Item Description
Original items: Only One Grouping Available. When America was drawn into the European conflict it possessed no steel helmets of its own. They looked to other nations for ideas and selected the British helmet as the most suitable. Britain supplied about half a million helmets to the Americans before production of an American version was started in the U.S. This is a fantastic, genuine Great War hand painted 27th Infantry Division British made helmet, complete with its original liner and chinstrap.
The heat stamp on the underside of the rim is HS 75, a nice and low lot number. This is the typical marking where the designation of Manufacturer followed by designation of steel supplier followed by batch lot number of steel used. H is for Hadfield Ltd of Sheffield who made helmets. S is for the steel supplier of Sheffield who provided the needed material for the helmets. The heat stamp and the split rivets on the chinstrap bales are a solid indication and a good reference point for identifying British made helmets for American use during the Great War.
The best features of the helmet is the 27th Infantry Division insignia on the front. Nicknamed the Empire Division for its connection to New York (the unit's motto is "Empire"), the 27th Infantry Division formed in 1912 as a result of a reorganization of the New York National Guard. The insignia is round with a black background and red symbols. The letters N, Y, and D—for New York Division—merge to form one graphic. The paint is retained quite well.
The helmet is in lovely condition with a solid liner, oilcloth, under netting and felt top pad. The leather chinstrap is complete but there was a repair made at some point with electrical tape for some odd reason.
This is actually a fantastic British made example, used by a member of the Empire Division. Comes more than ready for display.
- This product is available for international shipping.
- Eligible for all payments - Visa, Mastercard, Discover, AMEX, Paypal & Sezzle
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