The Pionier (Pioneer)
This page lists all Pionier Battalions of the German empire in 1914 including the kingdom of Bayern (Bavaria). All Battalions except Sachsen (Saxony) wore a Dunkelblau (dark blue) Waffenrock with black collar and black Swedish cuffs with silver buttons. The collar, cuffs, and piping on the front opening and rear skirt was red. Sachsen (Saxon) Battalions wore a green Waffenrock w/ red collar & cuffs piped in green, however, the front opening and rear skirt were piped in red. For men in the Garde Battalion, collar and cuffs were decorated with white Litzen. *Note* Officers in all Battalions wore silver Litzen. All Battalions wore a leather Pickelhaube with silver fittings but with gilt chinscales. The chart below lists the Battalion with garrison, cuff details, shoulder strap color with number or cypher, and details of the helmet Wappen (front plate). For color plates of all shoulder strap cyphers, and helmet Wappen, the links at the top of this page will open these color plates in a new window.
Garde-Pionier-Bataillon
(Berlin) Garde-Korps		 Black Swedish w/ White Litzen Red Silver Garde Eagle
Pionier-Batl. Prinz Radziwill (Ostpreußisches ) Nr.1
(Königsberg i.Pr.) I Armee Korps		 Black Swedish Red w/ Yellow Cypher Silver Line Eagle
Pommersches Pionier-Batl. Nr.2
(Stettin) II Armee Korps		 Black Swedish Red w/ Yellow Cypher Silver Line Eagle
Pionier-Batl. von Rauch (1.Brandenburgisches ) Nr.3
(Spandau) III Armee Korps		 Black Swedish Red w/ Yellow Cypher Silver Line Eagle
Magdeburgisches Pionier-Batl. Nr.4
(Magdeburg) IV Armee Korps		 Black Swedish Red w/ Yellow 4 Silver Line Eagle
Niederschlesisches Pionier-Batl. Nr.5
(Glogau) V Armee Korps		 Black Swedish Red w/ Yellow 5 Silver Line Eagle
Schlesisches Pionier-Batl. Nr.6
(Neiße) VI Armee Korps		 Black Swedish Red w/ Yellow Cypher Silver Line Eagle
Westfälisches Pionier-Batl. Nr.7
(Cöln) VII Armee Korps		 Black Swedish Red w/ Yellow 7 Silver Line Eagle
1. Rheinisches Pionier-Batl. Nr.8
(Coblenz) IX Armee Korps		 Black Swedish Red w/ Yellow 8 Silver Line Eagle
Schleswig-Holsteinisches Pionier-Batl. Nr.9
(Harburg) VIII Armee Korps 		Black Swedish Red w/ Yellow 9 Silver Line Eagle
Hannoversches Pionier-Batl. Nr.10
(Minden) X Armee Korps		 Black Swedish Red w/ Yellow Cypher Silver Line Eagle w/ Bandeau
Bandeau "PENINSULA WATERLOO". Same as Infantry Regt 74, 77 etc but in silver. See Wappen Plate 1
Kurhessisches Pionier-Batl. Nr.11
(Hann.-Münden) XI Armee Korps		 Black Swedish Red w/ Yellow 11 Silver Line Eagle
Kgl. Sächs. 1. Pionier-Batl. Nr.12
(Pirna) XII Armee Korps		 Ponceau Red Sachsen (Saxon) Pattern See Details Below Gilt Sachsen Wappen on Silver Star
Pionier Batl. Nr. 12 wore a green Waffenrock with Ponceau red collar and cuffs and "squared" green straps w/ red piping w/ crossed axe and shovel with red 12 See Strap Plate 1
