Officer Tschapka - 1st Bavarian Uhlan-Regiment „Emperor Wilhelm II., King of Prussia“

Congratulations, Sandy!
Because you have here a very desirable piece of headgear with a 1914 Wappen, personally, I would never try to complete it with all attributes of piece time parades. The liner is showing excellent signs of wear, very probably in the field. So it is much better to let it in its actual configuration! I love those helmets that have seen the war, they are for me much precious and interesting as those that have been worn in peace time.
A Überzug would be fantastic on that piece, but because of the very (beautiful) very high neck, it would be difficult too, to find one.

I prefer myself to collect well marked, named, trackable EM helmets, I am not specially a friend of officer headgear. But if this beautiful and scarce bavarian Tschapka had crossed my way with a wearer name in it, I think I could have made a rare exception. I like the well worn look of the liner, it smells like history (y)

For a few years, I also could not myself resist to this Württemberg named brother of your beautiful bavarian Tschapka:

ulrich1.JPGulrich8.JPGulrich9.JPGulrich10.JPGulrich11.JPGulrich13.JPG
reischach.jpg

Philippe
;)
 
Great helmet Philippe, thank you for your kind words and for sharing your helmet. Really a wonderful piece.
I also prefer helmets with traceable names, but not exclusively. I just love the shiny officer's helmets and the rigged-up soldiers at parades in the German Empire at all. That’s why I mainly collect these officer's helmets.
 
Wonderful purchase Sandy. Beautiful fashionable high HIGH neck. Much more desirable in my opinion compared to the older model officer Tschapka.

You are well aware of how difficult it is to find a Wappen to fit a helmet shell. Very difficult. Now consider for a moment that whatever manufacturer made your Tschapka, made the Rabatte specifically to fit that helmet. I would not be surprised if you somehow found and bought 20 Rabatte and not one would fit. Not one. Especially with that long neck.

If by a miracle you found a Bavarian officers Rabatte to fit (after you spent a small fortune on it) you cannot have a Rabatte without a parade Haarbush. They are always on a Tschapka together. Those are also impossible to find, and extremely expensive.

Now after you’ve spent the price of the new car on a Rabatte and a Haarbush, you need an officer’s Fangschnur.

The only other part that will absolutely fit your Tschapka would be the Fangschnur. Those cords were worn in Garrison, on Parade, and they were worn in the field, as they serve a function of keeping the Tschapka connected to the wearer.

So my personal opinion, and my opinion only, is that you will never find an Bavarian officers Rabatte to fit, and why buy a Haarbush if you don’t have the Rabatte. So forget those and hope to find Fangschnur some day.

Beautiful Tschapka. I love them.
Hello Tony, I value your opinion very much i was just wondering about wartime officers Tschapkas with the metal tops. Were these tops made specifically for the helmet and the Rabatte made at the same time? Also for walking out would the Rabatte have been worn without the Haarbush ? Thanks in advance for your thoughts about this. Also i welcome all member's thoughts. Thank You Alan (pionierhorn)
 
Hello Tony, I value your opinion very much i was just wondering about wartime officers Tschapkas with the metal tops. Were these tops made specifically for the helmet and the Rabatte made at the same time? Also for walking out would the Rabatte have been worn without the Haarbush ? Thanks in advance for your thoughts about this. Also i welcome all member's thoughts. Thank You Alan (pionierhorn)
My Beloved wife tells me I have a lot of opinions.

First, any officer that ordered a private purchase Tschapka after the 1915 regulations kicked in could have a removable top, and if desired removable chinscales for an M91 strap. A few members here are fortunate enough to have one, perhaps one will post an image here.

I am in line with Philippe, and prefer Mannschaften items like helmets in field worn configuration. However, it makes perfect sense that if an Ulan ordered a Tschapka private purchase and if that man ordered it with a Rabatte, then it would have been made for the helmet by that manufacturer. That's the only way to get it to fit properly. Issued Rabatte are somewhat different, in that there is some consistency, but try squeezing a M95 Tschapka Rabatte on a short squat M1867.

If you were walking around wearing parade gear, then you would be headed to a parade. No rank of Ulanen wore the parade Rabatte without the Haarbush and vice versa.

The only consistent add-on to a Tschapka were the Fangschnur and Feldabzeichen. Always worn.

And for interest, here are a pair of Mannschaften Kgl. Bayer. 1. Ulanen-Regiment Kaiser Wilhelm II., König von Preußen (Bamberg) II Bayerisches Armee Korps Epaulettes.

BUR1.jpg
 
Last edited:
My Beloved wife tells me I have a lot of opinions.

First, any officer that ordered a private purchase Tschapka after the 1915 regulations kicked in could have a removable top, and if desired removable chinscales for an M91 strap. A few members here are fortunate enough to have one, perhaps one will post an image here.

I am in line with Philippe, and prefer Mannschaften items like helmets in field worn configuration. However, it makes perfect sense that if an Ulan ordered a Tschapka private purchase and if that man ordered it with a Rabatte, then it would have been made for the helmet by that manufacturer. That's the only way to get it to fit properly. Issued Rabatte are somewhat different, in that there is some consistency, but try squeezing a M95 Tschapka Rabatte on a short squat M1867.

If you were walking around wearing parade gear, then you would be headed to a parade. No rank of Ulanen wore the parade Rabatte without the Haarbush and vice versa.

The only consistent add-on to a Tschapka were the Fangschnur and Feldabzeichen. Always worn.

And for interest, here are a pair of Mannschaften Kgl. Bayer. 1. Ulanen-Regiment Kaiser Wilhelm II., König von Preußen (Bamberg) II Bayerisches Armee Korps Epaulettes.

View attachment 18936
Thank You very much ! Alan
 
I fully agree with Tony. All helmets from a manufacturer were certainly the same and so it was the best way to buy the Rabatte from them to ensure a perfect fit. But in addition the dress code for Prussian officers (1895) prescribed the dimensions of Tschapkas as follows:
  • Height (measured air line) from the Visor stitching to the top edge of the mortar board: 13,7 cm
  • Height from rear Tschapka edge to the edge of the mortar board: 15 cm
  • Length and width of the mortar board: 14,5 cm
  • Rabatte should be extended at the lower edge by a 3,8 cm wide golden and patterned braid (or lace?), which should include the upper head part of the Tschapka.
Similar dimensions should exist for Bavarian Tschapkas, because the countries in the empire had their own regulations. So according to the latest regulations, the length of the neck should be largely prescribed for all Tschapkas.
 
I fully agree with Tony. All helmets from a manufacturer were certainly the same and so it was the best way to buy the Rabatte from them to ensure a perfect fit. But in addition the dress code for Prussian officers (1895) prescribed the dimensions of Tschapkas as follows:
  • Height (measured air line) from the Visor stitching to the top edge of the mortar board: 13,7 cm
  • Height from rear Tschapka edge to the edge of the mortar board: 15 cm
  • Length and width of the mortar board: 14,5 cm
  • Rabatte should be extended at the lower edge by a 3,8 cm wide golden and patterned braid (or lace?), which should include the upper head part of the Tschapka.
Similar dimensions should exist for Bavarian Tschapkas, because the countries in the empire had their own regulations. So according to the latest regulations, the length of the neck should be largely prescribed for all Tschapkas.
Thanks alot i appreciate the information Alan
 
an old way that I have seen to " cover up " what a Rabatte don't fully do
is that if it is short ( don't quite go down to the helmet body ) was to wrap
the Fangschnur around the area where it don't meet
That covered the open area
Steve
 
Back
Top