msdt Posted 4 February , 2015 Share Posted 4 February , 2015 Got my first Adrian the other day. Interested to know if the green paint is a later WW1 colour - the original blue is visible as can be seen on the comb. Cheers, Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Upton Posted 5 February , 2015 Share Posted 5 February , 2015 Got my first Adrian the other day. Interested to know if the green paint is a later WW1 colour - the original blue is visible as can be seen on the comb. Cheers, Tony Green? From the pictures that looks like the standard earlier light blue paint finish that has been overpainted with the later war dark blue finish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchtrotter Posted 5 February , 2015 Share Posted 5 February , 2015 They were many shades of blue from very bright and shiny ( early colour) through to almost black. The bright shiny blue was often overpainted as in your example. Green / khaki is Post WW1 but that said Foreign Legion examples were khaki after late 1915 early 1916 and Moroccan / African examples badged with the RF Crescent for Muslim troops were also khaki green shades. Many many shades of blue and khaki exist. Of course inter war / WW2 helmets are of a different pattern and out of my knowledge zone. TT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchtrotter Posted 5 February , 2015 Share Posted 5 February , 2015 PS looks a nice sleepy helmet. What's the liner like? Any chin strap? French helmets were un collectable years back. I bought a sack full of about ten all in good condition with various badges etc for £150 a while ago at Stoneleigh. They are creeping up now. TT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calibre792x57.y Posted 5 February , 2015 Share Posted 5 February , 2015 Msdt- Your helmet is right enough. The French early appreciated the importance of head protection and held a competition in which a design by L' Intendent General Adrian was sucessful. The first 1,000 were delivered in July 1915 and by the time of the Champagne offensive on 25th Sept all troops involved were equipped with helmets. By the end of the War about 20 million had been produced and the French had supplied many to the armies of the Allies. However popular the helmet was, ballistically it was the least resistant of those of the major combatants. The early examples were painted in a light shiny blue colour which stood out on the battlefield, so a tailored grey-blue cotton cover was issued to the wearers. The medical units found that if the helmet was penetrated by splinters, fragments of filthy cotton were carried into the wound so the issue of covers ceased. The helmets were then issued with a darker semi-matt shade of horizon blue finish and those already in service were repainted, which is what happened to yours. There were some variations in shade and colour in these overpaints. The brass plaque on the peak was issued to combatants at the end of the War as a official souvenir and they could have it stamped with their rank and details of their service if they wished, - most did not. - Hope this helps - SW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Bailey Posted 5 February , 2015 Share Posted 5 February , 2015 A couple of years ago I bought an early Adrian from a French Family whose grandfather had been at Verdun. The paintwork was as near the perfect Horizon Blue as you could get. Before selling the helmet I took it to a professional paint dealer who computer matched it and made me a litre of Horizon Blue paint. I've restored a couple of helmets since and they look good. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msdt Posted 5 February , 2015 Author Share Posted 5 February , 2015 Thanks all for the above info. So it looks as if I need to go to the optician!!! Anyway, seems that the colour is WW1 vintage then. Have been slowly getting attracted to these helmets over the last 2 or 3 years, but looks as if I should have dived in a while ago as prices seem to have more than crept up. 10 for £150 TT??? From what I've seen that sack would only have a couple in now!!! This one also came from Stoneleigh 2 weeks ago. It looked 'clean' to me, no dents, liner as per below, the very much later quick release chin strap, plus veteran's plaque. Paid £70. Now looking for an artillery one - like the crossed guns! Cheers, Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calibre792x57.y Posted 6 February , 2015 Share Posted 6 February , 2015 Nice interior - repair to liner is okay. Still has its aluminium spacers. Often removed so that woolly caps can be worn beneath the helmet. Chinstraps are very often damaged. My first one was a gift from the granddaughter of a veteran in the Engineers. My second one cost £20. Now they are rather more expensive and the rarer helmet badges are worth faking unfortunately so beware. Here is a Belgian version with a rather gloomy looking Lion mask! French made. Chinstrap is present but is broken. - Good hunting. They are still cheap in comparison to British helmets and just as real WW1, - SW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooper Posted 6 February , 2015 Share Posted 6 February , 2015 What about the mustard colour? I have 2, one is a zouave from a museum on the somme and the other was reputedly a barn find from la marne. It has no badge, rusted rear peak and looked dark brown in colour. I gave it a good sympathetic clean and brought the mustard colour out but still retained the 'age'. £8 including postage from france! Was the mustard used in specific theatres or was it a particular unit choice? I am lead to believe it was used by colonials/zouaves only, is that right or did regular french troops also wear the colour?? intrigued. Lovely helmets by the way, i must admit i have a soft spot for ww1 french items. Would collect more if i could sneak them in the house! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dugout Posted 7 February , 2015 Share Posted 7 February , 2015 Here's a link to THE website on Adrian helmets: http://www.world-war-helmets.com/fiche.php?q=Casque-Francais-Adrian-Mle-15 Unfortunately it's in French... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 7 February , 2015 Share Posted 7 February , 2015 Here's a link to THE website on Adrian helmets: http://www.world-war-helmets.com/fiche.php?q=Casque-Francais-Adrian-Mle-15 Unfortunately it's in French... C'est la vie... But certainly an interesting site! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msdt Posted 7 February , 2015 Author Share Posted 7 February , 2015 Brilliant, thanks for that link Dugout. My 3 reference books on French bayonets are also in French (not really surprisingly!), so getting used to reading directly with the help of my Grade 4 French O'Level (from the days before everyone got A*!!!!!). Google Translate struggles when things get technical. Cheers, Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 7 February , 2015 Share Posted 7 February , 2015 ... My 3 reference books on French bayonets are also in French (not really surprisingly!), Off-topic, yes, but Tony, did you know that Méry's Erstaz book is now out in an English edition? I haven't binned my French edition, but my French is self-taught reading level from post-grad days reading about the Roman army in N.Africa and so this IS a relief! J. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Haselgrove Posted 7 February , 2015 Share Posted 7 February , 2015 Hi The Dugout, That's a fantastic website with a wealth of information - thanks very much indeed for the link. There is a translation facility at the beginning so you can read it in English. Regards, Michael. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msdt Posted 7 February , 2015 Author Share Posted 7 February , 2015 Hi Trajan, I take it that the Mery book is on German bayonets, my only book jointly authored by him is "Les baionnettes militaires francaises". It has a little English but all the key stuff is in French. Cheers,Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooper Posted 7 February , 2015 Share Posted 7 February , 2015 Wow, if only the website was in english, however i can find my way around it using school boy french and google translate. Everything is there, very impressed and many thanks for the link. Cooper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 8 February , 2015 Share Posted 8 February , 2015 Hi Trajan, I take it that the Mery book is on German bayonets, my only book jointly authored by him is "Les baionnettes militaires francaises". It has a little English but all the key stuff is in French. Cheers, Tony Yep, it's the English version of his Les baïonnettes ersatz allemandes utilisées durant la première guerre mondiale - fantastic work, but boy am I glad to have it in English! The "Les baionnettes militaires francaises" one you mention - is that the one with short bits in Spanish(!) also? If so, I know it - lovely photographs, but I too find the French a little (ok, VERY!) difficult... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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