Uniforms of the Technical Companies (Engineers)
and Sapper Komands of the Rifle Regiments
of the Czecho-Slovak Corps, 1918-1920

All material and reconstructions are by A. Karevskiy.

The main sources for this material are:

Tatarov, B. "Czechoslovak Military Formations in Russia: Part 1, 1917-1918 // Staryi Tseykhgauz, No. 5-6", Moscow, 2015. pp. 54-76; and " ... Part 2, 1919-1920 // Staryi Tseykhgauz, No. 3", Moscow, 2016, pp.73-83.

Orian, E., Panus, B., Stechlik, E. and Steidler, F. "Ceskoslovenska Legie v Rusku, 1914-1920", Prague, 2014.

Bullock, D. "The Czech Legion // Men-at-Arms No. 447", Oxford, 2007.

Insignia of the engineer companies and the sapper komands of the rifle regiments:
1 and 2 – sleeve badges as per the 30 December 1917 order;
3 and 4 sleeve badges as per the 27 October 1919 order;
5 to 7 – badges from the mid-1919 to 1920, companies of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd divisions;
8 – service stripes; 9 – collar patches for the tunics of the "Vladivostok uniform";
10 – sapper komand of the 12th Regiment; 11 – sapper komand of the 6th Regiment:
12 and 13 – greatcoat collar tabs, early and late.

The first reconstructions are for the technical companies of the 1st and 2nd Czechoslovak Divisions. Order No. 15 of 30 December 1917 first detailed the sleeve badges, then Order No. 117 of 27 October 1919 amended that somewhat:

§7. The branches of the armed forces and services are distinguished by the colour of the piping on the sleeve badges and the tabs on the overcoat collars. The following are established: ... technical units are olive green.

§8. The designation of the unit and speciality is placed in the lower half of the badge, with the unit number above the designation of the individual's speciality. The following are established: for engineering companies a "1" or "2". Insignia of speciality: ... for sappers and engineer companies a crossed pickaxe and shovel.

From mid-1919 the olive colour for technical units was gradually replaced by green.

Uniforms of technical companies

The uniforms have been reconstructed on the basis of numerous surviving photographs. It can be concluded that officers mostly wore various types of "French" tunics with patch pockets, while lower ranks wore various styles of blouse. Until July 1919 the main headgear was a shaped Russian cap, with sappers and engineers preferring them with a leather rather than a cloth visor and chin strap.

Uniforms of technical companies

Figure 3 shows the most common version of the uniform from the summer of 1919, after the introduction in June 1919 of the vydumka headgear, which became a characteristic feature of the Czechoslovak troops, even as they retained the blouses and "French" of the former Russian army.

Uniforms of technical companies

Figure 4 is in the so-called "Vladivostok uniform", which was introduced in June 1919 to the corps, initially for officers, and later to lower ranks. From July 1919 the variety in quality and cut of the uniforms began to be gradually replaced by this uniform, which was the same for all Czechoslovak units.