| Helmet
Plates or Wappen |
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| I'm
working on this. My focus now is on infantry
units but I will expand it as time goes on. There
is a wide selection of helmet plates. This
is not intended to be a definitive study, but a
help in determining what the different plates are
and where they were from. Click on the flag
to be taken to the map, and some further
information about the state. |
The
most common, and therefore the vast majority
of helmet plates are from Prussia. If you
want to check and see if this is like yours, click
here first, it will probably describe what yours
is.
Click
here for most common
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| Anhalt |
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Infantry Regiment 93
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The first thing to
noticed about these wappen for Prussian and vassal
states is who they are made out to. It is
either to the King or to the ruler. The ones
on the left show what is known as a Fuerst
wappen. you notice that word on the neck of
the eagle for active wappen. This is true of every
vassal state with the exception of
Oldenburg. You'll also notice from the to
wappen on the left that one has a bandeau and one
does not. Vassal states followed the Prussian
example of putting the motto on the cross instead
of on the eagle for reserve and landwehr units. |
| Baden |
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Infantry Regiments 110
through 114, 142, 169, 170
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This wappen is readily
known as the Baden Griffin. |
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The motto on this
reserve wappen is on the cross again not on the
bandeau at the bottom of the Griffin. This
is correct, however, not always the case.
Baden also place these crosses directly below,
where you see it located in the gap between the
left leg and the shield. |
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Infantry Regiment, 109
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| Bavaria |
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Bavarian wappen changed in
size, over time. Prewar models often had fancy leaves
between the legs of the lions and were massive.
By 1914 the wappen had shrunk a great deal and were far
less ornate.
Reserve and Landwehr had a silvered cross as the example
below. |
| Bavarian
Infantry Regiments 1 through 23. If silver,
Bavarian Infantry Lifeguard Regiment |
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| Braunschweig
infantry Regiment 92, Hussar Regiment 17. |
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Infantry Regiment 92 has two of
the most sought after helmet plates. As a result, they are
frequently falsified. The plate with the deaths head was
for the third Battalion until a change in 1912. After 1912,
the death's head became the symbol for the entire Regiment.
Active-duty and reserve units wore the peninsula bandeau.Notice
on the example on the left that the motto is a Furst motto. |
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Landwehr Infantry Regiment 92
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The running
horse wappen is the single most sought after wappen.
However there are points to understand that make many
of them different. 1st and Second Bn. prior to 1912 for
active units. Reserves would wear the eagle with no bandeaux,
a reserve cross, and the Penninsular bandeaux. Landwehr
officers wear the eagle with no bandeaux and no Penninsular
bandeaux. |
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| Hessen |
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Infantry Regiment, 116, 118,
and 168
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The reserve cross was
unique for Hesse. Neither Fuerst nor Koenig was
mentioned.
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| Mecklenburg-Schwerin |
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1st & 3rd Battalion,
Grenadier Regiment 89, Fusilier Regiment 90
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| Mecklenburg
- Strelitz |
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2nd Battalion Grenadier
Regiment 89
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| Oldenburg |
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Infantry Regiment 91
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This is the only vassal
state that used a Koenig bandeau. |
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| Prussia |
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Grenadier Regiments 5, 6, on
10, 11, 12, prior to 1912
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The
initials FWR stood for King Fredrick Wilhelm.
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Grenadier Regiments 2, 3, 5,
6, 8, 10, 11, 12, posts 1912, and Grenadier
Regiment 145.
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 Most
Common
Infantry Regiments 13 through
33, 35 to 72, 75, 76, 79 through 86,1st Battalion
96, 97 through 99, 128 through 133, 135 through
138, 140, 141, 143, 144, 146 through 152, 154
through 163, 166, 167, 171 through 176.
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We
start with the Prussian line eagle. You would
think there are all made the same but they're not.
there are definite differences between eagles. I
will show shortly and in a different venue, the
differences between the feather patterns on the
chest of the eagles. The key thing to note here is
the bandeau. Established in 1860, this is
known as a Koenig bandeau. The important thing to
understand about a bandeau is that it is supposed to be
some where. The bandeau is either on the eagle or
on a Landwehr cross. Correct would have a bandeau,
in one place. Incorrect, but often found on original examples and in pictures, is
the bandeau on the plate as well is on the reserve
cross. The F. R. on the chest, stands for
Friedrich, Rex. |
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This
is a Prussian reserve eagle. It is identical to the Prussian
line eagle except for the lack of a bandeau. These
wappen are supposed to have a landwehr cross or reserve
cross. Even with the lack of a cross. You
can tell, it is a reserve eagle based on the F. R. with
no bandeau. Beamte often used an FR eagle without bandeau.
There was no enlisted version of the FR eagle.
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This
is a Prussian landwehr eagle. the motto is located
on the landwehr cross. This cross is
actually pressed in to the wappen. If you
turn the wappen over, you'll see an impression of
the cross in the chest of the eagle.
Hoffman collection
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Fusilier Regiment 34, and
companies five and six Fusilier Regiment 33
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Established
originally in 1843 the motto said "Fur
Auszeichnung die vormalig Koenigl. Schwedischen
Leibregt. Koenigen. Part of the plate, the 5 &
6th companies 33rd regiment were allowed this
starting in 1865. Officers of the 33rd
regimental companies were not allowed this
distinction until May 1891! |
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Two interesting anomalies
here, the active star on a top has the date 1860 located
on the bottom. That was the date that this star
was authorized. The reserve star on the bottom has a cross
on the top of the Starburst and has no motto
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A
line eagle with a guard star comes from the NCO
school. There was no officer model for these
wappen or helmets. |
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| Reuss |
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2nd Battalion Infantry
Regiment 96
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This
is extremely rare and covers only the second
Battalion, 96th infantry Regiment. This is a Fürst
eagle. All minor states, that war vassals to
Prussia had this except Oldenburg. Look at where
the bandeaux relative to the wings. In general
Fuerst eagles have lower bandeaus relative to
their position on the wings. |
| Saxony |
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These are for wappen with a
silver crest on a gilt colored star: Infantry
Regiments 101 through 107, 133, 134, 139, 177
through 179, 181. If the colors are reversed
with a guilt crest on a silver star, you have Life
Guard Grenadier Regiment, 100.
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This
is a Saxon wappen. In general, it has a German silver
state coat of arms on a brass eight pointed star.
The voiding is not only in the crown, but also among the
leaves of the crest. for infantry Regiment, 100 the colors
are reversed, with a gilt crest and a silver star. Be
aware of the star. Some fakes have a six pointed
star from a police wappen.
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| Saxe-Weimar |
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Infantry Regiment 94. The
overall Thüringian regiments were Infantry
Regiments 96 and 153.
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| Schwarzburg |
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3rd Battalion Infantry
Regiment 96
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| Württemberg |
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If gilt colored -- --Infantry
Regiments, 120 through 122, 124 through 127, 180,
and if silver, Grenadier Regiments 119 and 123.
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| Reich
Wappen |
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Officially known as the
wappen for the Reichesmilitärgericht.
Beamte and police inside the Reich. |
Fireman Wappen
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There are a bunch
of these types of wappen that are for police and/or fireman
outfits. This picture comes from the 1932 Junkers catalog
and is one of the most common I have seen. Sorry not military. |
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Flags courtesy of FOTW
Flags Of The World website at http://www.flagspot.net
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