2. Uniform Army Maritime Engineers 1st lieutenant
Here you can find the uniform of a First Lieutenant of the Corps of Pontonniers and Torpedisten. The uniform has some differences compared to the First Lieutenant previously posted on this page. The jacket, trousers, two peak caps, and kepi all belonged to the same person. The shoes, gaiters, belt, saber, and helmet have been added to complete the ensemble.
The jacket still has a name label, but unfortunately, the name is no longer readable. The First Lieutenant of the Corps of Pontonniers and Torpedisten depicted at the top of the page is equipped for field or combat. With this uniform, the choice has been made to depict a wearing style for a more ceremonial occasion. Interestingly, the uniform is quite large in size. While it is usually a problem to fit Dutch uniforms on a mannequin, this uniform is actually still a bit too big. This is not common for Dutch uniforms, suggesting that the wearer of the uniform was a large man for his time. For the portrayal of the uniform, a photo from the image bank of the Regional Archive Dordrecht was used as inspiration: This photo shows the command transfer from Lieutenant-Colonel Valliant to Lieutenant-Colonel Mussert at the Pontonniers barracks. See the photo.
On the right side of that photo, there is a First Lieutenant of the Corps of Pontonniers and Torpedisten with a saber in hand. He is wearing the so-called “Jeneverkruis” - a medal for faithful service for officers.
The first three photos above provide a nice representation of the First Lieutenant wearing his “Kepie”. The Corps of Pontonniers and Torpedisten did not have a regimental number on the cap. Instead, they wore a Dutch lion on the cap or side cap. The officer wearing the saber on the officer’s belt is carrying a Yzerhouwer saber. The Klewang sword was generally worn in the field and also during May 1940, while the saber was worn more for ceremonial occasions.
On the chest of the uniform, there is an Officer’s Cross for faithful service. In this case, it represents 25 years of service. The cross was also known as the “Jeneverkruis” because, traditionally, a glass of Jenever (a Dutch liquor) was shared during its presentation. The fourth photo shows the officer wearing his helmet. This photo indeed bears the most resemblance to the photo from the regional archive. In the photos below, a closer look is taken at the jacket and cap. Here, you can clearly see the two stars on the collar of the jacket, indicating the rank of First Lieutenant, as well as the anchors of the Corps of Pontonniers and Torpedisten.
