Active 1624–2000 Branch Swedish Army Size Regiment | Country Sweden Type Infantry | |
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Motto(s) "De hava aldrig vikit eller för egen del tappat" ("They have never backed down or for their own part lost") | ||
The Västerbotten Regiment (Swedish: Västerbottens regemente), designations I 19, I XIX, I 20 and I 20/Fo 61, was a Swedish Army infantry regiment that traced its origins back to the 16th century. It was disbanded in 2000. The regiment's soldiers were originally recruited from the province of Västerbotten, and it was later garrisoned there.
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History
The regiment has its origins in fänikor (companies) raised in Västerbotten in the 1550s and 1560s. In 1615, these units—along with fänikor from the nearby provinces of Ångermanland, Medelpad, Hälsingland and Gästrikland—were organised by Gustav II Adolf into Norrlands storregemente, of which seven of the total 24 companies were recruited in Västerbotten. Norrlands storregemente consisted of three field regiments, of which Västerbottens regemente was one. Sometime around 1624, the grand regiment was permanently split into three smaller regiments, of which Västerbottens regemente was one.
Västerbottens regemente was one of the original 20 Swedish infantry regiments mentioned in the Swedish constitution of 1634. The regiment was allotted in 1696. It changed name to Västerbottens fältjägarregemente in 1829, and was split into two corps units of battalion size in 1841, one of them being Västerbottens fältjägarkår, the other being Norrbottens fältjägarkår. The unit was upgraded to regimental size and renamed back to Västerbottens regemente in 1892. The regiment had its training grounds at various places in Västerbotten, but was eventually garrisoned in Umeå in 1909.
The regiment was given the designation I 19 (19th Infantry Regiment) in a general order in 1816, but that designation was given to Norrbottens fältjägarkår when the unit split, and Västerbottens fältjägarkår was instead given the designation I XIX (XIXth Infantry Regiment, XIX which in the Roman numeral system equals 19). When the unit regained its old name and size in 1892, the designation was changed to I 20 (20th Infantry Regiment).