German Regulations on Army Pilot Sidearms?

Vic Diehl · 6 November 2006, 04:29 PM

Can anyone cite a regulation on sidearms worn by German Heer pilots during World War One. We see them wearing IOD 89s, Hirschfangers, and all kinds of bayonets with an assortment of knots. Was everything allowed??Navy pilots on the other hand wore the navy dagger as other navy officers.

Any info appreciated

Vic Diehl · 6 November 2006, 07:16 PM

I had a response in another forum that many pilots remained attached to their old Infantry, artillery or what ever units so they wore the sidearm of that branch of service. Was every airman, just "on loan" to the air service from another branch?

rammjaeger · 7 November 2006, 06:06 AM

At the beginning of the war the overwhelming majority of the German airmen (flying personnel) was still belonging to their "Stammregiment" when serving in the Prussian or Bavarian Fliegertruppe. Later an increasing number of pilots started their service immediately with the Air Service without serving in and belonging to another branch before.

Until now I am not aware of any regulation on sidearms worn by German Army pilots. Nevertheless a regulation could have been existed and published in any "Verordnungsblatt" or "Mitteilungsblatt" but I don't think that anybody did care too much about this kind of paperwork if it was dealing with "sidearms in the air".

MfG
Rammjaeger

Vic Diehl · 9 November 2006, 03:49 PM

Thank you very much for this informed response.
Vic

Roadhog · 3 December 2006, 09:41 PM

Dear Rammjaeger, That really does make sense. Wen I served in El Salvador and Honduras in 1990-1991, I always wore my Dad's old Marine K-Bar fighting knife on my LBE (load bearing equipment) and though I caught a lot of kidding from my buddies in the Army, nobody got upset or asked me to stop wearing it.

Even if they had, I would have just ignored them. I always thought that the old broomhandle Mauser was a wicked piece of pistol work. Which sidearm would you have preferred? VR. Scott Price "Memento mori."