Item Description
Original Item: Only One 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, 107th Infantry Regiment, British made helmet, complete with its original liner.
The heat stamp on the underside of the rim is FS 164, a nice and low lot number for a helmet manufactured byThomas Firth & Sons Ltd of Sheffield. 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 though it was painted black at some point.
The helmet is in lovely condition with a solid liner, oilcloth, under netting and felt top pad. The leather chinstrap is missing the lower portion entirely, but does have the upper portion where it meets the lower portion of the chinstrap, which has the name Martin Grant written faintly. The size stamp is no longer present. Grant was born in Phillipsburg, New Jersey and enlisted with the National Guard out of Yonkers, NY in June 7, 1917 and was assigned the duties/rank of a Cook. He served overseas from May 10, 1918 to March 6, 1919 and received his honorable discharge on April 2, 1919.
This is actually a fantastic British made example, used by a member of the Empire Division. Comes more than ready for display.
History of the M1917 Helmet:
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 MkI 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 a steel buckle.
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