The Ask Jeeves Thread!

[M18922]

Thanks for the help Gents

Cheers, Patrick

[spandau]

Pat

The dunkelblau caps did have chinstraps originally circa 1830's onwards but were phased out gradually as the 4 different armies of germany adopted Prussian regs from 1871 onwards.

Also the caps were parade and the pickelhaube was for battle....they did have chin straps !

Once again the simple question on a chinstrap question opens a whole can of worms ! I do like this hobby.

cheers

tony

[M18922]

But what about the military pre 1914? There are fieldgrey caps without chinstraps. Like your very nice 1908 cap without a chinstrap.



But in WW1 the chin strap was adopted. Why did they need it now when they had helmets and not before the war? Like this cap of yours.



Sorry for all the questions.

Cheers, Patrick

[FJ5 chally]

Hello,

You should as Mr. Stone mint, he is a moderator here in the cloth headgear section..
That man knows his visors, and can ask just about any question..
He is very personable, and is willing to share his knowledge.

[M18922]

But here we have a Model 1883 Preußen Volunteer Medical Orderly Schirmmütze with its chinstrap. Photos are from KaiserBunker.

[spandau]

Hi pat

Great questions. You have an enquiring mind !

The first cap you show, the 1908 medical should and did have at one point a chinstrap. This was a part of the regulation design. It was mainly issued to medical personnel, train and railroad troops. It was a field cap and worn in the service/combat and hence a chinstrap would be useful to keep the thing on. The same goes for the example pre 1914 from kaiser bunker. Other ranks were given a porkpie hat to wear in the field.

The officers version of the field cap in 1910 came with a chinstrap, agian because it was for wear in the field and they also rode horses ! cap needed to stay on for effect. It was a new design based on the naval cap of the time.

Hope this helps fill more gaps......what you need is a book on the caps development.......I will send you mine when it comes next week if you like !

cheers

tony

[M18922]

Thanks again Tony, I am enjoying talking about the development of chin straps .

But did the reichswehr field caps have chin straps? I don't remember seeing a chin strap on the field caps you posted.

Yeah Id love a copy of your new book. It will probably answer a lot if my questions.

Cheers, Patrick

[spandau]

hi pat

Not a chinstrap to be seen on the 1919 pattern field cap. They were designed to wear under the steel helmet in cold weather so I guess a strap might have got in the way.

cheers

tony

[M18922]

But I am sure they were riding horses as well. So a chin strap was needed, but perhaps they decided that it was easier not having a strap. But when did they start using chin straps again? The next pattern of visor cap?

Cheers, Pat

[spandau]

Pat

They would have worn their steel helmets in the field. The 1919 pattern service cap has a leather chinstrap as standard for both officers and men.

Field caps went the other way with no chinstraps on the alter art (aka crusher), the 1938 pattern cap or the 1943 einheitsfeldmütze.

there you go !

and before you ask the silver chin cord for officers was introduced 1927 onwards.

cheers

tony