September 1808 a force of 2,600 Swedes embarked to attack bo. This force consisted of two squadrons of Mounted Life Guards together with one battalion from each of the three Foot Guard regiments, the Kronoberg regiment, the Vastmanlands Militia and a 6pdr battery. On the 16th, they executed an amphibious landing near �bo, at Lokalaks. They were heavily attacked by the Russians, and reembarked immediately the next day. After a change of command to Colonel Baron Boye, on the 26th, they performed another amphibious landing at Helsinge. Outnumbered by the Russians under Bagration, they fought bravely before reembarking under fire on the 28th leaving 5 cannon behind. In March 1809, the Mounted Life Guards took part in the recapture of Grisslehamn. In August 1809 the Swedes shipped troops up the east coast of Sweden to attack the Russians in the rear. This 7000 - 8000 strong force included two squadrons of Mounted Life Guards, although they didn't take their horses (probably due to the problems of shipping them). They formed part of the third brigade, together with the Life Grenadier Regiment and the Uplands Regiment, where dismounted they served as the brigade's light infantry. The whole regiment, with a strength of 300 men took part in the 1813-1814 campaign in Germany. It was assigned to the 1st Brigade (Maj-Gen Schultzenheim) of the 1st Division (Lt-Gen Sandels) together with the other Guard and Grenadier regiments. Throughout the campaign, a small detachment served as the personal guard of Crown Prince Carl-Johan (Bernadotte). BIBLIOGRAPHY Armens eldhandvapen forr och nu: J. Alm Meddlande XIX - Kungl. Armemuseum; Uniformeringen vid Livgardet till hast: Erik Bellander Konungens Lifgarde till hast 1770-1872: C.M. Bjornstjerna 59 st ritningar fran omkring 1800: Krigsarkivet. Uniformen der ganzen konigl. Schwedischen Armee; No.2 leichte Cavallerie: J.B. Schiavonetti Unusual Napoleonic Uniforms - Military Modelling May 1989: Dr Adrian Schmidt. Meddlande XIX - Kungl. Armemuseum; Sidobevapningen vid Livgardet till hast: Heribert Seitz Svenska Armens Munderingar 1680-1905: Einar von Strokirch Back to Table of Contents -- First Empire #10 Back to First Empire List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1993 by First Empire. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. 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