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(5/1/03 6:53:22 pm)
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The Royal Guards of Nordmark - somewhat picture-intensive
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As befits an old nation with a diverse history, the military services of the Kingdom of Nordmark are steeped in tradition. Next to the navy, the military units which are most often in the eye of the public, are the various guards-units, of which there are quite a few. If there are links which seemingly do not work, it will be because they are at servers which do not allow direct linking - it is sometimes difficult for me to notice that, since my cache already has the pictures; if this happens, try typing in the address instead.

All illustrations shown and linked are photos of existing Swedish or Norwegian military units, with the exception of those shown for Nordenfjelske Gardesgrenadér Regemente, which shows Nordenfjeldske Grenadér Compagnie, a reenactment-group from Trondheim, Norway. While the number of units seems excessive when compared, for instance to Great Britain, it in part reflects the geographical particularities of Nordmark, making it, in most cases, easier and cheaper, in fact, to have distributed guards regiments, than to bring one along. The regiments listed are regular guards regiments - in addition there are several militia regiments which carry a guards-designation, notably on Hjaltland, Iceland, and Vinland.

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Högvakt - High Guard
The High Guard provides for military guard-forces for the King and the royal family, as well as permanent guards at the five High Residences: the Royal Palace in Stockholm, the Royal Summer Palace Drottningholm, the Royal Palace in Oslo, the Royal Residence in Trondheim, and the Royal Palace in Helsingfors. While the various guards regiments carry the major portion of responsibility for High Guard duties, all artillery-, cavalry-, infantry-, and engineer-regiments of the Army, as well as as all flotillas of destroyers, all divisions of cruisers and coast-defence armourclads, and all battleships, are called on to provide forces to do High Guard at the five High Residences, each unit normally carrying five to nine duty-days at a time. This symbolises the link between the entirety of the armed forces and the Sovereign.

Modern-day navy personnel on High Guard duty during Changing of the Guards.

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Livdrabant-kåren - the Corps of Drabant Yeomen of the Guard
Livdrabant-kåren is a unit of 200 officers, serving as personal guards to the Sovereign on solemn occasions, and as personal guards of official visitors of state. The Commander in Chief of the corps is a major general, and the guards are captains; the Drabant Yeomen also serve as officers on the army staff and as field officers in reserve units of the Guard-regiments. Drabant Yeomen will be seen in one of two uniforms - the Karl XI uniform, or the Karl XII uniform.

Uniform of the Corps
The Corps has two patterns of uniform. The oldest uniform is the Karl XI uniform, which dates to the late 1600s. This uniform consists of coat and trousers in suede elk-skin, tricorn hat, steel breast-plate, black cravat, suede elk-skin belt for the sideguard, great-gloves of suede elk-skin, black kneehigh riding-boots, spurs, and ammunition-pouch. The guards' sideguard is the officer-rapier pattern 1844. The uniforms are the personal property of the King, and repairs and supplements are amde at the King's personal expense.

Uniform Karl XII is composed of a coat of blue wool, and trousers of yellow wool, with otherwise similar equipment to Uniform Karl XI, except that breastplate is not used with Uniform Karl XII. The uniforms are the personal property of the King, and repairs and supplements are amde at the King's personal expense.

The Corps of Drabant Yeomen of the Guard serves at ceremonies of state at the Royal Palace at the discretion of the King - most notably the Solemn Opening of Parliament, at visits of state, at funerals of state, at coronations, and certain other functions, including funerals of prominent members of the Royal Family, the celebrations of the Heir Presumptive becoming a legal adult, and similar functions. On visits of state, 24 Drabant Yeomen serve on the day of arrival, until the gala dinner of the day of arrival; for the remainder of the visit, a unit of 12 Drabant Yeomen is maintained on duty throughout, with at all times four Drabant Yeomen standing guard outside the guest quarters of the visiting head of state. The first day of the visit, the Drabant Yeomen serve in Uniform Karl XI, the remainder of the day the Drabant Yeomen serve in Uniform Karl XII.

