BACKGROUND: With the reintroduction of steel helmets during WWI, the American army adopted the British MKI pattern as an expedient to quickly provide a helmet for its forces. The helmets, manufactured in the United States, were re-designated the M-1917 helmet. It was retained, with a modification to the liner pads in 1936, until it was replaced by the M-1 helmet in 1941.
DESCRIPTION
The United States entered into World War I in April 1917, at this time the United States Army did not have a helmet for its troops. The adoption of a helmet by the French, British and German armies convinced the United States Army that a helmet was needed as a standard piece of equipment. In June 1917, the United States Army selected the standard British helmet design for its use. This was the British Mk. I steel helmet. There were three main reasons for the selection of the British Mk. I helmet design: "the immediate availability of 400,000 ready-made helmets from England, the simplicity of manufacture from hard metal, and the superior ballistic properties." When the British Mk. I was selected by the United States Army, its United States production version was designated and standardized as the Helmet, M-1917. Until United States production of the M-1917 could begin, the United States Army purchased the 400,000 available British Mk. I helmets in England and issued them to the American Expeditionary Forces already in Europe. Production was begun on the M-1917 helmets in the fall of 1917. By the end of November 1917, sufficient quantities of M-1917 helmets finally became available for the United States Army.
This helmet is fresh from an upstate NY attic and has never been in a collection or at a military show. The camouflage paint is no doubt period applied and possibly done right at the end of the war in 1918 when a lot of these helmets were being repainted before returning back to the US homefront. Still quite rare to find one with original camouflage paint closely matching the German camo scheme and not doubt the source of its original inspiration. The target symbol in indicative of the 1st Army logo with a possible sniper white circle in the middle.
Very nice that it not only has it's original leather chinstrap never removed or messed with but also it's paper instructions tag on the inside which are seldom ever still present. The helmet is quite large and fits my modern head and so should be about a German helmet equivalent to a 58/59.
$1250
Shipping to Anywhere USA/Canada: $22
Shipping to Europe/UK/Australia: $65
HELMETS OF WAR INC.
PO Box 555
Champlain, NY 12919-0555
Please call, text or email me if interested.
Tel/Text: 1-438-502-5052
Email Us: helmetsofwar@gmail.com
