Prussian Medical General's Shoulder Board

[Chip]

I thought I would ask if anyone has any reference regarding this shoulder board. It is, I believe, a medical general's board, but the huge size has me uncertain of the period. It must be an earlier piece, but I would like to nail down the time span over which it would have been worn. I have shown it in comparison to the size of an M15 medical officer's board. I would assume that it would be from the 1873-1897 era, but I have little reference from this period. The ?skulapstab and pip are gilt with the cords being gold/black/silver in color. The backing is blue-black. The length is 10,5cm and the width 6,5cm.

Chip

Edited September 10, 2006 by Chip

[Glenn J]

Hi Chip,

I agree that the board must be from 1873-1896 when the new pattern of board for medical officers in Generals rank was intoduced which had four separate cords as opposed to the pattern here with three. The 1896 board had one black, one silver and two gold cords. The earlier pattern as in the case with yours, one of each. This is confirmed in Helldorff's Dienst-Vorschriften der K?niglich Preu?ischen Armee published in Berlin in 1879. He actually states that the board of a general officer was 6 cm wide.

Coming from that period with one rank star, the board must be that of the Generalstabsarzt der Armee - Grimm, von Lauer or von Coler.

Please find below the situation as of 1879 as published in Helldorff. With regards to Wilms, I do not believe he achieved General Officers' rank. Although a Generalarzt 1. Kl. could possess the rank of a Generalmajor, it was usually a full colonel's rank.

Regards

Glenn

[Paul R]

I really like those! These are the first Imperial boards(medical) I have seen. I would love to find some for my medical display!