Steel Helmets

[PhilB]

Many items of trench wear, including protective devices, were produced for private purchase during WW1. Did anyone offer for sale a privately produced helmet? I can imagine officers being attracted by one looking more like a riding hat than a coolie`s hat! Or would the wearing of a non-regulation helmet be illegal?

[Peter Doyle]

Hi - the answer to that is contained in the book by Haselgrove and Radovic, who illustrate a number of 'Brodie-style' helemts that were on sale from mid-1916 onwards, with some of them looking like the Portuguese fluted design. The authors mention that these types were later 'proscribed', but no dates ae given in this respect.

Cheers

Peter

[Simon R]

Helmets were certainly privately manufactured.

Former curator at the Tower Charles Ffoulkes wrote letters to the Times suggesting that prospective purchasers avoid them as they had not been rigorously tested.

[PhilB]

I don`t recall seeing one for sale?

[Simon R]

Well they must have been offered for sale by someone otherwise Ffoulkes was clearly having a funny turn!

I think details will be found in the Peter Doyle's reference above, sadly I have no adverts for privately purchased helmets to hand.