More Saxe-Bearstein Flags --

Not long ago (September 1 to be exact) I disclosed the basic infantry and cavalry flag patterns for my imaginary 18th century principality of Saxe-Bearstein.

Today I will continue with more of the unit flag styles I intend to use.

As before, the central image is of the Saxe-Bearstein red bear (paying homage to the original 14th century Swiss mercenary battalion that eventually founded the principality). The oval containing the bear has a background of the hat-tape color.

In the "corners" of the flags is the grapeleaf pattern honoring the fine beverages for which Saxe-Bearstein is so justly famous.

The first flag style is that of a Dragoon unit . . . and here I'm "cheating" a bit.

In general, I'm basing my units on a Hanoveran model; but historically both Horse and Dragoon units had white uniforms -- and I wanted them to be different from each other.

So I've decided that my Saxe-Bearstein Dragoons will be wearing "gold" coats in honor of the grain from which they brew their fine beers and ales. The blue in the flag means that their regimental color is blue.

The next pair of flags represents a pair of Hussar units. Actually, they are used for the two different uniforms for Luckner's Hussars . . . but I'll use them as separate units.

The first uniform was green-over-green and the second red-over-white, so guess what the flags look like?

With all of the lace and frogging available on Hussar units (and no tricorns), I could basically choose the color of the background for the "bear oval".

It would be pointless to have a white-leaf-on-white, so it became gold . . . and therefor I chose white (as a contrast) for the first flag.

Those who read my post on the History of Saxe-Bearstein (August 31) may have noted that some time in the past (1509, to be precise), the neighboring valley of Saxe-Deerstein had been brought under the control of the von Ursa's Saxe-Bearstein.

While the two small nations have long been one, the Deersteinians do maintain their own proud tradition by wearing their own color coats and fighting under their own "colours" (the prancing deer).

If you are curious about this, just think -- it either allows me to use them as part of the same army OR as combatants against each other.

Just as with the Saxe-Bearstein flags, the color of the diagonal rays are the coat color; the "cross" color is that of the unit difference color; and the corner leaves and oval background are the button/hat tape color.

The final flag is, of course, for one of the Saxe-Bearstein foot battalions. They will have red coats; black trim and gold buttons and hat lace.

Even though these last two flags are quite similar, notice how different they look because of the axis of the central oval.


The particularly observant amongst you may notice that the "rays" are slightly wider than they were on the earlier flag models.

I decided that I wanted a bit more of the "coat color" to show, so I used a graphics program to widen them a touch.


-- Jeff