Skip to content
Vestes Bellica Military history archive

Vestes Bellica

Uniforms and Equipment of the Old Army - Artillery - Field Artillery - Prussia - Guard Field Artillery Regiments

Bivouac of the 4th Battery of the 2nd Garde Field Artillery Regiment in the year 1900 (11.01. - 12.12.). Photographer: Emil Schröter/ Potsdam
Bivouac of the 4th Battery of the 2nd Garde Field Artillery Regiment in the year 1900 (11.01. - 12.12.). Photographer: Emil Schröter/ Potsdam
Guard field artilleryman with parade helmet, i.e., with white plume. Original photo card before 1914. The shoulder boards show a round grenade with three flames.
Guard field artilleryman with parade helmet, i.e., with white plume. Original photo card before 1914. The shoulder boards show a round grenade with three flames.
One-year volunteer from the 1st Garde Field Artillery Regiment (Berlin). On the right upper sleeve of the tunic a shooting prize can be seen. Original KAB. Photographer: Günteritz/ Berlin. Dated on the reverse: 1913.
One-year volunteer from the 1st Garde Field Artillery Regiment (Berlin). On the right upper sleeve of the tunic a shooting prize can be seen. Original KAB. Photographer: Günteritz/ Berlin. Dated on the reverse: 1913.
List taken from: B. Friedag, Führer durch Heer und Flotte. Eleventh year 1914. Reprint Krefeld, 1974, p. 241.
List taken from: B. Friedag, Führer durch Heer und Flotte. Eleventh year 1914. Reprint Krefeld, 1974, p. 241.
Field artillerymen in tunics with drill trousers. The soldiers belong to the training regiment of the field artillery shooting school. This unit had a special name inscription in yellow on the ponceau-red shoulder boards.
Field artillerymen in tunics with drill trousers. The soldiers belong to the training regiment of the field artillery shooting school. This unit had a special name inscription in yellow on the ponceau-red shoulder boards.

The distinctive feature of the Guard Field Artillery were yellow-camel yarn cords with small cap-like ornaments on each side of the square collar of the tunic and two vertical cords on the Swedish sleeve cuffs.

Uniforms of the 2nd and 4th Garde Field Artillery Regiments. After a colored drawing by Paul Pietsch. Original older postcard.
Uniforms of the 2nd and 4th Garde Field Artillery Regiments. After a colored drawing by Paul Pietsch. Original older postcard.

The non-commissioned officers wore—since they were distinguished as a special NCO group by braids—only one cord on each side of the collar.

Prussian Guard Field Artillery (1st Garde Field Artillery Regiment). From: Gustav A. Sigel, Deutschlands Heer und Flotte in Wort und Bild. Die Kaiserliche Armee und Marine im 19. Jahrhundert. 1900.
Prussian Guard Field Artillery (1st Garde Field Artillery Regiment). From: Gustav A. Sigel, Deutschlands Heer und Flotte in Wort und Bild. Die Kaiserliche Armee und Marine im 19. Jahrhundert. 1900.

Double cords were also found on the collar tab of the coat.

Guard field artilleryman with parade helmet, probably from the 4th Garde Field Artillery Regiment (Potsdam).
Guard field artilleryman with parade helmet, probably from the 4th Garde Field Artillery Regiment (Potsdam).

The regiments were distinguished by shoulder boards of different colors and special insignia: the 1st Garde Field Artillery Regiment had a red elongated-round grenade and three flames (staff and mobile detachments) or a red long grenade with one flame (mounted detachments); the 2nd Garde Field Artillery Regiment a lemon-yellow round — divided into six fields — grenade with one flame; the 3rd Garde Field Artillery Regiment a red round, smooth grenade with three flames; the 4th Garde Field Artillery Regiment a round smooth grenade with one flame. The training regiment had a name inscription in yellow.

Gunner in parade uniform in coat from the 1st or 3rd Garde Field Artillery Regiment (Berlin). Original studio photograph. Photographer or studio: B. Postler/ Berlin.
Gunner in parade uniform in coat from the 1st or 3rd Garde Field Artillery Regiment (Berlin). Original studio photograph. Photographer or studio: B. Postler/ Berlin.

The officers' uniforms of the Guard Field Artillery regiments were procured privately and therefore had a better quality compared to the uniforms of the ranks.

The collar, the sleeve cuffs of the tunic and the cap bands were of velvet.

Barrack-room scene at a Guard Field Artillery regiment. Original photo card. Photographer: Schröter/ Potsdam. Sent on 24.01.1910.
Barrack-room scene at a Guard Field Artillery regiment. Original photo card. Photographer: Schröter/ Potsdam. Sent on 24.01.1910.

In the 1st Garde Field Artillery Regiment there was the peculiarity that on both epaulettes the white epaulette field within the half-moons was bordered with a 5 mm wide red cloth strip. On the shoulder pieces such a strip ran around the outside.

Members of the Guard Field Artillery, partially armed with Reich revolvers. Original photo card, posted on 15.08.1912.
Members of the Guard Field Artillery, partially armed with Reich revolvers. Original photo card, posted on 15.08.1912.

For the officers the cartridge bandolier was of gold braid with dark-blue cloth lining.

The trousers were dark-blue heathered without a red stripe.

For the court gala the officers wore dark blue trousers.

Officers from the 2nd Garde Field Artillery Regiment in July of 1907 after a firing exercise on the troop training ground in Jüterbog (Neues Lager).
Officers from the 2nd Garde Field Artillery Regiment in July of 1907 after a firing exercise on the troop training ground in Jüterbog (Neues Lager).
Highly decorated officer of the Guard Field Artillery. Undated original photo before 1914.
Highly decorated officer of the Guard Field Artillery. Undated original photo before 1914.
Officer of the Guard Artillery in parade uniform. Original (cropped) KAB. Before 1914. The Guard star can be seen on the saber.
Officer of the Guard Artillery in parade uniform. Original (cropped) KAB. Before 1914. The Guard star can be seen on the saber.