Lusitanian Dragoons Cavalry Regiment 1718(?)-1823 (Spain)

Regimiento de Caballería Dragones de Lusitania

Last modified: 2015-07-29 by ivan sache
Keywords: lusitanian dragoons cavalry regiment | lucifer | archangel michael | fleurs de lys: 4 (yellow) |
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image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 28 Mar 2010

• Description

See also:

• Military Flags 1701-1843 (Spain)
• Historical Flags 1701-1785 (Spain)
• Spain

Other sites:

• Banderas Militares (Military Flags, Spanish text only) image by Sergio Camero:
  • Período Borbones hasta Guerra de la Independencia (The Bourbons until the War of Independence i.e. 1701-1812)

It is not known when the Dragoons of Lusitania Cavalry Regiment (Regimiento de Caballería Dragones de Lusitania) had been established, but it was a unit having great fame, well known for its fearsome attacks in the battles of the campaign in Sicily 1718. The black cravatte with skull and crossbones was granted after the battle of Madonna del Olmo in Savoy in 1744. The unit afterward had the nickname "dragoons of death" (dragones de la muerte). It was also engaged in the Peninsular War (1808). It was dissolved in 1823 in Carrión de los Condes.

The standard was a scarlet swallow tail pennant with silver fringes and converging edges. At every edge were images of silvery chains. Upon the cloth were black Rocaille ornaments. In its centre was an image of St. Michael defeating Lucifer in an oval flanked by four golden fleur de lis. At the top of the red and white flagpole were red and black cravattes, the latter decorated with a white skull and crossbones. According to Calvo and Grávalos 1983 [cag83] (p.118-119, flag no.270), the royal coat of arms was in the centre of the reverse.

Klaus-Michael Schneider, 28 Mar 2010