Original Item: Only One Available. Early war WWI French M-1910 enlisted man’s kepi for technical troops fitted with signal branch buttons. Pre/Early WWI Dark Blue wool body with red piping and chinstrap attached by the means of an Artillery Regiment Button on each side of the cap. A Red Regimental numeral 7 made of wool is affixed to the front.
Original Sweatband is intact, albeit loose in some areas, and showing signs of wear and age. Polished Cotton lining is intact, but has become unstitched around the sweatband. The cap bears a Toulon maker’s marking which appears in the crown of the body. Visor is of painted leather, which shows signs of cracking and crazing from age. The original visor binding is intact. The chinstrap most likely is a later replacement. The body of the cap itself exhibits some mothing, some small tears here and there, and wear to the braidining.
Size of the cap is roughly a 7.
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!