Facing Colours

Individual infantry and cavalry regiments were identified by a system of facing colours (Egalisierungsfarben) and button colours. In this way, no two of the original 102 Austro-Hungarian infantry and the dragoon, hussar and lancer regiments had the same combination of facing and button colour. It should be noted that the term "German" denoted all parts of the empire with the exception of the Kingdom of Hungary and as such could include personnel of Polish, Ukrainian, Czech, Italian and Slovenian ethnicity. The following tables shows the facing and button colour combinations of the various arms and services of the Austro-Hungarian Common Army and the Austrian and Hungarian Landwehr.

Infantry Regiments

Facing Colour

 German Regiments Hungarian Regiments

Facing Colour

 German Regiments Hungarian Regiments
Gold Buttons White Buttons Gold Buttons White Buttons Gold Buttons White Buttons Gold Buttons White Buttons
White 94 92 - - Sulphur-yellow 99 41 16 101
Black 14 58 26 38 Gamboge Yellow 27 22 2 31
Scarlet-red 45 80 37 39 Orange-yellow 59 42 64 63
Amaranth-red 90 95 86 - Light-blue 40 75 72 29
Lobster-red 35 20 71 67 Sky-blue 4 3 32 19
Madder-red 15 74 44 34 Hazel 100 98 - -
Claret-red 89 88 - - Pike-grey 30 49 76 69
Pale-red 57 36 65 66 Ash-grey 11 24 51 33
Rose-red 13 97 5 6 Sea-green 21 87 70 25
Cherry-red 73 77 43 23 Apple-green 9 54 85 79
Crimson-red 84 81 96 82 Seaweed-green 102 - - -
Dark-red 1 18 52 53 Parrot-green 91 10 46 50
Red-brown 55 17 68 78 Grass-green 8 28 61 62
Dark-brown 93 7 12 83 Steel-green 56 47 48 60

Dragoons

Facing Colour

 Yellow Buttons White Buttons Facing Colour Yellow Buttons

White Buttons
Black 6 2 Sulphur-yellow 10 7
Scarlet-red 8 11 Gamboge Yellow 12 5
Madder-red 14 13 Grass-green 9 4
Dark-red 3 1 White

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Hussars

Shako Cover Colour Dark-blue tunic, blouse and overcoat facing Light-blue tunic, blouse and overcoat facing
Yellow Buttons White Buttons Yellow Buttons White Buttons
Madder-red 8 5 14 4
White 3 9 2 12
Dark-blue 1 13 - -
Light-blue - - 10 7
Ash-grey 15 11 6 16

Lancers (Ulanen) All with madder-red collar and cuff facings on the Ulanka (lancer tunic). Collar patches in regimental colour once the the pike grey/field grey service dress adopted during the war.

Buttons

 Shako Cover Colour
Gamboge Yellow Dark-green Madder-red White Light-blue Cherry-red Dark-blue
Yellow 1 2 3 4 5 - 12
White 6 7 8 - - 11 13

Other Arms and Wartime Additions

Unit Facing Colour Button/lace Colour Remarks
Infantry Regiments 103 upwards Light-blue White  
Jäger Grass-green Yellow  
Austrian Landwehr/Landesschützen/Kaiserschützen Grass-green White  
Bosnian Infantry Alizerin-red Yellow  
Bosnian Jäger Green White  
Hungarian Honvéd and Landsturm Slate-grey (from 1917 pink) Yellow  
Artillery Scarlet Yellow  
Engineers (Sappers) Cherry-red Yellow  
Engineers (Pioneers, Railway and Telegraph Troops) Steel-green Yellow  
Train Light-blue White  
Medical troops Madder-red Yellow  
Flying troops     Insignia of original arm with a balloon badge
Standschützen Green Yellow rank stars for all officers including majors and silver lace for majors This contradicts the usual reversing of star colours for senior officers

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