Åbo läns infanteri regemente

Today’s unit is the Åbo läns Regiment from the Swedish Army of 1808-9. With this the only units left to in this collection complete are two battalions of the Tavastehus Regiment that are under the brush now and on schedule to be finished this month. So if all goes to plan all the fighting units of the Swedes will be completed…all I need to do then is to convince the Perry’s to make some generals!

The Åbo läns Regiment can trace its roots right back to 1613, when the first Finnish regiments were formed, and was recruited predominantly from southwestern Finnish province of Turku (Åbo in Swedish).

 

In the Great Northern War the regiment was split with one battalion going on to garrison duty in Riga and the other in the field where it fought in the Battles of Lesna and Poltava. Neither battalion saw out the war with the field battalion battalion surrendered and disbanded at Perevolotjna and the garrison battalion surrendering after the siege of Riga.

Re-established in 1710 it became part of the permanent army stationed in Finland. It participated in the Norwegian campaign of 1718. In the Finnish War it formed part of the Second Brigade in the Army of Finland and fought with credit at Pyhäjoki, Siiksjoki and Kokonsaari. The regiment was disbanded at the end of the Finnish War.

With this post the basing backlog is finally cleared, although fresh units are making their way there now.