Württembergisches Pionier-Batl. Nr.13
(Ulm) XIII Armee Korps		 Black Swedish Red w/ Yellow 13 Silver Württemberg Wappen
Badisches Pionier-Batl. Nr.14
(Kehl) XIV Armee Korps		 Black Swedish Red w/ Yellow 14 Silver Baden Wappen
1. Elsässisches Pionier-Batl. Nr.15
(Straßburg i.E.) XV Armee Korps		 Black Swedish Red w/ Yellow 15 Silver Line Eagle
1. Lothringisches Pionier-Batl. Nr.16
(Metz) XVI Armee Korps		 Black Swedish Red w/ Yellow 16 Silver Line Eagle
1. Westpreußisches Pionier-Batl. Nr.17
(Thorn) XVII Armee Korps		 Black Swedish Red w/ Yellow 17 Silver Line Eagle
Samländisches Pionier-Batl. Nr.18
(Königsberg i.Pr.) I Armee Korps		 Black Swedish Red w/ Yellow 18 Silver Line Eagle
2. Elsässisches Pionier-Batl. Nr.19
(Straßburg i.E.) XV Armee Korps		 Black Swedish Red w/ Yellow 19 Silver Line Eagle
2. Lothringisches (Festungs-) Pionier-Batl. Nr.20
(Metz) XVI Armee Korps		 Black Swedish Red w/ Yellow 20 Silver Line Eagle
1. Nassauisches Pionier-Batl. Nr.21
(Mainz) XVIII Armee Korps		 Black Swedish Red w/ Yellow 21 Silver Line Eagle
Kgl. Sächs. 2. Pionier-Batl. Nr.22
(Riesa) XIX Armee Korps		 Ponceau Red Sachsen (Saxon) Pattern Red w/ Yellow 22 Gilt Sachsen Wappen on Silver Star
Pionier Batl. Nr. 22 wore a green Waffenrock with Ponceau red collar and cuffs and "squared" green straps w/ red piping w/ crossed axe and shovel with red 22, identical to PB 12. See Strap Plate 1
2. Westpreußisches (Festungs-) Pionier-Batl. Nr.23
(Graudenz) XX Armee Korps		 Black Swedish Red w/ Yellow 23 Silver Line Eagle
2. Westfälisches (Festungs-) Pionier-Batl. Nr.24
(Cöln) VII Armee Korps		 Black Swedish Red w/ Yellow 24 Silver Line Eagle
2. Nassauisches Pionier-Batl. Nr.25
(Mainz) XVIII Armee Korps		 Black Swedish Red w/ Yellow 25 Silver Line Eagle
Masurisches Pionier-Batl. Nr.26
(Graudenz) XX Armee Korps		 Black Swedish Red w/ Yellow 26 Silver Line Eagle
2. Rheinisches Pionier-Batl. Nr.27
(Trier) XXI Armee Korps		 Black Swedish Red w/ Yellow 27 Silver Line Eagle
2. Brandenburgisches Pionier-Batl. Nr.28
(Cüstrin) III Armee Korps 		Black Swedish Red w/ Yellow 28 Silver Line Eagle
Posensches Pionier-Batl. Nr.29
(Posen) V Armee Korps		 Black Swedish Red w/ Yellow 29 Silver Line Eagle
3. Rheinisches Pionier-Batl. Nr.30
(Ehrenbreitstein) IX Armee Korps		 Black Swedish Red w/ Yellow 30 Silver Line Eagle
Bayern Army (Bavaria).
Kgl. Bayer. 1. Pionier-Bataillon
(München) I Bayerisches Armee Korps		 Black Swedish Red w/ Yellow 1 Silver Bayern Wappen
Kgl. Bayer. 2. Pionier-Bataillon
(Speyer) II Bayerisches Armee Korps		 Black Swedish Red w/ Yellow 2 Silver Bayern Wappen
Kgl. Bayer. 3. Pionier-Bataillon
(München) II Bayerisches Armee Korps		 Black Swedish Red w/ Yellow 3 Silver Bayern Wappen
Kgl. Bayer. 4. (Festungs-) Pionier-Bataillon
(Ingolstadt) III Bayerisches Armee Korps 		Black Swedish Red w/ Yellow 4 Silver Bayern Wappen