"Austrian Staff Infantry and Dragoon Uniforms in 1809" Topic

In 1809, Austria had a staff Dargoon regiment and several staff infantry units. I believe in the decade previous, they wore some king of gray uniform.

Does anyone know the specific uniform for these troops? Are there any pictures?

Have to check it again, but IIRC – due to economic reasons – there were no special uniforms for this campaign, just the usual white. There is a faint memory, that troops destined for duty as staff infantry got white uniforms with red facings added on arrival at their destination. No – not even faint – memory on staff cavalry.
Earlier staff infantry and cavalry had pike grey coats with red facings.
Don't know any pictures.

Not that bad, my memory:
The infantry were taken from the Grenz-Kordon (half-invalids) and got crab-red cloth for collar and cuffs, turnbacks remained white. They wore a shako.
Nearly the same for the cavalry, taken from various German regiments: white coats with crab-red collars and cuffs, white turnbacks; helmet.

The Stabsdragooner (Staff Dragoon Regt.) was formed in the 7YW, but disbanded in 1763. I have the uniform for that period. Duffy states it was reformed in 1769. (Army of Marie Theresa p. 241)

This site gives a reorganisation in 1798:

link

In the 1809 there seem to have been picked men from line regiments:

link

They seem to have had the uniform of the old light dragoon regt #9, with a green coat with black collar and cuffs and cream breeches. See the above.

Hope this helps.

I asked Dave Hollins about these guys about a year ago, here's his answer :

"The 1778-9 unit wore a dark blue faced ponceaurot tunic with yellow buttons and the same was used in 1790, except the jackets were supposed to be hellblau (bright blue) in 1790 before reverting to dark blue in 1791 (ie: probably dark blue all the time).

In the following 1790s, it was grass/dark green with black facings (yellow buttons changed to white in 1794). Obviously, they needed a new unit when the existing Staff Dragoons became 9LD in 1798, so various men were drafted in from various cavalry units. They were supposed to be kitted out in dark blue tunics (probably old ones recut to the 98 pattern) , but an HKR order of 1799 puts them in the pike grey jackets faced krapprot with yellow buttons.

In 1805, it is Pike Grey with Krapprot facings and white buttons with Hussar saddles.

In 1809, it is white tunics with krapprot facings and collars, but white turnbacks and Chevauleger saddles, although an official order acknowledged that the allocated men could only be supplied with krapprot material for the facings/cuffs (they seem to be a mix of Dragoons and C/L). "

"In 1809 the staff infantry wore the same uniforms as the staff dragoons, but they are a bit different earlier on.

1792-1801: White uniform with no facings etc. and just yellow buttons, although the officer had Pompadour Red facings and cuffs.

In 1805, they are quite similar to the cavalry – Hechtgrau tunic with Krapprot facings and yellow buttons.

In 1809, the Staff infantry were drawn from the Grenzkordon (that's the border guards all around the empire), hence the white uniform with no colour on the turnbacks, so they just changed the black cuffs and collars for Krapprot and they were definitely in shakos."

Hope this helps,
Iannick
clashofempires.ca

<<…and they were definitely in shakos.">>

Are those Grenzer-style shakos, or Hungarian-style shakos?

Also, does anyone know in what proportions the staff cavalry and infantry were dished out to korps, division and brigade commanders – or were they held at army level?

This, of course, shows what a shame it is the Dave Hollins hounded from these boards.

He can often be reached on the General de Brigade forum:

link

(Sorry, I don't know what the equivalent of the Bat Signal is.)