{"product_id":"original-u-s-wwi-named-101st-field-artillery-regiment-painted-m1917-doughboy-helmet-with-rare-wilmer-eye-shield-attachment-holes-26th-yankee-division","title":"Original U.S. WWI Named 101st Field Artillery Regiment Painted M1917 Doughboy Helmet with Rare Wilmer Eye Shield Attachment Holes - 26th Yankee Division","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is an extremely scarce example of a 26th Division painted helmet for the 101st Field Artillery Regiment. This example is named and numbered on the underside of the brim to Private \u003cstrong\u003eLeslie G. Green\u003c\/strong\u003e, Service Number \u003cstrong\u003e134259\u003c\/strong\u003e, Battery F, 101st Field Artillery Regiment, 26th Division. Green left for France on September 9th, 1917, and saw every major offensive with the 26th.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e26th Division painted helmets from World War I are special, as they were one of the very few divisions to paint their helmets before the end of the war on November 11th, 1918. They also are one of the only divisions to use a completely different insignia for each regiment of the division.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe helmet features the extremely well-painted insignia of the 101st Field Artillery, depicting a Native American \u0026amp; the Massachusetts Coastline. The helmet itself is one of a small batch of M1917 Helmets made to wear with the Experimental Wilmer Eye Shield, with three holes punched into the brim on the left and right side. The underside of the brim bears the letters \u003cstrong\u003eL.G.G.\u003c\/strong\u003e and the number \u003cstrong\u003e134259\u003c\/strong\u003e. The liner of this example has completely detached from the helmet, but it is still included. The chinstrap is absent. This example would do best on a mannequin head. The helmet bears the stamp\u003cstrong\u003e Z72\u003c\/strong\u003e indicating it is an American-made helmet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrivate Leslie Gordon Green\u003c\/strong\u003e was born on November 17th, 1896 in Boston, Massachusetts. He enlisted in the Massachusetts National Guard on August 29th, 1917, leaving for France only 11 days later on September 9th, 1917. He would see combat in every major offensive the 101st went through, including Chemin-des-Dames, Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel, and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. He would return stateside on March 31st, 1919 with his regiment. Green would then attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, graduating in 1925. Green would move to New Hampshire, where he would die on June 4th, 1966, at the age of 69. We have found a photograph of Green from his MIT Yearbook, as well as his headstone application card, and a photo of his headstone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a tremendous helmet painted beautifully for one of the most combat-torn field artillery regiments of the American Expeditionary Forces. It will only appreciate more in value as the years go on. Comes ready for further research and display!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 101st Field Artillery (\"Boston Light Artillery\") regiment is the oldest field artillery regiment in the United States Army with a lineage dating to 13 December 1636 when it was organized as the South Regiment. For the first 250 years of the unit's existence it served in infantry formations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 26th Infantry Division was first constituted on 18 July 1917 as the 26th Division. It was formally activated on 22 August of that year in Boston, Massachusetts. The division commanded two brigades comprising national guard units from Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. The 51st Infantry Brigade contained the 101st Infantry Regiment and the 102nd Infantry Regiment, while the 52nd Infantry Brigade contained the 103rd Infantry Regiment and the 104th Infantry Regiment. Shortly thereafter, division commander Major General C. R. Edwards called a press conference to determine a nickname for the newly formed division. Edwards decided to settle on the suggestion of \"Yankee Division\" since all of the subordinate units of the division were from New England. Shortly thereafter, the division approved a shoulder sleeve insignia with a \"YD\" monogram to reflect this.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn 21 September 1917, the division arrived at Saint-Nazaire, France. It was the second division of the American Expeditionary Forces to arrive into the theater at the time, and the first division wholly organized in the United States, joining the 1st Infantry Division. Two additional divisions completed the first wave of American troop deployment, with the 2nd Division formed in France and the 42nd Division arriving at St. Nazaire on 29 October. The division immediately moved to Neufchâteau for training, as most of the division's soldiers were raw recruits, new to military service. Because of this, much of the division's force was trained by the experienced French forces. It trained extensively with the other three US divisions, organized as the U.S. I Corps in January 1918, before being moved into a quiet sector of the trenches in February.