Württemberg Shoulder Boards for General Oberst

I have a personal fascination with shoulder boards/epaulettes, particularly those worn by General Officers from states outside of Prussia. I have an exceptional and rare pair of Artillerie General oberst’s shoulder boards from the Kingdom of Württemberg that I would like to present for your consideration. The rank of General oberst was seldom attained within the Imperial German Army, ranking just below a General feldmarschall. During World War I, two General obersts commanded the I. and II. Armees, which were massed on the Western Front after invading France through Belgium. Paul von Hindenburg was also promoted to Generaloberst, commanding the German VIII. Armee before becoming a Generalfeldmarschall.

These shoulder boards exhibit alternating rows of silver and gold bullion in the Russian braid-style on the front, with red and black chevrons representing Württemberg's state colors. These colors are also present on the state kokarden for Württemberg’s pickelhauben and kugelhelm. The three brass pips in a triangular formation indicate the rank of General oberst, with the Artillerie’s flaming bomb (grenade) prominently displayed. The reverse of the boards features red felt backings, and the overall condition is excellent. You can see that they are slightly rounded from being worn on a tunic.

The identity of the original owner of these shoulder boards is of great interest to anyone who acquires them. We consulted a renowned researcher from the UK who suggests that they may have belonged to Bavaria’s Prinz-Regent Luitpold (1821-1912). However, he cannot be entirely certain due to some differences in the arrangement of the pips. Luitpold was named Regent in 1886 when his nephew, König (Mad) Ludwig II (1845-1886) was removed from office due to mental instability. His regency continued until his death in 1912, when his son, Ludwig, took over as Regent and eventually became König. We believe that these shoulder boards are for Bavaria’s 2. Württembergisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr 29, Prinzregent Luitpold von Bayern. This regiment was founded in 1736 and was garrisoned at Ludwigsburg and attached to Württemberg’s XIII. Armeekorps. While this is our best guess, it is highly likely that this was an honorary rank for the man who served as the Regimental Chef for the regiment that was named after him.

These shoulder boards are a valuable addition to any collection.

Artillerie General Oberst's shoulder boards from the Kingdom of Württemberg were a rare and prestigious item in the Imperial German Army, particularly during World War I. These shoulder boards were worn by officers with the rank of Generaloberst, which was the second-highest rank in the army, just below the rank of General Feldmarschall.

The shoulder boards were typically made from alternating rows of silver and gold bullion, in the Russian braid-style, with the state colors of Württemberg, red, and black, appearing on the chevrons. The triangular formation of three brass pips indicated the rank of Generaloberst, and the boards also displayed the Artillerie's flaming bomb (grenade) insignia. The boards had red felt backings on the reverse side.

These shoulder boards are now considered to be valuable collectors' items. A pair of Artillerie General oberst’s shoulder boards from the Kingdom of Württemberg was sold by a dealer on the militaria website Emedals for over $4,500 in 2020.

References:

• "Imperial German Army General's Artillery Shoulder Boards." Emedals, www.emedals.com
• "Imperial German Artillery General's Shoulder Boards." Great War Militaria, www.greatwar.com
• "Imperial German Army Ranks and Insignia." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 22 Mar. 2023, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_German_Army_ranks_and_insignia.