ball topped helmet

[pointystuff]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GERMAN-WWI-PICKELHAUBE-HELMET-DATE-1904-VINTAGE-GERMANY-MILITARIA-/261496890710?&_trksid=p2056016.m2518.l4276" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
:-k

 

[joerookery]

I would actually like to see more pictures. There seems to be something on the front plate. There are markings on the back. I would like to see how the plate is attached.

 

[911car]

I would actually like to see more pictures. There seems to be something on the front plate. There are markings on the back. I would like to see how the plate is attached.

And the name tag is really intriguing. Never seen this before. An employee of the Bekleidungsamt (is there a BA marking on the rear visor?)?. I cannot make out what's written at the top of the tag, where is usually the soldier's rank.
Bruno

 

[poniatowski]

The plate has "KWK" or "ZWK" (Zach. William Kozninsky?) on it, which looks like an impression from some sort of tool (maybe even ball-point pen) into cardboard. I believe the plate is gold painted cardboard or very thin brass (I'd bet on the former), hand made IMHO. It looks to me like it's been glued in place.
Aside from that, I can't make out the markings on the neck guard and would be interested in seeing those better... if I were interested in it. It looks like a nice shell that could become a nice helmet with some original parts.

Ron

 

[joerookery]

And the name tag is really intriguing. Never seen this before. An employee of the Bekleidungsamt

I agree. On page 159 an 160 of Great War Dawning we discussed this organization and clearly identify people with that title as civilians! Why would he use a helmet? Why would it have an artillery ball on it? I have asked to see pictures of the markings. Even if a lot of the metal has been played with I would expect the markings and the name tag to be most interesting. :-s :-k

 

[911car]

And the name tag is really intriguing. Never seen this before. An employee of the Bekleidungsamt

I agree. On page 159 an 160 of Great War Dawning we discussed this organization and clearly identify people with that title as civilians! Why would he use a helmet? Why would it have an artillery ball on it? I have asked to see pictures of the markings. Even if a lot of the metal has been played with I would expect the markings and the name tag to be most interesting. :-s :-k

I fully agree that the front emblem and ball top (not even a regular artillery ball) are probably a posterior fantasy, but that the markings and tag are interesting,Joe.
However, referring to a chat you had in 2007 on the Axis forum with "Glenn", he wrote:

"At the outbreak of war each army corps with the exception of the XVIII, XX, XXI and III Bavarian army corps had it's own Bekleidungsamt.
They were responsible for the procurement and finishing of the greater part of the clothing and related ancillaries for the troops. Each Clothing Office had a president in field officers rank and several further officers - all active following the reorganisation of the late nineties. In addition they were further staffed by a number of officials depending on size, typically in a large office - a Bekleidungsamt-Rendant, 5 Bekleidungsamt-Inspektoren, 1 Bekleidungsamt-Unterinspektor and 15 officials with equivalent NCO rank. Additionally a number of serving NCOs and soldiers were on the staff - 28 NCOs and about 200 civil tradesmen."

After him, it seems that the BA involved a significant number of actual soldiers. As such, they should have owned helmets... Would you now disagree with this?

Bruno

 

[joerookery]

Bruno – fascinating discussion – not a lot of information out there. I do not disagree with this at all but rather would add a bit more. Lots and lots of soldiers but with this specific name prewar they were the civilian part. Maybe they use the same name for the soldiers during the war??? Looking at these markings would give us a lot more information – I hope he sends a new picture. [-o< [-o<

Garment Departments and Garment Depots
Each army corps had its own garment department (Bekleidungsamt) responsible for the manufacturing of boots, uniforms, and other items of individual field equipment. They either produced items by themselves, such as boots in workshops operated by the army corps, or they arranged manufacturing of these uniforms and helmets by privately owned factories in the corps area. Usually, the Bekleidungsamt called for tender among the regional industry based upon sealed samples issued by the War Ministry.

After production and upon delivery, the Bekleidungsamt checked the produced items and sealed them with their acceptance mark, usually “B.A.” (i.e., Bekleidungsamt), followed by the number of the army corps in Roman figures, and the year of acceptance in Arabic figures.

There was some share of responsibilities among the Bekleidungsämter. The garment department of the Guard Corps, for example, handled all demands for sword knots, lances, and signal instruments or the entire Prussian army. The garment department of the V Army Corps negotiated the demand for underwear and sports suits for the entire army. The VI Army Corps negotiated the demand of linen and cotton fabrics. The VII Army Corps negotiated all major pieces of field equipment and the XV Army Corps handled all demands for aluminum-made items such as tent poles. They were also responsible for tarpaulin tent-squares and bread bags. The garment department of the War Ministry negotiated for either blue or field-grey fabrics for uniforms, and the respective quantities were assigned to the army corps for manufacturing of uniforms by private factories.

After 1901, most army corps beginning with the VI and VII Army Corps increased their military workshops by employing numerous civilian workers and craftsmen (Ökonomiehandwerker). Beginning in 1897, the garment departments had their own officer corps of Bekleidungsoffiziere. Upon mobilization, each army corps took over responsibility for manufacturing of uniforms and equipment by themselves; they were also allowed to source beyond borders of their corps district. The garment department of an army corps consisted of 90 officers and approximately 3,000 NCOs, EM, and drafted workers.

Uniforms, boots, and other items of field equipment were stored in garment depots of the army corps after acceptance by the Bekleidungsamt and delivered to the regiments and battalions from there. NCOs and EM received their equipment from the garment stores of their formations (Bekleidungskammer). Officers had to equip themselves at their own expense, but they had the right to purchase pieces of equipment from their units for considerably lower prices.

Finally, the uniforms were stored in the Bekleidungskammer of the individual company, battery or squadron. Usually five sets of uniforms were stored per soldier:

1st set–not used and only issued upon mobilization,
2nd set–like new and only used upon mobilization and for parade purposes,
3rd set–issued for inspections by senior officers,
4th set–worn on guard, during vacations, and on Sundays,
5th set–worn during field exercises and formal drill.
Very often, there was also a 6th and sometimes even a 7th set that was to be used during field exercises and formal drill.

The companies had their own garments’ budget—the so-called company economy (Kompaniewirtschaft), which meant that they could save money for other purposes not supported by an official budget, i.e., the equipment of the officer’s club. The better they managed storage, mending, and repairing of older sets of uniforms, the more they were able to keep them years beyond their estimated and budgeted service lifetime. Spiked helmets, for example, had an estimated lifetime of about 15 years.

This system resulted in soldiers who looked relatively non-professional as they wore really old and worn out uniforms during their regular service. When field-grey uniforms were issued after 1907, it became obvious that the new uniforms were being saved, since usually only the first and second sets were field-grey uniforms; the rest of the uniforms were still the old blue tunics. Blue uniforms were used by replacement and training formations until the end of the war. When enlisted soldiers finished service and were discharged, the company had to equip them with military uniforms if those soldiers had no proper civilian clothes. The companies were not eager to discharge them with the 4th or 5th set uniforms but used the surplus 6th or 7th set uniforms that were obviously worn out and heavily mended. Garment Repair Workshops (Bekleidungs-Instandsetzungs-Ämter (BIA)) were established at the end of 1914, when clothes and uniforms were so worn that they had to be mended and repaired before being reissued. Like the Bekleidungsämter, the army corps organized the Bekleidungs-Instandsetzung-Ämter. Repaired pieces received a stamp mark BIA together with the number of the respective army corps. A letter “F” indicated that those pieces were field serviceable and could be reissued to field units again.