The Norrland Dragoon Regiment ( sv, Norrlands dragonregemente), also K 4, is a
Swedish Army
The Swedish Army ( sv, svenska armén) is the land force of the Swedish Armed Forces.
History
Svea Life Guards dates back to the year 1521, when the men of Dalarna chose 16 young able men as body guards for the insurgent nobleman Gustav Vas ...
unit specialized in
arctic warfare
Cold-weather warfare, also known as arctic warfare or winter warfare, encompasses military operations affected by snow, ice, thawing conditions or cold, both on land and at sea. Cold-weather conditions occur year-round at high elevation or at ...
and
special operations
Special operations (S.O.) are military activities conducted, according to NATO, by "specially designated, organized, selected, trained, and equipped forces using unconventional techniques and modes of employment". Special operations may include ...
. Located in the province of
Lappland, it was historically a
cavalry
Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...
unit that traces its origins back to the 17th century.
History
The regiment has its origin in the
Ångermanland, Medelpad and Jämtland Regiment raised in 1646. From 1689 on, this regiment was named Jämtland Dragoon Regiment, but had only one
company
A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of people, whether Natural person, natural, Legal person, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common p ...
of cavalry troops. This company was semi-separate, with the name Jämtland Cavalry Company () and had been split off from
Bohus-Jämtland Cavalry Squadron in 1670. The company was renamed in 1802 and after receiving another
squadron
Squadron may refer to:
* Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies
* Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, ...
it was organized into a battalion and renamed in 1834.
The corps gained full status as a separate unit in 1853 and was given the designation K 8 (8th Cavalry Regiment). It was renamed Norrland Dragoon Regiment in 1892 and when merged with parts of the
Crown Prince's Hussar Regiment
The Crown Prince's Hussar Regiment ( sv, Kronprinsens husarregemente), designated K 7, was a Swedish Army cavalry regiment located in the province of Scania that traced its origins back to the 18th century. It had a number of names over its his ...
in 1927 it was redesignated K 4 but kept its name before being reorganized to a battalion and renamed Norrland's Dragoons in 1958. Finally the regiment was renamed back to its old name in 1980.
On 31 December 2004, Norrland Dragoon Regiment (K 4) was disbanded. From 1 January 2005 the regiment was transferred to a disbandment organization until the disbandment was completed by 30 June 2006. However, the training battalion at the regiment remained in the Swedish Armed Forces' basic organization and was placed in
Norrbotten Regiment
The Norrbotten Regiment ( sv, Norrbottens regemente), designation I 19, is a Swedish Army arctic armoured, light infantry and commando regiment that traces its origins back to the 19th century. The regiment's soldiers were originally recruited fr ...
as the
Army Ranger Battalion (AJB) with a permanent base in Arvidsjaur.
The unit was re-raised and was inaugurated on 24 September 2021. The inauguration was attended by His Majesty the King
Carl XVI Gustaf
Carl XVI Gustaf (Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus; born 30 April 1946) is King of Sweden. He ascended the throne on the death of his grandfather, Gustaf VI Adolf, on 15 September 1973.
He is the youngest child and only son of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Du ...
, Prime Minister
Stefan Löfven
Kjell Stefan Löfven (; officially ''Löfvén''; born 21 July 1957) is a Swedish politician who serves as the Party of European Socialists, President of European Socialists since October 2022. He previously served as Prime Minister of Sweden fro ...
and the Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces, General
Micael Bydén
General Per Micael Bydén (born 13 June 1964) is the Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces, appointed on 11 September 2015. He was earlier senior commander in the Swedish Air Force. Bydén served as the Chief of Air Force between 2012 an ...
.
Campaigns
''See also the campaigns for ''Jämtland Ranger Regiment
Jämtland (; no, Jemtland or , ; Jamtlandic, Jamtish: ''Jamtlann''; la, Iemptia) is a historical provinces of Sweden, province () in the centre of Sweden in northern Europe. It borders Härjedalen and Medelpad to the south, Ångermanland to t ...
''.''
Organization
1833
* ''
Livskvadronen''
* ''Alsens skvadron''
''See also the organization for ''Jämtland Ranger Regiment
Jämtland (; no, Jemtland or , ; Jamtlandic, Jamtish: ''Jamtlann''; la, Iemptia) is a historical provinces of Sweden, province () in the centre of Sweden in northern Europe. It borders Härjedalen and Medelpad to the south, Ångermanland to t ...
''.''
Heraldry and traditions
Colours, standards and guidons
The unit presents one
guidon. Its first was presented on 30 September 1902 by major general
Carl Warberg
Lieutenant General Casten Abraham ''Carl'' Warberg (2 December 1845 – 16 October 1910) was a Swedish Army officer. His senior commands include commanding officer of the 4th and 6th Army Divisions. Warberg also served as Acting Chief of the Ge ...
.
A new one was presented to the regiment by the
Chief of the Army, lieutenant general, count
Carl August Ehrenswärd at the regimental barracks in Umeå on 20 September 1955. The guidon is drawn by Brita Grep and embroidered by hand in insertion technique by the company Libraria.
Blazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The vis ...
: "On swallow-tailed blue cloth the provincial badge of
Jämtland
Jämtland (; no, Jemtland or , ; Jamtish: ''Jamtlann''; la, Iemptia) is a historical province () in the centre of Sweden in northern Europe. It borders Härjedalen and Medelpad to the south, Ångermanland to the east, Lapland to the north a ...
