Enlisted wappen, with Waterloo bandeau.

coert65

Well-known member
Hi friends, I just bought this EM M95 wappen, with a Waterloo bandeau fitted on it.
  • Helmplaat Pickelhaube Waterloo origineel
It was found in the region of Ypres, 3 weeks ago. It is missing its loops, but I couldn't resist. The seller sold it to me, for a price that was really low.
I know there were only 5 regiments allowed to wear the Waterloo bandeau on their wappen, but I do not know which one, or maybe more, were active in that region. So any info about it is very welcome. The bandeau is soldered on the back of the wappen, so it is not a one piece stamping.

Regards, Coert.
This is a picture of the reverse side:



  • Helmplaat Pickelhaube Waterloo origineel
 
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Thanks Sandy! I used to own a helmet with a wappen like it, but sold it years ago, when I had to pay for my mothers health costs, as you know.
My whole collection was sold back then, but I have no regrets. Now, at least I have a wappen for IR74, 77, 78, 164 and 165.
If I ever find a haube marked like one of those regiments, missing it's wappen, I have one.
 
I need to look at my helmets
I am thinking from memory that on the enlisted helmet plates
the Waterloo banner is a one pice stamped with the eagle plate .
Officers plates have the banner added as a seperate piece
Steve
 
Well done Coert, a little treasure, I am jealous!
I think I have to disagree with Steve about separate Waterloo banners only on officers haubes: I have a rather battered EM m95 with just the ends of a ripped-off Waterloo banner still attached (someone must have felt offended at it's being fitted to an "enemy" helmet). It definitely is EM, and all remaining fittings are a match for finish. Luckily I got a replacement from Tony, a one-piece stamping!
Cheers, Steve
 
Well done Coert, a little treasure, I am jealous!
I think I have to disagree with Steve about separate Waterloo banners only on officers haubes: I have a rather battered EM m95 with just the ends of a ripped-off Waterloo banner still attached (someone must have felt offended at it's being fitted to an "enemy" helmet). It definitely is EM, and all remaining fittings are a match for finish. Luckily I got a replacement from Tony, a one-piece stamping!
Cheers, Steve
Thanks! The helmet I owned before, also had a one-piece stamping on it, also an EM helmet. But I also saw several on sale which did have the banner soldered on. The soldering on this wappen also looks okay. Old soldering. And the Waterloo banner has strips attached, just so it could be soldered on. A seperate banner, made for soldering on an existing wappen.

Regards, Coert.
 
Thanks! The helmet I owned before, also had a one-piece stamping on it, also an EM helmet. But I also saw several on sale which did have the banner soldered on. The soldering on this wappen also looks okay. Old soldering. And the Waterloo banner has strips attached, just so it could be soldered on. A seperate banner, made for soldering on an existing wappen.

Regards, Coert.
Just saying that is what I have mainly seen and have .
Steve
 
That’s a nice find Coert. Must have been hundreds of those separate Bandeau ordered by each Regt prior to the awarding in 1899. You can’t hand five Infanterie Regts a new Wappen the next day. Bandeau would have to added to existing helmet eagles, with later made ones being a one-piece stamping.
 
//so maybe I was thinking about 73 and 87//
Both soldered on and one piece stamping are correct for issued. If you think about it, the AKO of 1899 announcing all of those Bandeau to all of those Regiments was no secret. Like everything else it had to be planned and executed. Supply officers must have been getting ready for many months for the rollover. Logistically it would be impossible to hand everybody a new helmet Wappen, so they had to have altered existing Wappen. That would not have been quick either. Months maybe a year or two. Who knows? But it took time as anyone who has worn a uniform and suffered through a new equipment release will know. Then as surviving helmets and Wappens show, after a few years when new helmets and replacement Wappen were produced, they did come with the Bandeau as part of the stamping. The only Regt I know that always had soldered on Bandeau was Hessen IR117. This is all just my opinion but it seems to make sense.
 
Thanks for your views on this Tony. The thought exactly which I had when I saw that wappen for sale. My gut feeling told me, that it probably was an earlier wappen, and that that bandeau was put on because there were not enough one-piece stamped ones available yet.
The EM M95 one I had earlier was a later one, but I forgot what date was in it. 1907, or 9 from my memory. That one did have a one-piece stamped wappen.
Just with equipment from when I was serving in the military, I got issued with the UZI, while the FAL was already available, but not to all yet.
So in training for service, I had to do with an UZI. Later on, when I got up in rank, I had an FN-Browning 9mm as a personal weapon.
But by then, everyone who got fresh in our army got the FAL, and the UZI got fazed out.

Regards, Coert.
 
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