Item Description
Original Item: Only One Available. Here we have a lovely early war WWI French M-1874 artillery enlisted man’s kepi in wonderful service-used condition. Early WWI blue wool body with red crown and blue piping with an intact leather chinstrap with blank buttons. This pattern of Kepi was seen being worn from 1914 to 1915.
Original sweatband is intact and ripped but is presented without a size. The cotton and leather lining is intact, but it definitely shows fraying and wear in areas, particularly on the inner crown. The interior burlap is also visible and gives the interior a great combat-worn look. Visor is of oilcloth, which shows signs of cracking and crazing from age. The original visor binding is mostly intact. The body of the cap itself exhibits some small tears here and there, as well as a lot of dirt and dust from decades of display, but there isn’t much mothing which is great.
The front of the cap has a badge sewn on with a blue background and red 5, likely denoting the 5th Infantry Regiment, but of this we can’t be certain.
These caps were worn up until the introduction of the “Horizon Blue” uniforms in 1915. Of course, older items lingered within service for longer until worn out and replaced.
WWI French enlisted material, especially early war material, is very difficult to come across in the collector market today. Naturally, enlisted items are generally more scarce, as those items were typically used until discarded. Add in the high attrition of the Great War, massive losses within the French Army add to the scarcity of these items, especially early war material. An excellent example ready for display!
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