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Was given this beautifull old cap today by someone who thought it was an old Navy cap from his family. A member of that family had perished on a U-Boot during WW1. However, this cap turned out to be a military cap from Braunschweig, Duchy of Brunswick. I had never seen a cap before in this colour combination, and it is a very early example - before March 1897, as it has never had a Reichskokarde, just the Brunswick cockade, dark blue with a gold ring and a silver Landwehr Cross, denoting the status of the wearer. The cockade is also the officer version, as the ring is gilded and not lacquered. The old Brunswick uniforms before 1886 differed entirely from the Prussian. The Infantry had a blueblack tunic with concealed buttons and light blue collars and cuffs, the Tschako in Brunswick pattern was worn. With the blue band and crown piping, it also has an additional yellow piping to upper and lower edges of the band. This possibly denoting a Militärbeamter or official. Brunswick was a very small state and only had one infantry regiment, 92, Husaren-Regiment 17 and 2 batteries of Artillery later attached to Feldartillerie-Regiment 46 in Wolfenbüttel and Celle. The silver Landwehr Cross has the tiny inscription M.Gott.f.Fürst u.Vaterland above a wreath. There are two name entries within the liner, Jürges and Heuer, both attached to the family this came from. It came complete in a very old hat box, probably not belonging to the cap. There is also a makers mark in the lining August Hessemeyer, Helmstedt. The cap came with an old hat or cap box, very slightly too small, but around same age (photo). Cap has now had a light cleaning, first of all with a vacuum cleanter, then with steam, avoiding contact to leather parts. As a comparison, a re-enactment photo of the Brunswick Leib-Bataillon during the Napoleonic Wars. The traditional colours were adhered to till 1886. The Tschako bore the Brunswick "Todtenkopf" device. The traditional tunic after the Napoleonic Wars was known as a "Polrock", the cut being of Polish origin. Brunswick cockade for Reserve and Landwehr in blue and gold. Fine silver miniature Landwehr cross with inscription: "Mit Gott für Fürst u. Vaterland" Inside of leather peak is red. Maker's mark of August Hessemeyer, Helmstedt, handwritten name, Heuer Other Brunswick headdress of the old pattern Tschako for Infanterie-Regiment 92, III. or Füsilier-Bataillon, worn till 1886 (Internet photo) Tschako-Emblem for Infanterie-Regiment 92, I. and II. Bataillon, worn with the old uniform till 1886, after which, a spiked helmet was introduced (Internet photo) A WW1 period photo stated to be of a Brunswick Landsturmmann Herzogl. Braunschweigische Post, Briefträger, 1850. Brunswick infantry: Füsiliere, with Russian "Kiwer" style Tschako, ca. 1840. Print by Dietrich Monten. A re-enactment group. Not all quite 100 percent

Another new item for the WW1 exhibition in the Museum, a belt for foot soldiers of the Prussian Army. The buckle is fieldgrey steel, the leather tab is unusually rivetted instead of sewn, it is marked and dated C.Pose, Berlin 1914 - a remarkably early fieldgrey steel buckle. The prongs have possibly been repaired or replaced by an earlier brass example, probably done in a divisional workshop. The belt it came with, is a standard 45 mm leather, unblackened, but has a catch which has the dimensions of the old wider M.1847 model, which was still in use until about 1917. The leather is faintly stamped B.P.B.14 and a further stamp 1888 - this could well be Badisches Pionier-Bataillon 14. Baden troops wore the standard Prussian buckle.