Original U.S. WWI British-Made Mk. I Helmet with Unidentified Insignia - Full Liner and Chinstrap
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Original Item. Only One Available. This is an interesting British-made Mk. I Brodie that went through use during the war, and had its liner replaced during the war for reissue to American soldiers. The front of the helmet is painted with an insignia that we are unable to identify, consisting of a blueish circle with a white triangle inside it. The top of the triangle may be a different color, but we aren’t sure. A good research project.
The helmet has three holes in a triangular pattern along the brim of the helmet, which may have been used to mount the helmet in some way. The rim of the helmet has also come off, possibly due to these holes, which makes it appear as if it were an early “Raw Edge” helmet, but it is not.
The shell is maker-marked with a stamping on the underside of the rim that reads FKS 31. This maker marking indicates that this is a British produced shell, which is further indicated by the split rivets used to retain the chin strap bales. The “FKS” is the marking for Thomas Firth & Sons Ltd of Sheffield who manufactured helmets from 1916-1918. This firm also produced shells marked “F” and most likely used “FS” according to research.
The helmet retains its original liner and chinstrap, which were placed into the helmet around 1917-1918 when it was re-issued to arriving American soldiers. The chinstrap is marked at the base with size 7, as well as a stamped set of initials, R.R.O.B..
A nice example, ready for further research and display.
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