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Royal Westphalian Military Colours 1808 - 1813 (Germany)

Königlich Westphälische Militärflaggen

Last modified: 2020-06-24 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: westphalen | eagle(golden) | cypher |
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[Königreich Westphalen flag] 2:3 image by Jörg Majewski, 17 June 2020 See also:

Line Infantry Colours 1808 - 1813

Line Infantry Colours 1808 Pattern

[Kingdom Westphalia line infantry 1808 pattern reverse (3rd reg.1st bat.)]
1:1 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 June 2020
colour of 1st battalion of the 3rd regiment
[Kingdom Westphalia line infantry 1808 pattern reverse (3rd reg.1st bat.)]
1:1 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 June 2020
   

The colours were based on the French pattern of 1804, but dark blue around the white diamond. They were approx. 90 cm in square. On obverse and reverse there had been alternating golden cyphers displaying intertwined "JN" in script and golden Napoleonic eagles over a bundle of thunderbolts, both surrounded by a golden wreath with scroll. The obverse (see right image above) bore in golden initials the centred inscription divided into 5 lines as follows: "LE ROI / DE WESTPHALIE / AU Xte REGIMENT / D' INFANTERIE / DE LIGNE". The reverse (see left image above) had an inscription of the same type as follows: "VALEUR / ET DISCIPLINE / Yte. / BATAILLON". X is a regiment's number between 1 and 8, Y is a battalion's number either 1 or 2. There had been six regiments in 1808, each one having two battalions.
Sources:
1) Terence Wise: "Flags of the Napoleonic Wars (3)", Osprey Men-at-Arms Series 115, pp.36-37
2) Alan Pendlebury's webpage
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 June 2020

Line Infantry Colours 1810 Pattern

[Kingdom Westphalia line infantry 1810 pattern reverse (7th reg.1st bat.)]
1:1 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 17 June 2020
colour of 1st battalion of the 7th regiment
[Kingdom Westphalia line infantry 1810 pattern reverse (7th reg.1st bat.)]
1:1 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 17 June 2020
   

The colours were based on the French pattern of 1804, but dark blue around the white diamond and without embroidery. They were approx. 90 cm in square. On obverse and reverse there had been alternating golden 6-point stars and golden Napoleonic eagles over a bundle of thunderbolts, both surrounded by a golden wreath with scroll. The obverse (see right image above) bore in German Gothic letters the centred inscription divided into 6 lines as follows: "Der / König / von / Westphalen / Am Xte. Linien Infanterie / Regiment". The reverse (see left image above) had an inscription of the same type as follows: "Tapferkeit / Und / Gutes / Betragen / Yte. / Bat". X is a regiment's number between 1 and 9, Y is a battalion's number either 1,2 or 3.
There had been eight regiments in 1810, each one having two battalions. The 2nd and 7th regiment in 1811 raised a 3rd battalion. In 1812 the 9th regiment with two battalions was raised.
Sources:
1) Terence Wise: "Flags of the Napoleonic Wars (3)", Osprey Men-at-Arms Series 115, pp.36-37
2) Alan Pendlebury's webpage
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 17 June 2020

Line Infantry Colours 1813 Pattern

[Kingdom Westphalia line infantry 1813 pattern reverse (2nd reg.2nd bat.)]
1:1 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 17 June 2020
colour of 2nd battalion of the 2nd regiment
[Kingdom Westphalia line infantry 1813 pattern reverse (2nd reg.2nd bat.)]
1:1 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 17 June 2020
   

For the nine regiments new colours were issued in 1813 with minor differences to the 1810 pattern as follows: The embroidery on the edge of the diamond was omitted. Eagles and stars in the wreaths were replaced by the number of the regiment.
Nine regiments each having two battalions had these flags.
Sources:
1) Terence Wise: "Flags of the Napoleonic Wars (3)", Osprey Men-at-Arms Series 115, pp.36-37
2) Alan Pendlebury's webpage
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 17 June 2020


Infantry Guards Colours 1808 - 1813

The Grenadier-Guards and Rifle-Guards (German: Jäger Garden), one bataillon each, received their flags on 1 July 1808. They had the same size and general design as those issued to the line regiments. All infantry guards flags had a white flag pole of approx. 170cm height with bronce spearhead-shaped finial.
All of the infantry guards received new flags in 1812, including the newly raised Fusilier-Guards. The new flags retained the old sizes but now the flag poles were painted in blue and white spirals.

