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Trying to identity a WW1 Brodie


Allan Hunter

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Hello Everyone, I’m new to this.

 

I’ve got a few questions about a helmet I bought many years ago. It has a new liner (reproduction) but I’d like to be sure what the shell is. 

I found it in the US. It seems to be a First World War Brodie. Reading this forum was very helpful. There's a wealth of expertise here! So here’s what I noticed:

 

• It has the split pins to attach chin strap and the liner, with soldered hoops. The hoops came with the helmet. 

• The paint looks very original, with brush marks, and some attempt at camouflage. It has the sandy finish. 

• A stamping appears on the inner rim. It seems to be 118 and then it has a large I with a 4 and another large I. I hope the pictures show what I mean.

• The brown felt pad at the top seems to have a rubber donut under it, as far as my prying fingers can tell, which would make it 1917 or later, I think?

 

Any advice is most gratefully accepted. Best wishes, Allan

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Helmet liner sets are being custom-made in US. The helmet shell looks like original paintwork, and probably a US maker for use with U.S.Army during WW1 or possibly later, second type with rim. The U.S. Army used this type till around end of 1941 (Pearl Harbour etc.) until the new helmet was rapidly introduced.

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Hello,

I believe your shell is British made as it uses the split rivets to hold on the chin strap lugs. These proved easy to break so the Americans used a different type on their 1917 helmets. So it could be that this was a British made helmet given to the Americans soon after their entry to the war or a British helmet that ended up in America. I have attached a picture of the the rivet on a shell that is definitely American. I  also new to this so you may want to wait for others to comment.

If you haven’t read it already there is a thread on makers marks in the forum that lists British, commonwealth and American stamps that you may want to look at, I’ll try to work out how to link it in a minute.

Regards,

Jack

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Many thanks to Clueless Tommy and to Fritz for your very helpful replies. I've had a look at the list of makers and tried to match them to the stampings on the helmet rim, but it's not easy to make any sort of match. I may have to take some sandpaper to it and see if that reveals anything clearer - although I think that's a last ditch remedy.

Truly, this is a fascinating hobby!

Best wishes, Allan

 

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Welcome to the forum Allan, the helmet is most likely British made but the stamp marks are unknown, it's possible that this shell

was refurbished into the M1917A1 helmet commonly referred to as the Kelly helmet at some stage in the past.

Between 1932 and 1936 the American M1917 and the British MK1 helmets were modified with a new leather liner and web chinstraps

and used by the American Army until the new M1 helmet was introduced in 1941.

The M1917A1 helmets saw service at Pearl Harbour, and  Wake Island and the Philippines. The helmets were painted a sandy colour

for the Army and blue for the Navy.

 

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Thanks so much, Leon21. This is very helpful.  I thought the stamps might possibly be rather poorly executed HS stamps, which would be Hadfield of Sheffield, but it's hard to tell what they are! I've looked at them in various lights with magnifying glasses, and it still seems uncertain. The second stamping, between the two longer lines, might even be a blunt WD arrow, if I allow my imagination some free reign....

Thanks again for all your help.  It's much appreciated.

 

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Can you tell me Allan were the seam edge meets is it overlapped or butt jointed, if it's overlapped then it's British for sure.

It's possible that the letter marks are poorly stamped and are hard to see now with paint covering them, trouble is the

Americans also used spilt rivets for a time I've seen helmets with American stamp marks and split rivets on their M1917

helmets, it's a nice looking helmet and in good condition.

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Hello Leon,

The seam is overlapped and appears to be welded. That's a useful identifying feature I hadn't thought of, so I'm most grateful for the guidance (again!). 

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