1895 Enlisted Ranks “Waterloo” Pickelhaube

[Steve Nick]

These helmets caused confusion on the part of history challenged British troops when they encountered Germans wearing “British” battle honours. They were unaware that the Kingdom of Hanover had been a British possession since 1714 when George Louis of the House of Hanover ascended the throne of Great Britain as George 1.

During the Napoleonic Wars the Electorate of Hanover was dissolved after its occupation by Napoleon in 1803. Thousands of expatriate Germans formed “The King’s German Legion” as a unit of the British Army from 1804 to 1816. The Legion fought with distinction in several campaigns primarily in The Peninsular War and the Waterloo campaign under Wellington.

Hanover reverted to German control in 1837 on the accession of Queen Victoria as Salic Law excluded accession to the throne by a female while any male of the dynasty survived. Consequently, her uncle Ernest Augustus the eldest surviving son of George III, succeeded to the throne as King of Hanover. Hanover unfortunately, backed the losing side in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 and became a Prussian province.

On January 24, 1899 Kaiser Wilhelm II authorized the addition of battle honours for the Napoleonic Wars to Hanoverian and Nassau regiments that traced their heritage back to The King’s German Legion.

The following regiments wore this “Waterloo” bandeau on their helmet Wappen.
74th Regiment - 1st Hanoverian Infantry
77th Regiment - 2nd Hanoverian Infantry
78th Regiment - 1st East Frisian Infantry "Herzog Friedrich Wilhelm von Braunschweig"
164th Regiment - 4th Hanoverian Infantry
165th Regiment - 5th Hanoverian Infantry

This helmet is unmarked with exception of a lowercase f on the rear visor, which as far as I can tell is a marking from the B.I.A. (Bekleidungs Instandsetung) which was a repair unit operating within the Bekleidungsamt and indicates “Felddienstbrauchbar” (Field/Service useable).
This seems odd as there is no marking indicting that the helmet was ever issued. Consequently, I can’t attribute the helmet to a specific regiment among the five candidates listed above.

 

[KAGGR#1]

Another nice e m helmet
thanks for the post and the photos
Steve McFarland

 

[chinstrap]

A very nice helmet. Thanks for the history of the bandeau. I always meant to research this, but have never got round to it.

Patrick

 

[argonne]

This helmet is unmarked with exception of a lowercase f on the rear visor

Do you have checked the area between the grommets? Such X.AK Waterloo infantry units have often marked their helmets there.

Philippe
:wink:

 

[Steve Nick]

This helmet is unmarked with exception of a lowercase f on the rear visor

Do you have checked the area between the grommets? Such X.AK Waterloo infantry units have often marked their helmets there.

Philippe
:wink:

Philippe:

I've checked the helmet thoroughly inside the liner, inside the shell and no mark other than the lowercase f . As I said, I find that odd because I'd expect to at least find a maker's mark. Also why mark it as "fit for service" if it had never been issued?

Thanks for the comments gents.

Steve

 

[USN]

I happen to have a modified version of one of these helmets belonging to the 165th Saxon regiment (5th hannover) and when I first received the helmet it had no plate and I spent a long time trying to find a field gray plate like the one on your helmet ( I eventually learned they dont exist) but here is an example of a helmet that I believe most likely had that plate on it when it was in M95 configuration and then received a saxon plate when they switched to M15

 

[Sandmann]

These helmets caused confusion on the part of history challenged British troops when they encountered Germans wearing “British” battle honours.

Was it really unknown in GB that german troops have fought in Waterloo together with british Troops side by side against Napoleon? Not only hannoverian, also prussian Troops have fought in Waterloo. In Germany there is even an alleged Wellington quote like: „I wish it were night or the prussians were coming...“. And as far as I know, the British family only denied his German line when WW1 broke out :-k

 

[b.loree]

I suspect Sandy that by 1914 the majority of the British public were not aware of the close collaboration between their country and Germany against Napoleon. After all, by this time veterans of Waterloo and the Napoleonic Wars were long dead. In addition, due to some of the Kaiser’s statements and actions leading up to WW1 Germany had become a threat. The growth of the German economy and it’s global sales was also seen as a danger to British interests. Consequently, any previous friendly relations were ignored as fear took over. Even today, the average person in Canada or the Commonwealth has no clue as to the close family ties between the Royal Family and Germany.

