Original Item: Only One Available. This is a fantastic genuine Great War hand painted camouflage helmet, with a 90th Division Insignia painted on the front. The helmet features textured original period colored panel camouflage paint in a multitude of colors, including green, blue, white, red and various other shades.

The paint is a bit worn, and definitely shows use, but it has a great look and the colors are still somewhat discernible, with a lovely patina. The interior of the helmet has some original paint, with some rust corrosion. The liner and most of the chinstrap are missing, but both of the chinstrap bales are retained. 

The underside of the rim is stamped YJ166, indicating that the shell is a U.S. manufactured shell, and not British. The solid rivet attaching the chin-strap bale further confirms this.

A wonderful totally original helmet shell with genuine original paint! Ready to display!

The 90th Division was constituted in the National Army by the War Department on 5 August 1917, and was directed to be organized at Camp Travis, Texas, from draftees from Texas and Oklahoma. The division was organized beginning in the first week of September from a cadre of officers and men of the Regular Army, and from Officers' Reserve Corps and National Army officer graduates of the First Officers' Training Camp at Leon Springs, Texas. 2,300 draftees arrived from 5-10 September, and another 18,400 from 19-24 September, after which systematic training began. Another 10,000 men arrived at Camp Travis early in October 1917, and the division approximated 22,500 men.

Between January and June 1918, 50,000 men arrived at Camp Travis, but departures aggregated 35,000. Early in 1918, the 90th Division received new men, many from Texas and Oklahoma, but transfers to Camp Doniphan, Oklahoma, Camp Hancock, Georgia, Camp Johnston, Florida, and Fort Sheridan, Illinois reduced its strength to about 15,000 by April. On 20-21 May 1918, new men from Illinois, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota arrived from Camp Dodge, Iowa. On 31 May, the division approximated 24,000 men. In June 1918, the division proceeded from Camp Mills, New York, to the ports of Boston, Brooklyn, New York, and Philadelphia. After sailing to England in stages, the division proceeded to France. In late August, the 90th Division entered the front lines, participating in the Battle of St. Mihiel in September and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in October-November 1918. In four months of combat, the 90th Division suffered 7,549 casualties (1,091 killed in action and 6,458 wounded in action). From December 1918 to May 1919, the division was stationed near Trier, Germany, in the Army of Occupation.

History of the M1917 Helmet
The M1917 was the US Army's first modern combat helmet, used from 1917 and during the 1920s, before being replaced by the M1917A1. The M1917A1 helmet was an updated version of the M1917 and initially used refurbished WW1 shells.

The M1917 is a near identical version of the British Mk.I steel helmet, and it is important to note that when the US joined the Great War in 1917 they were initially issued with a supply of around 400,000 British made Mk.Is, before production began state side. The M1917 differed slightly in its lining detail, and exhibited US manufacture markings.

M1917 helmet liners typically show a paper label at the crown and the dome rivet head. The liner is set up as on the British versions, with an oilcloth band and net configuration, attached to a leather strap, riveted to the shell. The chinstrap is leather with steel buckle.