Braunschweig Schirmmutze for NCO (non commissioned officer) in Hussar Rgt 17

This schirmmütze is for an NCO in Braunschweigisches Husaren-Regiment Nr 17 from the Duchy of Braunschweig. This regiment was formed in 1809 and fought in the Peninsula campaign along with other German contingents under the command of the Duke of Wellington from Great Britain with British troops.

At the outset we need to state that any headdress from this regiment. While we have had numerous examples from Infanterie-Regiment Nr 92 we have never had a schirmmütze of any sort from this regiment. So from this group of four schirmmützen three are first time offerings for us at Der Rittmeister Militaria!

• The main body of this schirmmütze is black.
• We see but two very minor spots of moth tracking on the exterior.
• There is a wide body of red wool on the cap.
• Above and below we see two narrow bands of yellow.
• At the very top of the cap we see yet another yellow trim bands.
• The cap has a black visor.
• We see but a single Enlisted Man/NCO kokarde with no Reich kokarde so this makes this a pre-1897 example.
• Above that single kokarden we see a silver toned totenkopf.

At this point we must mention that this regiment wore on this busby that it wore a wappen that had four bandeaus for battle honors. They included “Peninsula”, “Sicilen”, “Waterloo” and “Mars la Tour”. The first three were for service with service with the Duke of Wellington. It was with Wellington at Waterloo that the regiments commander Prince Wilhelm, the “Black Prince” perished leading his troops on the first day of Waterloo and participated in the second day which saw the end of Napoleon’s leadership of the French and saw him exiled for good to St. Helena under the observation of the British until his death. His remains were later returned to France. The final battle honor was for the battle of “Mars la Tour” during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871 and saw Wilhelm I crowned as the first Kaiser of the German Empire. He was followed by his son Friedrich Wilhelm the “Ninety Day Kaiser” in 1888 and his grandson Wilhelm II as the other two Kaisers of the German Empire.

This concludes our description of the exterior of this schirmmütze.

Turning to the interior of this cap:

• We find a black leather sweatband that is complete and in very fine condition.
• The final detail is a silk liner that shows substantial perspiration stains in the center of the cap.
• Also seen is silver embossing for the firm in Braunschweig that sold this cap.

This is an amazing example of a very rare schirmmütze for one of the most elite Husaren-Regiments in the German army in prime condition.