Steel Helmets

Steel Helmets

By late 1915 it had become increasingly apparent to the War Office that too many soliders were dying of head wounds. In the trenches the men's bodies were reasonably protected but as shells rained in from above, head wounds were common, and nearly always fatal. The early steel helmets were 'rimless.' This means that they were stamped out of a single piece of metal with raw edges. They had a 'War-Office patent' liner and a two piece chinstrap that fastened like a belt. These helmets were first issued in 1916. Initially they were kept in the trenches and troops leaving an area gave them to the men arriving. By the first day of the battle of the Somme all soldiers had their own Mk1 helmet. The early helmets ranged in colour through brown and green. The helmet shown below is an original shell with a reproduction liner and chinstrap. If you look carefully you can see the stretch marks around the side of the dome of the helmet. This shows this helmet is a very early one since these marks were made because the production method (heat and pressure used in the metal press etc.) had not been perfected yet. These rimless helmets can be found ocasionally (often dug up from France) and relined. However because they are more valuable than later helmets some unscrupulous dealers are taking the rims of MkII helmets and selling them as MkI's. To be sure check for stretch marks as this will prove a helmet to be authentic.

Not long after the issue of the MkI helmet the War Office was working to improve it. The result was the MkII. It had a 'rim' of steel welded around the edge of the shell. The rimless ones were quite sharp and had caused numerous injuries to troops who stumbled into each other in the dark and the mud. The below photos are of an unaltered original in excellent condition. As can be seen the MkII had a more comfortable liner. Initially a rubber 'doughnut' was put into the crown to add to the helmets comfort (as seen in the below photo). This was quickly removed as a lavish expense but by late 1917 had been written back into the specifications for new helmets. An instruction label (how to adjust the liner) was also attached inside the crown of MkII helmets and is just visable in the lower photo. The chinstrap was made from a single piece of leather, so no loose ends were left hanging. Finally a more uniform colour was attempted. Whilst variation still occured, most original MkII's that survive with their paint are of an olive colour like the one pictured. As the MkII's were painted, sawdust or sand was blown onto them. This left a textured finish which it was hoped would reduce their shine (however it didn't work and covers were still the best solution). Original helmets with their liners can still be found, but they should not be used as the leather liners are fragile and will be damaged. Instead find an original shell and have a repro liner put in (we can help you with that). The First World War helmet shell was different to that issued in the Second World War. The latter is unacceptable. A proper helmet shell is not round, but slightly oval. Also an example made between 1915-1918 will be wider at its sides than at its front (again due to imperfect manufacturing techniques).