"Brigader General Bielke at Blenheim" Topic

So not much to go on, he lead one of the two danish infantry brigades at Bleinheim.

How ever Bielke is a Swedish name. And simply General Bielke is not very helpful.

I'm wondering mostly because I need to paint him. And so what uniform should I use?
If he was dressed Danish, what did Danish generals look like?
If he was dressed Swedish? Should I look for a caroliner uniform? or use a more fancy uniform but in swedish blue?

As he was commanding Danish troops ( including a battalion of the Guard), I would assume he was dressed as a senior Danish officer. Generals seem to have moved around wuite a lot, so the fact that he was Swedish woukd not have orevented him becoming a general in the Danish army.Basically a grey coat with metallic decoration along the various seams, edges of pockets etc. He would almost certainly have been mounted, so would wear cavalry boots.

Gunfreak – link

Steamingdave47 – pdf and website you posted is in violation of copyright. The individual you has posted that site stole it from Dan Schorr, and has placed it on the net without his permission. Don't contribute to the disgusting abuse of a person's copyright.

Gunfreak you are correct as the Bielke's were a prominent Swedish noble family I had trouble finding any information that directly relates to the General Bielke at Blenheim but I would like to do some speculation

The most prominent member of the Bielke family at the time was Nils Bielke who has a good article written about him in Wikipedia
link

Nils Bielke was also a "Reichsgraf" of the Holy Roman Emoire and was a Field Marshall in the Austrian Army At the time of Blenheim Nils was estranged from King Charles XI of Sweden ( actually under sentence of death) and was in Austrian Territories

Back to Blenheim, the Danish Army also used foreign regiments
like the ones in Bielke's Brigade who were mostly from Wurttemberg under "Imperial Officers" As Nils Bielke was already a Field Marshall and aged 61 in 1705 I doubt he was the commander I would therefore "speculate" that the Brigadier in charge was Nils son .

This is what his brigade wore

I believe he was Brigadier Christopher von Bielke of the 1st battalion Prinds Carl (1701-1704, so was he killed in action?)

later (1708) there was a Brigadier Christian von Bielke of the 2nd battalion.

being only a Brigadier (kind of Colonel plus one) he would probably wear the officers regimental uniform.

DO I detect some TMP flaming?

Christopher von Bielke died at the Battle of Blenheim 1704. His brother, Christian Frederik Christian Bielke, became Colonel of the 2. battalion Prins Karl Regiment on 9 January 1708 and died on 13 September 1709.

These were Danes. Most certainly not Swedish!

See above

I did find a Danish encyclopedia it says he become colonel of Prins Christian regiment in 1699, not refrence to prins carl regiment.

Can anybody conferm which of those regiment he was colonel of at Blendheim?

9th Maine. I had only "Brigader General Bielke" to go by, no first name. googling General Bielke was not very helpful.

But thanks for the help. oh and in Danish he goes by Kristoffer Bielke

Christoper Bielke was a Danish subject. Here is his biography. link

This might help.

Danish Auxiliary Corps Infantry Regiments in Service of Maritime Powers

Infantry

Garden til Fods – 1 Bn, 1701 (Colonel) Jacques du val de la Pottrie, 1704 (Lieutenant Colonel)Johan Dietrich von Lattorff, 1708 (Major General)Lave Hohndorff, 1710 (Major General)Carl Landgreve af Hessen-Philipsthal

1st Bn Regiment Prinds Carl – 1701 (Brigadier)Christopher von Bielke, 1704 (Brigadier, 1708 Major General) Johan Bernhard von Schwerzel

2nd Bn Regiment Prinds Carl – 1701 (Lieutenant General) Jobst von Scholten, 1708 (Brigadier)Christian von Bielke, 1709 (Colonel)Patroclus von Rømeling

1st Bn Regiment Sjelland – 1701 (Colonel)Christian von Puttkammer, 1704 (Colonel, 1711 Brigadier)Philip von Donep, 1711 (Colonel)Francois d'Asperemont.

