General a'la Suite?

[poniatowski]

Hey All!

I was looking through Randy T's book on 'Spiked Helmets of Imperial Germany' and noticed that the General a'la Suite was also listed as a Pioneer General's helmet. Were they identical? I know the a'la Suite had gilt star retainers on the spike base, was that the same for Pioneers? Were the chinscales silver for both? Always finding something new... especially when you think it's already organized in stone in one's mind.

Ron

 

[Glennj]

Ron,

I am not convinced there is such a thing as a "Pioneer Generals'" helmet. As you correctly state, a General à la suite wore silver fittings but gold stars on the spike base. A general officer whose original branch of the service was the engineer and pioneer branch wore a normal general officers' pattern helmet with gold fittings.

Regards
Glenn

 

[poniatowski]

Ron,

I am not convinced there is such a thing as a "Pioneer Generals'" helmet. As you correctly state, a General à la suite wore silver fittings but gold stars on the spike base. A general officer whose original branch of the service was the engineer and pioneer branch wore a normal general officers' pattern helmet with gold fittings.

Regards
Glenn

Thanks Glenn.

Ron

 

[Glennj]

Ron,

as a supplement to my earlier reply, there were a tiny number of general officers who wore the uniform of the Pioneers as an honorific. I don't own a copy of Randy T's book on 'Spiked Helmets of Imperial Germany' so am unable to see the particular helmet referred to. The number of general officers who were à la suite to or were granted the uniform of a Pionier-Bataillon or Eisenbahn-Regiment can be counted on the finger on one hand (four to be exact). Of these four, two had the uniform of the Garde-Pionier-Bataillon; Gen.d.Inf. Hans v. Beseler (à la suite) and Gen.-Lt. Konrad v. Schubert (Uniform) and one, Gen.d.Inf. Conrad v. Werneburg was à la suite to Eisenbahn-Regiment Nr. 1. The Officers' clothing regulations stipulated that generals as "Chiefs" or à la suite etc. to a troop unit could if they wished wear a generals' pattern helmet (as opposed to the unit model) on the condition that they wore the unit's fittings (Zierat). In the case of the GPB and ER1 that would of course be a guard eagle and star with silver fittings but gold chin scales (and spike base retaining stars).

Regards
Glenn