Imperial German Reservist’s flask of a Hussar was a member of the 5th Squadron of the 7th (1st Rhenish) Hussars, “King William I” from 1909-1912.
This Reservist’s Schnapps flask belonged to Gefreiter Urmetzer, a Hussar who was a member of the 5th Squadron of the 7th (1st Rhenish) Hussars, “King William I” from 1909-1912. This cavalry regiment was raised in March of 1815, and was a part of the 16th Division, attached to the VIII Army Corps, incorporated into the 4th Army just prior to and during WWI. The unit was garrisoned in Bonn, a city on the banks of the Rhine River in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia. Founded in the first century BC as a Roman settlement, Bonn is one of Germany's oldest cities.
Hussars were light cavalry used for reconnaissance and to probe enemy lines, and on the eve of World War I, in addition to Germany, there were still hussar regiments in the British and Canadian Armies—(Winston Churchill served in the 4th Queen’s Own Hussars in the late 19th Century) as well as the French, Spanish, Russian, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Romanian and Austro-Hungarian armies. Hussars were notable for their colorful and elaborate parade uniforms.
As the war wore on, cavalry units became dismounted infantry, some evolving into armored units still designated as “Hussars” in WWII.
The obverse of this porcelain flask depicts two hand-painted mounted Hussars vaulting a fence or obstacle as they ride forward into the fray. On the reverse, again rendered by hand, three Hussars walk arm-in-arm through Bonn as they make their way home. The viewer can determine that they have served out their time (3 years for mounted units) in the Reserve because their epaulettes are rolled on their shoulders as per tradition. The flask is capped by a spread-winged Imperial eagle, perched on a flagpole that displays the national flag in red, white and black. This elaborate cap screws off to serve as a container for a shot of schnapps. The porcelain body and metal reinforcement on the flask are both in remarkable condition. A mystery is the color of the shoulder cord, which based on the military units to which this Reservist was attached, should be black and white (see the pennants on the lances). However, we have blue, gold and red, a phenomenon that I am unable to explain. There is little doubt that the cord is original to the flask. Perhaps a personal preference, the truth of it is lost to time. If a member of this forum knows the reason for this discrepancy, please advise. My thanks to the Podiatric Surgeon who saw this piece at an auction somewhere in North Dakota, purchased it on my behalf and mailed it to Texas, where it now resides beside my Reservist’s stein collection. He saw my other similar flasks on another venue, and though we had never met, contacted me and facilitated my acquisition of this fine flask. There are still many good people left in this world.
.
Thanks for sharing it with us.
Bookmarks