Brodie helmet colour

[corkhead100]

Vincent,

Your helmet sounds like a British Rimless (War Office Pattern) helmet manufactured between Sept 1915 and July 1916. It was manufactured by Hadfields Ltd. That is the HS mark. Since Hadfields only started manufacture in Jan 1916  then yours is after Jan. 1916.The mark shows the helmet shell manufacturer and the lot number of the steel i.e. HS number number number.

No sand was used until mid 1916 on these helmets.  Sand was added as a result of the shiney nature of the surface. This is the reason why covers were also introduced.

Are you sure the bails are not original? Split rivets are the norm in British helmets. (Some early helmets and Officers private purcahesed did use the machine rivets like the Americans).

Steve,

Did the 14th Hussars have steel pots on the March to KUT? Chances are they did not.

Joe Sweeney

Hello Joe,

Do you have much information on WW1 helmet manufacturers,

I am aware of Firth, Hadfield, Dixon,vickers, and Hutton in Sheffield, and Beardmore

in Glasgow. but I have been on the lookout for publications or information.

Corkhead

Gareth ,

If you require a helmet let me know.

All the best, Nip

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Joe Sweeney]

Vincent/Gareth,

The best single source on Britsih Helmets are articles done by Marcus Cotton for "Militaria Magazine". Most are in French but a two part article was translated into English for the short lived English version of the magazine in May and July of 1994. There are other French languag articles on aother aspects of WWI British Helmets that never made it into the English version of the magazine e.g. Tanker helmets, Cruiser Helmets, Eye protection etc.

I would also recommend Bashford Dean's book on Body Armor, Roger Lucy's Book "Tin Lids" and some really good recently published books on American Hemets by Chris Arnold.

Vincent,

Not sure what the holes are, but may have been punched to fix a cap badge, this was done and highly frowned upon.

You can put either the early or MKI liner. The early helmets were commonly relined at depot and infact relined helmets are far more common than those in originla condition.

If your going to wear it as an AEF helmet I would put the readily available repro's in it.

I know of no reproductions of the War Office pattern liner.

Gareth,

Marcus Cotton lists the manucturers as:

Steel Suppliers

FS---Thomas Firth & Sons

HS---Hadfields

BS---W. Beardmore &co. Ltd.

MS---Miris Steel Co. Ltd.

Joseph Sankey & Sons and Bleriot Ltd. pressed the sheet steel into shape until Aug 1916..

Sheffield Munitions Committee

Helmet manufacturers:

D---James Dixon & Sons (sheffield)

H---W Hutton & Sons (sheffield)

HH--- Harrison Bros. & Howson Ltd. (sheffield)

M---J & J Maxfield & Sons ( Sheffield)

R--- John Round & Sons (Sheffield)

V---W & E Viener (sheffield)

Steel Suppliers:

A-- Edgar Allen & Co. Ltd (sheffield)

F-- Thomas Firth & Sons Ltd.

O--- Samuel Osborn & Co. Ltd.

V---Vickers Ltd

B?--Burey's & Co.

Helmet manufacturers not part of the Sheffield group:

Army & Navy Co=operative Society Ltd.

Joseph Sankey & Sons Ltd.

Bleriot Ltd.

Hadfields Ltd

Thomas Firth & Sons Ltd

W. Beardmore & Co. Ltd.

Miris Steel Co.

Hope this helps.

Joe Sweeney

[corkhead100]

Vincent/Gareth,

The best single source on Britsih Helmets are articles done by Marcus Cotton for "Militaria Magazine". Most are in French but a two part article was translated into English for the short lived English version of the magazine in May and July of 1994.  There are other French languag articles on aother aspects of WWI British Helmets that never made it into the English version of the magazine e.g. Tanker helmets, Cruiser Helmets, Eye protection etc.

I would also recommend Bashford Dean's book on Body Armor, Roger Lucy's Book "Tin Lids" and some really good recently published books on American Hemets by Chris Arnold.

Vincent,

Not sure what the holes are, but may have been punched to fix a cap badge, this was done and highly frowned upon.

You can put either the early or MKI liner. The early helmets were commonly relined at depot and infact relined helmets are far more common than those in originla condition.

If your going to wear it as an AEF helmet I would put the readily available repro's in it.

I know of no reproductions of the War Office pattern liner.

Gareth,

Marcus Cotton lists the manucturers as:

Steel Suppliers

FS---Thomas Firth & Sons

HS---Hadfields

BS---W. Beardmore &co. Ltd.

MS---Miris Steel Co. Ltd.

Joseph Sankey & Sons and Bleriot Ltd. pressed the sheet steel into shape until Aug 1916..

Sheffield Munitions Committee

Helmet manufacturers:

D---James Dixon & Sons (sheffield)

H---W Hutton & Sons (sheffield)

HH--- Harrison Bros. & Howson Ltd. (sheffield)

M---J & J Maxfield & Sons ( Sheffield)

R--- John Round & Sons (Sheffield)

V---W & E Viener (sheffield)

Steel Suppliers:

A-- Edgar Allen & Co. Ltd (sheffield)

F-- Thomas Firth & Sons Ltd.

O--- Samuel Osborn & Co. Ltd.

V---Vickers Ltd

B?--Burey's & Co.

Helmet manufacturers not part of the Sheffield group:

Army & Navy Co=operative Society Ltd.

Joseph Sankey & Sons Ltd.

Bleriot Ltd.

Hadfields Ltd

Thomas Firth & Sons Ltd

W. Beardmore & Co. Ltd.

Miris Steel Co.

Hope this helps.

Joe Sweeney

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks Joe,

Are Prairie Flower the best repros?

I think they are.

I must get a copy of Roger Lucy's book,

He told me in MILITARY HELMET COLLECTORS CLUB

that the original liners have an ASBESTOS layer in the felt pad!!

So it's better if reenactors have refurbished helmets.

Thanks again for the info,..........Corkhead.

[corkhead100]

Hello again,

Does anybody have any information on helmet covers,

materials used, colours, who used them, manufacturers etc.

Could pals post colour photos of original helmet covers.

The colour discussions online can be very confusing, one mans Khaki

is another mans olive green, perhaps a limited colour chart

could be posted for reference purposes.

What do you think?

[bkristof]

A short question...

I restored some helmets for the 1st of july 1916.

I based myself on the helmet of a collector who (he says so) has an original souvenir of the 1st of july.

His helmet is marked; souvenir von dem somme slach (or somehing like that) in German.

this are my restored ones: applegreen + black cammo.

is the colour OK????