Last part of Part 3. Any comments appreciated.
Chapter 3 Landwehr Cavalry
(G) The Uniforms of the National Cavalry Regiments
Preussiches National-Kavallerie-Regiment
Page 62.
Add before the first sentence.
"This was known as the East Prussian National Cavalry Regiment until early 1814 (ref 1)."
Add after the first sentence.
"It is probable that the East Prussian National Cavalry Regiment, including its officers, was equipped with red hussar dolmans of British origin at the turn of 1813/1814. (ref 9).
Pommersches leichtes National-Kavallerie-Regiment
Add after the first paragraph.
"A green litewka may also have been worn (ref 2)."
(H) The Uniforms of the Landwehr Cavalry
It should be noted that the records for the army as a whole in 1815 are incomplete and there are contradictions and considerable uncertainty in the available information.
Page 63
Add after "…..Landwehr infantry." "Shoulder straps were white for the 1st squadron, red for the 2nd, yellow for the 3rd and light blue for the 4th (Ref 4). In April 1815, the colour of the shoulder straps and cuff piping was changed to that of the collar."
Pages 63/64. Replace the last sentence of the first paragraph with:
The saddle was usually covered with a sheepskin with a cloth scalloped edging (not dog-toothed) in the provincial colour. These sheepskin saddle cloths were generally black but some provinces (e.g. Silesia, Neumark and Elbe) seem to have issued white sheepskins (refs 3 and 4). Officers often wore a kollet rather than a litewka.
Add to the end of the second paragraph.
"Despite this, it is roughly estimated that 75% of units wore the standard uniform (Ref 3)."
Page 65 First paragraph.
Replace sentences starting "The 1st and 2nd Neumark regiments……….. while other indicate it was the 3rd." With " A variety of other headdresses were worn including English Stovepipe shakos, French shakos and czapkas. This is covered in more detail later. Where the schirmutze was worn, it had a band in the provincial colour. Where the English stovepipe was worn, it had a white lace band on the crown and white cords. There was a black and white Prussian cockade in the front centre and a smaller one at the top."
Fifth paragraph
Add to the end.
"This may not have been implemented by the Waterloo Campaign."
East Prussian Landwehr Cavalry
Replace entire paragraph with:
Regulation shako with or without waterproof cover. Yellow Landwehr cross. Dark blue litewka with red collar and shoulder straps (not cuffs). Possibly a sky blue litewka for the 5th regiment. Black belts. Grey leather lined overalls. White over black lance pennant or black with yellow cross. The 1st and 2nd squadrons of the 5th East Prussian Regiment had grey litewkas with red colours. The 3rd squadron had blue litewkas. (Ref 4 and 7)
Page 66
Picture description (d) Replace "Neumark Landwehr cavalryman. Modified French Hussar shako" with "Kurmark Landwehr cavalryman. Modified British Stovepipe shako"
Page 67
West Prussian Landwehr Cavalry
No change
Brandenburg Landwehr Cavalry
Replace with:
Neumark Landwehr Cavalry
Regulation shako with white cords and without waterproof cover. Some references state that the 1st and 2nd Regiments had British stovepipe shakos but this seems less likely (ref 4). Both regiments wore a mid blue litewka with red collar (not shoulder straps or cuffs). Red piping on sleeve seams and cuffs. Black belts. Grey leather lined overalls with red outside piping. White over black lance pennant (Ref 4).
Elite squadrons in 1st and 2nd Regiments were dressed as Cossacks with black fur Cossack hat with white cords and red bag. They wore a dark blue Cossack style tunic and trousers with red collar, shoulder straps and trouser seam. (Ref 5).
Neumark Landwehr Cavalry
Replace title with:
Kurmark Landwehr Cavalry
1st and 2nd Regiments wore a modified English Stovepipe shako. Dark blue litewka with red collar (not shoulder straps or cuffs). Red piping on sleeve seams and cuffs. Black belts. Grey leather lined overalls with red outside piping. Grey cloth shabraque with red edge. White line in centre of red edge. White over black lance pennant for 1st, red over white for others. (Ref 4). Another regiment wore dark blue kollet with czapka with blue top laced in white. Red collar, shoulder straps and cuffs. (Ref 4).
Pommeranian Landwehr Cavalry
No change to existing text. Add:
"1 Squadron in the 2nd Regiment wore a Cossack style uniform as in the Neumark regiments. (Refs 4&5). The grey litewka may have originally been black and had faded. From mid 1814, the 1st Regiment wore a British stovepipe shako with a cover (Refs 6&8)."
Silesian Landwehr Cavalry
Replace text with:
Normal style of dress with yellow collar (not cuffs or shoulder straps). Lance pennant yellow over white. White sheepskin shabraque with yellow teeth.Cloaks were white with yellow collar and lining for the 7th Regiment. The 2nd Regiment wore a British stovepipe shako with a red/white plume and a white landwehr cross (ref 6). The 3rd regiment wore dark blue kollet with czapka with blue top laced in yellow with black plume on parade. Yellow collar, shoulder straps and cuffs for 3rd. (Ref 4 and 7).
Elbe Landwehr Regiment
As existing text but replace "litewka without facings" with "litewka with light blue collar and cuffs".
Add "Officers may have worn kollets with light blue facings and black sheepskin shabraques with a light blue edge. White belts may have been worn by some troopers." (Ref 4).
Westphalian Landwehr Regiment
As existing text but replace "litewka with collar and cuffs piped in bright green" with "litewka or kollet with bright green collar and cuffs".
Replace "white belts" with "white or black belts."
Add "Dark blue cloth shabraques with green edging or grey with yellow toothed edging."
Rhineland
Replace "Black Leather Czapka…….." with "The 1st Regiment wore a regulation shako and the 2nd a black leather Czapka……"
Add "These regiments were raised in late 1815 and did not see service in the Waterloo campaign."
References
1: Prussian Cavalry 1813 TMP link
2: Knotel Print. Band XV Number 57.
3: link
4: Heer und Tradition No 114 and 115 Pruessen Landwehr Kavallerie
5: Prussian Landwehr Cavalry in "Cossack" Uniform? TMP link
6: Landwehr Cavalry Headgear TMP link
7: Which Prussian Landwehr Regiments wore a Grey Litewka TMP link
8: The Prussians in 1815 TMP link
9: Prussian National Cavalry TMP link
receives a gift from his wife…