; a white elk passant, attacked on its back by a rising falcon and in the front by a rampant dog, both yellow. On a white border at the upper side of the guidon, battle honours (
Nowodwor 1655) in blue. Blue fringe."
From 1957, the regimental letters as replaced from "NDR" to "ND", when the regiment was to be reduced to a battalion in 1958.
Coat of arms
The coat of the arms of the Norrland Dragoon Regiment (K 4) was used between 1977 and 2004.
Blazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The vis ...
: "Azure, the provincial badge of Jämtland, an elk passant argent, attacked on the back by a rising falcon and in the front by a rampant dog both or; all animals armed and langued gules. The shield surmounted two rapiers in saltire or". Prior to the unit being re-raised in 2021, it received a new coat of arms similar to the old one. Blazon: "Azure, the provincial badge of Jämtland, an elk passant argent, attacked on the back by a rising falcon and in the front by a rampant dog both or; all animals armed and langued or. The shield surmounted two rapiers in saltire or".
File:Norrlands dragonregemente vapen.svg, Coat of arms of Norrland Dragoon Regiment (I 21/Fo 23) 1977–2004.
File:Norrlands dragonregemente vapen (2021-).svg, Coat of arms of the Norrland Dragoon Regiment (K 4) 2021–present.
Medals
In 2004, the ("Norrland Dragoon Regiment (K 4) Commemorative Medal") in silver (NorrldragMSM) was established. The
medal ribbon
A medal ribbon, service ribbon or ribbon bar is a small ribbon, mounted on a small metal bar equipped with an attaching device, which is generally issued for wear in place of a medal when it is not appropriate to wear the actual medal. Each cou ...
was of blue
moiré with an orange stripe on the middle.
Other
The regimental anniversary is 20 September, as a memory to the
Battle of Nowy Dwór on 20 September 1655.
The battle honour is shared with
Jämtland Ranger Regiment
Jämtland (; no, Jemtland or , ; Jamtlandic, Jamtish: ''Jamtlann''; la, Iemptia) is a historical provinces of Sweden, province () in the centre of Sweden in northern Europe. It borders Härjedalen and Medelpad to the south, Ångermanland to t ...
(I 5).
Commanding officers
Regimental commander 1893–1957 and 1980–2004. From 1957 to 1980, the unit was a training battalion where the commanding officer was called battalion commander and was subordinate to the commander officer of Västerbotten Regiment.
*1893–1893:
Knut Gillis Bildt
General Knut Gillis Bildt (13 July 1854 – 13 October 1927) was a Swedish Army officer and politician. His senior commands include the post of Quartermaster-General of the Swedish Army (1904–1905) and Chief of the General Staff (1905–1919) ...
(acting)
*1893-1895: Gustaf Magnus Oskar Roger Björnstjerna
*1895–1904: Gustaf Adolf Löwenhielm
*1904–1914: Wilhelm Aschan
*1914–1917: Adolf Adelswärd
*1917–1919: Henric Ståhl
*1919–1922: Axel Ahnström
*1922–1930: Rickman von der Lancken
*1930–1935:
Archibald Douglas
*1935–1940:
Carl Björnstjerna
*1940–1943:
Sven Colliander
Lieutenant General Sven August Wilhelm Colliander (23 May 1890 – 16 September 1961) was a Swedish Army officer and horse rider who competed in the 1928 and 1936 Summer Olympics.
Early life
Colliander was born on 23 May 1890 in Halmstad, Swede ...
*1943–1947: Henric Lagercrantz
*1947–1951: Sven David Oskar Hermelin
*1951–1952: James Axel John Maule
*1952–1957:
Carl Johan Wachtmeister
Count Carl Johan Wachtmeister (1 February 1903 – 22 May 1993) was a Swedish Army officer and fencer. He served as commanding officer of Norrland Dragoon Regiment (1952–1957) and the Stockholm Defence District (1957–1963).
Career
Wachtmei ...
*1957–1963: Gustaf William Frisén
*1963–1972: Ingemar Bondeson
*1972–1978: Claes Berthold Mikael Dieden
*1978–1980: Per Blomquist
*1980–1982: Per Blomquist
*1982–1984: Lars Wallén
*1984–1986: Per Stig Lennart Mohlin (acting)
*1986–1989: Björn Lundquist
*1989–1992:
Mertil Melin
Lieutenant General Mertil Börje Melin (born 17 July 1945) is a retired Swedish Army officer. Melin started his military career as a ranger at Norrland's Dragoons (K 4) in Umeå and after several position and courses he became Chief of Army Com ...
*1992–1996:
Johan Kihl
*1996–2000: Frank Westman
*2000–2003: Gunnar Söderström
*2004–2005: Bengt Sandström
*2005–2021: –
*2021–20xx: Teddy Larsson
Names, designations and locations
See also
*
List of Swedish cavalry regiments
This is a list of Swedish cavalry regiments, battalions, corps and companies that have existed in the Swedish Army. They are listed in three ways, first by the actual units that have existed, then by the various names these units have had, and la ...
Footnotes
References
Notes
Print
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Further reading
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Norrlands Dragonregemente
Cavalry regiments of the Swedish Army
Military units and formations established in 1893
Military units and formations disestablished in 2004
Military units and formations established in 2021
1893 establishments in Sweden
2004 disestablishments in Sweden
2021 establishments in Sweden
Umeå Garrison