Original U.S. WWI M1917 Doughboy Helmet with Painted 36th Infantry Division “T Patch” Insignia, Marked ZC 182, Liner & Chinstrap – Texas Oklahoma Division
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Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very appealing original U.S. Model 1917 “Doughboy” steel helmet featuring a hand painted insignia of the 36th Infantry Division, the well known Texas Oklahoma National Guard division of the First World War. The helmet retains its textured olive drab finish, period liner assembly, and leather chinstrap, while the front of the shell displays the division’s distinctive early “T Patch” emblem.
The painted insignia consists of a dark blue arrowhead with a large “T” formed by the helmet’s underlying color. In the 36th Division insignia, the “T” represented Texas, while the arrowhead represented Oklahoma. Its freehand appearance is consistent with early examples, which could vary considerably before the design became more standardized during the interwar period.
The 36th Division was organized at Camp Bowie in Fort Worth, Texas, in July 1917 and drew primarily from National Guard units in Texas and Oklahoma. The division deployed to France during the summer of 1918 and saw action with the French Fourth Army during the closing stages of the war, including operations around St. Étienne and during the advance toward the Aisne.
The helmet displays the standard characteristics of the American M1917. After entering the war, the United States adopted the British Mk I helmet pattern and began producing its own version in 1917. American M1917 helmets used a single piece manganese steel shell with a separately attached rim and a textured olive drab finish intended to reduce glare. The interior retains its period liner assembly, complete with the characteristic black oilcloth liner, woven crown netting, leather fittings, and leather chinstrap.
The stamping “ZC 182” is visible beneath the brim. This is the type of heat and production lot marking commonly found on American M1917 helmet shells and was used to identify and track batches of steel during manufacture.
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