Tuesday 2 June 2009

Saxon Hussar of the Frei-Husaren von Schill


Raised 1761. Commander 1761-3: Rittmeister Johann-Georg von Schill, an ex-Austrian officer from Bohemia, born a commoner and ennobled for his services to Austria and Saxony. He was the father of the Prussian officer von Schill who led an unsuccessful revolt against Napoleon in 1809 in which the younger von Schill was killed. Unit only about 40 strong (a very weak squadron) and it probably formed the bodyguard of Prinz Xaver, Comte de Lusace, the Saxon commander, although Kronoskaf says the unit also included mounted and foot jägers (citing Schirmer).

There were two uniforms and this is the earlier one; the later one may not actually have been worn during the SYW. We do not know what the horse furniture of the earlier uniform was so I have left this as a blank shabraque on the coloured version but using the pattern of the later version.

11 comments:

  1. The unknown always gives us the opportunity to personalize a unit to our own satisfaction. Nicde job as usual...

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  2. Merrily colorful dashing hussar!

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  3. Thank you, Bill, Jean-Louis and Geoffrey! :-)

    David.

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  4. Now THAT is one snazzy looking unit! I'm going to recruit an entire regiment as soon as Hat comes out with their SYW Prussian Hussars! Great work!

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  5. Thanks, km. I look forward to seeing pictures, if you'll be posting some eventually.

    David.

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  6. A wonderful costume. Like KM I shall also be painting up a regiment of these for my fictional army - an added incentive is that my wife's family has the surname Shill!

    Great work, as always.

    Regards
    John

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  7. Thanks, John, and good luck with the painting. I look forward to seeing pictures of the completed regiment. :-)

    Is the Shill name related to the German Schill, do you know?

    Regards,

    David.

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  8. Divid

    I have been looking for some suitable figures for my army (1/72 plastic) but finding it difficult to locate any with the appropriate headgear. I am not very skilled at converting so am shying away from that option at present.

    I suspect the Shill surname does originate from Germany (from searching some family history sites on the web) but do not have any direct evidence myself to support a connection with my wife's family.

    Kind regards
    John

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  9. Hi John,

    Hope you manage to find some suitable figures - very frustrating, otherwise!

    Frustrating not to be able to find some defeinitive evidence of the name too - but I beleive genealogical research can and often does end up up cul de sacs!

    All the best,

    David.

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  10. Another very pretty uniform, David!

    Best Regards,

    Stokes

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