Prussian NCO Guards pickle

[Tony & Kaiser]

Well, the chances are quite good that this is not an Infantry helmet, nor even a Garde helmet.

The 1. Garde-Regiment zu Fuß utilized silver chinscales, while the vast majority of the other units Glenn kindly listed, utilized gilt fittings.

However, silver fittings with gilt chinscales were used by:

Garde-Füsilier-Regiment,
5. Garde-Regiment zu Fuß,
Garde-Pionier-Btl
Eisenbahn Regt. 1 - 3
Eisenbahn Btl. 3

The helmet is also not an NCO in the sense that we use, in that it does not have an NCO Kokarden. It carries Mannschaft Kokarden. http://www.kaisersbunker.com/hp/hp3.htm

So Brain, hit it right, it is a very nice quality Eigentums-helm (privately purchased Pickelhaube), but not for an NCO, but for Mannschaft from Private to Sergeant.

It has the best quality Mannschaft plate available, with the huge star and pierced crown. It is strictly connected with purchaser preference, nothing to do with rank. Here is the same in gilt. http://www.kaisersbunker.com/hp/hp20c.htm

It has an officer Perlring around the spike neck, but photographic evidence shows Mannschaft wearing these as well.
http://www.kaisersbunker.com/hp/hp17.htm

The rounds spike base brads also clearly indicate Mannschaft. The helmet, with that this front visor bead, and "officer quality" if you will, silk lining and calf skin sweatband are the highest level of Eigentums-helm. http://www.kaisersbunker.com/hp/hp15c.htm A very nice helmet, thanks for sharing.

Tony http://www.kaisersbunker.com/

[AOK4]

Glenn,

the following regiments were raised by the Gardekorps and had (as far as they had Pickelhauben) Guard helmet plates.

Garde-Füsilier-Regiment
Lehr-Regiment
Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 64
Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 93
Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 201
Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 202
Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 203
Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 204
Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 261
Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 262
Reserve-Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 15
Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 399
Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 408
Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 442
Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 443
Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 444

Jan

[Glenn2438]

Guards,

Hi Jan,

I am not sure that a line reserve regiment even if attached to or subordinate to the Garde-Korps necessarily wore the Guard star or was considered a Guards Regiment.

There is no mention of any of the line regiments or line reserve regiments you list as having Guard helmet plates in "Die feldgrau Uniformierung des deutschen Heeres 1907-1908" by Jürgen Kraus although reserve infantry regiments 261 & 262 had Swedish cuffs and Guard Litzen. Do you have a source that states they wore guard plates?


I assume cadre personnel from the original foot guards regiments would have worn their original plates and litzen.

Regards
Glenn

[AOK4]

Hello Glenn,

I'm not completely sure, but I'll search the regimental histories (I've got most of them) to see if I can find anything on a picture (the men are mostly wearing caps or helmet covers unfortunately) or in the text.
The RIR 64 was also known as "Garde-Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 64".
I'll let you know if I find something, I was quite sure I read something about Guard helmet plates being worn by RIR 201 and 202 somewhere...

Jan

[Bobby lee]

Hello, this is a einjahrfreiwilligen or one-year volunteer helmet for the Guard Pionier(Engineer) or Eisenbahn (railroad truppen). It was a private purchase which allowed the owner to have a officer quality helmet with officer fittings except the star on the helmet plate which is all silver instead of enamel. The Einjahr Frei. also had to use enlisted domed rivets to secure the spike base instead of the officer stars. Lastly, this chap had to use enlisted cockades instead of the multi-construction officer style. Otherwise, he could have whatever helmet quality he could afford.
All in all, a very nice example in what appears to be very nice condition.

[Bobby lee]

On a secondary note, you can forget reserve and ersatz units. If this was a reserve helmet it would not have the banner running through the eagle plate wings but would have a reserve cross affixed to the eagle's tail. Only specified "Garde" units were authorized to wear the guard star.

[AOK4]

Hello,

The reservist or landwehr cross doesn't refer to the regiment, but to the owner IIRC. If you were an active soldier, you wore an active style helmet plate, even when serving in a landwehr unit.
I agree with this helmet being an Einjähriger Freiwillige.

Jan