WW1 Belgian M1915 Adrian Helmet

Description

WW1 Belgian M1915 Adrian Helmet

Belgian M1915 Ww1 Adrian steel helmet shell in worn condition. , (see photo’s).

Early brown paintwork all original , no holes

Good rare helmet shell  hard to find, and an actual been there helmet. Part of the chin strap on one side. Both strap loops.

WW1 M1915 Belgian Adrian Helmet

The Adrian helmet (French: Casque Adrian) was an influential design of combat helmet originally produced for the French Army during World War I.And adopted by the Belgians .Its original version, the M15, 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 indirect fire became a frequent cause of battlefield casualties. Introduced in 1915, it was the first modern steel helmet^[1][2] and it served as the basic helmet of many armies inc the Belgians 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.

Consequently, the French staff ordered development of a metal helmet that could protect soldiers from the shrapnel of exploding artillery shells. Since soldiers in trenches were also vulnerable to shrapnel exploding above their heads, a deflector crest was added along the helmet’s axis. Branch insignia in the form of a grenade for line infantry and cavalry, a bugle horn for chasseurs, crossed cannon for artillery, an anchor for colonial troops and a crescent for North African units was attached to the front.^[4] Contrary to common misconception, the M15 helmet was not designed to protect the wearer from direct impact by rifle or machine gun bullets. The resulting headgear was credited to Intendant-General Louis Auguste Adrian.^[5]

WW1 Belgian M1915 Adrian Helmet