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The Civilian Armament of Randers
The Civilian Armament of Randers (Danish: Randers Borgerbevæbning) was a Danish military corps based in the city of Randers, with all of its men either being voluntary or having been given the role of service. Its establishment dates back to reports from 1588, albeit it was reportedly only in fully-functional use at the start of the 18th century and until the end of the 19th century, where it and its divisions disbanded.

History
The 1600s to 1800s

The civilian armaments were, for a large percentage of the 1500s to the 1600s, used as permanent military institutions near marketplaces, albeit they had no formal regulations or conscriptions, thus being primarily activated in connection to acute military threats or large breaches of security. The oldest known report of Randers' Civilian Armament's existence was from 1588, detailing that it had an assembled force of 266 men. In the year 1600 did the Civilian Armament of Randers hold 200 men in service, where it disbanded in the latter 17th century to be revived and in use once more in the 18th century, where it was once fully organized in the year 1727 - the Civilian Armament of Randers' purpose thereafter was purely ceremonial. In later decades, such as in 1787, the armament contained 150 men enacting full service.

Rasmus Welling, who at the time was the commander of the company, recounted on the 28th of February, 1803 (in later years of his service) that he was unfathoming of the Civilian Armament’s age and usage in the militia, even since he was promoted as officer in 1787. In this year, he released a statement issuing information concerning the company’s rudimentary state and how its principal state was improved upon: “The Civilian Armament retained a new and better arrangement than it had in the past, as well as articles approved by the suzerainty, which provided penalties for those who chose abandonment or violation of duties in service. And this arrangement was maintained during both my years as chairman and during the five years I have been commander. In 1801, the Civil Armament retained such an improved organization, which was what the published decrees commanded". These decrees furnished Denmark's civil armaments with two divisions: the 1st division for the actual citizens with citizenship, the 2nd division for young men without citizenship. The 1st division was to regulate and keep order in the markets, whilst the 2nd division was meant to be the operational unit to be deployed in battle against the enemy. After a few years, the first divisions around the country were abolished, and in 1822 did most of the 2nd divisions disappear, only in use within the largest cities and few other regions. The Civilian Armament of Randers continued its service with its first division until it disbanded in 1867.

=== 1. Division === Year of officialized establishment: 1787

Year of disbandment: 1867

Organisation

In December of 1801, the Civilian Armament’s forces consisted of 1 captain, 1 first lieutenant, 1 second lieutenant, 1 adjutant, 1 commander sergeant, 10 non-commissioned officers, 2 drummers, 1 piper and 159 rankers, all bearing approved equipment. Although varying in model, there was an appropriate amount of rifles, except for the 66 firearms which were given to the city by Christian the 7th.

The banner was yellow with the city’s weaponry and the year 1787 to mark the division’s establishment. The division's commander, Rasmus Welling, informed the public in February of 1803 this about the corps: “In 1802, the citizens or the consorts, partly at their own request and partly at my instigation (on the occasion of His Royal Highness, the crown prince and the consorts’ anticipated arrival here) adopted monotonous equipment, namely crimson shirts and long, white canvas trousers". In 1837, after royal resolution on the 7th of May, it became possible to enter service in an established band belonging to the 1st division in the Civilian Armament of Randers. In the period between 1858/1861, it was chosen for there to be 1 captain, 1 first lieutenant, 2 second lieutenants, 1 commander sergeant, 11 non-commissioned officers, 12 corporals, 2 drummers and 120 rankers.