WTB Depaheg Patent Officer's Vulkanfiber Haube
- Thread starter garlanj
- Start date
Hello Jeremy,
I do have one but it is odd. The short leg of the crusiform is in the rear. It is marked Awes Marke Berlin on the under side of the spike base, seen thru the vent hole. Otherwise it is a standard Prussian officers helm.
Attachments
garlanj
Active member
Hi
Odd indeed
. It seems to have a full length rear spine too so perhaps the cruciform is a later addition - looking from the inside, does it have additional holes where a circular spike base might have been fitted previously? Also with curved chinscales, I'm guessing train?
Many thanks
Jeremy
Odd indeed
. It seems to have a full length rear spine too so perhaps the cruciform is a later addition - looking from the inside, does it have additional holes where a circular spike base might have been fitted previously? Also with curved chinscales, I'm guessing train?Many thanks
Jeremy
Brian, this is a helmet for an officer of the administration (civil servant, Beamte). They were the only Pickelhauben with a cruciform spike basis and regular line eagle. This also explains the absence of motto and curved chinscales. There should be a small eagle in silver colour attached to the lower part of the eagle plate. As already noticed above, a real oddity is the spike basis: the front "leg" of the cruciform basis is longer than the one at the back! As if the spike basis had been rotated by 180 degrees... I have never seen this before.
I once owned a Wurttemberg officer helmet set up the same way, short leg to the rear. Fiber helmet body, no extra holes, it was clearly made that way. Almost perfect condition. I thought it was a late helmet, the stars were retained by split pins, not nuts. The base could not be reversed, or the spike would not be centered on the hole in the helmet body and the long leg of the spike base would run over the spine. Sold it years ago, never did figure out why it was made that way.
Steve
Steve
Sandmann
Well-known member
I could imagine that it was just a mistake, but the product was to expensive to throw in trash. Germans, especially Prussians, were very frugal and today’s throwaway society had not yet established. So I guess the buyer could have lived with such a mistake, which only becomes apparent at second glance, if he saved a few „Reichsmark“.
I have no doubt that you know about these helmets, Brian. There are variations. Plates with no scroll are frequent, but some are seen with the motto. The visor is usually squared, but exceptions seem to exist...
Sandmann
Well-known member
In „Uniformkunde - Das deutsche Heer - Friedensuniformen … - Part I“ from W. Spemann, on page 308 and on it only says that Helmets for „Militär-Beamte“ had mainly a squared Visor, round Chin-Scales, Officer-Cocades, an Eagle-Plate without bandeau but with „FR“ (sometimes a small Eagle in contrast color), a smooth spike and a crossfitting in color of the uniform buttons.
But I didn’t find a prussian Helmet with round Visor and Crossfitting? Does anybody know more?
But I didn’t find a prussian Helmet with round Visor and Crossfitting? Does anybody know more?
Last edited:
That is superb.
My gilt Beamte Wappen. The wee eagle would have been silvered when new.
As for the reversed cruciform spike base, that is a new one for me. The entire point of the shorter leg was to allow room for the eagle Wappen. But Wilhelm's fits perfectly as it should. It appears to be a beautiful Beamte, But backwards. With a round visor. I have no idea why.
Can the incorrect "Mounted Prussian Officer" tag go now?
As for the reversed cruciform spike base, that is a new one for me. The entire point of the shorter leg was to allow room for the eagle Wappen. But Wilhelm's fits perfectly as it should. It appears to be a beautiful Beamte, But backwards. With a round visor. I have no idea why.
Can the incorrect "Mounted Prussian Officer" tag go now?
Last edited:
Sorry in not getting back sooner, been away. There is no small eagle on the wappen. There are no extra holes. One additional oddity, the visor is not round or square but something inbetween, the corners are a bit rounded rather than sharp. I think it is late production because it is a fiber helm and the sweatband is cheaper leather and flackeing. I am at a loss. I bought it at a gun show because of the great condition. Thought I would be able to identify it, no luck.