M95 Conversion to M15

b.loree

b.loree

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Staff member
New collectors: At most SOS shows, I come back with at least one helmet that needs work for a customer. In this, case a simple rear visor restitch on a Prussian M15. However, this one provides us with an example of how a brass M95 helmet was converted to the less visible M15 configuration. A couple of photos:
IMG_3658.jpeg
Wappen removed..... we can see that the original brass grommets have been taken out. The extra large holes have been filled in and new steel grommets installed. I have seen this many times through working on these "converted helmets". In this case, some care was taken to fix the damage caused by ripping out the original brass grommets. I have seen other conversions where the brass grommets were simply ripped out and the M15 wappen installed. The enlarged holes were just left as they are covered by the wappen. There were two reasons for. these conversions....to remove the shiny brass fittings along with the non removable brass spike. Second...by mid war, the Germans were experiencing a brass shortage caused by the massive artillery barrages that were happening as a result of trench warfare.
IMG_3659.jpeg
A close up of the plugged hole.
IMG_3652.jpeg
The interior, showing pieces of liner glued on the shell to support the new steel grommets and the plugs. Note also the use of small pieces of wood to secure the wappen and not the usual leather wedges.
IMG_3651.jpeg
A small section of "extra stitching" also indicates some sort of repair.
In conclusion new collectors, these converted helmets are perfectly legitimate and there is no reason not to buy one or be upset if you find out that you already have. :)
 
Nicely done, Brian! Do you know what may have caused the lines of indentations behind the plate? It almost looks like somebody jammed a cockade or something in there... but probably not. These conversions are interesting. I have a Grenadier helmet that was converted to accept the new Garde style front plate.
 
poniatowski said:
Nicely done, Brian! Do you know what may have caused the lines of indentations behind the plate? It almost looks like somebody jammed a cockade or something in there... but probably not. These conversions are interesting. I have a Grenadier helmet that was converted to accept the new Garde style front plate.
Click to expand...
All 12 of the Grenadier regiment changed from the old-style G R plate
to the "new " wide winged eagle .I think that any G R helmet in service
at the time of the change could have extra or repaired holes for the new plate .
I am a big fan of the Grenadier helmets.
Do you have photos of your helmet that you can post ?
It would be interesting to see
Is it a Kammer issue helmet ?
Thanks
Steve
 
b.loree said:
New collectors: At most SOS shows, I come back with at least one helmet that needs work for a customer. In this, case a simple rear visor restitch on a Prussian M15. However, this one provides us with an example of how a brass M95 helmet was converted to the less visible M15 configuration. A couple of photos:
View attachment 56534
Wappen removed..... we can see that the original brass grommets have been taken out. The extra large holes have been filled in and new steel grommets installed. I have seen this many times through working on these "converted helmets". In this case, some care was taken to fix the damage caused by ripping out the original brass grommets. I have seen other conversions where the brass grommets were simply ripped out and the M15 wappen installed. The enlarged holes were just left as they are covered by the wappen. There were two reasons for. these conversions....to remove the shiny brass fittings along with the non removable brass spike. Second...by mid war, the Germans were experiencing a brass shortage caused by the massive artillery barrages that were happening as a result of trench warfare.
View attachment 56535
A close up of the plugged hole.
View attachment 56536
The interior, showing pieces of liner glued on the shell to support the new steel grommets and the plugs. Note also the use of small pieces of wood to secure the wappen and not the usual leather wedges.
View attachment 56537
A small section of "extra stitching" also indicates some sort of repair.
In conclusion new collectors, these converted helmets are perfectly legitimate and there is no reason not to buy one or be upset if you find out that you already have. :)
Click to expand...
Good post Brian
Thanks
Steve
 
Thanks Steve...I had it in my mind to ask Ron to make a post with photos of his Grenadier as well. I have shown a wartime conversion in my post here which was done with care. I would expect a peacetime adjustment to be similar.
 
Steve,

I do have photos and the original holes were blanked over. I will get those posted for you, but It'll have to be tomorrow.

Cheers!

Ron
 
In fact, when the FWR eagles were replaced by the Grenadier-Adler, Grenadier helmets received many plates with gliding wings and attachments in the spacing of the FWR eagles known as ‘old 12 Regiments’ (Linien-Grenadier alter Art). In this case, the bridge attachments are between the inner edge of the wings and the sceptre on the one hand, and the sword on the other.
This avoids moving the holes and eyelets.
Subsequently, new orders were delivered with the Grenadier-Adler at 10cm spacing, matched to the distance between the eyelets.

Garde-Adler : always 10cm apart (either on the sword or the sceptre).
Garde-Adler blanc active.GIF

Grenadier-Adler :
10cm for Grenadier-Adler for new helmets.
Gr écarts à 10cm idem Garde.jpg

And 8cm for the Grenadier-Adler intended for exchange with the former Linien-Grenadier eagle.
GR9 Adler M1913 Bombe1911 8cm.jpg
 
During my long life as a collector, I have acquired 5 KIR145s. Only one still had the Linien-Adler. The other four had the Grenadier-Adler awarded in 1913. ALL had kept the 8cm eyelets of the Linien-Adler. This is still the case for the one I have left.
CIMG7954.JPG

The method made it very easy to replace the old eagle of the line with the Grenadier eagle, without drilling, plugging, etc... Simply remove and replace the leather corners.
145 KIR casque # linien&GrAdler.jpg
 
CLOVIS 57 said:
During my long life as a collector, I have acquired 5 KIR145s. Only one still had the Linien-Adler. The other four had the Grenadier-Adler awarded in 1913. ALL had kept the 8cm eyelets of the Linien-Adler. This is still the case for the one I have left.
View attachment 56577

The method made it very easy to replace the old eagle of the line with the Grenadier eagle, without drilling, plugging, etc... Simply remove and replace the leather corners.
View attachment 56578
Click to expand...
Here is my 1906 KIR 145 with the old eagle
SteveKIR 145 1906.JPGKIR 145 1906 Kammer.JPG
 
Hello,

I would like to return to the initial topic (Conversion M95 to M15) which interests me (thanks for creating it):

I find it hard to accept that the shortage of brass is responsible for these conversions: all this work for so little raw material? In addition, this recycling must have had a cost (refilling, re-drilling, sometimes new seams, new fittings)

Can we consider another theory? Perhaps the return to the workshop of damaged and reconditioned helmets, perhaps remaking a "new" helmet with two helmets damaged on the battlefield?

Another question: can we see the ghost of the old brass eagle on the helmet? If not, this could suggest that a new layer of rubber has been applied?

The refurbishment of the helmet presented is, I find, of very good quality.
 
Old bombs had already been recycled before the war and during mobilisation in 1914.

Shells were recovered to make new helmets. (seams reworked)
M95 Reprise ancienne bombe.JPG

L

Bombe recyclée en 1914.GIF

Below, this shell has a seam at the rear, under the rear spine, and another under the front plate:
Bombe 95 de récup -.jpg

The 2 Bavarians below, are old reformed M86s, converted to M96 infantry, well before the war. To do this, the M96 hull was lowered, and brass rivets were used to plug the cross base of the tip, as well as to plug the 2 holes in the large M86 plate.
The Hessians plugged the holes with leather lozenges.
Bay86~96~15 Pte fixe.jpg
Bay 1IR Bibi 350€ Ciney 17.JPG
 
Another good conversion/repair example. I have seen those thin leather reinforcements stitched on other helmets as well.
 
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