Original U.S. WWI Named 89th Division Painted M1917 Doughboy Helmet with Full Liner & Chinstrap - Private Fred G. Miller, 314th Field Signal Battalion
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Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very attractive named U.S. WWI M1917 “Doughboy” helmet retaining its original olive drab finish, complete liner, surviving chinstrap, and hand-painted 89th Division “Rolling W” insignia on both sides of the shell. The underside of the rim is stamped ZC 44, consistent with U.S. manufacture. The underside of the rim is also stenciled F.G. MILLER. This, combined with the orange-painted insignia, identifies the helmet to Private Fred G. Miller, Company A, 314th Field Signal Battalion, 89th Division.
The paint is in very good condition both inside and outside the helmet, with the expected wear from service. The liner is present, and is in very good condition, with great looking oilcloth and netting. The chin strap is still retained and in fair condition though the end pieces have broken away from the interior crown.
The best feature of this helmet is definitely the original hand painted 89th Division - The Rolling W emblem on both the left and right sides of the helmet. The Division Insignia maintains most of the original paint and is somewhat dirty from years of service. It is a nice black circle with a "W" inside, the central portion being painted orange. Each unit of the 89th Division was further identified by colored inserts, paint being this example, identifying the individual unit. Orange is the color for the 314th Field Signal Battalion, the divisional Signal Corps unit of the 89th. The 314th saw combat in the Lucey Sector, St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne Offensives, and the Euvezin Sector.
The Field Signal Battalion played an essential role in maintaining communications between headquarters and frontline units. Men of the 314th worked under battlefield conditions laying, repairing, and maintaining telephone and telegraph lines, often under artillery fire. Corporal Tharold B. Mansfield of Company C, for example, received the Distinguished Service Cross for maintaining communication lines under heavy shell fire during the final Meuse-Argonne fighting in November 1918.
The painted unit insignia retains most of its original appearance despite accumulated dirt and wear. The combination of the divisional marking on both sides and the F.G. MILLER stencil makes this considerably more compelling than an anonymous painted M1917.
Condition overall is very good for a service-used WWI helmet. The original shell paint remains well preserved, the 89th Division insignia are still readily visible, and the complete liner survives in good condition. The principal weakness is the chinstrap, which remains present but has broken ends at the crown attachments.
With its ZC 44 U.S. shell marking, named F.G. MILLER stencil, double 89th Division Rolling W insignia, Signal Battalion color association, complete oilcloth-and-net liner, and surviving original chinstrap, this is a particularly strong identified-style example of an American WWI painted helmet. The helmet has an excellent connection to the 89th Division and its 314th Field Signal Battalion, while the Miller name offers a worthwhile avenue for continued service-record research.
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