Original French WWI Model 1915 Adrian Helmet Shell in with Zouave & Tirailleurs RF Badge Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a nice example of a genuine World War I M1915 French Army “Adrian” steel helmet shell. The helmet has been repainted with WWII era “olive” colored paint, and has the expected denting from user in service. The front of the helmet still has its original French “Crescent Moon” badge, indicating use by Zouave and Tirailleurs units, raised from the local populations in the North African French Colonies. The badge has the standard R F on the armor, for Republique Francaise.

Most likely this helmet saw service in France during WWI, and then was deployed to North Africa during the 1930s after the M1926 helmet was designed. The helmet definitely has seen quite a bit of service, and is worn and dented. The interior is missing the chin strap and entire liner, except for 3 of the corrugated aluminum spacers.

We have only had a few items from the North African French Colonies over the years, and this one definitely has some great eye appeal. Ready to display!

The M15 Adrian helmet (French: Casque Adrian) was a combat helmet issued to the French Army during World War I. It was the first standard helmet of the French Army and was designed when millions of French troops were engaged in trench warfare, and head wounds from the falling shrapnel generated by the new technique of indirect fire became a frequent cause of battlefield casualties. Introduced in 1915, it was the first modern steel helmet and it served as the basic helmet of many armies well into the 1930s. Initially issued to infantry soldiers, in modified form they were also issued to cavalry and tank crews. A subsequent version, the M26, was used during World War II.