Kaiserliche East Asian Expeditionskorps Tropenhelm?

[RON]

Gentlemen, does anyone know if Pioneers where among the East Asian troops deployed in China during the Boxer Rebellion period (1899-1901) or earlier?

Anyone knows what their pith helmets were (model/color) as it seems several German companies made these helmets for the troops who also used French, English, and Portuguese models before the Bortfeldt's M1902 was adopted for the soldiers in China... Also, anything on the regulations as to the wearing (or not) of the Reichsadler and/or the Reichs cockade to the front on those tropenhelme prior to 1902?

 

[Glennj]

Ronny,

The first Stellenbesetzung of the Ostasiatische Expeditionskorps dated 9 July 1900 shows the Ostasiatisches Pionier-Bataillon formed in Harburg under the command of Major Reppert, formerly commander of Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 15. Also listed are the Korps-Telegraphen-Abtheilung and an Eisenbahn-Bau-Kompagnie.

Regards
Glenn

 

[RON]

Thanks Glenn! :thumb up:

Anything on headgear/tropenhelm 'configuration'/regulations?

 

[Glennj]

Ronny,

Just looking through Ulrich Schiers' "Tropenhelme der kaiserlichen Marine, der Ostasiatischen Truppen und der Schutztruppen". The straw hat of the summer uniform was replaced per AKO of 14 December 1900 by the pith helmet supplied by the firm of Ludwig Bortfeldt. The helmet of the Pioneers had a white Reichsadler and a arm of service band of black with red piping with a width of 23mm. The helmet was fitted with a Reichskokarde on the right hand side and a light brown coloured chin strap.

Regards
Glenn

 

[RON]

OK guys, it's time for me to be more specific

I am being offered one of those imperial tropenhelms that seem to have been manufactured and used by several countries including Germany, prior to the Bortfeldt models (1902 onwards)...

At first inspection of the outer shell and despite the soiling, the helmet looks identical to a couple of white pith helmets described by Tony Cowan as German here: http://imperial-antiques.com/photologue/gallery/page/7/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

and as "German M1900" on Chris Dale's great site (see the very soiled helmet halfway down this page: http://s400910952.websitehome.co.uk/germancolonialuniforms/militaria/tropicalhelmets.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false

The only significant difference, I thought, was the neusilber (nickel silver) Reichsadler seen on my new "mystery helmet" which, combined with the EM Cockade, would mean the helmet was used by Pioneers as explained by Chris.

But after more thorough browsing, I found a thread by Peter Suciu on French Pith helmets where he described his first example -- which seems to have the exact same liner as mine -- as a "French M1886" (http://gmic.co.uk/index.php/topic/17209-french-pith-helmets/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false...

Photos of the new "mystery helmet" are attached further down for benchmarking. It has no markings except for size (57). The chinstrap is probably not original to the helmet and could be a field or later replacement but that's not what really matters... From what I was told, Germans purchased helmets from other countries as well as buying from German companies, thus resulting in small variations between helmets prior to 1902... :?:

I am therefore trying to find out if my "mystery helmet" could be one of those French models converted to German-use before Ludwig Bortfeldt's 1902 design became universal for soldiers deployed in China? Keeping in mind the Germans fought alongside the French during the Boxer rebellion in Northern China (1899-1901), I thought this might be a possibility... or not? 8-[