Hälsinge Regiment

The Hälsinge Regiment (Swedish: Hälsinge regemente), designations I 14, I 14/Fo 49 and I 14/Fo 21, was a Swedish Army infantry regiment that traced its origins back to the 16th century. It was disbanded in 1997. The regiment's soldiers were originally recruited from the provinces of Hälsingland and Gästrikland, and it was later garrisoned in Gästrikland.

History

The regiment has its origins in fänikor (companies) raised in Hälsingland and Gästrikland in the 1550s and 1560s. In 1615, these units, along with additional fänikor from the nearby provinces of Medelpad, Ångermanland and Västerbotten, organised by Gustav II Adolf into Norrlands storregemente, of which eleven of the total 24 companies were recruited in Hälsingland and Gästrikland. Norrlands storregemente consisted of three field regiments, of which Hälsinge Regiment was one. Sometime around 1624, the grand regiment was permanently split into three smaller regiments, of which Hälsinge Regiment was one.

The regiment was officially established only in 1630 although it had existed since 1624. Hälsinge Regiment was one of the original 20 Swedish infantry regiments mentioned in the Swedish constitution of 1634. The regiment was also called Joakim Brahe's Regiment after its first commander Joakim Brahe. It was allotted in 1682 as the second Swedish regiment to be so, after Dalarna Regiment.

In 1634 the regiment consisted of eight companies: i) Livkompaniet, ii) Överstelöjtnantens kompani, iii) Majorens kompani, iv) Alsta kompani, v) Delsbo kompani, vi) Ovansjö kompani, vii) Arbrå kompani and viii) Jervsö kompani. By 1814 there were eight companies still, namely, i) Livkompaniet, ii) Forssa kompani, iii) Järvsö kompani, iv) Delsbo kompani, v) Färnebo kompani, vi) Arbrå kompani, vii) Alfta kompani, and viii) Ovansjö kompani.

The regiment was given the designation I 14 (14th Infantry Regiment) in a general order in 1816. Hälsinge Regiment was garrisoned in Gävle from 1909. In 1973, the regiment gained the new designation I 14/Fo 49 as a consequence of a merge with the local defence area Fo 49. When the local defence area changed designation to Fo 21 in 1982, the designation changed to I 14/Fo 21.

The regiment was disbanded in 1997, and the barracks that had been refurbished in 1995-1996 were turned into a college campus for the University College of Gävle.

Heraldry and traditions

The regiment has carried a number of colour over the years. But it is best known from the colors black and white, with black symbolizing Hälsingland and white Gästrikland.

The coat of the arms of the Hälsingland Regiment is based upon the provincial badge of Hälsingland, saltire sable and argent, a buck rampant or, armed and langued gules. The shield surmounted two muskets in saltire.

Motto: "Fasthet, Förmåga, Förtroende" ("Solidity, Ability, Confidence")

March: "Marcia militaris" (Schmidt)

In connection with the disbandment of the regiment, its traditions and heriage came from 1 January 1998 onwards to be continued by Gävleborg Group (Gävleborgsgruppen), and from 1 July 2013 the Gävleborg Battalion, within the Gävleborg Group.

Campaigns

1. The Swedish War of Liberation (1521–1523)
2. The Northern Seven Years' War (1563–1570)
3. The War against Russia (1590–1595)
4. The Polish War (1600–1629)
5. The Thirty Years' War (1630–1648)
6. The Torstenson War (1643–1645)
7. The Northern Wars (1655–1661)
8. The Scanian War (1674–1679)
9. The Great Northern War (1700–1721)
10. The Hats' Russian War (1741–1743)
11. The Seven Years' War (1757–1762)
12. The Gustav III's Russian War (1788–1790)
13. The Finnish War (1808–1809)
14. The Campaign against Norway (1814)

Commanding officers

1. 1624–1630: Joakim Brahe
2. 1630–1638: Åke Ulfsparre
3. 1638–1645: Johan Oxenstierna
4. 1645–1645: Johan Strijk
5. 1645–1654: Gustaf Saabel
6. 1654–1655: Gustaf Oxenstierna
7. 1655–1660: Carl Larsson Sparre
8. 1660–1669: Henrik Johan Taube
9. 1670–1673: Anders Månsson Arenfeldt
10. 1673–1683: Gustaf Karl von Wulffen
11. 1683–1698: Ludvig Wilhelm Taube
12. 1698–1700: Carl Gustaf Frölich
13. 1700–1708: Jöran von Knorring
14. 1708–1723: Gideon Fock
15. 1710–1717: Reinhold Henrik Otto Horn
16. 1717–1724: Lorentz von Nummers
17. 1723–1738: Henrik Magnus von Buddenbrock
18. 1739–1750: Johan Karl Silversparre
19. 1750–1762: Reinhold Otto Fock
20. 1762–1772: Anders Rudolf Du Rietz
21. 1772–1776: Fredrik Gyllenswan
22. 1776–1782: Arvid Nils Stenbock
23. 1782–1809: Gustaf Wilhelm von Kaulbars
24. 1809–1815: Fredrik Christian von Platen
25. 1815–1847: Adolf Ludvig von Post
26. 1847–1856: Charles Emil Rudbeck
27. 1856–1860: Alexander Reuterskiöld
28. 1860–1861: Sven Peter Bergman
29. 1861–1864: Nils Henrik Hägerflycht
30. 1864–1868: Axel Krister Gregersson Leijonhuvud
31. 1868–1874: Ernst von Vegesack
32. 1874–1882: Johan Gottlieb Wilhelm von Rehausen
33. 1882–1893: Carl Bror Munck af Fulkila
34. 1893–1901: Knut Robert Fabian Reuterskiöld
35. 1901–1902: Johan Kasimir De la Gardie
36. 1902–1909: Wilhelm Ernst von Krusenstjerna
37. 1909–1915: Carl Alexander Fock
38. 1915–1923: Georg Nyström
39. 1923–1932: Henning Stålhane
40. 1932–1933: Ernst Hortelius
41. 1933–1934: Ernst af Klercker
42. 1934–1940: Casper Ehrnborg
43. 1941–1946: Carl Hamnström
44. 1946–1955: Hans Berggren
45. 1955–1957: Curt Göransson
46. 1957–1967: Axel Henriksson
47. 1967–1968: Nils Sköld
48. 1968–1971: Jan Smedler
49. 1968–1969: Carl-Henrik Gåsste (acting)
50. 1971–1973: Carl-Henrik Gåsste
51. 1973–1975: Allan Månsson
52. 1975–1982: Carl-Henrik Gåsste
53. 1982–1987: Ingmar Arnhall
54. 1987–1991: Karl-Evert Englund
55. 1991–1992: Folke Ekstedt
56. 1993–1994: Hans Berndtson
57. 1994–1994: Lars-Erik Ljungkvist (acting)
58. 1994–1997: Tomas Bornestaf
    
    

Two Designs of the Regiment Flag


Est'd 2020-06-04