2nd Bn Regiment Sjelland – 1701 (Major General)Andreas von Harboe, 1704 (Major General)Hans Christopher von Schönfeldt, 1706 (Brigadier, 1709 Major General)Laurence de Boiset

1st Bn Regiment Prinds Georg – 1701 (Colonel)Claus Ulrich von Roepstorff, 1704 (Colonel)Christian Jørgen von Urne then (Colonel, 1709 Brigadier, 1712 Major General)Gerhard Christian von Stöcken

2nd Bn Regiment Prinds Georg – 1701 (Lieutenant General)Hertug Carl Rudolf af Würtemberg, 1705 (Colonel, 1710 Brigadier)Daniel von Plessen

1st Bn Regiment Fynske – 1701 (Colonel)Bernhard Dalwig, 1704 (Colonel)Justus Voigt, 1709 (Colonel)Georg Wilhelm Hedwiger Greve von Sponeck, 1710 (Colonel)Friedrich von Gersdorff

Regiment Oldenbourg – 1 Bn 1701 (Brigadier)Hertug Frederik Wilhelm af Augustenborg, 1708 (Colonel)Hans Philip von Prætorius

Regiment Würtemberg-Oels – 1703 (Colonel)Hertug Christian Ulrich af Würtemberg-Oels ((Colonel)Jacob von Bonar)

By the way, the Danish sources that I have all spell his give name as "Christopher". Remember, this is the late 17th, early 18th Century we are dealing with, and spelling is often quite different than the 21st Century equivalent.

Sorry 9th Maine didn't see your link first time, you had already answered the question.

According to the original camp of Meunster 13 August 1704 (capitals)
first line right to left

GARDEN DANNOISES – 1 Btn
1701 Colonel Jacques du val de la Pottrie
1704 Lt-Colonel Johan Dietrich von Lattorff

PRINS CHARLES – Prinds Carl 1 btn
1701 Brigadier Christopher von Bielke
1704-09-20 Brigadier Johan Bernhard von Schwerzel

SCHOLTZEN – 1 btn (Prinds Carl 2nd btn)
1701 Lt-General Jobst von Scholten
1708-01-09 Brigadier Christian von Bielke

PRINS GEORG – 1 btn

1st Btn
1701 Colonel Claus Ulrich von Roepstorff
1704 Colonel Christian Jørgen von Urne
or
2nd Btn 1701 Lt-General Hertug Carl Rudolf af Würtemberg

2nd line right to left

WOURTENBERG – 1 btn
1703 Colonel Hertug Christian Ulrich af Würtemberg-Oels (Colonel Jacob von Bonar)

ZEELANDT – 1 btn (2nd btn)
1701 Maj-General Andreas von Harboe
1704 Maj-General Hans Christopher von Schönfeldt

FUNNEN – 1 btn
1701 Colonel Bernhard Dalwig
1704 Colonel Justus Voigt

some sources only have 1 btn prins Carl and 2 of prins Georg, not sure who is correct at this point.

When these regiments were hired out to the maritime powers each battalion was treated like its own regiment often named after the colonel at the time.

at least 1 btn of prins Christian was with the imperial contingent, along with other Danish units

not sure if this helps or confuses the matter

Toronto48,

What is the source of that picture? Where can I get the rest of it?

Thanks,

22nd Foot, beware, the plate above has numerous errors, as does much of the info on that site as regards uniforms and flags, but its free so it must be good.

The plate is part of:
link

As 9th Maine says use as a starting point only.
The uniform pics are from the Baccus site, the flags are sometimes the right ones.

9th Maine and Camcleod,

Can you suggest a source which does not include such errors?

22nd

Are you interested in just the Danish Army or all the rest as well?

The Hall series of CDs cover many of the countries in very good detail.
link

For the Danes this site looks very good:

link

And this document by Dan Schorr:
PDF link

Camcleod,

All of them really – several past Blenheim/WSS projects (6mm, 15mm and 28mm) have all foundered on my unwillingness to make up for a lack of useful information with a willingness to "wing it."

I'll have a look at the stuff you suggest. Thanks.

Also two useful books by Charles Grant:
link
Vol. 1 covers the main protagonists.
And Vol. 2 adds in Italy, Spain, Portugal.
link

There is also a series of booklets by Sapherson and another by Kuhn on the various contingents.

Caliver Books or On Military Matters should have many of them.