Uniforms and Equipment of the Old Army - Cavalry - Hussar Regiments - Brunswick Hussar Regiment No. 17

The unit's foundation day was considered to be 01.04.1809.

The original unit is to be regarded as the hussar regiment of the "Schwarzen Schar" ("Black Squadron").

On 01.01.1825 the formation was re-established.

At first it bore the designation “Ducal Brunswick Guard Hussar Regiment”. The addition "Guard" was later dropped.

After the Wars of Unification (1867) the unit was incorporated into the Prussian army as the Brunswick Hussar Regiment No. 17.

The garrison of the formation was Brunswick from 1825, and from 1892 in the Mars-la-Tour Barracks.

"The barracks were built from 1892 on the site next to the riding track on the Giersberg which had already existed there since 1873, with stables for the horses of the Brunswick Hussar Regiment No. 17. This had previously been housed in the Hussar Barracks on the Löwenwall and moved into the new military complex on 15 March 1893, where it remained stationed until its demobilization after the First World War" (Wikipedia).

In keeping with the tradition of the Black Corps, the hussars wore a black Attila with yellow lace.

The fur cap had a ponceau-red kolpak. For parade a black horsehair plume was worn.

As ornament on the front of the fur cap there was a devisen band made of tombac. This bore the inscription “PENINSULA, SICILY, WATERLOO, MARS-LA-TOUR”.

From 17.09.1883 a nickel-silver skull with crossed bones was worn beneath it.

This skull differed in execution from the variant used by the Prussian 1st and 2nd Life Hussar Regiments.

The state cockade was blue-yellow.

The pennant of the lance also showed the colors blue-yellow.

Equipment also included a white bandolier with a black cartridge pouch.