The Musée Royale de l'Armée
(Koninklijk Legermuseum) Collection, Brussels
The Main Hall of the
Musée de l'Armée
The Royal Belgian Army Museum has a vast collection of
uniforms, weapons, photographs
and documents from Belgium's military past. Included are exhibits from
the Spanish and Austrian occupations, through Napoleon's wars,
Belgium's own War of Independence, the Belgian expeditions to the
Congo and Mexico, massive sections on the Two World Wars right up to
Belgium's modern involvement in UN peacekeeping missions. There is not
much on the German colonies during the First World War currently on
display, but they have a a very good collection of imperial German
uniforms in general and especially of German naval infantry items from
Flanders.
If you ever have a chance
to visit Brussels, I would fully recommend a trip to the
Musée Royale de l'Armée. Admission is free and it is
fairly centrally located with good public
transport access. See the
Musée Royale de
l'Armée website for more
information.
(Click on the pictures
below to enlarge)
A display case containing three
Seebataillon shakos. The one on the left is mostly obscured by its
black parade plume. The one in the centre is a good quality other
ranks pattern with brass naval eagle and imperial cockade. The one on
the right is a mid-war Ersatz shako covered in khaki canvas with a dull
grey metal naval eagle.
Another view of the three Seebataillon
shakos.
Another view of the three Seebataillon
shakos.
A display case showing various imperial
air service items and a dark blue Seebataillon uniform as worn in
Flanders in the opening months of the Western Front in 1914.
A closer look at the Seebataillon
figure's shako. It is a mid-war Ersatz version apparently made from
green leather with a dull metal naval eagle.
A view showing the white collar and
shoulder straps with gold Litzen and insignia. The number of the unit
("1" for I. Seebataillon) can just be seen at the bottom
of the shoulder strap.
This photo details of the white
Brandenburg style cuff with Litzen on the Seebataillon uniform.
A naval soldier's other ranks cap with the
tally reading "Kaiserliches Marinekorps".
A naval top as worn by soldiers of the
Marinekorps Flandern. Note the wound badge on the left breast.
An imperial German flag captured in East
Africa.
Some other items at the Museum include...
Bavarian Infantry and Prussian Cuirassier
helmets from the Franco-Prussian War.
Portuguese Uniforms from the First World
War. The museum has items from all of the combatant (and several
non-combatant) nations from both World Wars.
An other ranks helmet from the 92nd
Brunswick Infantry Regt. Part of the vast collection of German First
World War headgear.
French colonial uniforms.
Austro-Hungarian caps from the First World
War.
Belgian colonial uniforms and items.
A hanger full of military aircraft.
A helmet and uniform from the Belgian
Expedition to Russia during the First World War.
A car park full of tanks, shown in this
view from left to right are a Lee/Grant, a Hetzer, a T-34, a Panzer IV
and a Sherman.
...in short, a visit to the Musée
Royale de l'Armée, Brussels is a great day out...
See the Musée Royale de l'Armée
website for details.