Historical Context
Editorially reviewedCannon motifs were used internationally, but their arrangement and accessories varied. In French service the crossed pair remained legible as an artillery attribute into the First World War, including on Adrian helmets issued from 1915. This documented late example supports continuity of the branch device while not, by itself, proving that every earlier 19th-century formation used identical proportions or additions.
Provenance: The most secure source used here is the Musée de l’Armée’s description of French First World War helmet attributes: crossed cannon identify artillery, while a separate grenade identifies infantry. Its educational material also illustrates the fuller artillery emblem of crossed cannon, flaming grenade and laurel. The simplified pair should therefore be labelled as an extracted branch element, not an entire regulation badge for every 19th-century unit.
Research status: reviewed · reviewed 23/08/2026
Sources
3 referencesTirailleurs sénégalais : quelques objets du Musée
Musée de l’Armée, “Tirailleurs sénégalais : quelques objets du Musée,” 16 January 2023. (Musée de l’Armée)
Supports: Identifies crossed cannon as the French artillery attribute on First World War Adrian helmets and contrasts it with infantry and colonial-infantry devices.
Musée de l’Armée, La légende de sainte Barbe, educational collection guide, 2014. (Musée de l’Armée)
Supports: Illustrates and labels the artillery emblem as two cannon crossed in saltire with a flaming grenade and laurel wreath.
Picasso et la guerre: livret-jeux
Musée de l’Armée, Picasso et la guerre: livret-jeux, 2019. (Musée de l’Armée)
Supports: Documents crossed cannon and a flaming grenade as the attribute on a French artillery helmet pierced in 1916.
How to cite this page
Crossed Cannon Branch Device — French Artillery, 19th Century. Sanctum Hex Vault. Reviewed 23/08/2026. https://vault.sanctumhex.com/symbols/historically-documented-military-symbols-and-insignia-rank-branch-unit-and-identification-devices-from-c-1700-1918-crossed-cannon-branch-device-french-artillery-19th-century
https://vault.sanctumhex.com/symbols/historically-documented-military-symbols-and-insignia-rank-branch-unit-and-identification-devices-from-c-1700-1918-crossed-cannon-branch-device-french-artillery-19th-centuryBranch Device
Crossed Cannon Branch Device — French Artillery, 19th Century
Two cannon barrels crossed in saltire formed a French artillery branch attribute, often combined with a flaming grenade or other pattern-specific details.
Own this Symbol
£0.99
Final price payable in GBP.
Commercial Licence Included · Lifetime file updates
Associated meanings
Common Uses
Purchase & Download
Purchase this symbol or a collection containing it to unlock the downloadable files.