In line with its preservation of ancient custom, the Corps of Drabant Yeomen of the Guard uses an old form of parade march, not otherwise used in the Nordmark armed forces. The marching-style is a slow high-knee march, with short step-length, and measured to 60 steps per minute. Knee-high marching means that the leg is lifted till the thigh is horisontal, then the foot is set firmly down, producing a marked thumping noise. The entrance of the Drabant Yeomen is thus marked by the stately, slow beat of their boots on the ground.

In matters of precedence, Livdrabant-kåren is regarded as a regiment of dismounted cavalry, and is counted as the senior cavalry reigment.


Complete platoon of Drabant Yeomen at visit of state, in Uniform Karl XI.


Drabant Yeoman at parade rest, in Uniform Karl XI.


Complete platoon of Drabant Yeomen, in Uniform Karl XI.

Image of Demiplatoon of Drabant Yeomen, in Uniform Karl XII.

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Livregementet til hest - Horse Life Guards
Cavalry-regiment formed as dragoons 1621 - served as Mounted Guards since 1687. Consists of 12 squadrons of horse. The regiment has two mounted bands. The regiment has three squadrons permanently stationed in Oslo, with one of the mounted bands. The regiment has no regimental banner, but uses the national flag of Nordmark.

Image of dismounted Horse Life Guards troopers at High Guard.

Image of mounted Horse Guards on High Guard Parade.


Horse Guards colour guard party

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2dra Regemente Finska rytteriet - 2nd Regiment Finnish Horse
The Finnish cavalry contains five regiments, but 2nd Regiment Finnish Horse constitutes the Mounted Guard of Finland (1st Regiment Finnish Horse has been chosen to be the first regiment to acquire tanks). Consists of nine squadrons of horse. Its regimental uniform is like to that of the Horse Life Guards in pattern, but has reversed colours - the regimental uniform is white, with details in blue. The regimental banner is blazoned Argent a cross Azure. The regiment has a mounted band.

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Kungliga Svea Livgarde - Royal Svea Life Guard
The oldest regiment of infantry in continuous service in the Nordmark army, tracing its originas to the detachment of 16 able men as the personal guard of Gustav Vasa in 1516. Royal Svea Life Guard musters a complete battalion of rifle infantry, 850 man strong, and two honourable companies as its standing elements, and three battalions in the reserve. The regiment has a military band, and each battalion contains its own Corps of Signals, equipped with fifes, bugles, and drums.

Image of Infantrymen of Royal Svea Life Guard, at High Guard Changing of the Guards Ceremony.

Image of musicians of Corps of Signals 1st Bn Royal Svea Life Guard, showing blue colour of uniforms clearly.

Royal Svea Life Guard Drummer Corporal Major

Svea Livgardes Musketerarkår - Svea Life Guard Corps of Musketeers - forms the 1st Honourable Company of Royal Svea Life Guard. The company parades with smoothbore muskets and a different style of uniform. The company has its own Corps of Signals, equipped with fifes, bugles, and drums.


Image of musketeers of the Svea Life Guard Corps of Musketeers, in summer uniform.


Musketeers of the Svea Life Guard Corps of Musketeers

Kungliga Smålands Karoliner - Royal Småland Carolinians - is the 2nd Honourable Company of Royal Svea Life Guard. The company uses uniforms of the 1600-1700 period, and performs duties at certain occasions related to celebrations of the army heritage. It also provides pageantry for public celebrations in the city of Stockholm, and is the duty unit to provide services for the heralds of the Chancellery of Heraldry. Equipment includes oldfashioned grenades, bladed sidearms, pikes, muskets, and horse artillery. The company has its own Corps of Signals, equipped with fifes, bugles, and drums.


Kungliga Smålands Karoliner at parade at the Royal Palace of Stockholm[/url].

