Tuesday 2 September 2008

Dogs in Hats

This post is more serious than it sounds from the title. I have been considering the pickelhaub we found with the body and in an effort to find out more information about it went here:

www.kaisersbunker.com/

Yes, there are pictures of dogs in hats and, indeed, helmets on it but it contains lots of lovely information about spiked headgear and the like.

Essentially our man had acquired a Hessian helmet. We had wondered if the fluted spike and fishscale chinstrap were indicative of rank and status but it appears that all Hessians had this style, although the scales differed in some cases, with Dragoons apparently having rounded scales.

Very useful.

2 comments:

ProudNewfoundlander said...

Hi there. I saw some shows on TV featuring No Man's Land. I have been very interested in both World Wars, so I was quite interested in what you were able to find. My Father was a WW2 veteran & my Great Uncle was killed on the opening rounds of the battle of the Somme, July 1 1916. I have his medals here at home.

Anyway, I just wanted to say that I think the work you are doing to recover & restore the artifacts from the Great War is important. It not only recovers long lost family & gives men a proper burial, but puts a more personal face on a war that may soon become a footnote in history without some physical reminders of what happened & why.

Thank you.

Plugstreet Team said...

Thank you proudnewfoundlander, it's nice to know that we have readers and that our efforts are appreciated.