Hessen 116th Infantry Bandsman's Tunic and Pickelhaube

Above: Infanterie-Regt. Kaiser Wilhelm (2. Großherzoglich Hessisches) Nr.116
(Gießen) XVIII Armee Korps tunic for a bandsman and picklehaube

Above:  The bandsman tunic has red and white shoulder insignia sometimes called swallows nest.  There is a marksman cord attached to the right side of the tunic.  The tunic is marked to the 116th Hessen Infantry Regiment.  The pickelhaube is also marked to the 116th Infantry and at some point, it was purchased by a One Year Volunteer accounting to the card in the interior of the helmet. The standard issue enlisted pickelhaube was sold to a One Year Volunteer but is otherwise identical to pickelhaube issued to all other enlistedmen of the 116th Infantry including bandsmen

 

 

 

Above and Below: Kaiser William II of Prussia was the Regimental Chief of the 116th Hessen Infantry Regiment and for this reason his Crown and WII cypher are on the shoulder boards. The buttons on the shoulder boads are marked with the number 4 for the fourth company

 

Above and Below: The name of on the tunic is Otto Bebier and the unit mark is J.R. 116 and 4/116 in pencil which corresponds to the 4 on the shoulder board buttons

 

Below: The Pickelhaube has the Hessen cockade and no national cockade

Above and Below: The Chin scales are convex even for infantry, non-mounted troops in Hessen service.  In Lander other than Hesse convex chin scales are for mounted troops such as Field Artillery, Trains and Cavalry regiments  

 

 

 

Below: It is difficulet to read but there is the name Schmidt and his position as a One Year Volnteer

Below:  The 116 J.R. mark for the Infanterie-Regt. Kaiser Wilhelm (2. Großherzoglich Hessisches) Nr.116
(Gießen) XVIII Armee Korps

 

 

 

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All images, research, and text are sole property of Ralph Lovett.