M16 Mail home helmet.

Digger1915

Digger1915

Active member
This leather banded M16 ET64 produced helmet still retains some of its U.S. Postal Service stamps and mail home labels with an address which is now mostly lost to history. The white labels appear as though they may be made from medical tape. The stamps must have all remained in situ for some years as the area around where they were placed has darkened with patina while they were still in place. The labels also show two black lines striking through them which is likely related passing though the mail system.

The remains of the liner and leather band are still there, while around the right chinstrap post, remains what might be chalk synonymous with the Somme area.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_9384.jpeg
    IMG_9384.jpeg
    336.6 KB · Views: 24
  • IMG_9387.jpeg
    IMG_9387.jpeg
    345.3 KB · Views: 24
  • IMG_9383.jpeg
    IMG_9383.jpeg
    316.1 KB · Views: 23
  • IMG_9385.jpeg
    IMG_9385.jpeg
    336.7 KB · Views: 22
  • IMG_9386.jpeg
    IMG_9386.jpeg
    380.4 KB · Views: 21
  • IMG_9390.jpeg
    IMG_9390.jpeg
    314.2 KB · Views: 20
  • IMG_9391.jpeg
    IMG_9391.jpeg
    348 KB · Views: 21
  • IMG_9392.jpeg
    IMG_9392.jpeg
    373 KB · Views: 24
  • IMG_9389.jpeg
    IMG_9389.jpeg
    365.5 KB · Views: 23
  • IMG_9388.jpeg
    IMG_9388.jpeg
    346 KB · Views: 25
That's a nice helmet and a good example of an area of Imperial helmet collecting limited to the USA I believe.

British and Commonwealth troops were not permitted to mail souvenirs home. That's not to say that some of them didn't make their way back to Canada. by various non official routes.

I recall as a youth being told by my next door neighbour who was Lieutenant in the British 8th Army that when he shipped home to the UK via a ship leaving Alexandria harbour that the MP's came aboard and threatened that anyone caught with souvenirs in their kit would be headed for a Military prison upon their return home. Apparently thousands of kit bags were emptied and all the souvenirs wound up on the bottom of the harbour.
 
Steve Nick said:
That's a nice helmet and a good example of an area of Imperial helmet collecting limited to the USA I believe.

British and Commonwealth troops were not permitted to mail souvenirs home. That's not to say that some of them didn't make their way back to Canada. by various non official routes.

I recall as a youth being told by my next door neighbour who was Lieutenant in the British 8th Army that when he shipped home to the UK via a ship leaving Alexandria harbour that the MP's came aboard and threatened that anyone caught with souvenirs in their kit would be headed for a Military prison upon their return home. Apparently thousands of kit bags were emptied and all the souvenirs wound up on the bottom of the harbour.
Click to expand...
Thanks Steve! Yes, I’ve heard of similar stories including one in particular where a very nice Luger pistol had to be thrown overboard. I recall at one point seeing an advertisement for the Australian museum here in Sydney selling some WW1 steel helmets to use as pot plant holders or for display. Some appeared to be camo’s and some regular field grey. However, the quantity was said to be very limited and I agree that the US appears to be where most of these post home helmets were mailed to. In fact, apart from the two I own I’ve never seen any for sale down here. It still amazes me when you see those images of piles of helmets some with camo covers) all piled up with their mail home addresses etc. I don’t think too many would make it to their destination these days.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top