Paroli (uniform)

This article is about Paroli(s) in Austria, pertaining Gorget patches with rank insignia in other German speaking countries see Kragenspiegel.

This article incorporates information from the equivalent article on the German Wikipedia.

broad Parolis on battle-dress blouse before 1916

broad Paroli with silke stars and special badge after 1913

Paroli (pl. Parolis; en: gorget patch, collar tab, or patch) – was initial the designation to the coloured gorget patches of the Austro-Hungarian Army (k.u.k. Army), appliquéd on the gorget of uniform coat, or jacket and the battle-dress blouse. Parolis indicated the egalisation colour, and served as discrimination criteria of the 102 infantry regiments of the k.u.k. Army, as well as dragoon regiment (mounted infantry) and the regiment of the uhlans (light cavalry). In other German speaking armed forces the designation was Kragenpatte, Kragenspiegel or Arabesque.

Paroli in the k.u.k. Army

In the k.u.k. Army two Parolis (1 left and 1 on the right hand side) were appliquéd to the front part of the uniform gorget (1 left and 1 on the right hand side) on coat, Waffenrock (en: service uniform, dress uniform and/or battle-dress blouse), as indicated below. Rank stars and special badges could be attached as appropriate and indicated below.

• On uniform coat – a curved tongue with the upwards directed point, the lower end of the point broaden with a bottom in the center.
• On battle-dress blouse with stand-up collar – broad Parolis were covering approximately 1/5th of the gorget length. Rank stars, colour stripes of cloth, piping, and special badges were attached to the front area.
• After 1916, broad Parolis were replaced by smaller ones, with vertical colour stripes of cloth on the end.

The rank stars of the rank groups gemeine, chargess and Unteroffiziere (NCOs) were made from white celluloid. However, since the year 1913 Paroli rank stars to Stabsfeldwebel and Kadett were made form white silk. Offiziersstellvertreter (officer deputy) rank stars were from brass, those to Fähnrich and officers were metallic gold-plated or silver-plated. In cases of self-procurement, metal embroidered rank stars were allowed.

Examples

The galleries below show examples of Parolis

• on the picke-grey battle-dress blouse or coat, as per order of 1908 or 1916

• 
  Paroli on coat with curved tongue in sulphur-yellow
• 
  Paroli broad version in aple-gree, with celluloid stars, 1908
• 
  Paroli small version with orange-yellow stripe of cloth, 1916
• 
  Feldwebel, Paroli in scarlet-red, 1916
• 
  Offiziersstellvertreter, Paroli in gras-green, with brass star, 1916
• 
  Oberleutnant, Paroli in plack, with gold-plated stars, 1916
• 
  Oberst, Paroli in dark-red, 1916
• 
  Feldmarschall, Paroli in crab-red, 1916

• Special Parolis on the picke-grey battle-dress blouse, as per order of 1916

• 
  Hauptmann in the General staff (Hauptmann im Generalstabes)
• 
  Hauptmann in the Artillery staff (... im Artilleriestab, with egalisation colour on smaller stripe of cloth and piping)
• 
  Hauptmann in the Engineer staff (... im Geniestab)

Paroli in Austrian today

Paroli on coat of an Austrian fire fighter

The system of rank insignia on military uniforms remains almost unchanged since the Austro-Hungarian Empire has been established. Slight changes in wording, e.g. Paroli with distinction star changed to distinction insignia, occurred. However, today only the curved tongue on the coat with the upwards directed point is designated as Paroli.

The galley below shows some examples of the today´s Austrian Bundesheer.

Bundesheer

Rank		Zugsführer	Korporal	Gefreiter
Insignia	shoulder board
	suit 75/3
	jacket gorget
Corps colour		Engineers	Skirmishing patrol	NBC-Defence

References

Sources

• Adjustierungsvorschrift für die k. u. k. gemeinsame Armee, die k.k. Landwehr, die k.u. Landwehr, die verbundenen Einrichtungen und das Corps der Militär-Beamten. (Theil III) Herausgegeben mit Genehmigung des k.u.k. Kriegsministeriums durch die k.u.k. Hofdruckerei von Erich Christl, Bozen 1912.
• Johann C. Allmayer-Beck, Erich Lessing: Die K.u.k. Armee. 1848–1918. Verlag Bertelsmann, München 1974, ISBN 3-570-07287-8.
• Stefan Rest: Des Kaisers Rock im ersten Weltkrieg. Verlag Militaria, Wien 2002, ISBN 3-9501642-0-0
• Das k.u.k. Heer im Jahre 1895 Schriften des Heeresgeschichtlichen Museums in Wien - Leopold Stocker Verlag, Graz 1997