SkipperJohn
Well-known member
This is a Model 1871 Garde Fußartillerie helmet recently found in Berlin:
Since this helmet is prior to 1897 it only has one Kokarde:
This helmet is extremely heavy and incorporates very thick shellac; thicker than most that I have seen. This helmet may have been serviced by the BKA at some point in its service life; regardless the shellac is very old:
The rear spine is ventless, and the neck guard shows some of the deterioration of the shellac:
The liner is complete and intact:
The Wappen is stamped out of heavy gauge brass and the Garde Star is nickel-silver. The Garde Star is attached with bent pins. Unfortunately, the star is missing it’s lower point. The ghost behind this Wappen is unmistakable and indicates that no other Wappen has ever been used on this helmet:
There is a remnant of a paper label name tag on the inside of the helmet shell. There are no additional holes behind the Wappen, and it is held on with screw posts:
The helmet is marked on the rear visor; however, even when wet the markings are indistinguishable:
The Kokarde is stamped steel (magnetic) and measures 51 mm. The chinscales are held on with screw posts:
The front visor trim is staked in three places, presumably to hold the visor trim in place. I have only seen this type of trim staking on Model 1871 helmets:
This Kugelhelm would have been used by the Garde Fußartillerie Regiment between 1871 and 1874. The Garde Fußartillerie Regiment was formed on 16 March 1865 at Spandau. It was officially given the Foot Artillery designation on July 18th, 1872. There was only one Garde Fußartillerie Regiment in 1871/72. The Garde Fußartillerie Regiment 2, Lehr Regiment, was not formed until 1 October 1912. It was the Lehr Regiment that manned the well known “Big Bertha”. An AKO (Allerhöchste Kabinets Order) in 1872 mandated flat chinscales for Foot Artillery. Flat chinscales for Foot Artillery and convex chinscales for Field Artillery was incorporated in order to bring the artillery in line with current infantry and cavalry regulations. Oddly, another directive of the War Ministry directed flat chinscales for the Foot Artillery on 9 February 1882. It seems strange that two directives were necessary. The earliest information I can find concerning the Siege Artillery and Fortress Artillery requirement to wear flat chinscales states that it occurred in 1856.
(A Model 1860 Prussian Foot Artillery helmet can be seen here: https://www.pickelhaubes.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=11280 )
The Garde Fußartillerie Regiment was authorized to wear a Trichter after 1874. Since the Kugel on this helmet is not removable it would have been used by the Garde Fußartillerie Regiment between 1871 and 1874.
The following information was provided me by a fellow forum member, Reservist1:
The German Artillery from 1871 to 1914, uniforms and equipment by Ulrich Herr and Jens Nguyen indicate on page 406 that the only foot artillery unit authorized a parade plume prior to 1913 was the Guard Foot Artillery.
Formations und Uniformierungsgeschichte des Prussisches Heeres 1808 bis 1914 by Paul Pietsch, in volume2, page 199 indicates that the date that the Trichter was awarded to the Guard Foot Artillery was 1874.
This helmet could also have been worn by personnel of the Artillerieprüfungskommission (APK).
Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm III on March 17, 1809 initiated the formation of a special commission for artillery matters. On February 29, 1816, the commission became the artillery examination/testing commission with the issue of an Allerhöchste Kabinets Order "Highest Cabinet Order" (AKO).
The artillery inspection commission consisted of personnel from the army and navy artillery. It was responsible for the development, testing and procurement of artillery material, and included evaluating foreign developments. The APK included an experimental department, an experimental company, a depot administration and a replacement battalion. The Artillerieprüfungskommission (APK) was authorized to wear a Garde Kugelhelm with flat chinscales.
With the end of the First World War in 1918, the APK was dissolved.
Personnel of the Feldartillerie- und Fußartillerie-Schießschule were likewise authorized to wear the Garde Kugelhelm with flat chinscales.
The artillery shooting/gunnery school was founded in Spandau in 1867 to train artillery officers. The associated shooting range was in Tegel. The officers were supposed to learn, and use, constantly evolving artillery techniques. In 1872 the shooting school was divided into a Field Artillery and a Foot Artillery shooting school. In 1890 the artillery school was moved to Jüterbog.
From 1892, almost all artillery officers were trained in Jüterbog; the exception being Bavarian artillery officers.
With the exception of the 13th Foot Artillery, which was formed on 14 November 1805, all of the other Foot Artillery regiments were formed in 1864 or later. The Foot Artillery regiments were developed with the reformation of the army in 1860 by (then Regent) Wilhelm I. Prior to their formation they were referred to as Siege Artillery or Fortress Artillery, some of which were manned by the Navy.
I would like to gratefully acknowledge the assistance, research, and information provided by Reservist1 concerning the dates that authorized a parade plume for the Garde Foot Artillery Regiment (1). Everything on this helmet looked correct with the exception of a fixed Kugel, which made me skeptical. Without the information Reservist1 provided I doubt that I would have purchased this helmet.