 

[b.loree]

Regarding this Saxe M15, it looks to me that the visor has been restitched or a new one put on. The stitch line looks like they skipped every other hole. I have seen this on other repaired M15s.

 

[Steve Nick]

These helmets caused confusion on the part of history challenged British troops when they encountered Germans wearing “British” battle honours.

Was it really unknown in GB that german troops have fought in Waterloo together with british Troops side by side against Napoleon? Not only hannoverian, also prussian Troops have fought in Waterloo. In Germany there is even an alleged Wellington quote like: „I wish it were night or the prussians were coming...“. And as far as I know, the British family only denied his German line when WW1 broke out :-k

To the educated the Hanover connection would likely be understood. However,to the average British "Tommy Atkins" in the ranks it was less likely to be known. Hanover had been under German rule for almost 80 years and as Brian stated there were no veterans of the King's German Legion" around. The other factor at play was a common perception among the British public that the British Army had won the Battle of Waterloo. They admittedly did the lion's share of the fighting but they did have some assistance. The Duke of Wellington was lionized in British society for having beaten "Boney". The role of the Prussians, and the contingents from Hanover,Nassau,Brunswick and the Netherlands was not appreciated.

 

[911car]

I suspect Sandy that by 1914 the majority of the British public were not aware of the close collaboration between their country and Germany against Napoleon. After all, by this time veterans of Waterloo and the Napoleonic Wars were long dead. In addition, due to some of the Kaiser’s statements and actions leading up to WW1 Germany had become a threat. The growth of the German economy and it’s global sales was also seen as a danger to British interests. Consequently, any previous friendly relations were ignored as fear took over. Even today, the average person in Canada or the Commonwealth has no clue as to the close family ties between the Royal Family and Germany.

This is an interesting topic; thank you for bringing it to light, Brian. Let's not forget that the Kaiser was Queen Victoria's grandson!
I recently acquired a great untouched Tschapka in parade accoutrement, in its original transport box. The latter bears railway tags from Hannover to London, via Belgium and France. I was wondering why a Prussian Ulan would ship his headgear to England, in pre-WWI times... Several possibilities, including private reasons, but what about regiment commemorations, common maneuvers? I could not find any relevant information.

 

[b.loree]

I figured everyone knew that Bruno ! Anyway, yes Queen Victoria was the Kaiser’s grandma. His momma was one of her many daughters. In WW1 the Kaiser was fighting his uncle the King of England and his Russian first cousin Czar Nicholas, a real family affair! As to the tschapka, perhaps this individual was part of the Kaiser’s entourage say at Queen Victoria’ funeral or one of his visits to the UK? There were also several German regiments that had Brit royalty/nobility as their patrons. As an aside, Queen Victoria’s husband Albert was German but I forget which principality he was from.

 

[Steve Nick]

As an aside, Queen Victoria’s husband Albert was German but I forget which principality he was from.

Saxe-Coburg-Gotha I believe.

The Kaiser's mother was Victoria's eldest daughter Princess Victoria "The Princess Royal" who married Crown Prince Friederick of Prussia.

 

[chinstrap]

Have a look at this article, and, in particular, the amazing photo. I knew the Kaiser was colonel-in-chief of the British 1st Royal Dragoons before the war, thanks to his granny, but I didn't realise that protocol extended to George V wearing Prussian Garde uniform , including his very own pickelhaube!

https://www.historytoday.com/archive/never-again-bosche

Patrick

 

[Tony without Kaiser]

I wrote an article on the GIBRALTAR cufftitle years ago, which runs on a similar theme, and might be of interest.

http://www.kaisersbunker.com/gibraltar/

Here also is a stone-mint unissued Hannoversches Infanterie M95 Wappen.

 

[stuka f]

Intresting indeed!
Here is the one I had.
Not collecting at that time.
It came out of the woodwork. Found in a house clearing.
Wish I still had it...

 

[aicusv]

Years ago I read a first hand account by a British officer about his experiences in WW1 ("All the Soldiers From the War Returning"). In it he stated that it took a little while for it to sink in that Britain war at war with Germany on the side of France and not the other way around. It appeared that in school they were still being taught that Germany was good and France bad.

BTW stuka f: that floating head's a little scary.

 

[Sandmann]

Nice post :bravo:

 

[stuka f]

...

BTW stuka f: that floating head's a little scary.

So said my wife too!
It is long gone too...
I like those old wax heads with real hair...