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Kungliga Svea Gardesgrenadér Regemente - Royal Svea Guards Grenadiers
Formed as a separate regiment in 1778, with the separation of the Grenadiers Battalion from Kungliga Svea Livgarde. The regiment musters a complete battalion of grenadier infantry, 850 man strong as its standing element, and one battalion in the reserve. The regiment has a military band, and each battalion has a Corps of Signals, equipped with fifes, bugles, and drums.

Image of Royal Svea Guards Grenadiers.

Image of Royal Svea Guards Grenadiers on display with summer uniforms; Corps of Signals of 1st Bn Royal Svea Life Guards in the background.


Colourguard of the Royal Svea Guards Grenadiers

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Nordenfjelske Gardesgrenadér Regemente - Nordenfjeldske Guards Grenadiers
Raised in 1789, consolidating grenadier-companies of several regiments from the areas around Trondheim. Raised to guards-status in 1811 as a result of excellence in battle. The regiment musters a single battalion of infantry grenadiers, 850 man strong. The regiment has a military band, and a Corps of Signals, equipped with fifes, bugles, and drums.

Image of Tambour of the Corps of Signals of Nordenfjelske Guards Grenadiers, in the regimental parade uniform.

Image of Nordenfjelske Guards Grenadiers regimental officers' parade uniform.


Platoon of Nordenfjelske Guards Grenadiers.


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Björneborgarnas Gardesregemente - the Björneborgar Regiment of Guards
Regiment of infantry raised in 1757, with a proud history from repeated clashes with Russia. Was raised to status as Guard Regiment in 1850. The regiment consists of a single reinforced battalion of infantry, with 1070 men. The regiment has a military band, and a Corps of Signals, equipped with fifes, bugles, and drums.


Guardsman of Björneborgarne Gardesregemente

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Oslo Kungliga Gardesregemente: Svarta Garden - The Oslo Royal Guard Regiment: The Black Guard.
Regiment of infantry guards raised as a militia guard regiment for the 1834 inauguration of the Royal Palace of Oslo; was made a regular guards regiment in 1851. The Regiment is made up of as single reinforced battalion of infantry, 1070 man strong. Is often referred to as Black Guard, by reason of its unique black uniform (rather than dark blue, which is the rule for the other foot guard regiments), which the militia regiment was allowed to retain upon conversion to regular status, and the tradition of the regiment not to use white trousers for its summer uniform, unlike all other footguard units save Livdrabant-kåren. The regiment has a military band, and a Corps of Signals, equipped with fifes, bugles, and drums.

Image of regulation parade uniform for non-commissioned officer and commissioned officer of the Oslo Royal Guard Regiment.

Image of regulation parade uniform for Guardsman of the Oslo Royal Guard Regiment.


Drummajor heading the Corps of Signals on parade.

Order of Precedence:

1. Livdrabantkåren
   
2. Livregementet til hest
   
3. 2. Finska Rytteriet
   
4. Kungliga Svea Livgarde
   
5. Svea Livgardes Musketerkår
   
6. Kungliga Smålands Karoliner
   
7. Kungliga Svea Gardesgrenadér Regemente
   
8. Nordenfjeldske Gardesgrenadér Regemente
   
9. Björneborgarna Gardesregemente
   
10. Oslo Kungliga Gardesregemente: Svarta Garden
    [/list=1]
    Best regards
    Pengolodh
    "Iraq will not be defeated. Iraq has now already achieved victory - apart from some technicalities."
    - Mohsen Khalil, Iraqi Ambassador to the Arab League
    
    Edited by: Pengolodh at: 5/1/03 6:55:24 pm
    
    Rooijen10
    So you want to be a spammer
    Posts: 120
    (5/2/03 1:06:02 pm)
    Re: The Royal Guards of Nordmark - somewhat picture-intensiv
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    This is truly great ! Well done !
    The only ones that seem to give the linking problem are those on hem.passagen.se. The others work fine.
    
    Walter