Uniforms of the Independent Engine Company
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 Independent Engine Company:
1 – sleeve badge for a private, early variant of the sleeve patch with raspberry piping;
2 and 3 – sleeve badges for a lance-corporal and captain, as per the 27 October 1918 order;
4 to 6 – military-technicians, 3rd Class, 2nd Class and 1st Class, respectively;
7 to 9 – military-technical-instructors, 3rd Class, 2nd Class and 1st Class, respectively;
10 – greatcoat collar tab; 11 – "Vladivostok uniform" collar tab; 12 – service stripes

Order No. 57 of 22 August 1919 introduced a specialist mark for the Independent Engine Company in the form of a crossed hammer and a French key. Order No. 49 of 13 July 1919 had established ranks for the administrative personnel of the technical units, including three classes each for military-technicians and military-technical-instructors.

By mid-1919 the [original] olive piping of the technical units had been replaced by green.

One service chevron was awarded for each year of service, starting from the founding of the Czechoslovak Druzhina in 1914.

Uniforms of the Independent Engine Company

Employees of the Independent Engine Company were given the same uniform as military personnel, with the appropriate sleeve insignia. From July 1919 the variation in quality and styles began to be gradually replaced by a uniform introduced specifically for Czechoslovak units in Russia, the so-called "Vladivostok uniform", formally introduced in June 1919 (Figure 4).

An interesting detail is that was common in the company to attach the specialist insignia to the crown of the cap. Figure 1 is reconstructed from a photograph of uniforms published on armyshop-praha.cz. The raspberry piping on the cap's crown is particularly noteworthy.

www.armyshop-praha.cz/uniformy/94080555-uniforma-2-jizdni-pluk-ceskoslovenske-legie-v-rusku.html [link dead]