"WAS vs SYW Austrian gaiter color" Topic

Gents,

Did the Austrian army have any troops equipped with white gaiters in the SYW? The Austrians had colored turnbacks and white gaiters in the WAS – did they in the SYW?

I'm looking to get double duty out of my infantry but the white vs black gaiter look is quite stark and seemingly period specific.

Any info on this would be much appreciated.

kind Regards

Happy Wanderer

The white gaiters were still used for parade-dress and special occasions. That said, if you want your SYW Austrians in white gaiters on the battlefield, go ahead. I have SYW Austrians battalions in white gaiters among my forces.

Quote from Duffy – "The Army Of Maria Theresa" page 71 with reference to "German" infantry dress

"From 1754 black gaiters (Gamaschen) were stipulated for field conditions and their white counterparts were reserved for parades. This was in accordance with the Prussian practice. The gaiters constricted the leg rather badly, and theyproved to be particularly inconvenient in wet weather, which was why it was decided on 3 October 1756 that 'the soldiers should help themselves out instead with their woollen socks'"

I take this as meaning they would have removed gaiters when wet and used woollen socks pulled up the ends of the breeches.

Clearly white gaiters were still around in 1756 but supposed to be restricted to the parade ground.

A number of units retained coloured turnbacks into the SYW period.
See link to previous discussion

TMP link

Gents,

Thanks very much for that – very much appreciated. There seems to be some capacity for white gaiter-ed (socked) Austrian infantry of the earlier SYW period.

Cheers

HappyW