Spanish Army gala uniforms 1925

A schematic display showing gala, semi gala and service uniforms of the Spanish Army in 1925. Sorry about the small size but they had a great many uniforms and this is just one of two plates covering their army. Spain had been one of the fortunate few European countries to have avoided World War I and this, plus an inherent national conservatism, meant that their army was one of the few to retain colourful dress uniforms for general issue beyond 1914. In 1926 rank and file conscripts ceased to receive the brightly coloured uniforms shown, in favour of a more up to date khaki universal uniform. Officers, long serving regulars and the garrisons of Madrid, Seville and Barcelona however continued to peacock it until the overthrow of the Monarchy in 1931.

Line 1 includes generals, staff officers, Alabaderos and Royal Escort. Line 2 line infantry and foot cazadores (light infantry). Line 3 lancers and dragoons. Line 4 mounted cazadores (light cavalry).

More Spanish uniforms of 1925. These include hussars (line 1), artillery, engineers and civil guards (line 2.), more civil guards and carabineros (frontier guards) (line 3.), sundry including various police forces (line 4).

46 = Ertzaintza (Basque Country police)
47 = Mossos d'esquadra (Catalonian police)

Rowan,
Brilliant, thanks very much for this.
I love these plates, there's so much going on.
Can I ask a favour? Could you add the list of titles?
It would be much appreciated.

Sean

No problem Sean.
Plate 1:
1: Captain General - mounted gala; 2: lieutenant general - diario (daily dress); 3 general of division - dismounted medium gala ; 4: general of brigade - field dress; 5: general staff major - gala; 6: general staff captain - diario; 7: Albadero (Halberdier of Royal Guard) - gala; 8: ditto - medium gala; 9: ditto - diario; 10: Royal Escort (mounted) gala with cuirass; 11: ditto - gala; 12: ditto - medium gala; 13: ditto - diario; 14: Line infantry colonel - gala; 15: ditto captain - medium gala; 16: ditto lieutenant - diario; 17: ditto corporal of gastadores (picked squad who marched at the head of each regiment on parade and acted as pace-setters, markers etc) - gala; 18: ditto sergeant - medium gala; 19: ditto cornet - diario; 20: Cazadores (light infantry) major - gala; 21: ditto lieutenant - medium gala; 22: ditto lieutenant colonel - diario; 23: ditto corporal - gala; 24: ditto private - diario; 25: lancers colonel - gala; 26: ditto captain - medium gala; 27: ditto lieutenant diario; 28: ditto lieutenant diario; 29: ditto corporal of batidores (mounted equivalent of gastadores) gala; 30 ditto trumpeter - gala; 31 Dragoons captain - gala; 32: ditto lieutenant - medium gala; 33 ditto: alferez - diario; 34 suboficial - diario; 35: ditto corporal of batidores - gala; 36: ditto trumpeter - gala; 37: Cazadores de Caballeria (light horse) Rgt de Lusitania alferez - gala; 38: ditto - medium gala; 39: ditto corporal of batidores - gala; 40: ditto trumpeter - gala; 41: Cazadores Rgt de Alcantara alferez - gala; 42: Cazadores Rgt de Almansa trooper - medium gala; 43: Cazadores Rgt de Alfonso XII trooper - diario; 44: Cazadores Rgt de Tetuan corporal of batidores - gala; 45: Cazadores Rgt de Maria Cristina corporal of batidores - gala; 46: Cazadores Rgt de Alfonso XIII trooper - gala; 47: Cazadores Rgt de Victoria Eugenia trooper - gala; 48: ditto officer - diario.

I will add transcribe the captions for the second plate in a day or so when I have a moment. Also post a third plate covering the Armada and Infanteria de Marina (much simpler).

Thanks mate

Ooops - sorry Sean. I never did get around to identifying the figures in the second plate (blame it on senility). Anyway:

Plate 2:
1: Hussars de la Princesa - captain gala wearing pelisse 2; officer ditto pelisse slung; 3 batidor gala without pelisse; 4: lieutenant medium gala; 5: alferez diario (daily dress); 6 trumpeter gala; 7-12: Hussars de Pavia as for Princesa; 13: Artillery officer gala; 14 ditto - diario; 15: soldado - diario; 16: soldado diario de plaza (ordinary walking out dress); 17: officer - gala; 18: soldado - diario; 19: Engineers - officer gala; 20: soldado diario; 21: Aeronautica officer; 22: Cuerpo de Tren sergeant; 23: Civil Guard - gala; 24: diaro; 25: trumpeter gala; 26: mounted Civil Guard -service; 27: Carabineros (Frontier Guards) captain gala ; 28: sodado diario; 29 Judicial Corps officer gala; 30: Auditor diario: 31 Cuerpo de Intendencia: Intendente gala; 32: officer gala; 33: Automovilsta diario; 34: Intervencion officer diario; 35 Medical Corps pharmaceutical officer - gala; 36: officer gala; 37 Cuerpo Eclesiastico vicar-lieutenant; 38: remount service officer - gala; 39: Riding School officer - diario; 40: Brigada O.T soldado; 41 Regulares (Moroccan native infantry) officer field dress; 42: Native Police officer -gala; 43 Carreros gala; 44: Cuerpo de seguridad officer - gala; 45: corporal diario winter; 46: Miqueletes - gala; Moros de Esquadra - gala; 48: universal khaki uniform.

Much appreciated.
The good thing about senility is that everything is new, after a while.

The 46 are MIGUELETES, a police force of the Basque Country, there are not Ertzainza, the nowadays basque police.
The Mossos de Escuadra still keeps this gala uniform. Their origin is the Escuadras de Valls, a sort of rural force to deal with bandits, and who where the core of monuntain light troops of 18th century Spain until the Peninsula War.

The autonomous goverment of the Basque Country -Euskadi, thanks to our 1978 Constitution, could set its own police forces, which has been replacing the Guardia Civil in the countryside and the Policía Nacional in urban areas up to nowadays. The first Interior Counseller, Ramón Labayen a recognised modeller, with his own figures brand -Labayen Models, was the main designer for the uniforms of the Ertzainza.
Historically, the Basque Country and Navarra had their own police forces, called miiqueletes or miqueletes in Álava-Euskadi, and the miñones in Navarra, due to their particular history since the Borbon dinasty came to the spanish throne in 1700.
Their job most mainly in the countryside.
The Ertzainza parade uniform is almost the english parade uniform of edwardian times: red jacket, blue trousers, blue collar and cuffs, white waistbelt, black shoes. The headgear is a red beret.

This Enciclopedia is the equivalent of the British. The plates are based on the 1908 Dress Regulations, and the 1926 DR, when universal kakhi uniform was introduced.
The way are presented is those of Knotell´s system.
By hte way, thereis still published, and the plates are the same. You ought to buy the suplement volume for the dress changes.