Now this is a subject that got me stumped: WW1 Serbian Uniforms. I'm preparing an article in anticipation of the fortcoming HÄT Serbian Infantry set. And I only have meagre info. And some photos of the Serbian uniforms in the Army Museum in Brussels. Anyone out there who has any more info, especially on the COLOUR of the uniforms? I get conflicting ifo here...
I believe the Osprey book Armies in the Balkans, 1914-1918 gives the colour as grey-green, while the old Beekman House Heraldry and Beekman Regalia of War showed more of a greyish-blue. I haven't found any independent verification of either. I hoped to find a WW1 era Serb army sajkaca, which would give a good indication, but all I've gotten so far are reproductions in a dull brownish sort of green.
Apparently the military sajkacas from that era were much taller than modern ones. The Beekman House book has an illustration with an almost absurdly tall sajkaca, but also a photo that lends it some credibility. I trust the Osprey colours more.
I think this is the type that I have, shorter than the real thing:
The shop that sells these ( http://www.yu4you.com/items/sr/etno/item_137.html ) offers the colours letnja, zimska, and decija, which all look like military drab of sorts. Hope this helps somehow..
An olive-grey/khaki service uniform was introduced from 1912, but by the outbreak it had been received only by the 1st Ban (i.e. first-class troops). The 2nd Ban wore a mixture of pre-1912 coloured uniform and often a 1912 cap and greatcoat. The old coloured uniform included a single-breasted, dark blue tunic, double-breasted for officers.
There is no other reference to colour,except that the cavalry wore light blue tunics, single- and double-breasted for other ranks and officers respectively. There is plenty of info about arm-of-service piping, buttons, etc.
After the evacuation to Corfu the Army was completely re-equipped from Allied stocks, using both French horizon blue and British khaki uniforms, French weapons and the Adrian helmet bearing an embossed Serbian double-headed eagle.
Army Uniforms of World War 1 (Mollo & Turner, Blandford Press) describes the 1912 colour as "olive greenish-grey" , so we are not much wiser. The tinted illustrations in the book show an infantryman in a greyish-brown (with traditional moccassin-style shoes instead of boots), an officer in a greyish light blue, and a second officer in the cotton or linen summer uniform, which is a very pale brownish-grey.
On the other hand, as far as I remember, the Serbian uniform in the Imperial War Museum in London is greyish-blue, perhaps a little darker than the French horizon blue. I'll get a photo next time I'm there.
I'm afraid this doesn't really pin it down, but that's the info I can find.
First, I see that I have mangled the title of one the books I cited...Heraldry and Regalia of War does not, in fact, have the name of the publisher in the title!
I finally got the chance to check the Serbo-Croatian words describing the Sajkacas from that shop, and they do not all refer to colours. Zimska is winter, Letnja is summer, and Decija I'm not sure of yet. The russian 'Dyesant' has something to do with military landing parties, otherwise it would seem to be connected with the number ten, but I'm not sure how. Crna is definitely a colour, at least.
Of course they may represent post WW1 colour schemes from a number of different eras, so they should be taken with a grain of salt, at the very least.
This is my pictures of a serbian ww1 soldier almost full equipped with serbian adrian helmet. They got some of the equipment of the french army. This is typical of the salonika front that was the turning of the ww1.
