Original French WWI Model 1915 Winter Camouflage Adrian Helmet without 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, set up for Winter use. The interior of the shell retains the original “dark horizon blue” paint, however the outside and under the brim it was painted an white “Winter Camouflage” color. It looks like it was painted white, and then again with a second layer of tinted lacquer, to give it an “off white” color. At this time the original badge was also removed, leaving the slots empty, though there looks to be a scratched in “Cross of Lorraine” emblem, possibly covered by the paint.

The paint has since worn, and areas where it has chipped off show the white undercoat, as well as the original blue paint. There are some dents and areas of rust, as expected for a helmet of this age and service history. The interior has a leather liner and chin strap, which look to possibly be WWII era replacements, as they are in quite good condition. There is some tearing as well as a small stitched repair on one side. Size is around 56cm / 7 inches.

Overall condition of the helmet is nice, though it does show its age.  If you were looking for a nicely priced Winter Adrian Helmet to fill out your WWI collection, this is a great chance!

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.