Cap Rescue: 1924 Dated Schirmmütze for Kraftfahrtruppen.

[spandau]

Hi, long time no post !

Latest project has been completed and another piece of history has had some life put back into it.

This one came with a few wear and tear issues and although it displayed ok on the outside, the insides were kinda messy.

The cap had been "crushed" to give it a jaunty look but the resultant damage to the paste board, which was broken across both sides, meant the top of the cap was not supported at all. Also the internal front spring had come away causing the front to droop. In short the cap was in danger of collapsing. It was also missing its chin strap.

The plus was that it could be re-built and it was dated and unit marked and so I was able to do a bit of research on the unit and some personal that may well have seen the cap in wear. It is a cracking and rare example of the m1919/20 service cap introduced for the new defence force !

Ok this is what I started with................



Unit History/Background:

The kraftfahrtruppen were the motorised transport detachment of the new Army. As of 1922 organisation chart seven battalion had been formed alongside a training battalion. Each division was allocated a battalion as part of their compliment. They were the fore-runners of the motorised troops of the Wehrmacht and operated in support of the Infantry Regiments but were commanded independently.

These troops are not to be confused with Fahrtruppen who were the supply elements of the division.

The new uniform regulations gave this branch of service the piping colour by the name of Rosa, or as collectors like to say pink.

This example is marked KA 5 1924 2 komp III and allows use to read the "runes" and put it in the correct time place in history.

KA 5 is the unit, motorised battalion number 5 who were based in Stuttgart-Cannstatt (HQ) and assigned in support of the 5th Division.

1924 gives us date of manufacture and in this case date of issue as well.

2 komp show it was given to an other ranks member of the 2nd company who were based in Ulm.

III is the stores coding for issue to the troops as every day wear.

The insignia also confirm the caps origin and stamps as correct as the state cockade is for Wurttemberg. The cadre for the first and second companies of this unit were taken from the old Imperial Wurttemberg Army.

Sadly the cap has no name tag to allow us the insight into the former owner but we can find his commanding officer without too much trouble. Whoever wore the cap would have saluted these two boys.....

First, a certain Leutnant Konig, who was a WW1 vet with the awards EKII, wound badge in black and Wurttemberg Military Service Medal in Gold.

He was commissioned on 1/12/1915 so it is suprising to find him still with the same rank a decade later. To speculate, maybe he was not the mover and shaker the new army needed, the rank lists of 1930 don't feature him so perhaps he had retired ?

The commander of 2nd company was a very different story. Haptleute Von Hartlieb genannt Walfporn was another ww1 vet, and just going on the name I'm reaching for my boot polish..........

He was awarded EK1 and a bag of other state medals and was made a captain on 21/1/1915. Interesting he is still a captain 10 years later as well as Koing but this demonstrates the lack of movement within the Army limited to 4000 officers. That said, his career takes off from here...........

1927 he made Major and in 1930 was assigned to 2 Artillery Regiment as the Staff Officer to the Battalion. This means he was either on or had just completed the general staff course, which was even harder to get on than being promoted.

He must have passed as 1931 he was back with the motorised troops but assigned to KA 2 with the rank of major but as it's commander. 1932 he was made Oberstleutnant and commanded KA 2..............wonder how he did in the TR ?

Thanks for taking the time to read the post.

kind regards

Tony

[spandau]

I know the big question is ......What did the cap turn out like after restoration ?



The following pictures allow a comparison between the piping colours. The red of artillery against the rosa of motorised is very subtle on the early caps




but the later Rosa/pinks are much more vivid as shown by the 1934 example of the cap.




The later 1936 onwards shade is lighter again.

[DRK]

Good job Tony !

Best ,

Theo

[stonemint]

Fabulous (as usual!)....

[meyle77]

great job !
it looks amazing - keep up the great work !

[harryamb2]

v/nice job & thanks for history.