Item Description
Original Item: One-of-a-kind. This is a fantastic genuine Great War hand painted camouflage helmet, complete with its original liner. The helmet features textured original period colored panel camouflage paint in various shades of green, brown, and blue.
The paint is a bit worn, and definitely shows use, but it has a great textured look and the colors are still easily discernible. The interior of the helmet has all the original paint, with some rust erosion. It also has a mostly complete liner with felt top pad and remnants of the top label, however the chin strap is almost completely missing. The liner does show age, and the leather is somewhat degraded, but the oil cloth is quite solid, as is the underlying netting.
The underside of the rim is stamped ZC 204, indicating that the shell is a U.S. manufactured shell, and not British. The solid rivets attaching the chin-strap bales further confirm this.
A wonderful totally original helmet with genuine original paint! Ready to display!
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.
- This product is available for international shipping.
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