The Busbys of the prussian Hussars in World War I

Introduction

In this short article, we take a look at a very special item of hussar uniform: the Busby. The rough development of the busby during the 19th century is discussed and then described in more detail below. There is also a video, which, as usual, is in English:

 

The Busby from 1800 to 1866

Originally, the hussar regiments had no uniform regulations for their headgear. Therefore, the busbys could take different forms. The A.K.O. of 12.09.1850 stipulated that the busby should be made of brown sealskin, whereby this was somewhat higher than the successor model, which was not to be introduced until 1866. This order also standardized the hussars’ headgear. Since the A.K.O. of 04.03.1858, the coat had to lie horizontally from right to left. Until 1866 and the introduction of the new busby, these were still quite high.

The busby from 1866 to 1920

In 1866, the new busby for the hussars was introduced, which would basically hardly change until the end of the First World War, apart from a few details and the emerging replacement material.
But the busby of 1866: It was now approx. 13 cm high and slightly conical. It also had a kolpak, which was dyed to match the tertiary color of the regiment. In addition, there was a scale chain with conical links and a bandeau. This bandeau could vary depending on the regiment, but the vast majority of regiments, including Hussar Regiment No. 8, wore the standardized bandeau with the inscription “With God for King and Fatherland”. Above the bandeau was the respective national cockade, in this case the Prussian cockade. The lanyard was also threaded into the busby, which was attached to the hussar’s uniform during service on foot or on horseback so that it could not be lost.
After the Prussian decree of 09.06.1911, the catch cord of the fur cap was no longer part of the field uniform, and the Kolpak was no longer attached to the field uniform with the decree of 14.02.1913.

 

 

Bandeau and cockades

The bandeaus found on the busbys varied depending on the regiment. On the one hand, there was the standard bandeau, which read “With God for King and Fatherland”. On the other hand, there were special ones, as in the case of the Brunswick regiment and the body and guard hussars, just as the Saxon hussars wore the Saxon star on their busbys.

The national cockade was clearly visible at the top of the busby. It was oval, in contrast to the otherwise round cockades. The imperial cockade, on the other hand, was located on the right side on the button to which the scale chain and later the chin chain were attached. More information on the cockades can be found in the article on cockades.

Overcoat and replacement Busby

With the introduction of the field gray uniforms, the busby was also camouflaged. This was done by means of a cover made of field gray cotton fabric. Initially, this had no insignia; it was not until 15.08.1914 that orders were issued to affix a green regimental number to the cover.

By decree of 28.06.1915, the hussar busbys were now only procured with chin straps instead of scale chains in order to save material. With the A.K.O. of 21.09.1915, the chinscales were completely abolished. Due to the shortage of material, replacement hussar caps made of felt were procured in addition to the busbys made of fur, similar to the various pickelhauben made of substitute materials. The busby was not only used until the introduction of the steel helmet in 1916, but in some cases even beyond. Here it depended very much on the availability and the role or use not only of the respective regiment, but also down to the individual level.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it can be said that the hussars’ busbys changed only marginally over a long period of time. In addition, they were a very significant piece of the hussars’ uniform, which was not only memorable but also very iconic. With the shortage of material, hussar busbys made of felt were also introduced, which tended to be used by the reserve and replacement formations.

These were worn until the introduction of the steel helmet and sometimes even beyond.

 

Sources

Printed Sources:

Pietsch, Paul: Formations- und Uniformierungsgeschichte des preußischen Heeres 1808-1910, Berlin 1911, Band 1 und 2.

Kraus, Jürgen: Die Feldgraue Uniformierung des deutschen Heeres 1907-1918, 2. Auflage, Wien o.J., Band 1 und 2.

Kraus, Jürgen: Die deutsche Armee im Ersten Weltkrieg. Uniformierung und Ausrüstung – 1914 bis 1918, Wien 2004.

Herr, Ulrich/Nguyen, Jens: Die deutsche Kavallerie von 1871 bis 1914, Wien 2006.