Uniforms of the Czecho-Slovak Legion Military Field Post, 1917-1920

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.

Sleeve insignia for administrative service officials,including the post office, was first indicated in Corps Order No. 15 of 30 December 1917. The shield piping was given:

§3. For officials, the piping is red.

In the drawing attached to the order, the rank braid is shown horizontally, but there is no mention of the designation of ranks. This was corrected by Corps Order No. 49 of 8 April 1918, which established three administrative service ranks (ensign, second lieutenant and lieutenant of the administrative service).

Order No. 54 of 15 May 1918 established a correspondence of those ranks to the Russian civil ranks for military officials – collegiate registrar, provincial secretary and collegiate secretary. Those administrative service officers who did not have the rights of a volunteer were given the rank of sub-ensign in the administrative service (until August 1918, when that rank was abolished).

Specialist marks were established by Corps Order No. 103-D of 9 August 1918. For employees of military field post units a postal horn was introduced.

Order No. 117 of 27 October 1918 stated:

§7. Types of troops and services are distinguished by the colour of the piping on the uniform shields and the tabs on the coat collars. It is established that... the administration and economic department shall be orange.

By the same order, the insignia of the administrative service was brought into line with the insignia of the combat ranks (i.e., the stripes on the shields were now changed to upwards pointing chevrons)

Sleeve insignia of military field post employees, early period:
First row: initial badges: 1 – sub-ensign; 2 – ensign; 3 – second-lieutenant; 4 – lieutenant;
Second row, after the 27 October 1918 order: 5 – second-lieutenant; 6 – sergeant

By order No. 64 of 30 September 1919, the Czechoslovak Army in Russia established new administrative service ranks for the military field post, similar to the military technician and military engineer ranks introduced earlier (Order No. 50 of 22 July 1919). Three categories of field mail dispatchers and six categories of senior field mail dispatchers were established. The ranks were indicated by horizontal stripes: the first three categories had brown stripes, the second three categories had silver stripes, and the last three categories had gold stripes.

Sleeve insignia of military field post employees, after September 1919:
1 – field mail clerk without rank; 2 – 3rd class dispatcher;
3 – 2nd class dispatcher; 4 – 1st class dispatcher;
5 – senior 6th class dispatcher; 6 – senior 5th class dispatcher;
7 – senior 4th class dispatcher; 8 – senior 3rd class dispatcher;
9 – senior 2nd class dispatcher; 10 – senior 1st class dispatcher

Varieties of insignia of military field post employees, after September 1919:
1 – Russian Post and Telegraph Department emblem; 2 – different image of a postal horn;
3 – greatcoat tab; 4 – "Vladivostok uniform" tunic collar tab; 5 – service stripes

The so-called "Vladivostok uniform" was introduced in the legion by Order No. 41 of 21 June 1919. The insignia of the administrative services was orange tabs on the collar (greatcoat and tunic) and orange piping on the sleeve badges.

Uniforms of the military field post:

Figure 2 shows he headgear (known as a "vydumka") which introduced in the Czechoslovak army by Order No. 41 of 21 June 1919. It became their main distinguishing feature, as officially the wearing of other types of headgear was prohibited. Figure 4 shows a tunic of the "Vladivostok uniform".