Uniforms and Equipment of the Old Army - Cavalry - Hussars - Regiments - The Leib-Husaren Regiments No. 1 and 2

The foundation day of the 1st Leib-Husaren Regiment No. 1 and the 2nd Leib-Husaren Regiment No. 2 was 09.08.1741.

The 1st Leib-Husaren was established on 16.10.1807 and the parent unit was the Hussar Regiment v. Prittwitz No. 5.

Garrisons were (1877) Langfuhr, Osterode and Stargardt.

The regiment received its recruits from the districts of the 3rd and 4th Infantry Brigades.

According to Haaber (p. 155), the remounts came from the remounts Pr. Mark, Neuhoff-Ragnit, Iurgattschen and Brakupönen.

The 2nd Leib-Husaren was then established on 20.12.1808 in Oletzko from the aforementioned Leib-Husaren regiment.

According to Haber (p. 158), the regiment was formed from the 2nd battalion of the 1st Leib-Husaren Regiment, which consisted of 4 squadrons. However, the 4th squadron was transferred in 1815 to form the 8th Hussar Regiment.

Garrisons were (1877) Posen and Lissa in Posen.

The uniform of the 1st Leib-Husaren Regiment consisted of a black Attila with white or silver cords and white buttons.

The pelisse was also black with a light gray fur trimming. The lining was black (or white).

The pelisse could be worn over the Attila or draped to the side over the left shoulder.

The uniform of the 2nd Leib-Husaren Regiment corresponded to that of the 1st Leib-Husaren Regiment, but the kolpak of the fur cap was white.

On the shoulder cords, however—from 1888 onward—there was a yellow-metal letter V with a crown. This was the monogram of the Queen of Prussia (Victoria).

There was no monogram on the shoulder straps of the coat.

The saber frog (sabre pocket) of the 2nd Leib-Husaren Regiment was black, as with the other hussar regiments.

The Leib-Husaren Regiments No. 1 and 2 (both Danzig-Langfuhr) wore, as a peculiarity on the fur cap, a white-metal skull under the cockade band.

For officers it was a silvered skull.

According to the clothing regulations for officers and medical officers of the Royal Prussian Army (Berlin 1896), the skull was 11.5 cm wide and 9.5 cm high (p. 85).

The skull occupied the entire front of the fur cap.

The kolpak of the fur cap was red for the 1st Leib-Husaren and white for the 2nd Leib-Husaren.

Officers wore on the fur cap a white egret plume with a black root (from 30.03.1861).

On the cartridge plate of the 1st Leib-Husaren Regiment there was a nickel silver garde star.

The saber frog of the aforementioned unit was covered in red, but had a white braid trim.

A skull and a garde star were also on the saber.

According to Knötel/Pietsch (The German Army. Peacetime uniforms at the outbreak of the World War, p. 147), the officers of the 2nd Leib-Husaren Regiment carried the same sabers as the officers of the 1st Leib-Husaren Regiment.

The leather equipment (belt, bandolier) was white in both formations.

The sergeants of the 1st Leib-Husaren Regiment wore on the chest of the Attila a braid trim that ran above the uppermost and lowermost chest cord trims and, in a diagonal direction—under the cord trim—from the middle of the upper to the middle of the lower rosette (Knötel/Pietsch, The German Army, text volume, p. 145).

The sergeants of the 2nd Leib-Husaren Regiment received these chest braids by A.K.O. of 21.05.1895.

Both regiments had kettledrums.

The lance pennants for non-commissioned officers and ranks were for the 1st Leib-Husaren Regiment black with a sewn-on white skull.

For the 2nd Leib-Husaren Regiment these were white with a black skull, and this has been the case since 15.06.1894.