Chris’ Curious Regiments
This week, the honoured drum dogs!
43rd Infantry Regiment “Duke Karl of Mecklenburg” (6th East Prussian)
This week, the honoured drum dogs!
43rd Infantry Regiment “Duke Karl of Mecklenburg” (6th East Prussian)
The Infanterie-Regt. Herzog Karl von Mecklenburg-Strelitz (6.Ostpreußisches) Nr.43 was formed on 5 May 1860 as the 3. kombinierte Infanterie-Regiment. In 1889, the regiment was named after Duke Karl of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (a son of Grand Duke Karl II’s second marriage) who was a successful Prussian general in the Napoleonic Wars.
In the the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 they fought at the Battle of Königgrätz. During the battle they captured a dog-drawn drum cart from the Austrian 77th Infantry Regiment. Sultan, the St. Bernard dog used to the pull drum cart had been killed in action. When the 43rd returned to their base in Königsberg, they were given a new St. Bernard. The regiment kept up the tradition of the drum cart dog (Paukenhund), which was always called Sultan or Pascha in honour of the fallen dog and continued to parade with the Austrian drum banner. The tradition remained with Königsberg based regiments until 1945.
In the Franco-Prussian War they saw action at the Siege of Metz. In 1914 they were garrisoned at Königsberg (modern Kaliningrad, Russia) with the III Battalion at Pillau (modern Baltiysk, Russia) as part of the I Army Corps. During the First World War they fought on the Eastern Front before transferring to the Romanian front in 1916 as part of the Carpathian Corps (Karpathen-Korps). After the defeat of Romania in 1917 they were sent back to Russia, then Italy before fighting from February 1918 on the Western Front.
Helmet Plate: Yellow metal Prussian Line Eagle
State Cockade: Prussian (black/white/black)
Parade Plume: None
Tunic Buttons: Yellow metal
Shoulder Straps: White with a red number 43
Collar: Red piped along the upper edge in dark blue
Cuffs: Brandenburg style in red with white piping around the vertical panel
Other Distinctions: In February 1917, soldiers of the Carpathian Corps were awarded a commemorative badge to wear between the cockades of the field cap. It was in white metal and had stags antlers over oak leaves centred on a sword with a scroll bearing the title ‘Karpathenkorps’.
*Text from ‘Traditions of the Imperial German Infantry Regiments’ available worldwide on Amazon.
**Photo from Joe Robinson Collection