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BRIAN NEMEC PICKELHAUBE AND HELMET COLLECTOR

KOKARDS USED ON THE PICKELHAUBE

The kokard was used to indicate the state, free city or kingdom the soldier came from. Some of the smaller states wore the same helmet plae as the prussian army. Therefore, the only way they had to identify with their country was with the kokard.


The kokards used on the German helmets can be a field of study on its own. For those that are new to the field of collecting, I should define what a kokard is. The Kokard Is a German Word. It is Cocarde in French and Cockade in English. I will use the definition found in the "AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE"

COCKADE: A rosette or knot of ribbon worn especially on the hat as a badge. Now we need to look up the meaning of Rosette. ROSETTE: An ornament or badge made of ribbon or silk that is gathered and tuffed to resemble a rose ... The Kokard used on the German helmets is made to look like a cloth rosette.


An example of a silk rosette worn on a French Army Kepi


The kokards come in two basic sizes. There are those for the mounted troops, metal helmets. And those for everyone else. This picture is of kokards for officers or NCOs. The officers and NCOs were allowed to have kokards made in multiple pices. The center ring was usually silver. The two on the left are the standard size. The four on the right are for mounted troops. The kokards on the right with the large holes are to be used on the M91 type chinstrap posts. The smaller holes were used with the fancy chinscales that were mounted with a split brad type of device.


The free cities of Luebeck, Hamburg, and Bremen used the cross of Malta on their kokards. In 1897 Hamburg went to a "iron cross" shape and Bremen went to a White/Red/white kokard. Note the cross shape is in the kokard and not just painted on. It is stamped into the metal kokard. This is also true of the pre 1870 Oldenburg. The other kokards are made for mounting on the M91 style posts.The upper right is prussia. The lower three from left to right are Wurttemburg, Saxony (war time) and the National kokard. The national or Reich kokard was worn on the right side.


Some of the kokards do not have the pointed edges. Saxony and some of the smaller states used a smooth edged kokard. This is a picture of a smooth Mecklenburg Kokard.During the war the supply of smooth kokards were sometimes replaced by the pointy type.


This kokard is worn on the right side of the helmet.
REICHS

The following kokards are worn on the left side of the helmet.
KINGDOMS = Königreich

Bavaria.....Entire Bavarian Army...Bavarian helmet plate
Prussia.....Most of the combined German Forces
Saxony.....GR100, GR101, IR102-107, FR108, IR133, IR134, IR139, IR177-179, IR181, IR182, GRR, KR, JB12, JB13, FAR12, FAR28, FAR32, FAR48, FAR64, FAR68, FAR77, FAR78, FA12, FA19, PB12, PB22, EBR1 7th AND 8th Komp., KB 2nd Komp., TA12, TA19.
Württemberg.....GR119 IR120, IR121, FR122, GR123, IR124-127, IR180 DR25, DR26 FAR13, FAR29, FAR49, FAR65, PB13, EBR 4 4th Komp., KB 3rd Komp, TA13
GRAND DUCHIES = Großherzogtum

Baden.....LGR109, GR110, IR111-114, IR142, IR169, IR170, LDR20, DR21, DR22, FAR14, FAR30, FAR50, FAR66, FAR76, FA14, PB14, TA14
Hesse.....LGR115, IR116-118, IR168, DR23, DR24, FAR25, FAR61, TA18
Mecklenburg.....GR89, FR90, DR17, DR18, FAR24 II Btl., FAR60,
Oldenburg.....IR91, DR19, FAR62 2nd and 3rd Batt.
Saxon-Weimar-Eisenach.....IR94
DUCHIES = Herzogtum

Anhalt.....IR93
Brunswick.....IR92, FAR46 2nd Batt.
Saxon-Duchies.....IR95, IR153,
PRINCIPALITY = Fürstentum

Lippe-Detmold.....IR55 III Battalion .......... note:Battalion shared with Schaumburg Lippe
Reuss.....IR96 II Blt.
Schaumburg Lippe.....IR55 III Battalion 1867-1897 ......... note:Battalion shared with Lippe-Detmold
Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt.....IR96 III Battalion
Schwarzburg-Sounderhausen.....IR71 I Battalion
Waldeck.....IR83 III Battalion
FREE CITIES = Freie Stadt

Bremen.....IR75 I and II Battalion.
Hamburg.....IR76
Lübek.....IR162

The Shako and Busby did not have a kokard on the left side. Instead a field badge was worn on the top of the helmet. The following is the color arrangement of the field badge.

SEEBATAILLON
I., II., and III. Seebataillon
KINGDOMS = Königreich

Bavaria.....BJB1, BJB2, BMGA1, BUR1, BUR2, LB, KB, EB, FB, TB
Prussia.....JB, MGA, LB, KB, SB, TB, UR, FB,
Saxony.....HR18-20, UR17, UR18, UR21, TB7, MGA8, LB1 3rd Komp., FB1 3rd Komp.
Württemberg.....UR19, UR20, TB4 3rd Komp. ,LB4 4th Komp.
Württemberg Officers.....The Officers wore a three color field badge.
GRAND DUCHIES = Großherzogtum

Mecklenburg.....JB14
DUCHIES = Herzogtum

Brunswick.....HR17
Schaumburg-Lippe.....JB7 






Batt= Batteries 

BJB= Bavarian Jaeger Battalion

BMG= Bavarian Machine Gun Abtl.

BUR= Bavarian Uhlan Regiment

DR= Dragoon Regiment

EB= Eisenbahn Battalion

FA= Foot Artillery Regiment

FAR= Field Artillery Regiment

FB= Flieger Battalion

FR= Fusillier Regiment 

GGR= Guard Grenadier Regiment

GR= Grenadier Regiment

GRR= Guard Reiter Regiment

HR= Hussar Regiment

IR= Infantry Regiment

JB= Jäger Battalion 

KB= Kraftfahr Battalion

Komp= Company

KB= Kraftfahr Battalion 

KR= Karabinier Regiment

LB= Luftschiffer Battalion

LGR= Leib Grenadier Regiment 

MGA= Machine Gun Abtlg.

PB= Pioneer Regiment 

SB= Schutzen Battalion

TA= Train Abtlg.

TB= Telegraph Battalion

UR= Uhlan Regiment

I am always interested in helping with the identification of a helmet. I am always looking to purchase helmets or parts of them. Feel free to E-Mail or send a letter. If you send a photo of an item that you would like identified, I will be glad to help.


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last modified 6 SEPT. 2001