Rare Prussian Uniforms and Ranks

[Glenn J]

Ok chaps,

a little quiz for the Imperial Prussian uniform experts.

The year is 1914 . What rank would wear the following uniform and insignia:

Dark blue Waffenrock with black velvet collar and Swedish cuffs, gold collar litzen and carmine red piping. Carmine underlay to Shoulder boards flecked with blue or embossed epaulette with blue striped bridle and tress with one Rosette and "Eagle coat of Arms" (Wappenadler). Small Wappenadler on the cap and helmet. Landwehr cross on cockade.

A little clue: There were only about 25 of these guys.

Regards

Glenn

[Chip]

Glenn,

I will step out on a limb since no one else has. The only thing that is throwing me off is the black collar and cuffs with the gold Litzen. I thought I had found it, but the black I saw, actually said Dunkelblau Samt in the text. Anyway, I am going to guess that the color is really Dunkelblau and that it is the uniform of a Vortragender Rat der 3.Rangklasse (one pip) des Kriegsministeriums (carmine red) and with a twist he would have to be a Beamte des Beurlaubtenstandes (for the Landwehr Cross). In other words, a high official of the War Ministry, who is not with the colors (on furlough).

Chip

[Glenn J]

Hi Chip,

a good attempt but not right. And here is the answer: A veterinary official of the reserve in the rank of Oberveterin?r. Now you are probably thinking "but did not the vets all become officers in 1910?" Most did but for some unexplained reason a very small number of them in reserve status either elected to remain on official status or were not granted reserve commissions as veterinary officers of the reserve.

Even more puzzling is the fact that none of the published uniform texts: Pietsch, Collas, Kraus, Kn?tel etc. etc even acknowledge their existance. However as at May 1914, there were still some 25 reserve veterinary officials in the rank of Oberveterin?r (Beamter) as per the Prussian Rangliste. I stumbled across the details of their uniforms following a note in the introductory details to the "Zusammenstellung der Uniformen und Abzeichen der Beamten des K?niglich Preu?ischen Heeres vom 5. Oktober 1908" in an amendment which stated that the details were in the "Veterin?rordnung" or veterinary instructions. Having tracked a copy down of that at Leipzig here are the details:

From the D.V.E. Nr. 57: Milit?r-Veterin?rordnung (M.V.O.) vom 17. Mai 1910, Anlage 6, Ziff. 4:

Veterin?rbeamte tragen die Uniform der Veterin?roffiziere mit den f?r Beamte vorgesehenen Abzeichen und ?nderungen: Kleiner Wappenadler an M?tze und Helm; Achselst?cke blau durchwirkt; gepre?te Epaulettemonde; Tressenbesatz der Epaulettehalter und Epauletteschiebertresse blau durchwirkt; Rosetten; Wappenadler auf Epaulettes und Achselst?cken statt des f?r Veterin?roffiziere vorgeschriebenen Emblems; blaue Seide am Portepee; an Litewka Kragenpatten von blauem Tuch, Vorst??e dunkelblau.

Following mobilisation in 1914 and early 1915 I have come across certain of these individuals who were eventually commissioned as officers in the rank of either Stabsveterin?r or Oberveterin?r.

Regards

Glenn

[Chip]

Glenn,

Well, as you can imagine, the Wappenadler threw me off course. I must have spent nearly two hours going through my references trying to figure it out. When I could come up with no exact match, I had to go with what seemed to me to be the closest. I should have guessed it would be a trick question!

Just goes to show you what digging through the archives can turn up. Great information!

Chip