Grenadier Guards Colours 1808 Pattern

[Kingdom Westphalia infantry guards 1808 pattern reverse]
1:1 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 June 2020
[Kingdom Westphalia infantry guards 1808 pattern reverse (grenadiers)]
1:1 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 June 2020
   

The inscriptions were different and the corner wreaths were of a slightly different pattern and were empty. The obverse bore in golden initials the centred inscription divided into 5 lines as follows: "LE ROI/DE WESTPHALIE/AU BATAILLON DE/GRENADIERS/GARDES" (see right image above). The reverse had an inscription of the same type as follows: "VALEUR / ET DISCIPLINE" (see left image above), as there had been just one bataillon, there was no 3rd line.
Sources:
1) Terence Wise: "Flags of the Napoleonic Wars (3)", Osprey Men-at-Arms Series 115, pp.36-37
2) Alan Pendlebury's webpage
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 June 2020

Rifle Guards Colours 1808 Pattern

[Kingdom Westphalia infantry guards 1808 pattern reverse]
1:1 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 June 2020
[Kingdom Westphalia infantry guards 1808 pattern obverse (rifles)]
1:1 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 June 2020
   

Acc. to source for the rifles the 3rd line was "JÄGERS" instead, which is probably wrong, and should be "CHASSEURS". The reverse had an inscription of the same type as follows: "VALEUR/ET DISCIPLINE", as there had been just one bataillon, there was no 3rd line.
Sources:
1) Terence Wise: "Flags of the Napoleonic Wars (3)", Osprey Men-at-Arms Series 115, pp.36-37
2) Alan Pendlebury's webpage
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 June 2020

Carabiniers d' Elite Colours 1811 Pattern

[Kingdom Westphalia infantry guards 1811 pattern reverse (carabiniers)]
1:1 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 June 2020
[Kingdom Westphalia infantry guards 1811 pattern obverse (carabiniers)]
1:1 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 June 2020
   

On 19 May 1811 the Jäger-Carabinier-d'Elite received a standard of the line infantry 1810 pattern with different inscription in centred golden Gothic letters, on the obverse: "Der/König/von/Westphalen/dem Bataillon/Jäger-Carabiniers/d'Elite" , on the reverse "Tapferkeit/Und/Gutes/Betragen ".
Sources:
1) Terence Wise: "Flags of the Napoleonic Wars (3)", Osprey Men-at-Arms Series 115, pp.36-37
2) Alan Pendlebury's webpage
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 June 2020

Infantry Guards Colours 1812 Pattern

[Kingdom Westphalia infantry guards 1812 pattern reverse (fusiliers)]
1:1 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 June 2020
[Kingdom Westphalia infantry guards 1812 pattern obverse (fusiliers)]
1:1 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 June 2020
   

All of the infantry guards received new flags in 1812, including the newly raised Fusilier-Guards. The new flags retained the old sizes but now the flag poles were painted in blue and white spirals. The new pattern was dark blue parted by a white saltire with golden fringe. On the obverse was a golden Gothic inscription "Der König/von Westphalen/Dem Bataillon/ X Garde", where X is either "Füsilier", "Grenadier", "Jäger" or "Jäger Carabinier". On the reverse were on the centre of the saltire the ümiddle armsüof the kingdom, i.e. shield with orders and chains and topped by a royal crown. The blue fields on the obverse are charged with a golden Napoleonic Eagle, on the reverse by a golden cypher in serifed letters, reading intertwined "NH", referring to Napoleon I and the King Jerome, the "H" probably representing "Hieronymus", the Latinised version of his name, which is also used in Germany.
Sources:
1) Terence Wise: "Flags of the Napoleonic Wars (3)", Osprey Men-at-Arms Series 115, pp.36-37
2) Alan Pendlebury's webpage
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 June 2020


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