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 26th Infantry Division remained in a relatively quiet region of the lines along the Chemin des Dames for several months before it relieved the 1st Division near St. Mihiel on 3 April. The line here taken over extended from the vicinity of Apremont, on the west, in front of Xivray-Marvoisin, Seicheprey, and Bois de Remieres, as far as the Bois de Jury, on the right, where the French line joined the American line. Division Headquarters were at Boucq.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe stay of the Division in this sector was marked by several serious encounters with the enemy, where considerable forces were engaged. There were furthermore almost nightly encounters between patrols or ambush parties, and the harassing fire of the artillery on both sides was very active.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn 10, 12 and 13 April, the lines held by the 104th Infantry in Bois Brule (near Apremont), and by the French to the left, were heavily attacked by the Germans. At first the enemy secured a foothold in some advanced trenches which were not strongly held, but sturdy counterattacks succeeded in driving the enemy out with serious losses, and the line was entirely re-established.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn late April, German infantry conducted a raid on positions of the 26th Division, one of the first attacks on Americans during the war. At 0400 on 20 April, German field artillery bombarded the 102nd Infantry's positions near Seicheprey before German stoßtruppen moved against the village. The artillery box barrage, continuing 36 hours, isolated American units. The Germans overwhelmed a machine gun company and two infantry companies of the 102nd and temporarily breached the trenches before elements of the division rallied and recaptured the village. The Germans withdrew before the division could counterattack but inflicted 634 casualties, including 80 killed, 424 wounded, and 130 captured, while losing over 600 men, including 150 killed of their own. Similar raids struck the 101st infantry at Flirey on 27 May, and the 103rd Infantry at Xivray-et-Marvoisin on 16 June, but were repulsed. The 26th Division was relieved by the 82nd Division on 28 June, moved by train to Meaux, and entered the line again northwest of Chateau Thierry, relieving the U.S. 2nd Division on 5 July.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs the size of the American Expeditionary Force grew, the division was placed under command of I U.S. Corps in July. When the Aisne-Marne campaign began shortly thereafter, the division, under I U.S. Corps was placed under command of the French Sixth Army protecting its east flank. When the offensive began, the division advanced up the spine of the Marne salient for several weeks, pushing through Belleau Wood, moving 10 miles from 18 to 25 July. On 12 August it was pulled from the lines near Toul to prepare for the next offensive. The division was then a part of the offensive at St. Mihiel, during the Battle of Saint-Mihiel. The division then moved in position for the last major offensive of the war, at Meuse-Argonne. This campaign was the last of the war, as an armistice was signed shortly thereafter. During World War I the division spent 210 days in combat, and suffered 1,587 killed in action and 12,077 wounded in action. The division returned to the United States and was demobilized on 3 May 1919 at Camp Devens, Massachusetts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the years following World War I, the division remained in the National Guard, seeing periodic reorganizations but no major deployments except for weekend training. In 1921, the 102nd Infantry Regiment was replaced in the guard by the 182nd Infantry Regiment. In 1923, the 103rd Infantry Regiment was replaced with the 181st Infantry Regiment. In 1941, the 101st Infantry Regiment was replaced with the 164th Infantry Regiment briefly; one year later it was relieved from the division, along with the 182nd Infantry Regiment, in order to form the Americal Division.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHistory of the M1917 Helmet\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eM1917 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!----\u003e","brand":"Original Items","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41982895456325,"sku":"ONJR24MG060","price":595.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/files\/ONJR24MG060__01.jpg?v=1726887282","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-u-s-wwi-named-101st-field-artillery-regiment-painted-m1917-doughboy-helmet-with-rare-wilmer-eye-shield-attachment-holes-26th-yankee-division","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}