I’m glad I did.
John
Since this helmet is prior to 1897 it only has one Kokarde:
This helmet is extremely heavy and incorporates very thick shellac; thicker than most that I have seen. This helmet may have been serviced by the BKA at some point in its service life; regardless the shellac is very old:
The rear spine is ventless, and the neck guard shows some of the deterioration of the shellac:
The liner is complete and intact:
The Wappen is stamped out of heavy gauge brass and the Garde Star is nickel-silver. The Garde Star is attached with bent pins. Unfortunately, the star is missing it’s lower point. The ghost behind this Wappen is unmistakable and indicates that no other Wappen has ever been used on this helmet:
There is a remnant of a paper label name tag on the inside of the helmet shell. There are no additional holes behind the Wappen, and it is held on with screw posts:
The helmet is marked on the rear visor; however, even when wet the markings are indistinguishable:
The Kokarde is stamped steel (magnetic) and measures 51 mm. The chinscales are held on with screw posts:
The front visor trim is staked in three places, presumably to hold the visor trim in place. I have only seen this type of trim staking on Model 1871 helmets:
This Kugelhelm would have been used by the Garde Fußartillerie Regiment between 1871 and 1874. The Garde Fußartillerie Regiment was formed on 16 March 1865 at Spandau. It was officially given the Foot Artillery designation on July 18th, 1872. There was only one Garde Fußartillerie Regiment in 1871/72. The Garde Fußartillerie Regiment 2, Lehr Regiment, was not formed until 1 October 1912. It was the Lehr Regiment that manned the well known “Big Bertha”. An AKO (Allerhöchste Kabinets Order) in 1872 mandated flat chinscales for Foot Artillery. Flat chinscales for Foot Artillery and convex chinscales for Field Artillery was incorporated in order to bring the artillery in line with current infantry and cavalry regulations. Oddly, another directive of the War Ministry directed flat chinscales for the Foot Artillery on 9 February 1882. It seems strange that two directives were necessary. The earliest information I can find concerning the Siege Artillery and Fortress Artillery requirement to wear flat chinscales states that it occurred in 1856.
(A Model 1860 Prussian Foot Artillery helmet can be seen here: https://www.pickelhaubes.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=11280 )
The Garde Fußartillerie Regiment was authorized to wear a Trichter after 1874. Since the Kugel on this helmet is not removable it would have been used by the Garde Fußartillerie Regiment between 1871 and 1874.
The following information was provided me by a fellow forum member, Reservist1:
The German Artillery from 1871 to 1914, uniforms and equipment by Ulrich Herr and Jens Nguyen indicate on page 406 that the only foot artillery unit authorized a parade plume prior to 1913 was the Guard Foot Artillery.
Formations und Uniformierungsgeschichte des Prussisches Heeres 1808 bis 1914 by Paul Pietsch, in volume2, page 199 indicates that the date that the Trichter was awarded to the Guard Foot Artillery was 1874.
This helmet could also have been worn by personnel of the Artillerieprüfungskommission (APK).
Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm III on March 17, 1809 initiated the formation of a special commission for artillery matters. On February 29, 1816, the commission became the artillery examination/testing commission with the issue of an Allerhöchste Kabinets Order "Highest Cabinet Order" (AKO).
The artillery inspection commission consisted of personnel from the army and navy artillery. It was responsible for the development, testing and procurement of artillery material, and included evaluating foreign developments. The APK included an experimental department, an experimental company, a depot administration and a replacement battalion. The Artillerieprüfungskommission (APK) was authorized to wear a Garde Kugelhelm with flat chinscales.
With the end of the First World War in 1918, the APK was dissolved.
Personnel of the Feldartillerie- und Fußartillerie-Schießschule were likewise authorized to wear the Garde Kugelhelm with flat chinscales.
The artillery shooting/gunnery school was founded in Spandau in 1867 to train artillery officers. The associated shooting range was in Tegel. The officers were supposed to learn, and use, constantly evolving artillery techniques. In 1872 the shooting school was divided into a Field Artillery and a Foot Artillery shooting school. In 1890 the artillery school was moved to Jüterbog.
From 1892, almost all artillery officers were trained in Jüterbog; the exception being Bavarian artillery officers.
With the exception of the 13th Foot Artillery, which was formed on 14 November 1805, all of the other Foot Artillery regiments were formed in 1864 or later. The Foot Artillery regiments were developed with the reformation of the army in 1860 by (then Regent) Wilhelm I. Prior to their formation they were referred to as Siege Artillery or Fortress Artillery, some of which were manned by the Navy.
I would like to gratefully acknowledge the assistance, research, and information provided by Reservist1 concerning the dates that authorized a parade plume for the Garde Foot Artillery Regiment (1). Everything on this helmet looked correct with the exception of a fixed Kugel, which made me skeptical. Without the information Reservist1 provided I doubt that I would have purchased this helmet.
I’m glad I did.
John
