South African Brodie Helmet

[Guest redrum]

I have a helmet shell with chinstrap only. It has three small factory made holes to one end of the brim, this I was told is a South African made helmet. The holes were to fasten a neck protector(Chape). The helmet slightly rounder in shape to the standard British helmet making it look larger. It is painted a thick mid-green drab. It is definately a WW1 pattern with split pins for chinstrap connection.

Could someone confirm it is South African? If so are they rare?

[Joe Sweeney]

redrum,

I actually do not think South Africa made any helmets in the Great War.

Can you post a photo?

Joe Sweeney

[Guest SA BRIGADE]

The South Africans who fought on the Western Front were all volunteers who enlisted for the duration of the war as the political climate and legislation at the time,so soon after the Anglo-Boer War and the 1914 Rebellion in South Africa,did not allow the regular and territorial type of units to be deployed outside the borders of South Africa.Units were therefore regarded as being part of the British Army and were paid and equipped as such.Brodie helmets were issued to South Africans in France in 1916 and even sun helmets[Wolseley Pattern] for use in the Senussi Campaign were issued in December 1915 at Bordon Camp in England.South African battalions did ,however,have their own specific unit markings and colours that were painted on the sides of the Brodie helmet and occassionally Brigade markings on the front. To my knowledge no South African manufactured WW1 steel helmets have been recorded or manufactured.The amounts required and costs involved[basically an Infantry Brigade,Regiment of Heavy Artillery,Field Ambulance,Signal Company,2 Railway companies and a Trade company,Horse Tpt and Labour Contingents] would not have justified setting up production lines.After many years of research and specialist collecting of militaria to the South Africans in France in WW1,I have not come across a specimen or a reference to one.All the Brodie helmets in my collection are of British manufacture with unique painted South African markings.