Original British WWI Panel Camouflage Painted Mk 1 Brodie Helmet by Hadfield Ltd of Sheffield Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a lovely example of the scarce WWI British MkI Brodie helmet, which was also the same type that was issued to American forces in the beginning of the US involvement during The Great War. The shell features vibrant panel camouflage paint that was a very popular paint scheme used by all armies that fought during WWI.

At the outbreak of World War I, none of the combatants provided steel helmets to their troops. Soldiers of most nations went into battle wearing cloth, felt, or leather headgear that offered no protection from modern weapons.

A significant partial exception to this lack was the German pickelhelm. Like other army helmets of 1914, it was made out of leather; but it also had a significant subset of steel inserts that offered some head protection. This includes the top spike, originally used to stop strikes from an enemy hand-held saber.

The huge number of fatal head wounds that modern artillery weapons inflicted upon the French Army led them to introduce the first modern steel helmets in the summer of 1915. The first French helmets were bowl-shaped steel “skullcaps” worn under the cloth caps. These rudimentary helmets were soon replaced by the Model 1915 Adrian helmet, designed by August-Louis Adrian. The idea was later adopted by most other combatant nations.

The shell is maker marked with a stamping on the underside of the rim that reads HS 362, it is partially obscured under the heavy paint and can be difficult to read. H is for Hadfield Ltd of Sheffield who made helmets. S is for the steel supplier of Sheffield who provided the needed material for the helmets.

The split rivets and heat lot number indicate that this helmet shell was produced in Britain.

The paint is in very good condition both inside and outside the helmet, with the expected wear from service. The camouflage is still vibrant and features nice clean breaks between colors by means of thin black lines.

The liner is also in quite nice shape, with a very good oil cloth liner, and the top felt pad is no longer present nor is the rubber “donut” underneath. The chin strap is intact and does not have any major cracks or tears. The leather is however somewhat stained and delicate, so definitely handle with care.

This is a wonderful example of a mid war produced British MkI Brodie Helmet. Comes more than ready for display.