Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice example of a U.S. M1917 "Doughboy" helmet, which features original period OD Green paint and an original liner. The front features the painted 1918 Unit Insignia of the U.S. Army Tank Corps emblem in the center. The Insignia maintains most of the original paint and remains bold and easy to see. It is a triangle with blue, yellow and red painted corners.

This original triangular Armor insignia was designed in 1918 and was worn by the World War I Tank Corps and subsequent tank units of the Infantry. The colors of the shoulder patch were blue for Infantry, red for Artillery, and yellow for Cavalry-the three basic components of Armor. The insignia symbolized the union of the three forces. The basic design and combination of colors remain in today’s Armor insignia.

The shell is maker marked with a stamping on the underside of the rim that reads ZD 2??, it is partially obscured under the rim and cannot be read. The solid rivets and heat lot number indicate that this helmet shell was produced in the United States. The paint is in very good condition both inside and outside the helmet, with the expected wear from service. There is also a bit of ripping in the shell, indicating early U.S. production.

The liner is also in quite nice shape, with a very good oil cloth liner, and the top felt pad is still present, though worn. It is marked size 7 on the support strap in the middle, and no longer has traces of the paper tag. The chin strap is intact and does not have any major cracks or tears. The leather is however somewhat stained and delicate, so definitely handle with care.

A great example of an authentic WWI "Doughboy" helmet from the U.S. Army III Corps,
ready to display!

The Tank Corps of the American Expeditionary Forces was the mechanized unit that engaged in tank warfare for the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) on the Western Front during World War I.

Brigadier General Samuel D. Rockenbach, as the Chief of Tank Corps for the American Expeditionary Forces under Pershing, organized, trained, equipped and then deployed the first American tank units to the Western Front of 1918 Europe. An initial plan for 2,000 light Renault FT tanks and 200 heavy British Mark VI tanks was changed to 20 battalions of 77 light tanks each and 10 battalions of 45 heavy tanks each. A total of eight heavy battalions (the 301st to 308th) and 21 light battalions (the 326th to 346th) were raised, but only four (the 301st, 331st, 344th and 345th) saw combat.

Captain George S. Patton, the first officer assigned to the unit, set up a light tank school at Bourg, France, starting on 10 November 1917. In the first half of 1918, the 326th and 327th Tank Battalions were organized at Patton's school, while the 301st Heavy Tank Battalion was raised at Camp Meade, Maryland, USA and transported to the British Tank School at Bovington Camp in southern England, for training.