Austria-Hungary More Austrian hat badges

[Ulsterman]

Here are some more Austrian cap badges. Can anyone tell me anything about the units they represent? Also, any clue as to value (or originality)?

I am certain the first one is Bosnian:

[Ulsterman]

Another badge:

[Ulsterman]

Yet another: artillery??

Edited September 11, 2005 by Ulsterman

[Ulsterman]

My favorite:

[Ulsterman]

The men who wore them. Austrian POWs in Russia in 1916.

[Glenn J]

Ulsterman

the first is from Bosnisch-hercegovinisches Infanterieregiment Nr. 4, the 2nd from the 27. Infanterie-Truppen-Division and the 4th from k.k. Sch?tzen-Regiment Nr. 30 (Czech/German). I don't recognize the 3rd.

Regards

Glenn

[Ulsterman]

Ta Glenn:

Any idea on how much these sell for?

Can you flesh out any unit histories ?

Thanks,

[Guest Rick Research]

I'd gave to agree on the looks for SR 30!

[attachmentid=10427]

These are all that remain from mine. I have a group to a Hungarian doctor who had been a One Year Volunteer in JB 25 before the war, and served in the 22 SD in WW1. Most of these badges that I have seen have been in very durable dark green paint that would have made them unobtrusive at the front.

Herewith, fronts and backs of J?ger Bataillon 25, 22. Sch?tzen Division, and 30. Sch?zen Regiment, with an officer's FJI cap cockade for comparison.

[attachmentid=10423]

[attachmentid=10426]

Many of these badges are maker marked:

[attachmentid=10434]

[Ulsterman]

another badge:

1914-16

"eisenbahnsicherung' (train security)

Edited September 14, 2005 by Ulsterman

[Ulsterman]

17th Jagers (presumably a Germanish regiment):

[Ulsterman]

..K.u k. Artll.gruppe

(Mt. Testo)

1916 Pasubio 1917

Edited September 14, 2005 by Ulsterman

[Ulsterman]

..patriotic..

Edited September 14, 2005 by Ulsterman

[Ulsterman]

24 XII 1916

K.u K. Res. Spit. Wein No6.

In TRIENT

[Ulsterman]

..another

[Ulsterman]

and another one; this one had 1.2 written in pencil on the back.

Edited September 14, 2005 by Ulsterman

[Ulsterman]

penultimate one-very bright for a combat badge. I reckon it was a veteran's piece.

Edited September 14, 2005 by Ulsterman

[Ulsterman]

..... and the artillery one.

[Ulsterman]

Any comments????

[Guest Rick Research]

I was sitting here enjoying these and letting you post. Got any MORE? I was all done with the three ones I kept after getting out of Austrian collecting.

What does the BACK of the B?hm-Ermolli one look like? I don't think it's a veterans piece-- that is probably what the GHQ nabobs wore around their luxurious accomodations!

These badges are certainly worthy of a reference book or books. there must be THOUSANDS of them, and yet though most are very exactly dated and placed by specific units, there has not been any such Catalog that I'm aware of.

The artistic designs are superior to anything else I've seen-- commissioned by the Art Nouveau masters of Mittel Europa, and I'm sure many a famous name in sculpture can be found on the designer/maker marks on the reverse.

Most of them are a very dark green dull paint precisely as you mention, to gve snipers aiming points.

I had, among many (down to one Pioneer Company blowing up a tiny enamelled tree at "Manilowo" on a date I've forgotten now) several with Archduke Eugen-- one a specific unit and date, the other a "generic" (something like "Izonzo Group")... so some were apparently stock pieces that could be ordered with different texts.

But most were made-to-ordere by each unit.

I'd love to see more-- it's been 20 years since I've seen ANY.

[Chip]

Guys,

I have enjoyed looking at these. I especially like the Bosnian regimental and Rick's J?ger. My collection is small (thirty pieces or so), but fairly representative of the various types. As Rick says, there are thousands of designs. A friend of mine has a huge collection with somewhere around a thousand pieces. My belief had always been that these were originally made to sell to the public as a fund raisers. They became very popular with the troops as well, but I don't think, for the most part that they were specifically ordered and made for units to wear. I mean, you see quite a few of the Eisenbahnsicherung version and there could not have been that many troops that fell into that category. On the other hand, I have owned badges that were customized by taking a generic corps pin and soldering brass regimental numbers to it. My guess is that this was the exception.

There are some books that cover the subject, but they just give samplings and are not comprehensive studies.

I have seen a ton of these pins and don't recall ever having seen one that was painted green? Most of them are made of Kriegsmetall, brass or white metal and are occasionally enameled.

When the Germans served with the Austrians there was some interest in these badges. The troops began to wear the Austrian corps badge (I have period photos). Later, several Bavarian divisions had their own pins created and it is well documented that they were worn during the war, though forbidden and unofficial. I have examples from the Bavarian 10th Div., 11.Div. and 8.Res.Div. They are pictured in J?rgen Kraus' book.

Chip

Edited October 10, 2005 by Chip

[Ulsterman]

I have @ 100 more. I shall post them soon. Any idea where I could buy more? I really like them, but I wish I knew more about the individual units.

[Guest Brian von Etzel]

penultimate one-very bright for a combat badge. I reckon it was a veteran's piece.

I really want one of these if you find an extra, pleeeeaase.

[Guest Rick Research]

The Ultimate Answer To All Austro-Hungarian Military Questions is

http://www.austro-hungarian-army.co.uk/

run by our own Glenn J

[Chip]

These pins surface regularly on e-bay, but they are highly collected by the Italians, who pay very hefty prices for them. The last one that I bought at a local militaria show for $12.00 was not of much interest to me, so I put it on ebay and it sold for nearly $70.00. That got my attention! Now, I wish I had bought them years ago when you could find them all day for $10.00 or less. Ah well.....

Chip

[Ralph A]

I think I have about a dozen of these in my tinnie collection.

I thought they were day badges.