OFFIZIER M15 FOOT ARTILLERY VETERAN

[argonne]

Hello Gents,
To your kind consideration today, here is my latest one. No doubt, this old vet has seen combat and action. Has been worn for a quite long and hard time. It is not perfect, has some lacks, dents and cracks but it´s an honest and original one and that´s the reason why I could´nt let it run away! It was manufactured at a time of evident big material lack. Most of the gilt of its spike neck, spines and chinscales is long gone... but its gilt stars and brass ball still give merely evidence of its yesterday pride.
I´m not sure about the material of the skull, but it´s definitive not made of leather (maybe cardboard?). I think that both visors are fibreglass. Also note the uncommon way to fix the rear spine on the neckguard: only a prong with two very small splits bent back at the interior of the rear visor. Liner is a kind of oiled cloth and very thin. The green cloth is not silk, but inferior quality cloth. Both M91 side posts are fieldgrey metal, as the officer plate. Never seen such an officer plate before: no brass or gilt eagle, only thin feldgrau metal as worn by Mannschaften, but voided crown. Solder at the back of the wappen is old and original, no double holes and print of this eagle in the skull. The screwable ball top is a small paradox on this helmet but a typical prussian characteristic: huge efforts to save and economize material, but it remains out of a question to do without parades...
By the way, there were very few prussian foot artillery units with classic line eagle (15 or 16) comparatively to field artillery with same wappen (50-60).
Does someone of you guys have some sources about which of those prussian foot artillery units were allowed to wear a haarbusch for parade? I only found out that the 3. Brandenburgisches Fuß-Artillerie Regiment "General-Feldzeugmeister" (BA XVIII, Mainz) was allowed to do that ( Larcade Tome II, page 151). Maybe more foot artillery units?
Philippe :salute:




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[jimturinetti]

You are correct with your information about the line Fuss Art Regts that wore a busch for parade, only FusAR 3 took a black bush. The one Guard Regiment and the Fuss Art Shooting School in Jöteburg wore white bushes for parade. There were 23 FusArt Regts: 3 Bavarian, two Saxon, 1 Baden and 18 from Prussia. Of the Prussian regiments, 1 wore the Guard Eagle; 13 wore the Prussian line eagle and 4 wore the Prussian Heraldic eagle.
Jim Turinetti

 

[edwin]

Nice helmet and full of character. Interesting find!

Regards,

Edwin

 

[argonne]

Jim, thank you for this "unit confirmation" and detailed explanation!
I think I own not enough literature sources about Kaiserliche Regimenter.... Would be worth an investment... But thanks God, there is this forum there and its helpful members!
Philippe :salute:

 

[Tony without Kaiser]

Sorry Philippe, but Fußartillerie-Regt. General-Feldzeugmeister (Brandenburgisches) Nr.3 (Mainz) XVIII Armee Korps wore a 1st Pattern Grenadier Eagle Wappen. Not a Line Eagle Wappen.

http://www.kaisersbunker.com/gtp/New/af0.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[GUR2]

Hello,
I like M15 for officer
this one in better condition
regards

By gur2 at 2011-09-24

By gur2 at 2011-09-24

By gur2 at 2011-09-24

 

[argonne]

YesTony, I know, I read that in the Larcade.
Because of that, only two possibilities:
1. Helmet worn by a Feld-Artillerie Officer in the 1. Linien Feld Artillerie Regiment "Prinz August von Preussen" ( BA.I, Gumbinnen and Insterburg), because this unit was the only one FAR wearing the combination Linien Adler + Haarbusch (black) since 1914, this haube being a M15 pattern. This officer may then have change to a Fuß-Artillerie unit ( was frequently the case). 1900 there were a few more Linien FAR wearing the Haarbusch + Linien Adler but M15 helmets did not still exist at this time. :wink:
2. Fuß-Artillerie Officer who bought this haube with screwable ball because of practical transport in the case (also not uncommon).
Philippe :salute:

 

[joerookery]

Officer who bought this haube with screwable ball because of practical transport in the case (also not uncommon).

More common than not!

The plate looks original–is it steel? I have not seen an officer is one like that. If so may I put a picture of it in this article?

http://www.pickelhauben.net/articles/M15%20Steel.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[argonne]

Uups 8-[ , I forgot 5 more small exceptions of preussischen Linien FAR units which still were allowed to wear a black Haarbusch after the 1. October 1913 (Larcade Tome II, page 148). The Offizier wearing this Ary helmet with screwable ball top could also has served in following "Fahrende Batterie" (mounted batteries) before he changed in a Fuß Artillerie Regiment:

- 6. Batterie FAR 2 (Pommern) in Kolberg / Belgard
- 5. and 6. Batterie FAR 7 (Westphalen) in Wesel / Düsseldorf
- 4. and 6. Batterie FAR 34 (Lothringen) in Metz-Montigny
- 4. and 5. Batterie FAR 42 ( Schlesien) in Schweidnitz
- 4. and 5. Batterie FAR 74 ( Torgau) in Torgau, Wittenberg


Philippe :salute:

 

[argonne]

Joe, you´re very welcome, as usual! Be free to put a picture in your interesting article! (I add one more pict of the plate at the bottom of this reply). This uncommon Offizier Wappen was also the most important reason why I bought this helmet. :cyclopsani:

I really don´t know if this is steel...
I only can say this wappen is not magnetic. The only magnetic part on the whole helmet is the small silver ring on the Offizier-Reichs-Kokarde. (the prussian has lost its own one... )
This Adler Wappen is also definitely no feldgrau painted brass!
Philippe :salute:



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[pointystuff]

Since it's gray and doesn't attract a magnet, it may be zinc.

 

[argonne]

Fuß-Artillerie Officer who bought this haube with screwable ball because of practical transport in the case (also not uncommon).

More common than not!

However, I think it´s not applying there. Why does an officer wanted to pay more for an extra screwable top ball section if the whole "spike" is already screwable? Surely not because of easier transportation in the Pickelhaube case, but because of the need of it for parade. This particularly helmet was already a "money saving" solution because of its very cheap "Ersatz-Qualität"...This officer must consequently not have been very well-off.
The only logical explanation probably is, he really must have changed at a time between 1915 and 1918 from one of the very few F.A.R. units still wearing the Haarbusch after 1914 to a Fuß.A.R. Einheit.
But OK, what is still logical in wartime???? Maybe the helmet manufacturers did not have one´s choice of pointy stuff anymore...You only can buy what is still offered...

GUR2, beautiful near mint helmet you have there! Congrats! =D>
For my part I prefer and mostly search for artefacts that have been "well shaken" by history. :happy6:
Tschüss
Philippe :salute:

 

[klink]

What a nice helmet !,

Very salty, beautiful !!.

I think the plate is a zinc one that have lost all is gilt.

Congrats.

=D>