Leibgendarmerie Spike

kaiserzeit

kaiserzeit

New member
It moves! It breathes!

G'day everyone! My wife and I moved from Vancouver, BC to one of Canada's nicer slices of Paradise known as Duncan, BC. Hence, collecting etc have been on hold.

Now, back at it!

My question relates to the Leibgendarmerie helmet and its service spike: From the discussion I have found, here, and referring to Tom Sebold's website, reference is made to a four-sided, pinched spike with a small ball on top.

The discussion of Col. Ron's Leibgendarm helmet makes two references to the ball on top:

http://pickelhaubes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=93&highlight=leibgendarmerie

The Larcade red volume, page 137 shows an example from the Helsinki Museum with the pinched spike but no ball on top.

What gives? A bit of confusion, here! Does anybody have any ideas?

Cheers,

Laurie
 
Radecke does not mention the ball top, but does describe the spike. After 1867 the helmets changed to round visor and round spike base for foot units, mounted units kept the square visor with cruciform base. In 1895 the helmet of the Garde Infantrie (as with 1.-4. GR) was introduced and the garde star added, but with slightly changed plate. This featured a straight sword guard and a different bandeau with the word "König" not covered by the garde star any more. Old helmet plates often remained in use though.
 
Hi Robert,

Thank you for adding a bit more information. What was your source? I haven't come across that discussion about the badge, before.

If anyone out there can resolve the discrepency regarding the spike, I would appreciate.

Cheers,

Laurie
 
Hey Laurie,
Welcome back, do I still owe you a beer? If you show up at SOS I will get James to buy it for you
Best
Gus
ps what came of the Swedish order?
 
Laurie,

Is that really you? I thought you were dead! Are you a zombie???

No spike but this is George Gaadt's artwork.

LeibG%20helmet%20poster800.jpg
 
Laurie, I was referring to Erich Radecke, "Polizei-Abzeichen", part 1. And I messed it up. I misread your post and looked up the Landgendarmerie, you was asking for Leibgendarmerie. Sorry for the confusion.

Now that is a really small unit, 48 men in total. German Wikipedia has a nice article about them. A good source would also be the "Zeitschrift für Heereskunde", 431 (March 2009) if you have access to a larger library.

414px-LG_Uniformtafel_klein.JPG
 
Hi Robert,

Thank you for scanning that page for me. If I have it right, that scan comes from "Zeitschrift für Heereskunde," is that correct? From what I can see, the spike does not have a ball on top. Thanks, I am glad to lay that little mystery to rest.

Hi Joe, Thank you for pitching in. That is a nice illustration. Is it part of a set? Or, a book that I have missed?

Gus: Under accepted accounting principles. beer debts accrue interest. We'll have to discuss resolution of the account over a beer.

I hope to make the next SOS. The thought boggles me, I fear I would be like a kid in a candystore (or is that a rugby player at a beer bust?).

Cheers,

Laurie
 
Laurie,

actually that page is from Kiesling, Die Leibgendarmerie, Berlin 1890. Probably it depicts the uniforms at that date. I fetched it from the Wikipedia article, which is in German of course:

I tried to post the link but then my post does not appear in the forum, evidently due to a german umlaut (sharp "s") in the link. After removing it, the post appears again. Strange.

In the article of the "Zeitschrift für Heereskunde" there are several uniform pictures that also show how the uniforms evolved over time. Regrettably I do not recall the details because I have only a short notice I made.
 
Hey Laurie,
You will love SOS, all the guys here talk big about how much beer they drink, but they are actually light weights, and there is always beer left over.
Gus
 
Gus,

I think Laurie is a zombie. They eat brains. So you are safe. Be careful though if he ever gets near your wife you could have problems.

Laurie,

The picture is some original artwork by John. He still has a few of these to sell. The last one I had we gave to someone who is deployed so it is no doubt adorning some distant outpost or bedroom.
 
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