France, Iii Republic. An M1915 Adrian Infantry Helmet With Veteran's Plate

In steel, magnetic, exterior with a smooth surface, painted in black, the protective edge of the helmet in a magnetic steel. There is a large comb (deflector crest) affixed to the top of the helmet via four rivets, the comb slotted on both sides near its front for ventilation. The front of the helmet incorporates a 47 mm (w) x 61.7 mm (h) French Army Infantry insignia in blackened bronze, bearing the letters "RF" (Republique Francaise) on the bomb, the insignia slightly loose versus the helmet. The inside has a seven-panel leather liner, the upper of which is finished in black, with a raw underside, each panel with a hole at the tip, with a leather drawstring fed through the holes and tied in a knot. The liner is backed with a gray pressed fabric, with four strips of ribbed steel between the liner and the body of the helmet. The two-piece leather chin strap has a magnetic metal buckle for length adjustment, the upper of which is finished in brown, with a raw underside, the strap fed through the integral metal loops on both sides. Attached to the visor brim is a veteran's helmet plate in die-stamped brass, the plate inscribed "SOLDAT DE LA GRANDE GUERRE / 1914 - 1918" (Soldier of the Great War 1914-1918) within a large oval in the centre, flanked by branches of laurel leaves upon a pebbled background on either side, with die-holes placed at both tips of the plate and is secured in place to the brim via two pins. It measures 215 mm x 290 mm x 150 mm, exhibiting moderate dents on both sides, along with contact marks and scuff marks on the exterior, the underside of the visor and the neck guard, soiling present on the liner, the chin strap with crazing evident and remaining relatively supple considering its age, the metal buckle on the chin strap with surface rust. As worn.

Footnote: The M15 Adrian helmet was a combat helmet issued to the French Army during the First World War. It was the first standard helmet of the French Army and was designed when millions of French troops were engaged in trench warfare, and head wounds from the falling shrapnel generated by indirect fire became a frequent cause of battlefield casualties. Introduced in 1915, it was the first modern steel helmet and it served as the basic helmet of many armies well into the 1930s. Initially issued to infantry soldiers, in modified form they were also issued to cavalry and tank crews. A subsequent version, the M26, was used during the Second World War.